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The place: Lille is small enough to wander around, in a weekend.
There are two parts to Lille: the old town, which has narrow cobbled streets,
and lots of interesting small shops, and the new town where the large
shops, such as Printemps and the usual chain stores can be found. For
those who want to explore, there’s a castle and some museums, but
wandering around the Old Town is a must.

Why go to Lille? It’s a pretty town, close to London, good
for shopping, eating and relaxing. There is a good supermarket, Carrefour,
very close to the Lille Europe and SNCF railways stations, where you can
stock up on cheese, wine, chocolate – whatever takes your fancy!
The food is always good, so it is a part shopping, part relaxing and part
gastronomic destination! Most of the hotels are within walking distance
from the Lille Eurostar station.

Hotels: the poshest is the Carlton, in the Old Town, which does
not ever seem to offer discount rates, but there are lots of hotels to
chose from. Hotels seem to be either close to the train stations, close
to the main square or in the Old Town. If you can, go for the latter.
The Hotel Continental is a budget place often used by British tour operators,
it’s ok, between the main square and the railway stations, but on
a busy main road. Hotel Bellevue says it is a 3 star, it’s a little
quirky, but the rooms are usually large and it’s behind the main
square. Hotel Art Deco Romain says it is 500m from the Lille Europe station,
it may be, but you need to get a tram to get there, and whilst it’s
only 2 stops, it is not easy to walk to, plus the rooms are cupboard sized.
La Treille in the old Town is highly recommended.

Prices: fantastic, especially for eating out and drinking. Most
of the restaurants offer at least one prix fixe menus i.e. you get to
chose a starter, main course and often a desert. Some include wine or
a glass of champagne to start. These range from 15 Euros to 50 Euros,
and you can usually be guaranteed excellent food, whatever the price.
The Beetle’s favourite restaurant is called L’Alcide, which
is close to the main square and can be pricey a la carte, but do good
prix fixe menus, there’s also La Renaissance which does very cheap
but good prix fixe menus (a recent 3 course dinner for 2 plus beer cost
£15 a head). The Carrefour at the Lille Centre Commercial close to the
train stations is a huge supermarket, and the prices there are far better
than those in the UK for almost everything. One tip, though: if you spend
more than 100 Euros, you will be asked for photo id, so take your passport
or new style driving licence.

Things to do and see: in winter, there is a Christmas market around
the corner from Printemps, where you can browse around the stalls, drink
cups of mulled wine, eat crepes or waffles. Year round, there is a huge
Sunday market in Wazemmes, a short metro ride from the centre and there
is also a smaller Sunday market that sells fruit, veg, flowers and handicrafts
in the old town. If shopping is not your thing, you should visit the citadel,
which is quite impressive, and the town square with its old buildings.
If you are a museum buff, then you should visit the Palais des Beaux arts,
the natural history museum, the house where General de Gaulle was born,
and the Musee de l’Hospice de Comtesse.

Getting Around: really easy. A one way trip by metro or tram costs
just 1.15 Euros, or an all day card costs 3.55 Euros You must validate
day tickets just the once in yellow machines that say “composter”
and single journey tickets in the same way when you set off. But if you
stick to the Old Town and the area close to the new town, you probably
won’t need to take public transport, although it’s good to
know that it’s there and regular.

How to get there: by Eurostar, a little over 2 hours from London
Waterloo.

Signs and thoughts that Mac has seen or experienced on his travels around
the world, and noted down in his travel diary.

l. Hong Kong. Budget Garden Hostel. Sign. “No smelly shoes allowed
in dormitory.“

2. Simla India. Sign read “Spitting on the road is an offence
punishable up to 50 rps under HPMC.” (An Indian was urinating next
to the sign).

3. Coffee house in India. Sign saying: “If convenient please speak
slowly” (we have the same sign in our snake pit.)

4. Puri, India. Sign “Gods Blessings Of Lord Jagahnath with hearty
offerings. All offerings to Lord are free income tax.“

5. In Albert & Victorian museum in London cafeteria they had a sign
“Pickpockets operate here” I gave the little old lady
behind me a dirty look in case she planned to pick my pocket.

Would you like to tell us about your travels? Contact HREF="mailto:beetle@globetrotters.co.uk">the Beetle

The remains of four woolly rhinos have been unearthed in an English quarry.

