The Globetrotters eNewsletter
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The latter part of the flight over was terrific, with
snow on the Gran Sasso first and then, towards the end,
there was the fabulous spectacle of the Aeolian Islands
with Stromboli puffing away. Etna, on Sicily itself, was
puffing a bit but nothing to suggest the major eruption it
had the next winter. We flew past it and into Catania.

I was pleased to find that I could get a bus direct from
the airport to Siracusa without going into Catania and only
had about fifty minutes to wait with a view of Etna to
while away the time. More of the Sicilian coast than I had
expected was spoilt by industry and far less by tourism and
to be honest I did not particularly enjoy the bus journey
to Siracusa. Fortunately it was only about an hour. I had
booked for the first two nights at the Bel-Sit and I had
seen where it was on the small map in the Rough Guide.
Would I be able to recognise it on the ground though and
save time going to the terminus and back? I was quite proud
of myself as I alighted from the coach, got out my case,
helped an attractive woman out with hers and watched the
bus leave. My pride lasted all of twenty-three seconds
until I discovered that the case was not mine! Somehow my
Italian came up to telling the woman I had helped what had
happened and I was given a lift in the car picking her up
to pursue the bus. Strangely the conversation with the
woman driver was in the neutral language of Spanish! There
at its terminus was the bus and there, outside it were my
case, some very crestfallen passengers who had of course
lost theirs, the driver who looked as though he would
rather be somewhere else - anywhere else in fact - and the
inevitable police inspector. Great was the jubilation, as
G.F. Handel said! This ended very well for me with a lift
back up the hill and the first woman escorting me - and
carrying my case - to the Bel-Sit; a bit more than I had
deserved perhaps!

"http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/newsletter/pictures/200312-syracuse-greek-theatre.jpg"
alt="" width="250" height="159" align="right" class=
"pic" /> Two areas demand to be visited. These are the old
part of the city at Ortygia, where the bus terminus was,
and the Parco Archeológico. I went down to Ortygia that
same evening, just too late for the tourist office opening
times, and enjoyed a brief stroll round and a good pizza.
It was quite good enough to call me back the next morning
but, other than getting the map and literature I wanted
from the tourist office, I was just a shade disappointed.
Ortygia is near enough an island and not a very big one; I
had not realised that the point, which should have given a
good sea view, was out of bounds to visitors because of the
requirements of the army. In general the area should
probably be regarded as a must see by anyone who has not
been to any of the beautiful old towns on the Italian
mainland but, unusually, I was as much struck by the
displayed poverty of some areas as anything. The cathedral
is very interesting, though scarcely beautiful, from the
outside with bits being part of an earlier Greek temple.
However, contrary to my usual view in southern Europe, the
interior, which contains some strikingly beautiful columns,
provides a better spectacle. Taken as a whole I preferred
Ortygia at night and the jury was still out on Siracusa as
I took a bus and then a walk to the entrance to the Parco
Archeológico.

The jury did not stay out long, however. This is
terrific and, for a person like me who has never been to
Greece, it was truly magic. I do not mean to belittle the
sights in Sicily by saying this. The Greek remains in
Sicily are regarded by experts as being of top order. I did
classics in the sixth form and I well remember the
campaigns of Athens and Sparta and the importance of Sicily
in general and Siracusa in particular, in the Peloponnesian
War. The splendid and vast Greek theatre here dates back to
the fifth century BC and I found it quite spellbinding.
Near it were the old Latomie del Paradiso, quarries and
later the prison for Athenian prisoners of war. Paradise
indeed? Even in February the heat would have suggested a
very different theological area, particularly for those who
had to work in the quarries. Particularly outstanding in
the view is the Orecchio di Dionissio [ear of Dionysus,] a
large cavern well up the cliff. Not far away is the Roman
Amphitheatre, which became so much used for blood sports
that another smaller one had to be built back in the town
for drama.

Siracusa would have repaid a longer visit.

