The Globetrotters eNewsletter
eNewsletter Archive

Hello all,

This month I thought I’d start off with a couple of different items and introduce you to two people who are professional travellers & who might be able to get you think about places you have experienced, near and far:-

With the generosity of travel author David Stanley I can offer you a chance to win your own copy of the recently launched 8^th edition of Moon Fiji - http://www.pr.com/press-release/45305. All we ask you do is email me, theant@globetrotters.co.uk the most original & yet correct answer to the question What is yagona and when might it be used? I’d then like the winner to write a review of Moon Fiji that I can include in a future edition of the eNewsletter.

Another promotion of a more local nature to Globetrotters! Artist Karen Neale and long term club member has her next exhibition in London organised…on 9^th, 10, 11^th of May she will be displaying a collection of her London landscapes across a number of formats – books, prints, paintings & cards. More details can be found on Karen’s web site at http://www.karenneale.co.uk/. Feel free to pop along at anytime over that weekend and be supportive!!

As you’ll see below this month’s edition features some of regular contributors and snippets of information but I’ve included articles from two new writing ‘teams’… Carol & Martin Noval who talk about trekking in Ladhak and Myrna & Gene Ginder who write about sailing at Christmas 2007 around Southern Africa. So if you’re unsure about submitting your article, take inspiration from the guys and send your writing through…I’m sure we’ll all be surprised by the results.

That’s it for now…enjoy your eNewsletter and the lighter evenings of summer/daylight saving,

The Ant

Our first speaker was Globetrotters’ third travel legacy winner Helen Barnhill, who recounted her trip to Nepal and Tibet, which was featured in the last issue of the Globe. Helen’s journey took her to Kathmandu where she had to arrange her onward transport to Lhasa. Helen showed us the sights of Lhasa including the Potala Palace, Norbulingka and the Barkor. Mount Kailash had been Helen’s dream and the legacy allowed her to fulfil this too as she completed the Kailash Kora. She came back via Everest base camp to the border town of Zhangmu and back to Nepal.

Bronwen Riley was our second speaker, she showed us that despite the preconceived ideas many people have about Transylvania in Romania that the area has much to offer apart from Bran castle and Count Dracula. Bronwen showed us some of the lovely countryside, castle type churches where hams used to stored in the towers and which also included cells where warring couples would be locked up to settle their differences for a week at a time, they either lived happily ever after, or one had probably murdered the other! There used to be many people of German descent in this area, said to be where the children of Pied Piper of Hamelin fame ended up. After the Romanian revolution most of the German population left for Germany. Transylvania’s forests are also home to wolves and bears.

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend. There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk.

For details of the forth coming meetings of the London branch, April to July 2008 - http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/lon08it2.html.

For information on Ontario meetings, please contact Svatka Hermanek: shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.

Ontario meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

In advance of his return to the forests of Brazil, Tony recalls how the tribes of the rain forest fare in our more familiar 21^st century:-

The small airport of Cruzeiro du Sul was its usual self, that is- buzzing with excitement, queuing that seemed to last forever, desperation of passengers trying to book in their baggage on a plane that was either late, or taken off without them - in fact, it reminded me of Heathrow back home. Amid all the noise, bustle and confusion in this chaotic place, I suddenly heard my name and saw a parting of the crowd in front of me and there suddenly face to face with me was Biraci of the Yawanawa - the tribe I had visited twelve years ago and I had talked about in the GT Club & written articles about for the eNewsletter and the Globe.

So while Benki of the Ashaninka was trying to get us on a plane out of this place, I had time to speak to Biraci about the Yawanawa tribe. Biraci was with a lovely lady from the Ivory Coast, called Anouk who had fallen in love with Bahia then Brazil and finally the Indians, while driving her old Beetle all over this exotic land. She later told me, “I’m white skinned, with a black heart and French passport”, and, I thought, a perfect figure. Tearing my eyes off this delightful sight, I turned and hugged my old friend as he then thanked me for what his tribe had read on the eNewsletter!

Since my friend Adam Baines and I had spent time with them all those years ago, they had become one of the most successful tribes in Brazil and what the tribe needed now, said Benki, “Was a good cost clerk to save wastage of their monies”. One boy born in the Yawanawa village had a remarkable talent for maths and IT – this was spotted and he completed his education at an American university. Whilst he was there he was taken to the White House on a visit to show him where the power of the world resided and for them to meet this remarkable young man. The young person showing him around stopped by his office to check his mail and said, “One day you may become someone of note and if you do, you just ‘Google’ your name and information will come up all about you” The Indian youth leant forward and typed in ‘Yawanawa’, up came the web site, & he then opened the GT eNewsletter article about the ‘Yawanawa’. He said, “At first we read articles just about ourselves and then began to read articles about travellers and places outside our rainforest home. The computer has opened an eye to the rest of this world and by using SKYPE the tribe can talk to their sons and daughters who are beginning to scatter across the globe”. This young man has just made his first TV documentary and hopes to enter the Sundance Film Festival in the next few years.

