The Globetrotters eNewsletter
eNewsletter Archive

Disruption to circadian rhythms caused by crossing time
zones, which can result in broken sleep, with the sufferer waking during
the night and then wanting to fall asleep during the day. The number of
days this dysrhythmia lasts has been observed to be about equal to the
number of time zones crossed. A study by Air New Zealand states that passengers
crossing 12 times zones on a 26-hour flight require ten days to re-establish
a normal sleep pattern (1).

The length of the flight is not the critical issue. The
most important single factor is how many time zones you cross. People
can suffer jet lag just crossing the United States (three hours' time
change) but would be much less affected by a north-south flight of the
same duration. The number of intermediate stops is also a factor, as each
stop is accompanied by changes in cabin pressure. Lastly is your pre flight
condition. If you are not fit, rested and healthy you will probably suffer
more jet lag than others on the same flight.

You may want to reschedule your visit to Madagascar:
according to news sources, an outbreak of flu has killed at least 374
people with another 5,000 and more infected. Health experts from the WHO
are due to arrive to investigate the cause. The outbreaks are mostly blamed
on poverty and have occurred in the southern highlands, Fianarantsoa and
in the western port of Tulear, a place used by travellers to visit the
national parks close by.

Add this to the last 7 months of civil unrest, this does
not make Madagascar a very attractive place to visit - which is a great
shame, as the Beetle can attest it is a fabulously interesting country,
hard to get around, but worth the effort, to see the different kinds of
forests, the lemurs, practice speaking French, the old French style of
architecture and boulevards etc. The diving is not bad, either!

If you are thinking of going to Santiago or Tahiti, did
you know, you could take a flight to Easter Island? It's included
in the famous Oneworld Explorer air pass. In addition, if you do plan
a trip to Easter Island, David Stanley's piece on Easter Island is
a good source of information to help you plan your trip. David's notes
on Easter Island are taken from the Moon Handbook on the South Pacific.

Visit "http://www.southpacific.org">southpacific.org for full information on how
to get there, what there is to see, how to get around, a brief history
and other activities such as surfing and diving. David Stanley has earned
his living from guidebook writing since 1979, producing guides to the
South Pacific, Micronesia, Alaska-Yukon, Eastern Europe, and Cuba. His
latest book, Lonely Planet Canada's Maritime Provinces, was released
in July.

OK, it's silly season! Earlier in the year, we saw
Prince Charles (but not Camilla!) spend a night in a £25-a-night
B&B called Yew Tree Farm, an 18th century farmhouse in the Lake District
village of Rosthwaite in Borrowdale. Pre-divorce, Nicole Kidman and Tom
Cruise also used to stay in the Lake District, at Samling, a rambling
Lakeland estate of stone cottages dotted across a fell overlooking Lake
Windermere.

Michael Winner stays at Sandy Lane, Barbados. Kylie is
known to holiday in Ibiza, staying at a £10,000 a week three-bed
art deco house on top of a mountain, according to celebrity travel agent
Earth. Julien MacDonald of Givenchy fame is alleged to prefer the Puri
Ganesha villas on the beach at Pemuteran, a fishing village in the relatively
undiscovered north-west of Bali, costing around £300 a night. Talking
of fashion designers, Jean Paul Gaultier can be found at Dar Zellije,
a four-suite riad said to have no frills other than its 17th century architecture
where not all the bathrooms are en suite.

And last but not least, lets think about Brighton, that
genteel (?), happening place and erstwhile Victorian resort on the UK's
southern shore. Not only does Norman Cook, AKA Fat Boy Slim hold rather
dubious free concerts on the beach, but Liam Gallagher was spotted staying
on the seafront at Blanche House, described as a themed B&B costing
around £100 a night.

· The airport handles more international passengers
than any other airport in the world and offers flights to many international
destinations including 33 flights to Paris and 23 flights to New York
each day.

· The most popular country for flights from Heathrow
is the United States of America.

· The busiest routes are New York, Paris, Amsterdam
and Dublin.

· The busiest day at Heathrow recorded this year
was Sunday 29 July 2001 when 213,000 passengers passed through the airport.

· The airport covers approximately 1,200 hectares
(3,000 acres).

"http://www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/heathrow/">www.baa.co.uk

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

Michael is looking for a cheap guesthouse, pension or
hostel near Villefrance (halfway b/w Nice and Monaco) in France. He arrives
in Nice on September 3^rd and leaves on the 28^th
September and is looking for a cheap place to stay in both Italy and Villefrance.
If you can help Michael, "mailto:mrakower@hotmail.com">please e-mail him.

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

US Airways, the sixth biggest airline in the United States,
has filed for bankruptcy protection. Under the so-called Chapter 11 procedure,
the company will continue to operate while it attempts to restructure
its business and return to financial health, estimated to be the first
quarter of 2003.

Last month US Airways pilots agreed to pay cuts amounting
to $465m a year, in an effort to keep the company afloat and the company
is also attempting to save $1.3bn in annual expenses from labour, suppliers,
lenders and creditors.

All of the US airlines have experienced a downturn in
air travel since 9-11, but this is the first carrier to file for bankruptcy.
Part of the reason is that whilst US Airways did not lose any planes on
11 September, its main hub, Reagan National Airport, near Washington DC,
was shut down for three weeks and reopened with only a limited schedule.

United Airlines, the second-ranking US carrier, has warned
it may follow rival US Airways in filing for bankruptcy protection. They
say that unless it succeeds in cutting its costs, it will also be forced
to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors. Interestingly,
UA is 55% owned by employees. The firm has given itself 30 days to conclude
talks with staff on rebuilding the carrier around a new business plan.
Watch this space!

Blaming the problem on a slump in passengers, Chairman
and Chief Executive Jack Creighton said: “The world has changed,
revenue isn't coming back the way the industry expected. Demand isn't
returning, fares remain low, and the industry is grappling with how to
respond.”

Dr Livingstone is walking through the jungle and comes
across a clearing with a huge hippopotamus lying stone dead in the middle
of it. On top of the hippo is a pygmy. Dr Livingstone approaches him and
asks: “Did you kill that?” The pygmy replies: “Howrya.
Yes, I did.” Dr Livingstone is surprised by this and continues by
asking: “How did you kill it?” “With my club,” replies
the pygmy. Dr Livingstone asks: “How big is your club?” “Oh,
there's about twenty of us at the moment,” says the pygmy.

As noted by our eagle-eyed Webmaster, Paul Roberts, this
is a facility whereby you can send faxes via the web or email - rather
handy! Take a look at HREF="http://www.tpc.int/tpc_home.html">The Phone Company website.

You can also receive replies with a free efax.com number.