David Cross was a keen walker, particularly on mountains
before he developed serious heart problems in 1995. He has
now adapted his holidays to what he is able to do and we
are presenting his account of 12 days in Sicily over this
and the coming months. Next episode - Agrigento

Can you spare 2 weeks + ? Would you like a working
holiday in a fantastic place?

We are currently looking for volunteer medical staff for
our clinic in India for the following dates:

6th February - 30 April

1-30th September

Check out "http://www.karmifarm.com/">www.karmifarm.com to get a
taste of the area. If you are interested either e-mail me,
Cathy "mailto:cathy@nomadtravel.co.uk">cathy@nomadtravel.co.uk
or phone me on: 00 44 (0) 20 8440 9098.

Agricultural Work with Planet
Drum Foundation in Bahia de Caraquez, Manabi, Ecuador

Planet Drum Foundation is a non-profit, grass roots
environmental organisation based in San Francisco,
California, USA. Planet Drum supports projects that address
environmental and sustainability issues. Their projects are
carried out by an international staff, volunteers, and
local citizens. Specific projects in Ecuador include:
replanting an urban park on the site of a large landslide,
establishing model community composting centres, seeding
steep slopes to prevent landslides, creating wildlife and
vegetation corridors, growing native plants and trees. They
are also starting up an environmental education program in
a local elementary school. No costs to volunteers,
dorm-style lodging in a large apartment. This area is
located on the coast where most amenities are available.
For more information, please contact: "mailto:planetdrumecuador@yahoo.com" target=
"_blank">planetdrumecuador@yahoo.com

Madre de Selva

Madre Selva is a 5 hectare centre for research,
demonstration and education about tropical permaculture. It
is a grassroots project developed over 10 years. The
Institute is in a barrio on the edge of the buzzing
mangrove town of San Lorenzo in the North Western province
of Esmereldas. It employs local staff and works with local
communities. The organisation is looking for someone to
help integrate and improve the current financial management
system, liaise with staff to research existing system and
plans, streamline operations, develop plans to generate
income and develop a business plan for Madre Selva.
E-mail: "mailto:hegilmour@yahoo.com">hegilmour@yahoo.com

Sally is British and has lived in the UK all her life.
International travel as part of her work took her to many
countries, including Portugal. She fell in love with the
place and decided to sell her beautiful cottage in
Malmsbury, Wiltshire, and relocate to Lisbon. In this
article, she tells us about exploring Cascais, in
Portugal.

So, what have I been up to? Well I have been exploring
Cascais - I had to have a coffee bar to replace the one I
used in Alfama and so far have found two that are really
nice. The first one, Chocolat, is in the centre and is
air-conditioned (a boon in the summer heat wave) and
although more pricey than others, is quite glamorous. It
does all sorts of herbal and fruit teas as well as every
variety of coffee. It sells snacks and cakes and does great
scones - a favourite being cinnamon. The second one is up a
back street not far from the main square and is called Mise
en Scene. This again does lovely teas and coffees and
wonderful savouries. It has tables outside and inside its
decorated in a cross between Mediterranean and Indian
styles. Very good for vegetarians too. On Sundays I drive
along the coast road to Casa da Guia - a large mansion with
coffee bars, restaurants and shops with a view of the sea -
to get the Sunday papers and then sit looking out at sea
reading all the news. The service is atrocious - you wait
ages to order, then ages for it to arrive and then a
lifetime waiting for the bill and change but the view is
worth it.

Throughout the heat wave the most popular places to go
were the shopping centres because of the air conditioning.
The beaches were, as you would expect, very busy but the
guys on the beach that I use, said that it was still quiet
compared to last year. I still get my bed for 2 Euros which
is great value. It’s a nice beach with bars, ice cream
kiosks and a ski school behind. You can sit and watch the
water skiers fall in and the antics of the kids on the
banana boat as well as all the other yachts, fishing boats
and in the distance the big tankers on their way into
Lisbon. Someone has also started boat trips up the coast to
Lisbon (on Sundays) and to Carcavelos (about 10 minutes by
road) in a tall ship. Apparently you can join in the work
on the boat or just enjoy the trip.