Biraci told me that all enjoyed my previous articles & they looked forward to reading more but he was then called away to sort something out in the town centre. Nothing surprising there, always a reason you can’t get out of Cruzeiro. A new international airport is nearly built and maybe we will be able to fly out of Brazil but will it still be a problem to fly into Brazil? Anouk glided between the crowds at the check- in and moved with the feline grace of a jungle cat through the forest of people. The young man with eyes as big as saucers took half an hour to check her in, even though she had no luggage and just a small back pack. She really was a member of what people call, the white tribe, in Africa. She flicked her mane of long blonde hair and disappeared into departures. Benki just said, “Don’t you think if we want to catch this plane, we should move ourselves, we could well be on the same plane”! We were and there hangs another story!

“WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society are looking for adventurous volunteers to trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro this October whilst raising vital funds for our work. As we are a small charity with limited resources we tend to rely on the help of individuals, organisations, shops & businesses to help us to promote our activities and recruit supporters…in case any of your members [readers] would consider participating.”

Use this link to learn more and/or register - https://www.skylineregistrations.co.uk/overseas/charity-booking.aspx?clientid=4643.

Mandie Gray (Community & Events Officer)

“Do you hanker after foreign adventures and new experiences outside of four star hotel rooms? Do you want your children’s education to take in the best of what the world has to offer and not just the four walls of a classroom?

The production company behind award-winning shows such as The Choir, Brat Camp and That’ll Teach ‘Em is looking for families for a new documentary. If you’re planning a travel adventure with your children, and are interested in having your trip recorded for posterity for a major terrestrial channel, we’d love to hear from you. You must be based in the UK.

Please email your name, a daytime phone number and a brief outline of your proposed trip to cathoskin@twentytwenty.tv ASAP to find out more.’

Twenty Twenty Television is an established independent production company that has won a number of awards for programmes such as The Choir, That’ll Teach Them, Brat Camp and Lads’ Army. If you would like more information about Twenty Twenty and our award-winning programmes, please take a look at our website – www.twentytwenty.tv. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch either at cathoskin@twentytwenty.tv or on +44 20 7284 2020 if you have any questions for me or would like more information.”

If you have enjoyed reading this eNewsletter, why not visit the Globetrotter website, http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/ and have a look at a copy of Globe, the bi-monthly printed newsletter sent to members only.

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So, just click here to join and become a Globetrotter or contact membership@globetrotters.co.uk for more information.

After a short train journey from Delhi and a relaxing night in Chandigarh we drove up into the Himalayas to the lushly forested Kullu Valley. Sitting beneath the Great Himalayan Range, the Kullu Valley is known as the “Valley of the Gods” and we watched processions of villagers shouldering gorgeously decorated palanquins transporting marigold-draped gods to village festivals, accompanied by musicians playing long brass horns and kettle drums. We spent three days acclimatizing in the valley, visiting ancient temples and rustic villages of houses of rough-hewn cedar logs with slate roofs. We hiked through forests of giant cedar, locally known as “Devdar,” tree of the gods, stretching our legs and lungs to get ready for the trekking to come. The charming former home of the Russian painter Nicholas Roerich is filled with his stunning watercolours of the Himalayas; it was a treat to see them in this wonderful spot overlooking the valley with its terraced rice fields.

Leaving the Kullu Valley, we drove across the Pir Panjal Range over the magnificent Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet) and entered Lahaul, a land of mountains, glaciers, mighty waterfalls and rushing streams, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples and prosperous villages growing hops and potatoes. We spent the night in an excellent mountain lodge in the small village of Jispa and next day, now in the heart of the Himalayas, drove across the mighty Baralacha La Pass (16,278 feet). That afternoon we reached our first campsite at Pang (15,695 feet) and met our crew, horsemen and horses. We would be a self-sufficient group for the next fifteen days. Our horses carried all luggage and supplies; we carried only light daypacks with water bottles and light jackets. Our wonderful local crew set up camp and prepared delicious meals, including fresh veggies and fruit. We ate and lounged in a roomy round dining tent. Lunch and treats were distributed along the trail. A great touch was a daily wake-up hot beverage delivered to our Gortex tents with a cheery “good morning.”

