The Globetrotters eNewsletter
eNewsletter Archive

Meeting news from our branches around the world.

Find out what happened at previous meetings in London and about future events

Saturday 6th December 2003 London meeting

Our first speaker was Paul Goldstein whose talk
was entitled “Africa: An adventurous wilderness”. Paul has
led many tours into sub Saharan Africa for adventure tour
operators over the last few years. We started with shots of
Victoria Falls and White water rafting, followed by bathing
in a Kenyan mud spring! Paul’s passion is for the wildlife
of Africa and we saw some wonderful pictures of lion,
leopard, cheetahs and jackals. But the stars of the show
for the globies audience were the mountain gorillas. Paul
finished up in India with a great shot of a lion taking it
easy in the middle of the road.

After the break John Pilkington gave an
intriguing talk on his journey up the Mekong river to its
source in Tibet. We started off in the markets of Saigon,
not a place for vegetarians! John followed the river’s
course but not always by travelling on it, he also used
local trucks that served as busses. As he headed north into
these Buddhist lands we saw Buddhist architecture and
playful orange clad monks who thought nothing of playing
with a mountain gun left over from a previous war. John
took an unusual route over the border into China, he
hitched a ride on a Chinese cargo boat delivering noodles
and Red Bull! When the Mekong was no longer navigable John
took to jeeps and finally onto horseback to become the
first Britain to reach the source of the Mekong. (Find out
more about John at "http://www.pilk.net/lecture.mekong.html">http://www.pilk.net/lecture.mekong.html)

Saturday 3rd January 2004 London meeting

Our first meeting of 2004 was a series of 4 mini talks
given by Globetrotters members. Many thanks to all those
who took part, some at very short notice who made it a very
enjoyable afternoon.

Our first speaker was London organiser Dick
Curtis whose talk covered part of his “Gap
year” from teaching. Dick slides took us through
India, beginning as most Indian journeys do in the capital
Delhi from where he took a train to Kashmir, all very
exotic, especially to someone who had not ventured beyond
Europe before. Dick’s wonderful photos showed us
houseboats, temples and the very photogenic people. Dick
met up with some other travellers and with them trekked to
Ladakh taking in some beautiful mountain scenery and
travelling from Hindu India to Buddhist Ladakh.

Our second speaker was club Membership Secretary
Kevin Brackley, who took us to a now virtually
impossible to reach destination, Saudi Arabia. His journey
started in conservative Riyadh, with its fortress and
modern Faisal Tower, then north to Sakaka where he showed
us the 6000 year old standing stones in the desert. His
trip then followed the old Hejaz Railway through the desert
to Medina. We saw beautiful red desert colours, including
slides of rocks carved by wind and sand and the spectacular
Nabatean city of Maidan Saleh. At Al-Ula we saw old
locomotives from the railway abandoned in the desert,
before arriving via Medina at Globe Square in cosmopolitan
Jeddah on the Red sea.

After the break Martin Wright showed us a glimpse
of his marathon cycle ride to Australia. Martin illustrated
his trip with great photos and narrative, particularly of
some of his ailments along the way! He showed us eastern
Turkey, before crossing into Iran, the photos of the tiled
mosques at Esfahan were superb. Martin couldn’t get a visa
for Pakistan so had to back track before ending up in Nepal
and then via some hard uphill cycling into Tibet and Lhasa.
He continued down through Indochina before crossing to
Australia, where the “Pommie on a bike” was
made very welcome, especially in places where according to
road signs the population was outnumbered by sheep or
flies.

Our last speaker was Globetrotters Legacy Coordinator
Jeannie Copeland, who showed us a trip she led in
Iceland for Ramblers. Starting in Reykjavik with its
colourful houses and lake she travelled up the west coast
to Akureyri, where some of her group made the boat trip to
the Arctic circle island of Grimsey. Husavik on Iceland’s
north coast was the chance for the group to try whale
watching. Jeannie’s photos showed the group climbing
mountains in a tropical for Iceland, twenty degrees, before
travelling through rain to Myvatn, with its rock formations
such as Dimmuborgir and natural hot spring pools, great
after a long days walking.

After the talks, thanks to Nadia and all those who
brought food and drink, we enjoyed the annual Globetrotters
New Year party.