The Marina is an odd place - obviously it has all the
flash boats etc. and the shops, bars, restaurants etc. but
doesn’t seem to be doing very well. I was told by a friend
that the mooring fees here in Cascais are the most
expensive in Europe!! May be that’s the reason then. There
have also been a spate of late night muggings which have
caused problems.

Along the coast road just up from Boca d’Inferno (Hell’s
Mouth) is a great hot dog stand with amazing views out over
the sea. Very enterprising operation run on solar power
with tables and chairs, umbrellas etc. but no loo! They
play good music too. Unfortunately as I do not like hot
dogs I have not actually tried them but my local friends
recommend them highly.

Cascais has a lovely park with a museum, ponds and a
mini zoo. Very popular on Sundays with families and
obviously with school parties. The areas behind the main
streets are also very interesting with the old traditional
properties and some of them have the most fabulous gardens
- some times parts of it remind me very much of Malmsbury -
the streets are just as narrow and there is a crazy one way
system that still manages to confuse me and I end up
somewhere I have never been before but it doesn’t matter as
it’s a great way of finding new areas.

Living down by the coast is really nice. Although
Cascais is a holiday resort, when you live here you really
don’t notice it that much because the tourists tend to be
concentrated by the seafront and the main square, although
it has been pretty obvious that this year has been very
quiet. The beach I use in previous years would have three
or four guys working the beach, doing the beds, the canoes,
the banana boat and water skiing and then about four or
five behind the bar and waiting on the tables. This year
there have been two on the beach (one finished two weeks
ago); and two waiting tables (one finished about three
weeks ago) and the rest is done by the husband and wife who
own the beach bar. August was busy because that’s when the
whole country is on holiday - they even stop charging to
come across the bridges as an incentive for people.

If you’d like to contact Sally, she can be reached by
e-mail on: "mailto:pethybs@hotmail.com">pethybs@hotmail.com

Mission Antarctica set up by Robert Swan after walking
to both South & North Pole. Antarctica is a truly
unique place, but not as white and pristine as you would
first imagine, and Robert was amazed at the rubbish
problem.

Antarctica is not owned by anyone, however 44 signatory
countries administer the continent. The treaty was set up
so that it could be looked after for the future and states
that everything brought in to the continent must be taken
out, but obviously this was not happening.

"http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/newsletter/pictures/200312-ma001.jpg"
alt="" width="250" height="187" border="0" align="left"
class="pic" />In 1992 Robert was the keynote speaker at the
first Earth Summit in Rio and spoke about the rubbish
problem in Antarctica. With their approval he then set up a
project to do something about it, choosing the Russian Base
of Bellingshausen, as it was one of the worse areas. Also,
it was accessible to visiting ships and had a runway
nearby, allowing both easy access for research into the
removal and aiding the difficult logistics.

For a number of years a team of Russian volunteers cut,
compacted and moved the scrap onto the beach, stockpiling
it to ease the removal later.

During December & January 2001/2002 the Ship “Anne
Boye” was chartered and sailed to King George island to
remove the scrap. A small team of 5 from the UK, together
with the Russian volunteers then managed to move 1,000 tons
of scrap from the beach onto the ship, all within 3
weeks.

The site was then levelled by JCB and within that week,
the penguins and seals were back on the beach, oblivious to
its former history. The waste was then taken to Uruguay for
recycling, with the Dangerous waste like Asbestos, fuels
and oils, taken to the UK for specialist disposal.

The Yacht “2041″ (so named as this is the renewal date
of the Antarctic Treaty) played an important role in the
operation, as the main aim of the project was worldwide
education.

