The Globetrotters eNewsletter
eNewsletter Archive

You would have to be living in a world with no access to the
radio, newspapersor tv not to hear about the recent bombing
in Bali. News reports say that around 75 percent of those who
died (around 200) in the blasts were Australian nationals.

But let's not forget the local people of Bali and other
nationals too, who lost their lives in Bali. A further 300
people were injured in the attack. As investigations start
into Saturday's nightclub bombings on Bali, Australian
airline Qantas is laying on extra flights to bring tourists
and injured victims back from the Indonesian island.
Singapore Airlines has also been carrying additional
passengers.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and
Australian police and intelligence services are helping in
thesearch for the bombers.

The governments of Australia and the United States are
advising against travel to Indonesia and the US State
Department has asked all American citizens to leave the
country. All US government personnel, apart from those in key
positions, are being withdrawn.

The UK has also issued a travel warning, advising the
cancellation of non-essential visits to Indonesia.

Despite some expected cancellations, Singapore Airlines says
it is continuing to operate four daily flights to the area.

The airlines say they will not impose penalty charges on
passengers who change or cancel their flight reservations.
Those without tickets wishing to leave Bali are being offered
discounted fares.

There are three galleries offering a change of photographic
exhibitions from photographers around the world.

Admission is free and the small gallery can be found at
5&8 Great Newport Street WC2H, tel: 020 7831 1772,
website: "http://www.photonet.org.uk/">www.photonet.org.uk From
4^th October to
16^th November, there is a great
exhibition called Brixton Studio which looks at local
photographer Harry Jacobs and four other contemporary
artists. There's a great bookshop too.

The nearest tube is Leicester Square, so you could combine
this with a visit to the great National Portrait Gallery that
is close by, followed by a Chinese dinner in China Town, or a
film in Leicester Square.

If any Globetrotters member would like to start a branch,
whether it is in Aberdeen or Zanzibar, please see our FAQ or
contact our Branch Liaison Officer via our Website
at "http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/meet_faq.html">Meeting
FAQ

Some information on one of the best accommodation bargains in
Spain if not Europe via Membership of The European Alpine
Federation.

British residents can join through the Austrian Alpine
Club-UK Section PO Box 43, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL8
6PA, Tel 01707-386740. Or e-mail: "mailto:manager@aacuk.uk.com">e-mail:
manager@aacuk.uk.com

website: "http://www.aacuk.demon.co.uk/">www.aacuk.demon.co.uk/

Membership costs £30 per year and entitles members to
stay at the many Spanish mountain huts for between 3.45
– 4.10 Euros per night, less than £2.50.
Non-members pay between three and four times these prices.

Facilities are roughly comparable to very simple grade Youth
Hostels with shared dormitories and sometimes a hot shower.
You can self cater or buy a 4 course meal from the Guardian.

Your membership card also entitles you to massive discounts
in the mountain huts of France, Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Slovenia plus medical and
mountain rescue insurance anywhere in the world.

The Malaysian prime minister condemned the new security
checks on Muslim and Arab visitors introduced at US airports
in October 2002.

Mahathir Mohamad labelled the new immigration rules as
“anti-Muslim” and said America's stance was
unfortunate. Passengers arriving in the US from Muslim and
Middle East countries are now photographed and fingerprinted
by the immigration authorities at all ports of entry.

In particular, nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria and
Sudan will be heavily scrutinized. Visitors from other
countries, including Malaysia, who are thought to be a
possible security risk, will also undergo the tougher
immigration checks.

The authorities will compare pictures and fingerprints with
criminal and terrorist data held by the US government. There
could be a personal element here: Mr Mahathir made his attack
on the system after his deputy, Ahmad Abdullah Badawi,
claimed he was forced to remove his belt and shoes during a
security check at Los Angeles International Airport as he
arrived for a United Nations meeting.

We've all seen those wispy white trails that aircraft
leave in the skies. Until now, scientists have been unable to
calculate the impact on weather of these vapour trails. That
is until post 9/11.

The grounding of flights for three days after the 11
September attacks gave scientists in the US a unique
opportunity to see what the weather would be like with no air
traffic at all.

They compared temperatures at 4,000 weather stations across
the country with figures for the previous three decades at
the same time of year. Their findings show that the gap
between daytime and night time temperatures was more than one
degree Celsius larger than normal when flights were at a
standstill.

This is thought to be because the jet trails reflect sunlight
and trap heat. That makes the day cooler and the night warmer
where air traffic is heavy. However, the effect is almost
certainly outweighed by the global warming influence of
greenhouse gases, created by the burning of fuel including
emissions from jet engines.

The Beetle knows that a lot of readers are interested
in tracing their ancestors, and come to the UK and Ireland to
do just that, so this piece in BritainExpress.com caught her
little Beetle eye.

Everyone from amateur historians, genealogists, students and
teachers through to tourists and parents will be able to gain
something a new website dedicated to British history, href="http://www.history.uk.com">history.uk.com

History.uk.com has a dedicated editorial team ensuring that
the site is updated daily and showcases regular online
features.

Source: "http://www.britainexpress.com/">britainexpress.com

Under 30? A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a
£1,000 travel award?

Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year
for five years for the best submitted independent travel
plan. Interested?

Then see "http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/legacy.html">our legacy
page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans
for a totally independent travel trip and we'll take a
look at it. Get those plans in!!

A passenger on a Virgin Atlantic flight has won a
GBP£13,000 (USD$20,000) award after being injured by an
obese woman in the next seat.

Barbara Hewson, from Swansea in Wales, was travelling economy
class from London to Los Angeles, 11 long hours when the
incident happened. She suffered injuries to her chest, torn
leg muscles and developed sciatica after being crushed by the
oversized passenger.

The woman next to Ms Hewson, was so large she had to raise
the armrest to fit into the seat and because the flight was
full there was no alternative seat so the woman's arm
rested on Hewson's chest for much of the journey. Ms
Hewson is only 4 feet 11 inches tall. When the flight arrived
in Los Angeles Hewson was admitted to hospital.

Source: airnews.com

Where is Europe's largest and most active volcano?
Answer: Mount Etna on Sicily. Mount Etna has had four major
eruptions in the last 309 years and it has just erupted once
again – the last time was 1992.

Although lava flows have reached the tourist areas and the
airport in Catania has closed and some hotels have been
evacuated, the mayor reassured Catania's 330,000
residents that they were in no danger.

“The situation in Catania is completely under control
and our city is not threatened in any way,” Mayor
Umberto Scapagnini said.

The heaviest lava flow descended towards Piano Provenzana, a
popular area for tourists to take mountain walks in summer
and for skiing in the winter. The flow pushed over ski-lift
pylons, knocked down power lines before surrounding an empty
mountain hotel and lodge. No one was injured. See
Murray's article on Sicily in the main part of the
e-newsletter to see what Sicily has to offer!