Scientists describe the group find at Whitemoor Haye in Staffordshire
as “extraordinary” and one of the best Ice Age discoveries of
its type in Northern Europe in recent years.

In addition to the great beasts, researchers have also dug out a remarkable
range of superbly preserved plants and insects. One of the rhinos even
has plant material still stuck to its teeth, giving possible clues to
its last meal.

Taken together, the specimens should enable archaeologists to build up
a detailed picture of what life was like in this particular corner of
the UK 30-50,000 years ago.

“We'll be able to piece together the whole Ice Age environment
in that area by the banks of the River Trent,” said Simon Buteux,
director of the field archaeology unit at the University of Birmingham.

He told BBC News Online: “The plants in particular are beautifully
preserved - they look as if they were buried last week quite frankly.
And in amongst them are remains of beetles which are very sensitive to
the climate, so this will give us good clues to what the local environment
was back then.”

The initial woolly rhino (Coelodonta antiquus) discovery was made by
quarryman Ray Davies, who pulled up a massive skull in the bucket of his
digger.

Gary Coates, a University of Birmingham archaeologist, said: “I've
been working at Whitemoor Haye Quarry for five years and have excavated
everything from prehistoric burial grounds to Roman farmsteads, but this
find was totally unexpected.

“It's the biggest find - in all senses of the word - I've
ever been involved with.”

I am in New York and I opened Adelante Spanish School ( "http://spanishamerica.com">http://spanishamerica.com) with my Partner, Monica
Guerra, who manages day-to-day affairs in Quito. For free help in planning
a Ecuador trip, arranging a room in Quito and especially to plan Spanish
lessons please contact us ( "mailto:lee@spanishamerica.com">lee@spanishamerica.com in English or
"mailto:monica@spanishamerica.com">monica@spanishamerica.com in Spanish)

In my opinion Quito, Ecuador and Antigua, Guatemala are the best places
in the world for a traveller to learn Spanish quickly and affordably and
with a great deal of fun. There are hundreds of schools in either city
and the competition keeps the quality high and the cost low. The cost
of language instruction can be under US$5/hr for one to one instruction
and you can experience room and board with a local family for about $15/day.
Having experienced both I chose to start my venture in Ecuador.

Quito’s many schools are excellent and the instructors are experienced.
You will find relatively few people who speak English inQuito but all
are patient with foreigners making it very conducive to learning. You
should have no problem mastering Spanish as long as you study. You don’t
need to do or study anything before you go. There is a lot to distract
in Quito. If you take classes for 4-5 hours a day, try to study for three
hours or so either over lunch or at dinner. It is a great place and you
will find the most difficult thing about studying is that there are many
wonderful things to do in Ecuador.

Ecuador is a place where you can do a lot and don't need a formal
plan, reservations, etc. It is very easy to decide to do something (visit:
jungle, mountain, hike, colonial, market, coast) on a Thursday night,
to get on a bus Friday afternoon and to find a hotel when you arrive.
It is the best way to meet people and to make sure that your experience
is the best possible. Furthermore, Spanish schools tend to be flexible
and accommodating for the spontaneous traveller.

Small schools are less expensive and tend to offer more personal attention
and a better immersion experience while more costly larger schools offer
the opportunity to socialize with more American students and English speakers.
If you want a large number of peers visit a large school as well as a
smaller school.

Most schools specialize in one-to-one Spanish instruction. One to one
immersion training offers the best way to rapidly develop your language
skills. Most professors are skilled and experienced in engaging in interesting
conversation with students that is gauged to their level and challengs
them to improve at their best ability. Your professor should be able to
tell where you need assistance and focus on that aspect of your language
training. Discusssion in English can be a welcome relief but they do not
often further the goal of learning Spanish nearly so well as struggling
with Spanish. That is what immersion is all about. There are volunteer
opportunities available in and around Quito. Schools work with organisations
to arrange volunteer opportunities

Please contact "mailto:lee@spanishamerica.com">lee@spanishamerica.com or "mailto:monica@spanishamerica.com">monica@spanishamerica.com for information
or look at their web site "http://spanishamerica.com">http://spanishamerica.com. We can pick you up
at the airport even if you later decide not to study with us. We are also
happy to discuss your plans and assist in arrangements without any fees.