For the first time ever, crew would be flown into the
Antarctic to join the yacht for 8-10 day voyages,
experiencing firsthand the cleanup, together with the
awesome beauty in areas, as yet, untouched or visited by
man. "http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/newsletter/pictures/200312-ma002.jpg"
alt="" width="250" height="198" border="0" align="right"
class="pic" />

Young people and teachers from 19 different countries
sailed onboard Voyages 1 and 2. The aim was to get young
people interested now, in preserving Antarctica, which
would mean that in their later years when they were working
and in possible leadership roles, they would remember this
and take positive action to look after the Continent.

Voyage 3 allowed Robert, together with the sponsors, to
observe firsthand the cleanup in operation. Voyage 4 was
especially for young underprivileged South Africans. They
had never even seen the sea before, let alone ice, when
they visited the Continent. The final voyage sailed much
deeper into the southern peninsular regions, observing how
other bases are dealing with their waste. New territories
were explored, before returning to S. America ahead of the
winter, now closing in. The yacht had now sailed over
4,000M during our 3-Month Antarctic Expedition.

After resupplying in Argentina, the yacht sailed 1,400M
to South Georgia, for a two week Expedition to see how the
wildlife was coping with the waste left in the numerous
abandoned Whaling Stations.

From the near extinction of the seals during the whaling
era, they have made a spectacular recovery, and now they
rule the very stations that nearly pushed them to the brink
of extinction on South Georgia. There are now estimated to
be over 1.5 million Fur seals resident on the Island, as
well as thousands of Elephant Seals.

"http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/newsletter/pictures/200312-ma003.jpg"
alt="" width="250" height="168" border="0" align="left"
class="pic" />South Georgia is truly one of the world’s
most spectacular wildlife habitats. This is mostly due to
its desolation and the fact that man finds it so very hard
to reach it - even in this day and age.

King penguins gather to breed in massive numbers, due to
its year round access to the sea. On this beach alone there
were estimated to be over Half a Million penguins!

On arrival in Cape Town, after a round trip of over
12,000M, the yacht was lifted out the water to be
transported overland to Johannesburg, for The World Summit
on Sustainable Development, where Robert addressed the
United Nations on the success of the project in Antarctica.
The yacht become a “floating petition” containing the names
of thousands of young people who have pledged their support
to the project on preserving & managing Antarctica

During all the Expeditions the crew filmed 25 hours of
DV footage, using high quality digital video, together with
over 5,000 digital images and 5,000 film images on
Transparency. The images were complied, using the onboard
video edit suite, onto CD’s for the Participants, to take
back to their respective countries to show how the project
had succeeded in the waste removal.

Andrew Dare is now conducting multimedia presentations,
which explains the whole project from it start in Africa,
the cleanup in Antarctica & the return to Africa, via
South Georgia.

If you would like further details of this amazing
expedition and project or to obtain images, please contact
the Yacht Captain, Andrew Dare, e-mail: "mailto:andydare@bigfoot.com">andydare@bigfoot.com

The World’s Newest Countries

Country (Independence Date)

1. East Timor (May 20, 2002)
2. Palau (October 1, 1994)
3. Czech (Republic January 1, 1993)
4. Eritrea (May 24, 1993)
5. Slovakia (January 1, 1993)
6. Yugoslavia (April 27, 1992)
7. Bosnia and Herzegovina (March 1, 1992)
8. Kazakhstan (December 16, 1991)
9. Turkmenistan (October 27, 1991)
10. Armenia (September 21, 1991)
11. Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of (September
    17, 1991)
12. Tajikistan (September 9,1991)
13. Lithuania (September 6, 1991)
14. Uzbekistan (September 1, 1991)
15. Kyrgyztan (August 31, 1991)
16. Moldova (August 27, 1991)
17. Belarus (August 25, 1991)
18. Russia (August 24, 1991)

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

It’s been called Europe’s hottest capital. Slick
advertising campaigns have championed the city’s famed
nightlife. But there is more to Reykjavik than pubs and
clubs. Reykjavik held the prestigious title European City
of Culture in the year 2000, a welcome recognition of the
energetic and colourful cultural life of Reykjavik.

