The Globetrotters eNewsletter
eNewsletter Archive

The US House voted last night to lift
the ban on US citizens travelling to communist Cuba,
stunning hard-liners and defying a plea by the Bush
administration to retain harsh, 40-year-old sanctions
against a nation it sees as a terrorist state.  In an
unexpectedly lopsided and bipartisan 262-167 vote, the
House approved an amendment by Representative Jeff Flake,
Republican of Arizona, to prohibit funds from being used to
enforce the travel ban, effectively lifting it.

Since the amendment was attached to a
Treasury Department and Postal Service appropriations bill,
it had to pertain to spending to be considered in
order.

“Americans can travel to North
Korea and Iran, two-thirds of the axis of evil, but not to
Cuba,” said Representative William Delahunt, Democrat
of Quincy, MA. “That makes no sense, I would
suggest.”

Cut price rooms in London do, really
exist.  Take a look at: "http://www.laterooms.com">www.laterooms.com and also
www.lastminute.com
do London hotel rooms.  

Travel Inn "http://www.travelinn.com">www.travelinn.com have rooms
at £74.95 and there is one next to the London Eye -
the huge Ferris wheel or tel: 08702 383300.

The Red Cross in Kenya has mobilised
1,000 volunteers to help cope with an outbreak of malaria,
which has killed nearly 300 people. The outbreak has
affected eight districts in the Rift Valley and the west of
the country and follows a period of very heavy rains.

The Red Cross says that more than
150,000 people have contracted malaria since June. Young
and old alike have been affected, with the death toll
standing at 298. Most of those who have died have simply
been unable to reach a hospital quickly enough to get
treatment. The outbreak follows several weeks of very heavy
rains, but quite why it has turned so deadly is not really
known.

Can you help Caroline? Suffering from
information overload, she would love some advice on round
the world tickets, volunteer organisations in Australia,
New Zealand, and Nepal that don't charge heaps of money
to go volunteering, I'm 33 so this seems to exclude at
least some of them.  Plus I have no degree or
profession so that excludes some more. Anyone had any
experience of Involvement Volunteers UK, or the overseas
arm of BTCV. Plans are to go to Australia in November time,
do some volunteer work and then carry on doing the same in
New Zealand and Nepal for hopefully one year. Also anyone
got any views on how much of the itinerary to plan
beforehand. Thanks in advance.  Caroline "mailto:cmather@care4free.net">cmather@care4free.net

Need help? Want a travelling buddy or
advice about a place or country - want to share something
with us - why not visit our Mutual Aid section of the
Website: "http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/mutual/mutaid.html">Mutual
Aid

  When on a holiday to
Papua New Guinea is must-see is beautiful Rabaul, a town
well known for its native Baining fire dancers, live
volcanoes, pristine wreck and reef diving, caving and above
all, friendly local people.

The town was half buried during a twin
volcanic eruption in 1994, but today, Rabaul has re-emerged
as a tourist destination with a difference. There are few
places where the dramatic consequences of the contrasting
moods of nature can be experienced so intimately.

Sightseeing in Rabaul is memorable. From
the near airport at Tokua, the drive takes you along a
narrow road winding its way around the glittering waters of
the Gazelle Peninsula, through coconut plantations,
villages of thatched huts surrounded by colourful
flowerbeds and tropical fruit trees that look out over calm
waters.

Steven was born in PNG but now lives in
Sydney Australia.  He can be contacted "mailto:Steven.Mago-1@uts.edu.au">by email to help with
any queries on PNG or for ideas and help visiting the
country.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across
from a Russian Orthodox monastery:
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN
AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY
EXCEPT THURSDAY.

Hotel catering to skiers, Austria:

NOT TO PERAMBULATE THE CORRIDORS IN THE HOURS OF
REPOSE IN THE BOOTS OF ASCENSION.

Taken from a menu, Poland:

SALAD A FIRM'S OWN MAKE; LIMPID RED BEET SOUP
WITH CHEESY DUMPLINGS IN THE FORM OF A FINGER; ROASTED DUCK
LET LOOSE; BEEF RASHERS BEATEN IN THE COUNTRY PEOPLE'S
FASHION.

Supermarket, Hong Kong:

FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE, WE RECOMMEND COURTEOUS,
EFFICIENT SELF-SERVICE.

From the “Soviet Weekly”:

THERE WILL BE A MOSCOW EXHIBITION OF ARTS BY
15,000 SOVIET REPUBLIC PAINTERS AND SCULPTORS. THESE WERE
EXECUTED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.

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

If you have a travellers tale that your
aching to tell. Then why not visit the “Travel Sized
Bites” section of the Website and share it with the
world. "http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/bites/">Travel Sized
Bites

If you want to see the Three Gorges (the
Qutang, Wuxia and the Xiling) before they are lost for ever
- as a result of the controversial dam project on the
Yangtze, you should aim to see them before November
1^st 2002.  After this date,
there will be a diversion around the Three Gorges and the
Yangtze will not be navigable until after the flooding has
taken place in 2003.

This is a fantastic free open air
exhibition planet, a series of large scale photographs of
amazing natural landscapes by Yann Arthus-Bertrand at the
exhibition at the Natural History Museum, Kensington. If
you can't get to London it's worth taking a look at
the websites: "http://www.earthfromtheair.com/">earthfromtheair.com
or "http://www.yannarthusbertrand.org/">yannarthusbertrand.org

Open from June
20^th to end September 2002.

Venue: Slug & Lettuce, Fulham
Broadway

Date: Wednesday 7th August, 7pm

Price: £4 on the door £2 if
pre-booked

Special Guest - Paul Goldstein

Tales from the Bush: An African
Journey.  Come and join Paul Goldstein as he recounts
tales from the dark continent. After countless visits
across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana and
Namibia he has a wealth of knowledge on the area.  As
a prize winning photographer (2nd Royal geographical
Photographer of the Year 2001/2002) and guide his
presentations are illustrated with dazzling images and
outrageous and hilarious anecdotes.  He is not a fan
of mainstream travel, especially hordes of safari-suited
package holidaymakers in zebra striped minivans, nor does
he care much for luxury hotels. He gauges countries on
their people and wilderness areas, not by the amount of
food guzzled at lunch buffets with 'untraditional'
local dancing.  Don't say you weren't
warned….!

Also representatives from EXODUS, SNOW
& ROCK, and other Africa experts.

To book or for more information see HREF="http://www.itchyfeet-uk.com">www.itchyfeet-uk.com
or email "mailto:info@itchyfeet-uk.com">info@itchyfeet-uk.com or
call Dave on 07900 975 413