We set off along the river valley of the Phirtse Phu into the high-altitude lake region of the Changthang Plateau in Eastern Ladakh. Beautiful pinnacle formations, called hoodoos, lined the valley. The next day we continued walking along the river and the following day crossed our first pass at 16,250 feet with the 23,000-foot high snow peaks of Tibet lining the horizon. Along the way we met maroon-robed Changpa nomad men and women on sturdy, beautifully decorated mountain ponies. We camped near the large, brown yak wool tents of the Changpas, yak tail standards protecting them from evil spirits, and visited with them, sharing cups of butter tea and tsampa, roasted barley flour. The Changpas were very friendly and happy to talk with us and our local crew. They live tough but satisfying lives in this rugged terrain grazing vast flocks of pashmina goats, sheep and herds of yak on the rich grasses of the region which miraculously survive throughout the harsh winter.

We passed beautiful stone “mani” walls along our way, each stone a sacred offering carved with the mantra “Om Mane Padme Hum,” “The Jewel is in the Lotus,” the mantra of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara, and arrived at Tso Moriri Lake, a huge remnant of the ancient Tethys Sea that existed before India collided with the Asian mainland pushing up the Himalayas. Surrounded by cream-colored mountains and lush meadows, the lake is a vast expanse of amazing blues. The colour of the lake changed throughout the day depending on the light; at times parts of it seemed to disappear as if “captured” by the reflections of the tan peaks behind it.

The area around the lake is home to kyang (the wild horse of the Changthang), wild goats, marmots, giant wild hares and a great variety of birds including bar-headed geese, brahminy ducks, gigantic “bearded” vultures, terns and the rare black necked crane. Groups of kyang cavorted on the shores of Tso Moriri Lake, and that evening, after the horses had had their fill of rich grass, our horsemen tethered them, knowing that the wild kyang might come in the night to lure their tame horses away.

Next day it was a beautiful walk along the lake. Some of us took a “refreshing” break, jumping into the clear, chill waters. At the northern edge of the lake we reached the village of Karzok, one of those frontier places that looked as if it is at the end of the world – which it is. The weathered Karzok gompa (monastery) looks over the lake, incongruous solar panels “gracing” its roof. In the Karzok village market traders sat behind great piles of pashmina wool and goods from China. Large colourfully decorated thermoses and warm fluffy blankets were bargained over by the villagers and nomads. A wonderful line of huge, ancient, weathered chortens to the side of the gompa overlooked the village. We visited Karzok Doksa, a vast meadow outside the village, where groups of nomads make camp for the summer.

Leaving Karzok, we ascended the Yalungnayu La, at 17,550 feet, the highest pass on the trek; we gazed back at the expanse of the lake and the snow peaks stretching to the horizon. At the top of the pass were piles of gigantic horns of Marco Polo sheep and innumerable strings of coloured prayer flags stamped with mantras emitting vibrations of peace and compassion to the world below as they flew in the winds.

Crossing a few lower passes, we reached Tso Kar Lake and village. Tso Kar is surrounded by deposits of pure white salt, and the wetlands around the lake harbour abundant bird life. Continuing through spectacular nomad country, we encountered huge herds of sheep, goats and yaks, saw innumerable marmots, camped in flower-filled meadows on the banks of crystal clear streams and passed many ancient stone watch towers before reaching our destination at Rumste. Here we met our SUVs for the three-hour drive to Leh (11,880 feet). The capital of Ladakh, Leh was a famed stop on the old caravan route between India and Tibet. We visited gompas, colourful bazaars and a Royal Palace said to be the inspiration for the Potala in Lhasa, and the world’s highest polo field. We explored the narrow alleyways of Muslim bakers and ate hot breads fresh from coal-fired tandoor ovens. We drove out of town on day trips to famed Alchi and Thiksey monasteries.

For more than a thousand years Tibetan Buddhist culture and religion have flourished in Ladakh. The remarkably well preserved thousand-year old Alchi temple complex stands amid a grove of ancient poplar trees. There are gorgeously painted statues – three stories high – of Bodhisattvas; the walls are covered with stunning paintings of divine figures and scenes of ancient life. The sprawling 16th-century Thiksey monastery covers an entire hill and contains a huge golden statue of Maitreya, the Buddha to come. The views from the monastery’s rooftop terrace over the Indus Valley were spectacular.

It was a short flight from Leh to Delhi over the moon-land landscape of Ladakh with grand views of snow-covered mountains and glaciers. In Delhi we toured New Delhi with its impressive buildings of the British Raj. We rode in cycle rickshaws in Old Delhi and wandered the narrow, winding lanes of its colorful bazaars, visiting temples and the great mosque built by Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.