Believe it or not, storm chasing has become something of a hobby. So
when the weather is bad, throw away that jigsaw, that book, that piece
of embroidery or the TV guide, get your waterproofs on, grab a map and
jump into your car! Oh, and don’t forget your camera or camcorder
and mobile (cell) phone! The real storm “techies” fit thermometers,
barometers, hygrometers and even anemometers in their cars.

Why do this? It’s a lot of fun – generated heart churning
adrenaline levels and can involve you in some of the most beautiful sky
scenes. According to the UK storm chasers club, people who actively chase
tend to have “a sound meteorological knowledge of the atmosphere
and storms including their behaviour and dynamics. It is this knowledge
that keeps them safe: storm chasing can be dangerous if undertaken by
inexperienced individuals both for themselves and others. In the UK the
danger is even greater due to our busy and congested road networks. When
you encounter a local storm these already bad road conditions will rapidly
deteriorate with copious amounts of standing rain water, flash flooding
and sometimes even a hail covering.

So how do you do it? Again, according to the British club, the trick
is to attempt to forecast where thunderstorms may develop and then head
to a favourable area. There are hundreds and hundreds of people including
storm chasers who attempt their own forecasts using internet data. There
are lots of websites with information including "http://www.westwind.ch/">Westwind.ch they make surface pressure charts and
upper air charts freely available. You can also get various lightning
detection products (often called sferics products) and you can now get
free hourly radar images on the "http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather">BBC Weather pages. If you wish there is also
data available on line but at cost. For example there is a better radar
picture now offered by Avbrief but
there is a fee. “The majority of us are "http://www.torro.org.uk">TORRO members which means images we capture
and information we gather is gratefully received and put to good use,”
says a storm chaser from Holland.

There are storm chasing groups in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, all
over the United States and Australia. The Dutch Storm Chase Team formed
last year when the guys got together for a one-off chase that ended up
so much fun they decided to make a regular thing of it. “We started
that afternoon,” says Bernard Hulshof, a meteorologist with Holland
Weather Services, “and drove to the west near Schiphol Airport where
we saw numerous showers, beautiful showers, large rainbows and deep blue
skies. It was heaven for us and later on we followed the storm to the
province of Flevoland, in the centre of The Netherlands. By then it had
become dark, the sun was setting and the storm was producing lightning.
It was all very exciting and very successful for us.”

In the US, there is a region known as Tornado Alley that stretches from
Texas northward to the Dakotas. More tornados occur there than anywhere
else on earth, so this is naturally something of a mecca for storm chasers.
“I can't think of any other place on earth which would be more
exciting for storms than Tornado Alley,” says Harald of the Netherlands’
club. “The situation in America is perfect for storm development,
it's unique in the world. You can get any type of storm if you have
time for it. But of course,” he adds, without even a hint of irony,
“it all depends on the weather.”

The Beetle found a couple of companies that specialise in storm chasing
“tours” – if this interests you, you might want to check
out "http://silverliningtours.com/">Silver Lining Tours, owned by David Gold,
a meteorologist and self proclaimed outstanding storm chaser. He says
he will take customers to watch incredible super cells, awesome tornadoes,
huge hail and wild lightning.

Texas-based TARGET="_blank">Tempest Tours are taking bookings now for Storm Chasing
Expeditions in the 2003 spring season. The company, headed by three veteran
storm chasers (with more than 50 years of storm chasing experience), will
lead six tours into Tornado Alley in search of nature's most spectacular
weather. The tours take place in May and June, the peak of tornado activity
in the United States. Tours will depart from Oklahoma City and in minivans.
Veteran storm chasers typically drive 100-400 miles a day to reach their
targets.

"http://www.stormchasing.com/">Stormchasing.com say“if you're
looking for adventure, you'll love this thrilling storm chasing holiday
in America. We offer “10-Day” and “5-Day” tours where
you'll travel across a number of states. One of our vans is the most
highly equipped chase van in Tornado Alley — unlike any other storm chasing
van on the road.” They go on to say that they are the only storm
chasing company that has “real-time” weather information 100%
of the time, delivered by satellite technology to our storm chasing van.
You will get to ride in that van and be part of the action as we chase
down severe storms and tornados in America's Tornado Alley!!