Future meetings

Saturday 7th February

Chris Bradley — Walking Wadi Hadramaut
[Yemen] – a 550 mile solo unsupported trek and first
westerner and Rupert Attlee — The Trail to
Titicaca - a 7000 mile cycle adventure through
S.America

Saturday 6th March

Anthony Lambert — Railways on the Wlldside
– travel on a selection of the World’s railways and
Jacqui Trotter — Travelling South America - 8
months of overland and independent travel Part II

London meetings are held at The Church of
Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent
Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is
no London meeting in August, but we will be back in
September. For more information, you can contact the
Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit
the website: "http://www.globetrotters.co.uk">www.globetrotters.co.uk

From women who work at re-opened museums to hunky gym
rats who worship Arnold Schwarzenegger, Afghanistan has
changed in the 2 years since the ouster of the Taliban. A
lot more work needs to be done, but new buildings rise from
the rubble to punctuate the Kabul skyline, archeological
initiatives are helping tourism, and wheelchair programs
are giving mine victims a new chance in life. See the
Afghanistan you never read about in the papers.

We looked at what there is to see as a tourist in Kabul
and also touch on travel to other Islamic hotspots like
Jordan, Turkey and Morocco.

For details of forthcoming meetings e-mail "mailto:newyork@globetrotters.co.uk">newyork@globetrotters.co.uk
or register for e-mail updates, "http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/Ny-Update.html">click
here at our website.

New York meetings are held at The Wings
Theatre, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich St and
Washington St), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the
Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 4 pm.

Venue: - please note the change: Old York Tower, 85 The
Esplanade (SouthEast corner of The Esplanade & Church)
- 2 block east of the Union station. Public parking garage
is at the foot of Church St. right next to the Old York
Tower.

For information on Ontario meetings, please contact
Svatka Hermanek: "mailto:shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca">shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca
or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel.
416-694-8259.

Once again, we were honoured to have Norman Ford, founder
of the Globetrotters Club, on hand presenting a slide show
of his September 2003 Nordic adventure with us
entitled:

Around Switzerland By Bike–On
Your Own, The Globetrotter Way”.

Christina also shared stories and photographs from her
Dec 2003 Santa Goodwill Tour to Asia.

Dates of future meetings: February 14th (Travelocity),
March 13th (Southwest Airlines), Mark your
calendars

If you like independent, adventuresome, fun, daring,
exciting, “off the beaten path” travel, this club is for
you. Our meeting begins at 2 P.M. Come early so you won’t
be late! Enjoy handouts, travel talk time, and door
prizes!

For more information about the Texas Branch: please
contact "mailto:texas@globetrotters.co.uk">texas@globetrotters.co.uk
or register for e-mail updates at our website ( "http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/tx-update.html">click
here) or call Christina at 830-620-5482

If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help
Christina, please contact her on: "mailto:texas@globetrotters.co.uk">texas@globetrotters.co.uk

If you enjoy writing, enjoy travelling, why not write
for the free monthly Globetrotters e-newsletter! The Beetle
would love to hear from you: your travel stories,
anecdotes, jokes, questions, hints and tips, or your
hometown or somewhere of special interest to you. Over
7,500 people subscribe to the .Globetrotters
e-newsletter

To see your story in cyber print, e-mail the Beetle with
your travel experiences, hints and tips or questions up to
750 words, together with a couple of sentences about
yourself and a contact e-mail address to "mailto:Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk">Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

Derek, a retired UK diplomat, contacted the Beetle to
say that all too often the controversy over whether or not
to visit Burma tends to overlook the very important issue
of whether the people of Burma themselves are happy to see
and meet foreign tourists. Derek, who is to visit Burma
again next month, has made a study of anecdotal reports of
Burmese attitudes over the last five years - alas the sole
source of information in the absence of credible opinion
polls - and his conclusion is that the Burmese people
themselves very much favour visits by tourists and
travellers to their country by a margin of at least 10 to
1. We have reproduced a cut down version of his survey.

*****

Some travel correspondents say that on their visits they
found it difficult, if not impossible to find any Burmese,
even rank and file members of Daw Suu Kyi’s National League
for Democracy, who were against tourism to their country,
despite Daw Suu Kyi’s strictures. A “search” on Alta Vista
for “Burma Travel Boycott” any evening will produce over
3,000 “hits”. A sample selection of reported Burmese views
from these “hits” confirms my conclusion that the Burmese
people generally really do want tourists and travellers to
visit.

It is for many their main source of income, protection
against the excesses of the military and an assurance that
their plight may at least be witnessed by those who are
sensitive observers. Travel and tourism indeed advance the
cause of democracy.

My simple conclusion is that we should primarily be
guided by the wishes and advice of the Burmese people , and
not that of the UK Government whose policy is to “strongly
discourage tourism to Burma” - FCO Minister Bill Rammell,
25 November 2003, speech on “Why Human Rights Matter” to
the Institute for Public Policy Research.