Reykjavik has the best of both worlds: the qualities of
a modern, forward-looking society are complemented by a
close connection to the beautiful and unspoilt nature in
the city’s vicinity. The world’s northernmost capital is
framed by the majestic Mt. Esja, which keeps a watchful eye
on the city, and the blue waters of Faxafloi Bay. On a
sunny day, the mystical Snaefellsjokull glacier appears
crystal-like and baby blue on the western horizon, as the
mountainous moonscapes spread to the southeast.

Reykjavik is a great place to visit, whether for a
restful relaxation, a spot of unbridled fun or generally to
recharge one’s batteries: energy, safety, health and
wellness - Reykjavik is indeed Europe’s hottest
capital.

Reykjavik is spread across a peninsula whit a panoramic
view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all
sides. In the summer, you can sit by the harbour at
midnight and watch the sun dip slightly below the horizon
before it makes its way up again.

The population of the city is about 170,000 when you
include the outlying areas and smaller boroughs surrounding
the capital. One gets a general feeling of cosmopolitan
sophistication built on rock solid foundations.

Ása Kolka Haraldsdóttir works for the Reykjavik tourist
board and can be contacted on: "mailto:asakolka@visitreykjavik.is">asakolka@visitreykjavik.is

LAB is running a working and Volunteering in Latin
America workshop in London on Saturday 21st February from
10.30am to 5.30pm. From coffee brigades and tree planting
to literacy teaching and human rights work, the day will
explore the possibilities for being something other than a
tourist in Latin America: practical advice and
information.

On 13^th March 2004, there will be a workshop
in London on Tourism in Latin America: what is the social
impact of the growth in tourism on Latin America and the
Caribbean? A thought provoking day will examine the
politics of travel and is aimed at first time travellers to
the region as well as veterans.

For more information, see ww.lab.org or contact them on:
020 7430 0542.

This is an extract from a great website that gives
visitors to Peru lots of invaluable information about Peru,
how to get around, visas, museums etc. It is a not for
profit organisation that is aimed at encouraging people to
visit Peru.

1. Do you carry a first aid kit?

2. Are your guides trained in first aid and C.P.R?

3. Do you feed your porters and what do you give
   them?

4. Are your porters given proper tents and equipment?

5. What is the difficult level of the Inca Trail?

6. What is the meal plan for each day?

7. Do you supply us with 3 season tents?

8. Are your guides specialist in birds, plants, and
   culture?

9. What is the maximum weight your porters Carry? ( 20 -
   25 Kilos )

10. How much do you pay your porters?

11. Do you follow the regulations? Do you have a printed
    copy?

12. What do you do with waste from the trip and do you use
    plastic bottles?

For more information, see: "http://www.perutouristinformation.com/">http://www.perutouristinformation.com/

Mac’s been reviewing travel websites again and here are
some of the better travel tips he’s gleaned and would like
to pass on to us:

Water or sports drinks plastic bottles are often better
than the traditional water bottles - they don’t leak, are
usually lighter and at the end of the trip, you can throw
them away (into a recycling bin, if possible) and after
this, you have more room for those totally cannot afford to
miss souvenirs!

Tights (panty hose) are cheap, warm and disposable and
make great layers when travelling in cold places, when
layering is essential.

You can keep your hair looking good for longer, ideal if
you are travelling in the wilds and don’t have access to a
daily shower. All you need is a small bottle of deep
cleansing shampoo and a tiny bottle of coconut oil. After
washing your hair, rub a tiny drop of oil into your hair.
Go easy the first time to know how it looks when dry. Hair
stays soft and clean looking and will keep nasty things out
of hair such as lice.

Iris and her group arrive in Salvador in Brazil.