It was 8.30am and I was waiting for Rosanna White in the early morning
sunshine, sheltered in the shade of a palm tree in front of the Independence
Monument. Rosanna is the volunteer co-ordinator for the Sunrise Children's
Village, a Phnom Penh orphanage with a high profile, due in no small part
to the extraordinary efforts of its founder and patron, Geraldine Cox.
Described by some as 'larger than life', Geraldine was on one
of her regular trips abroad seeking out funds to keep the orphanage afloat
and the day to day administration was in the capable hands of Rosanna.
I'd been in e-mail contact with both of them for a few months before
my trip and they'd kindly invited me to visit the orphanage, temporarily
located in Takhmau, some fifteen kilometres south of Phnom Penh, the capital
of Cambodia.

Geraldine's high profile - she's written a book, there's
an award-winning documentary about her life and a feature film in the
offing - and her tireless work go towards providing a home for around
fifty disadvantaged Cambodian children between the ages of 3 and 18. Most
are orphans, all have sad tales to tell, but the orphanage provides them
with love, food and shelter as well as regular schooling and extra English,
computer, sewing, music and dance classes, designed to give them the chance
of a brighter future. It’s a worthy cause that many Australians
support with individual and corporate sponsorship. However, as Rosanna
explained on our drive out to Takhmau, a great deal of extra funding,
as much as $600,000, is needed to fulfil the Sunrise dream envisioned
when Prime Minister Hun Sen donated ten hectares of rent-free land to
the orphanage. It's certainly an ambitious project and the publicity
created by the support of some very famous Hollywood names is currently
giving it real momentum, while Geraldine's powers of persuasion continue
to play their part in making the dream come true.

A toot of the horn and the gates of a nondescript villa opened up as
Sopheun, the orphanage’s housemother, welcomed us. Rosanna received
an update on the latest batch of cuts and bruises, tantrums and colds
(and the theft of a bicycle) since her last visit a couple of days earlier
before giving me a guided tour of the tidy, but cramped house and grounds.
On the ground floor were the girls’ dormitories (the boys sleep
upstairs), with hammocks and mattresses taking up most of the space and
a few of the girls busily drawing pictures with coloured crayons. Outside,
the more boisterous boys were playing games of tag and marbles and I joined
in a game of football with Chanry and Sin Long, two eight year olds, who
were obviously best of friends and who hammed it up for my camera. I also
showed my skills, or lack of them, with another group who were playing
'tot sey' (foot shuttlecock).

Nearby was the well-stocked computer room, where Phalla, the computer
teacher, was fixing a PC on his day off with the help of a couple of the
older teenagers. He showed me how the recent rains had flooded the room
and damaged the wooden computer stands and was very keen to hear about
my website devoted to my travels in Cambodia. Outside, I met Sok An, the
head cook, who was preparing vegetables for the children's lunch with
some of the older girls under an awning in the concrete yard, when Sary
and her wheelchair (she's the only disabled child in the orphanage)
whizzed past and came to a halt at the water tap, where she began washing
some clothes. Rosanna explained that Sary, a polio sufferer, is now learning
to walk with the aid of callipers and a brace and is fiercely independent,
but an absolute sweetie.

Upstairs, we visited the volunteers’ room, which also houses the
medicine cabinet and is where Geraldine, the patron, sleeps when she's
in town. Next door, the dance and music practice was already in full swing.
The children are working hard in preparation for a once in a lifetime
visit to Australia for an arts festival, and rehearsals form a key part
of each day for those lucky enough to be going. The orphanage is home
to about fifty children and over half of them will be making the trip
to Adelaide in March. Today was a Sunday, so no school meant extra practice
sessions for the dancers and musicians. In a cramped room, I grabbed a
seat to watch the dance teacher, Monitha, guiding a group of the youngest
girls - six to eight year olds - through their traditional Khmer dance
routine. They were delightful and were followed by the youngest boys who
danced and banged their coconut shells in harmony as Srey Mao, the youngest
of the girls with a smile and a nature guaranteed to melt any heart, sat
on my knee to watch her friends perform.

At the back of the room, some of the children were playing traditional
Khmer instruments to accompany the dances and were being tutored by 70-something
year old Mr Chea and his daughter Thierry, both outstanding musicians
in their own right. Next on the dance floor were the teenage girls and
particularly 17 year old Srey Mich, the orphanage's leading dancer
who glided across the floor with grace and poise in abundance. Following
them, as the tempo increased, were a mixed group of four boys and four
girls who moved in well-rehearsed unison and who rounded off a thoroughly
enjoyable hour watching the children perform. In fact, I enjoyed it so
much I forgot to take any photos until near the end. I was mightily impressed.
This wasn't a performance staged for visiting guests but a daily practice
session, yet the timing and elegance of all the dancers, whatever their
age, was a joy to watch. They'd worn their normal clothes for the
practice, so I'm sure they'll look even more professional when
they wear their hand-sewn costumes for the real thing.

