The Globetrotters eNewsletter
eNewsletter Archive

Easter would not be Easter without a quick diving trip. Last year the
Beetle went to the Red Sea on a live aboard, and this year, the Beetle
was at a loss to work out where to go. A Muslim country seemed like a
good idea because there would be fewer tourists going home to celebrate
Easter, but it had to be somewhere with good diving.

Oman came to mind as being an unusual destination with hopefully some
good diving opportunities. The Beetle contacted Trailfinders in the City,
in London, to enquire about availability, cost and timings of flights
to Oman. It seemed that there was quite a bit of availability, and the
price was not too bad, considering it was Easter. The next step was to
find a dive operation and a hotel.

A quick trawl on the net found a promising looking dive school that also
had accommodation, so the Beetle went back to Trailfinders to say that
she’d already be told of an Alitalia flight and read out the day and time.
The puzzled operative said, no, there are no Alitalia flights going to
Oman and quite honestly, it is all looking very busy, I can’t see the
flight you are referring to and I’m not sure we can get you there now.

The Beetle has been using Trailfinders for over 10 years and thought
this a little odd. Hang on a minute, just let me check something, the
operative said. He came back triumphant. Yes, we’ve got you going on a
flight to Amman, in Jordan! If the Beetle had booked the first time on
enquiring, she would have ended up in Amman and not Oman – a very
sobering thought!

The moral of the story is: no matter how experienced you think your travel
agent is, they are not mind readers, always state the name of the country,
even if you think it is obvious, like Paris, Texas, or Paris France, others
may not know!

Says Peter from California who wrote in to tell us about how he and his
partner, Leslie, traded vans and reaped the benefits of cheap travel.
“And we”d love to do it again! We put a letter to the Editor
in a caravan-owner”s magazine in England, saying we wanted to trade
our California van for theirs.

Four weeks before our 2-month trip, a nice gent from Norwich called to
say he”d consider it. After we traded references and information
about our vans and how they were outfitted, he welcomed us. We spent a
heavenly holiday travelling Britain, and then he and his wife came to
use our van to visit the great parks of the American west!

We saved thousands of dollars/pounds. Van trades are better than house
trades, because transportation is included and you”re not locked
in at one location! Campgrounds are very inexpensive and have nice showers
and laundry facilities.

We will soon have a new advertisement appearing in the Caravan Club Magazine–we”d
love to visit France for 2 months! Insurance is not a problem, as each
borrower gets their own to cover liability and collision.

In fact, if any of you fellow Globetrotters out there has a VW or other
van (fancy factory-outfitted vans are not necessary–we can sleep in a
bare tradesman”s van just fine), we”d love to trade with you.

Give me a call or an email: Peter Reimuller, Box 4, Point Arena, California,
95468; phone 1-(707)-882-2001; reimuller@mcn.org. And pack your bag–you”re
going to be in some wonderful places!

Sorry–April not available as we are taking our van to Indian Country
to visit the red-rock mesas and desert wildflowers.”

This is not for the faint hearted: if you are a regular traveller on
the London Underground, here are some facts that you are going to wish
you hadn”t read.

During Autumn of 2000, a team of scientists at the Department of Forensics
at University College London removed a row of passenger seats from a Central
Line tube carriage for analysis into cleanliness. Despite London Underground”s
claim that the interior of their trains are cleaned on a regular basis,
the scientists made some alarming discoveries.

The analysis was broken down. This is what was found on the surface of
the seats: 4 types of hair sample (human, mouse, rat, dog) 7 types of
insect mostly fleas, mostly alive) vomit originating from at least 9 separate
people human urine originating from at least 4 separate people human excrement
rodent excrement human semen

When the seats were taken apart, they found: the remains of 6 mice the
remains of 2 large rats 1 previously unheard of fungus It is estimated
that by holding one of the armrests, you are transferring, to your body,
the natural oils and sweat from as many as 400 different people. It is
estimated that it is generally healthier to smoke five cigarettes a day
than to travel for one hour a day on the London Underground.

It is far more hygienic to wipe your hand on the inside of a recently
flushed toilet bowl before eating, than to wipe your hand on a London
Underground seat before eating. It is estimated that, within London, more
work sick-days are taken because of bugs picked up whilst travelling on
the London Underground than for any other reason (including alcohol).

In a Nairobi restaurant: CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT
TO SEE THE MANAGER.

On the grounds of a private school: NO TRESPASSING WITHOUT PERMISSION.

On an Athi River highway: TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER,
THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.

On a poster at Kencom: ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO,WE CAN
HELP.

Write in and tell us your funny sign! Drop a line to the Beetle! HREF=
"mailto:Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk">Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

Changi, Singapore: large, efficient, clean (good duty free) and looks
great, what with the orchids and the waterfalls inside the airport

Aruba: clean, quiet and uncrowded

Denver: looks nice but crap shops

Landing strip at Kavak, Venezuela: a charming field - minimal environmental
impact!