Tourism is admittedly a source, but not, as another FCO
Minister, Mike O’Brien stated in a letter on 14 July 2003
to the Chief Executive of ABTA, Ian Reynolds, “an important
source” of hard currency for the SPDC. Net profits pale
into insignificance against the US$ 2-3 billion purchases
in recent years, mostly from China, of arms and military
equipment. Most hotels are barely covering their operating
costs. Remittances by tourist enterprises out of Burma of
some US$ 25 million annually [IMF estimates] for essential
payments punch quote a hole in US$ 100 million annual
revenue. Local costs swallow up much of the balance. It is
not credible to argue that tourism is in any serious sense
helping to prop up the regime. It would do so if numbers
increased tenfold, but this isn’t likely to happen for a
very long time.

There is no doubt that Daw Suu Kyi would prefer tourists
to delay visiting Burma. Over the years, she has advanced
numerous reasons for not visiting Burma, some of which are
not all that convincing, notably arguments about giving the
regime “legitimacy” (while the UK accepts Burma as Myanmar
at the UN and maintains full diplomatic relations, with an
Ambassador in post), about “it’s better to stay at home and
read some of the many human rights reports there are”
(which is not perhaps the best way to experience and
witness what is going on in Burma), about “the bulk of the
money goes straight into the pockets of the Generals” (when
revenue clearly goes to meeting operating expenses, debt,
depreciation, transfer to reserves etc.), about “Burma will
still be there when the time is ripe” (but not for
octogenarian veterans of the Burma Campaign, while for
scholars, linguists, ethnologists, Buddhist scholars and
many others with specialist interests Burma has been a
hermit kingdom ever since the military took over in 1962),
about “we haven’t had time to discuss it [tourism policy]
properly” at a news conference in May 2002 (which might
leave some of us still wondering what NLD policy really
is).

The tourist trade has been hard hit by the latest
indiscriminate US sanctions which have led to the
suspension of all credit card transactions in Burma and
restrictions on the utilisation of the US Dollar. Quite
soon, thousands of postcard sellers and stall holders,
tourist guides, hotel staff and drivers will be joining the
80,000 or so textile workers who have been made
unemployed.

No-one in Burma is making any serious money out of
tourism at present, and what is the point of allocating
beach land to cronies of the regime when there is no
investment capital available to develop projects?
Occasionally critics point to the Shangri-La Traders Hotel
as an example of a Joint Venture which must be making money
for the SPDC. They might be surprised to know that Traders
Hotel has been in liquidation since 1999.

Tourism is about meeting people, and in the case of
Burma letting the Burmese know that the outside world has
not forgotten them.

Derek Tonkin

If you would like to contact Derek, he can be reached by
e-mail as follows: "mailto:d.tonkin@btopenworld.com">d.tonkin@btopenworld.com

‘Mwenge’ is the Kiswahili word for torch but it also
represents a major national event in Tanzania, which is
also known in English as the National Torch Run. If you can
imagine an African version of the carrying of the Olympic
Flame, restrict it to one country but take it all over that
country, and make it an annual event which has a ‘message’
to pass to the people - that is ‘Mwenge’.

‘Mwenge’ began as a single event in 1961, as part of
Tanzania’s Independence celebrations, when a burning torch
was carried to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. A few years
later, the nation-wide runs began and it is now an annual
event. In the technologically advanced countries awareness
of major issues is spread through newspapers, television
and radio. Tanzania, although now trying hard to catch up,
has not had these advantages, and so the ‘Mwenge’ is run
with the purpose of spreading a message - a different
message each year. The original Mt Kilimanjaro torch was to
celebrate President Nyerere’s independence slogan ‘Umoja na
Kazi’ ‘Unity and Labour’ - there have been issues such as
encouraging parents to send their children to school and
this year it was HIV/AIDS awareness.

One Tuesday evening 2 ladies from Mtwara Town Council
appeared and asked if we would be prepared to ‘host’ the
‘Mwenge’ breakfast on the following Thursday - 2 days later
- for the runners and officials - a total of 40 people. It
was to consist of a cup of tea, a hard-boiled egg and a
bread roll. They would only stay for about 15 minutes and
then move on to the next place. This seemed a simple
request and despite their pitiful budget we decided that
this was a reasonable public relations exercise. I am not
sure that we could have refused - it would not have been a
diplomatic move to turn down the opportunity to be involved
in this event.