I had another quick kick-about in the courtyard with Chanry and Sin Long
as Rosanna did her final rounds of the villa with most of the children
giving her a goodbye hug. Then it was back in the 4WD and out into the
busy back streets of Takhmau and our return to Phnom Penh. My visit to
the orphanage had been a brief but thoroughly enjoyable one. The children
I met were happy, the level of laughter and their playful nature made
that abundantly clear, but their temporary premises are simply too small.
It’s a stopgap until the Sunrise Children's Village and the
dreams of Geraldine, Rosanna and the children themselves become a reality.
I sincerely hope that's sooner rather than later.

To visit the "http://www.sunrisechildrensvillage.com/">Sunrise Children's Village website,
click here.

For more information on Andy’s travels, visit his website which
has lots of travelogue stories with pictures: "http://www.btinternet.com/~andy.brouwer/index.htm">http://www.btinternet.com/~andy.brouwer/index.htm

Costa Rica, a tiny country that forms part of the land bridge between
North and South America, is almost too good to believe. It has more species
of mammals and birds than the continental United States and Canada combined,
unmatched flora that includes over 3,000 species of wild orchids alone
and a world famous national park system.

It is a land of natural treasures: lush green jungles and forests, steaming
volcanoes, mountains, Caribbean beaches, and Pacific surf. You can explore
miles of nature trails that access a variety of unique natural habitats,
drive to the edge of a volcanic crater or through the deep, rich mountain
jungle, or soak up the rays on a magnificent tree-lined beach.

Costa Rica is a paradise for orchids, butterflies and hummingbirds. Near
San Ramón you can visit a beautiful Orchid garden full of the national
orchid – La Guaria. On Sunday you observe the families hanging around
and playing with their children. San Ramón and its surroundings offer
a lot of fun and entertainment with adventure, beautiful nature and also
culture.

Where are we talking about? Costa Rica's Central Valley is
noted for its eternal spring like weather. The district San Ramón de Alajuela
is the biggest district of Costa Rica and is situated on the end of the
Central Valley just in the heart of Costa Rica. San Ramón is a pleasant
small town about halfway between the capital San José and Puntarenas,
just off the Carretera Interamericana that joins San José with the Pacific
coast. When you leave the airport and take the autoroute to Puntarenas
the first sign you see is the sign to San Ramón and takes about 45 minutes.

San Ramón is situated on the tenth degree of latitude and 3,280 feet
above sea level. This provides one of the best climates in the world with
all year long average temperature of 77 º F (25 º C). The perfect climate
to promote or maintain your health and to relax.

San Ramón is known locally as the city of presidents and poets because
several of them were born or lived here. It is a clear, green and safe
area and offers a lot of activities like sightseeing to the museum and
to the beautiful church. The museum has interesting exhibits of local
history and culture. The church looks very similar to European churches
and is a combination of gothic and roman styles. It was designed by a
German architect and construction started in 1925. The altar was built
in Italy, the tiles from Germany and the bells from France. Artisans from
around the world and many Costa Rican artists contributed to its creation.
The construction was finished in 1954.

So, where to eat? A new restaurant has opened which is excellent
by any standards. The owner of Alirass is a native of San Ramon who has
also travelled. Her fusion Costa Rican food is a must. Try the fish with
avocado and cheese and save room for the excellent home-made desserts.
The owner/chef Ligia has contributed a gem to her hometown.

What to do? Life runs slowly in this part of the world and you
can relax and enjoy. Visit the central market, the weekly market, the
park in the centre of San Ramón and watch the people talking in the street
and hear the loudspeakers from a passing car announcing good shopping
offers or activities for the next weekend. There is no hurry.

You find around San Ramón big waterfalls, bungee jumping, canopy tours,
hot air ballooning, hiking in rainforest, bird watching, and horseback
riding, tours with mountain bikes and a beautiful Spa. From this central
position you can travel very easily to most of the volcanoes or beaches.
Near San Ramón you can visit the “Reservado Alberto Manuel Brenes”,
a large area with an incredible variety of fauna and flora.