Carol and Martin Noval live in India and have been trekking in the Himalayas for many years. This summer they are leading another small-group trek into Changpa nomad country – 28 June to 23 July 2008. For more information email them at: tripsintoindia@usa.net and visit their website: www.tripsintoindia.com.

This year I received quite an unusual Christmas card from Myrna & Gene, who I’d met whilst sailing aboard the Soren Larssen in the Pacific Ocean – they related some of their latest adventures and I thought I share some of them with you, as there’s plenty of travel related detail in what they had to say. The Ant!!

As we were in South Africa at Christmas, our greetings to all of you are a little late! We were gone from mid-Oct. until the end of Jan. sailing as crew from Madagascar to Mozambique through part of the Bazarito Archipelago and on to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique before heading to Richards Bay & Durban in South Africa. The sailing vessel we were on was a 40′ sloop named “Juno” captained by Tom Hildebrandt, who had been on the boat since he bought it in Australia in 2004. School teacher Frances from San Francisco joined us in Madagascar and participated as crew until we reached Maputo. We helped with all manner of jobs whilst on board – from sailing the boat, scrubbing decks as well as the sides of the boat, stood watch, baked bread, cook meals, washed clothes in buckets on deck and helped with repairs as directed by the skipper.

On a small boat quarters are cramped, water is at a premium and mainly used for drinking & cooking, refrigeration is very limited and provisions are shopped for & brought to the dinghy and taken to the boat at anchor. On boats there is always something breaking down…just in the time that we were aboard “Juno” the boom broke off the mast, the windlass for bringing up the anchor chain quit working, the water intake plugged and the engine overheated & part of it melted! As a result we stayed tied up to the wharf in Richards Bay for a month while most of the major repairs were made. During this time Gene and I took off for two weeks to explore inland. Lyn from Malule Safaris took us to some wonderful nature reserves and escorted us personally through Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, Dumazulu Cultural Village, the greater St. Lucia Wetland Estuary & Reserve and Kruger National Park. We saw white rhinoceros’s, elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, cape buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, nyala, duikers, water buck, warthogs, baboons, monkeys, hyenas, elands, steinboks, lions, leopards, and a great variety of birds. We also went up to the pinnacle at Blyde River Canyon to see the spectacular view from what is called God’s window. The day after our tour was completed Lyn took us to the farm where she grew up to meet her mom and dad and they invited us for Christmas dinner. What a treat!!!

We spent 6 days and nights at Imhambri Lodge in Meerensee which was a delightful place to stay. From here we were able to walk to the Methodist Church close by for a Christmas carol sing-a-long and a potluck Christmas morning service. They truly made us feel welcome. Back to the boat by the end of December and after two weeks we reached Durban, where we again were able to tie up to the wharf. Here we made friends with a number of the other yachties and were able to take real showers at their club. We also took a couple of day tours - one to The Giants Castle in the Drakensburg mountains to see the San bushman rock art paintings from thousands of years ago and the other to explore historic Pietermaritzburg & Howick Falls. The big thrill was to be zip lined on a canopy tour over the Karkloof falls and forest - what a ride harnessed and zipping along on the cable to eight different platforms.

We decided to get off the boat on 16th January and caught the backpackers Baz Bus to Capetown, where we had a marvellous eight days in Cape Town and then two days in Simons Town on the beach. Our spots visited list included the top of Table Mountain in the Cable Cars, a winery tour and walk through the Kristenbosch Botanical Gardens. There are frequent power outages in Cape Town and one night the tourists in the cable cars had to be rescued by the Search & Rescue team by crawling out the hatch on the top of the car and then being lowered down in harnesses & ropes to safety far below! Eating conjured up a number of good restaurants - my favourite being “Mama Africa” where I had crocodile kabobs and Gene had springbok steak! Our last two days were spent near the beach at Top Sails lodge in Simons Town where The Boulders National Park, spending a delightful day on the beach with the penguins, protected by the large boulders so the wind which always blows wasn’t quite as strong.

Love and have a very happy New Year! Myrna and Gene

If you enjoy writing, enjoy travelling, why not write for the free Globetrotters eNewsletter! The Ant would love to hear from you: your travel stories, anecdotes, jokes, questions, hints and tips, or your hometown or somewhere of special interest to you. Over 14,000 people currently subscribe to the Globetrotter eNewsletter.

Email The Ant @ theant@globetrotters.co.uk with your travel experiences / hints & tips / questions. Your article should be up to 750 words, feature up to 3 or 4 jpeg photos and introduce yourself with a couple of sentences and a contact e-mail address.