We had been advised to expect the runners and their
entourage at 10.00am but would be ready for an earlier
arrival. So, at 9.45 we were ready and, together with
several other members of staff, I climbed up the Boma tower
from where we had a spectacular view of the bridge at the
far end of Mikindani. Below us in the village we could hear
singing and drums as the party atmosphere got underway.
Already on the bridge was a convoy of cars, pickup trucks,
motor bicycles and people. It seemed a long time before
they slowly moved off but eventually they started moving,
and we watched this motorised cavalcade wend its way though
Mikindani. The convoy was accompanied, as always, by crowds
of people, and along the route there were groups of people
dancing, playing drums and singing all adding to a real
celebration and party atmosphere. The convoy stopped when
it reached the Clinic by the Friday Mosque, and
message-carrying speeches were made to the Mikindani
people. Then they all moved to the open area by Livingstone
House, where the runners and officials left the crowd and
walked up to the Boma for their breakfast. The crowd
remained down by the official cars parked outside Samaki
and Livingstone - it appeared that most of the people of
Mikindani had taken a ½ day off to celebrate ‘Mwenge’.

The District Commissioner and other Mtwara officials
enjoying their breakfast by the Boma swimming pool were
joined by 5 of the 6 runners - unfortunately the only girl
in the group was unwell, and remained sleeping in the car.
After the food had been consumed, the District Commissioner
stood up and made a short speech on the importance of
‘Mwenge’, and what it stands for, together with the honour
of being chosen to run throughout Tanzania for this cause.
Almost as quickly as they had arrived, they all left. They
had arrived half an hour late, but by 11.00 they had gone.
The 40 breakfasts had grown to 42, and they had also bought
some bottles of water. We certainly did not make any cash
profit, but we had participated in a national event and
hopefully shown a little goodwill, and were proud to have
done so. We were left clearing up, knowing that the next
village to receive them would have to provide lunch - a
much more extravagant meal!

For more information about Trade Aid, see: "http://www.mikindani.com/">www.mikindani.com

What is it: Lassa fever is an acute viral illness
that occurs in West Africa. It is highly contagious and
occurs mainly in the dry season in West Africa,
particularly Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and
the DRC.

How do I get it: Rodents shed the virus in urine
and droppings which means that the virus can be transmitted
through direct contact with these materials, through
touching objects or eating food contaminated with these
materials, or through cuts or sores.

What happens if I get it: Symptoms of Lassa Fever
typically occur 1-3 weeks after the patient comes into
contact with the virus. These include: fever, pain behind
the chest wall, sore throat, back pain, cough, abdominal
pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and a rash. After four weeks
occur: bleeding, ascites and shock. Death occurs in 50 % of
patients.

Diagnose and treatment: the virus can be detected
in blood and urine. The anti-viral agent Ribavarin can be
used, otherwise it is a question of symptom control and
intensive care.

How can I avoid contracting Lassa fever: avoid
contact with rodents.

Judy from the US write in to tell the Beetle about her
recent visit to Siem Reap. This is what she says:

My husband and I were in Siem Reap for the full moon 8
Nov 03. Candles were set floating in the Siem Reap River
which flows through the village. It was an awesome night
scene. Boat races were also held at this time with
competing teams from all over Cambodia.

One Swiss couple told us of an encounter they had upon
entering the country. The left Bangkok by train to the
border, then transferred to a tuk-tuk to cross over to a
waiting truck. While taking the truck ride to SR they had
their money and cell phone taken. Some American girls said
they had taken the boat ride from Phnom Penh and had a good
experience, including sightings of the Vietnamese boat
people.

Siem Reap is a very safe place in the evenings by our
experiences. The temples are a sight to behold…still in
an unspoiled state. Take an extra passport photo to put on
your temple permit as the photo queue can be long. The
helium balloon ride is a great bargain $11.00 US to get a
wonderful view of the Angkor Wat and nearby temples.

Sunrise and sunset are times to get pictures with the
Angkor Wat reflecting in the moat waters. The guides
suggest you take a hike up a very steep hill and then upon
a temple to get a view of the sunset over the countryside;
not the Angkor Wat. We rode by tuk-tuk to Chong Khneas and
took a boat ride to see the Vietnamese floating village
which was quite interesting and photographic.

The food was excellent and varied, especially like the
Cambodian noodles. This was just the unspoiled area that we
wanted to visit. Being from the Midwest US we had arranged
a guide for 1 1/2 days and spent two days on our own. I
think you need time just to sit and reflect on what a sight
you are witnessing, Ta Prohm with the trees growing out of
the stones and Angkor Thom were impressive.