Getting around: it is best that you don't expect perfect roads
but you will see this as a part of the adventure. You drive slowly and
have time to look around. Of course you always need more time than you
expected. But there is no reason to hurry. You will be rewarded with unforgettable
occurrences. You will see animals and plants you never have seen before
in your life. Guides are always available to take you around and to explain
the nature of the area that is new and eye opening.

Come join us in what is still a relatively undiscovered part of Costa
Rica, a very special country in these turbulent times.

Where to stay to chill out: I run the Hotel and Spa Casaelena
that is 6 miles from town at 3000 ft. altitude with a breathtaking view
of the Pacific Ocean. We have 24 acres of landscaped grounds with a large
pool with a steam room and solar heated jacuzzi. Spa services such as
massage and pedicures are available. It’s a great place for peace
and quiet, for couples who want a romantic get away or for groups who
want a real spa experience: yoga, meditation, nutrition advice, massage,
beauty treatments, acupuncture and chiropractor services. For more information,
contact me, Helene on: "mailto:casaelena@racsa.co.cr">casaelena@racsa.co.cr or visit our website:

"http://www.costaricarelax.com">www.costaricarelax.com

Writing this sat at my university desk I can’t help frequently
glancing up at the picture painted in Mikindani and the various photos
of my gap year experience.

Having gone over the whole experience with true friend back home, I can’t
say that I was overly enthused about the prospect of having to talk through
the whole ‘year out’ thing to several strangers in fake bids
to find new friendships. But even after thinking over what the visits
to Mikindani have done for me, it wasn’t until I chatted about everyone
else’s gap years that I realised just how valuable they were. Past
volunteers will have all contemplated the commercial organisations and
weighed up what volunteers are gaining but I’d like everyone to
think about these again.

When I talked to people about my gap year, it was hard to sum up just
how much I went through with George and Emily. The work we partook covered
everything from teaching in the primary schools, running a tree nursery
and planting program, teaching sports to the locals, improving vocational
training in the hotel, and researching and writing for a guide book. Our
cultural experiences were, for me, highlights of the stay; the learning
of a new language, staying with a host family, going through Ramadan,
Christmas abroad. The learning of a Swahili is something, which is pushed
at Trade Aid, and rightly so, it is after all a key in developing our
work and provides a great deal more scope in possibilities for volunteer
input. But the thing that stuck out the most was purely being a little
part of the village. In such a scale a project as this, your input is
very direct and results or improvements are clear and achievable. At the
end of the six month stay I could regard many locals as friends, not just
people who had provided me with an experience. With huge mountains, natural
wonders of the world, and exotic islands ahead, it was hell having to
say goodbye to these people I had spent so much of every day with for
some time. Not one person here at university has seemed to show as much
sorrow as our group did when leaving and they all are impressed at how
personal my experience seemed. It has sparked a true interest in Africa
and the situation in developing countries, I would now definitely consider
it as an option when working in healthcare once my physiotherapy degree
allows me to.

Others tales tended to take two main routes. First were the ‘round
the world’ people. An air ticket bought several thousand miles and
covered a path generally following China, Australia, New Zealand, Los
Angeles, and home again. All very well for getting lots of stamps in your
passport but I often question how much these people got to know a place.
In addition to getting off the plane, completing a quick tourist tour,
and maybe eating a local dish, I heard little else of what they gained.
Any past volunteer will know exactly how much of an opportunity is granted
to get involved and mix with Mikindani’s people. The second lot
arranged experiences through commercial companies, set up to provide students
with trips and work in developing countries. Much of their work and goals
were similar to those I aimed towards with Trade Aid and the satisfaction
of doing something active to help others out was obvious in most. The
contrast seemed to be in the socialising once the working day had finished.
Those in bigger groups told of many nights together and parties in foreign
beauty spots, fun but not on the same level as sitting on Bomani street
joking and chatting to the locals during the evening hours, and not going
down to Doa’s bar on a moonlight night with the Boma staff.

Of course although my opinion on things has been favoured towards what
I found, having only experienced a year with Trade Aid, I realise also
that every single person has had a ‘time of their life’ and
each and every one is much the wiser because of it. Since returning home
to study I have kept very much in touch with the charity and look forwards
to revisiting in December to carry on with some work and maintain my interest.