Heathrow: good shops for last minute forgotten item purchasing, can fly
almost anywhere from it – downside it is horrible to get to and
from, especially for early morning flights

The Stoat’s worst airports include:

Dar es Salaam – dirty, not many shops, expensive, sells 6 month
old copies of the Economist

Local airport at Honiara: fly ridden, filthy and decidedly dodgy

Local airport at Vanuatu: same as Honiara

Write in and tell us your best airport nominations! "mailto:Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk">Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

Yes, you can now renew your membership or join the Globetrotters
Club on-line.

It is secure and you can pay by credit card in US $.
Membership costs are as follows:

1 year $29

2 years $54

3 years $75

As a member, you will be a part of the oldest travel
network in existence and have the opportunity to make new friends who
share your interest in travel. Once you are a member, you will receive
our annual membership that lists all Globetrotter members around the world.
You can contact fellow Globies and even stay with some of them or offer
to put fellow Globetrotters from around the world up yourself!

Tens of thousands of Buddhists have turned out in Taiwan
to welcome what is purported to be a finger of Buddha (who died 2,000
years ago) on its arrival for a month-long stay on the island. The relic,
housed in a jewelled casket, was flown in to Taipei from China, where
it is normally on display at a temple in Xian. It was then driven amid
tight security through chanting crowds to be displayed at a stadium in
the Taiwanese capital.

Several other relics believed to be parts of his body
- including a number of teeth - are preserved in various monasteries in
Asia. Buddhists waving yellow flags lined the streets to welcome the finger.
Later, thousands attended a ceremony at a Taipei stadium where the finger
was placed on an orchid-decorated platform for worship.

“Looking at the bone is like seeing the Buddha himself,”
Chinese monk I Kong said. “We hope Buddha”s finger could inspire
friendly love and peace across the Taiwan Strait,” he said. Taiwan
and China separated amid civil war in 1949. In recent years, many Taiwanese
have visited Chinese temples to worship and to view their rich collections
of Buddhist scriptures and relics.

Review of Lonely Planet book:

Buddhist Stupas in Asia – the shape of perfection
by Padmassana

This hardback pictorial book explains the origins of
Stupas, the living embodiment of Buddhist teachings.

Its 170 pages contain beautiful colour photographs of
the many types of Stupa found in Asia. From the bell shaped ones in India
and Sri Lanka, to the Chortens of Nepal and Tibet to the Pagoda styles
of China and Japan.

At £24.99 ( $34.99) it is not cheap, but to anyone
with an interest in these wonderful structures it is a must have on the
bookshelf.

Madagascar travel advice by the FCO: we advise against
all holiday and other non-essential travel to Madagascar for the time
being. The demonstrations and strike, which followed the presidential
elections on 16 December 2001, have stopped.

However, there are still outbreaks of violence around
the country. Martial law was declared in Antananarivo on 28 February,
and a curfew was imposed from 2100-0500.

Curfews have also been imposed in other cities around
the country. Barricades are still in place at points around the capital
and those situated on the main roads linking Antananarivo to the provinces
have been strengthened. This has made road travel around the country dangerous
and difficult.

Air Madagascar is not offering flights to Europe and
Asia at the moment. Air France is providing one flight per week. Flights
to and from South Africa are severely disrupted. Flights around the country
are also subject to disruption. There is no aviation fuel for commercial
use at Ivato, the main airport in the capital.

There have been cases of armed robbery in some National
Parks. All independent travellers intending to visit National Parks should
seek advice from a tour operator, or from the park administration.

There has been an increase in the number of travellers
being pick-pocketed at the airport. Visitors should exercise caution on
arrival and departure and should not leave bags unattended. Keep money
and passports separate.

There is a danger of mugging in urban areas. Do not carry
excessive money or wear prominent jewellery. Take sensible precautions
in crowded areas such as markets. It is wise to avoid walking at night
in city centres. Visitors are advised to carry a copy of their passport
and to keep the original safe (e.g. a hotel deposit box).

Avoid travelling outside urban areas at night, if at
all possible.

Visitors are advised not to wear military style clothing.
It is disapproved of locally and could lead to detention.

Medical supplies are becoming increasingly scarce in
Antananarivo and around the country. The shortage of medical supplies
together with lack of fuel is limiting the medical evacuation services
available.

"http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel/countryadvice">www.fco.gov.uk/

If you were in London on March 12^th,
you may have joined the Tibet Vigil for prayers and speeches from 5pm
to 7pm opposite the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place.

This special vigil was in memory of 3,000 women who met
in Lhasa in 1959 and the many thousands of women including nuns who are
still suffering or in prison for declaring that Tibet should be free and
refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama.

There are regular weekly meetings in London to protest
on behalf of Tibetans. For details, call +44 (0) 208 771 1822 or "mailto:camina@30.freeserve.co.uk">e-mail or see the web site: HREF="http://www.tibet-vigil.org.uk/">www.tibet-vigil.org.uk