What can I say about Salvador? I loved the place. It
wasn’t so when I first arrived because we got there quite
late at night, we were all tired and then found we had a
hike across a busy main road to a dirty little side street
full of rubbish over spilling on to the street and there
was our hotel! I thought “What sort of a dump have we been
brought to?” but it turned out to be a charming place, very
helpful staff, a beautiful little garden at the rear with a
miniature waterfall and a bird in a gilded cage singing its
heart out for us, morning and night.

Salvador is a city of great contrasts. We were housed in
the old city which is reached by climbing steep hills or by
a lift from the lower level to the top. The lower level has
nothing much of interest. It is commercial with docks, but
there is a very interesting market housed in a round
building with a restaurant overlooking the harbour. I did
eventually get to it on the last day we were in Salvador
and bought myself a hammock for my stay in the jungle when
I shall have to sleep in a hammock on board the ferry, for
the 9 days we are there. But for the most part we stayed in
the old city, as it is far more interesting and has lots of
old buildings and narrow streets with fascinating shops and
restaurants. One restaurant we went to had the most
beautiful garden and the most incredible service all for a
few pounds, and it boasted a really good little trio
serenading us as we ate.

We also found, courtesy of our Korean friend (who always
goes off exploring on his own) the most incredible shopping
centre which is about 3 times as big as most types of
shopping centre in UK) but this was on our last day, we
were pretty tired by then, and we were only able to explore
about a quarter of it, before deciding we’d had enough and
wanted to go back to the hotel!

The beaches in Salvador were really beautiful and the
bus service superb. I’d really love to go back there
sometime.

Since Salvador, we have been to several unspoilt places
- Lencois, the centre of an area of outstanding beauty with
lots of rivers, waterfalls and lakes to see, besides caves
and we did go on a full day’s trip to the countryside to
see the waterfalls, and caves and rock formations, in the
company of a man called Issy (short for Isadoro) who was a
very enthusiastic fellow who loved talking about his native
Brazil and its fauna and flora.

We are now in a place called Bonito where we are for
five days. We have used this time, Judith and I, to rest
and take stock, especially as on the way here our truck
broke down and we had to be rescued by a fellow Exodus
truck which has been shadowing us all the way around South
America, normally in second place, and then they came into
their own as we needed to be given a lift! We spent some
time in a place called Itiquira, but just two nights really
and most of that was spent trying to get the truck
recovered and once it was recovered, getting lots of our
baggage off it, as we were probably not going to see the
truck again for a week or two until it is repaired and now
in Bonito. We are stuck with no truck, just the extra
Exodus truck which rescued us and which can’t take us any
further, and it looks as if we are going to be taking
public transport to our next destination until the truck is
repaired and can catch up with us!

Bonito is the first place where we have actually stayed
in a Youth Hostel and it has some surprising facilities,
like a swimming pool and a really good laundry, and some
excellent staff who cater for our every need. We don’t need
money here, we just put it all on tick! (Goodness only
knows what the final bill will be, it’s amazing how the
pennies mount up when you don’t have to pay as you go!) And
of course it has Internet! Only two machines and I have
been hogging this machine most of the afternoon, but now I
have to come to a close, read it and send it off to all you
people out there, wondering why I have been up to since I
last wrote.

Just for completeness, we did call in briefly at
Brasilia to look at the city. What a non-event. It is a
manufactured city with its only claim to fame being its
President Kibutschek whom they revere as a god and have
produced this awful mausoleum which is pitch dark inside
except for illuminated display cabinets of all his clothes
and paraphernalia, books and objets d’arte, including all
his wife’s clothes etc. and it was the most boring exhibit
I had even been in. The only highlight was they had a
cadaverous member of the Adams family popping out to give
us a fright every now and again, and provided a staircase
in midnight blue carpet, lit only by ambient light, to
provide a place for people to have fun, falling down it and
seeing who can crack their head open in the most
spectacular way! One poor lady was carted off to hospital
while we were there, having done just that, so I suppose
she won first prize!

Take care, I’ll be in touch again soon, and hopefully by
then we will be back on our truck. By the way, the
diagnosis was a broken crankshaft.