For more information about Trade Aid, volunteers and their work, please
visit their website "http://www.mikindani.com/">www.mikindani.com or e-mail Sherie on "mailto:tradeaid@netcomuk.co.uk">tradeaid@netcomuk.co.uk

When going to places like South Africa, Singapore, etc. you might want
to consider getting multi-entry visas if a visa is required. Although
they usually cost a little extra, it is worth the hassle of having to
queue up, complete the paperwork, provide photos etc.

From South Africa I went to Zimbabwe by bus to Bulawayo and then by train
to Victoria Falls, walked over bridge to Zambia and then took train back
through Botswana and then to South Africa. Also one might want to make
a side trip to Namibia. (I met a South African soldier in South Africa
that delighted to tell me he had been stationed in Nam. I thought he meant
Vietnam and then he smiled and said Namibia.) From Singapore using it
as headquarters, I made side trips to Bali and back, India and back, Malaysia
and Thailand and back.

While you might be able to get new visas getting a multiple entry might
save you some time. From Johannesburg I also took a bus trip to the township
where they then allowed gambling and had a small Las Vegas. The township
and I cant think of its name began with b long name and they had distinctive
stamps for sale. A small diversion if you have the time. Happy Travelling
Mac.

If you would like to contact Mac, a 78 year old retired military, and
extremely well travelled, he is happy to answer any questions even if
his information may be out of date. Mac can be e-mail him on: "mailto:macsan400@yahoo.com">macsan400@yahoo.com

Novodevichiy Convent (Nunnery) is one of the most beautiful Moscow
convents. By studying its history we discover many facts about the history
of the State, which is extremely interesting.

It was founded in the early 16^th century. Its
main cathedral was consecrated in honour of the Smolenskaya Icon of the
Mother of God Hodigitria. According to the legend, St. Luke himself painted
the icon, and it is closely linked with the convent’s foundation.

So Great Prince Vassily 3 founded the Novodevichy Convent in 1524 in
honour of the seizure of Smolensk. The Convent stood on the road leading
to southwest, in the direction of Smolensk, a small town 300 km away from
Moscow.

The convent is like a miniature Kremlin. Its cathedral church was built
with the Kremlin Cathedral of the Assumption as a model, perhaps by the
Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin, and in 1525 the copy of the Smolenskaya
Icon was placed in it. The convent’s fortified, toothed walls and
the towers were added at the end of the 16^th
century in the reign of Boris Godunov, and their design was also based
on the Kremlin. In the 17^th century the towers
were decorated with splendid tracery crowns.

It was the richest convent in Moscow. Noblewomen of the time became noviciates
in it- wives and widows of the tsars and boyars, their daughters and sisters
– and on taking the veil they handed over their jewels, pearls,
gold and silver. Women were secluded into this convent for several causes:
either if they couldn’t get a divorce, which was impossible at those
times, or if they became widows, also if they were to be devoid of their
political rights, like it was the case with the sister of Peter the Great.
It was here in 1689 that Peter the Great confined the intelligent and
power-loving Sofia, who did not wish to concede the throne to her brother
after he had attained adulthood.

The same fate was in store for Yevdokia Lopukhina, the first wife of
Peter the Great and mother of Tsarevich Aleksei. In 1727 she was brought
here from the Shlisselburg Fortress in St. Petersburg after Peter’s
death, and not long before her own. Both of Peter’s relatives are
buried in the convent’s Smolensk cathedral.

It was here, in the Novodevichy Convent, that Boris Godunov was «summoned
to kingdom» in 1568. In the fire of 1812 the convent was nearly ruined.
At the beginning of September numerous French soldiers were billeted here
and later on Napoleon himself visited the place on horseback. Without
dismounting he looked round at the convent and gave orders for the Church
of John the Baptist to be blown up, then he departed. On the night of
8 October the French troops were getting ready to retreat. Before leaving
they stuck lighted candles on the wooden iconostases and threw them on
to the floor where they had scattered straw everywhere. In the cellar
of Smolensky Cathedral the nuns discovered open barrels of powder with
smouldering fuses. With only seconds before a terrible explosion, the
nuns managed to put out the fuses and prevent a fire in the convent.

A picturesque pond with ducks just near the convent makes it a wonderful
place.

Novodevichy Convent has been witness to many historical events in its
time, but it managed to go through it, endure it and not only preserve
but also multiply spiritual heritage with centuries.

After the revolution the convent was secularised, then it housed a branch
of the State History Museum. Today it’s a convent with 2 museums
but it has been given back to the church.