Hello all,

Well IÂ’m back from South America after a number of adventures that seemed to be crammed into three very small weeks ! Hopefully at a later date I will get to you more about the experiences we enjoyed and the friendliness that seemed ever present in both Argentina & Chile. In the meantime I have memories of fantastic mountains, wide open horizons, friendly people and great food to savour as I attempt to return to London life.

Whilst IÂ’ve been away the club, its members and the eNewsletterÂ’s many readers have been very busy:-

· we’ve had two monthly meetings at the London branch where four very strong & very different speakers entertained busy crowds

· Dan Bachmann has set up a Globetrotters Club members’ only group at www.flickr.com and is looking to launch a little friendly photographic competition. Get in touch if you would like more details !!

· Gavin Fernandes has had his entry judged at Wanderlust Photo of the year 2008 competition at the Destination Shows 2009 in London & Birmingham and made the short list on the Wildlife Section

· Charles Egan has launched his first novel on the reading world – The Killing Snows is set against the backdrop of the Irish famine in the 1840s. If you are interested in reviewing a copy & having your feedback published, feel free to get in touch with me ?

ThatÂ’s all for nowÂ…enjoy the start of spring and any Easter break you maybe planning,

The Ant

theant@globetrotters.co.uk

AMAR GROVER – A Journey Through Southern Morocco

The first speaker of FebruaryÂ’s meeting was Amar Grover. Amar is a London-based travel writer and photographer. He first took us across the High Atlas mountains south of Marrakech, reminding us that even in the late 19^th century Morocco was said to be as unknown as Tibet. At this time, some of the High Atlas passes were controlled by the Glaoui clan, one of whom was eventually appointed Pasha of Marrakech. At independence in 1956, the despised Glaoui family lost all power but their crumbling kasbah, or palace, at Telouet remains open to the public. Sadly, it is gradually decaying, so go soon! We then travelled down via the GlaouiÂ’s ancient salt mines and through the Ounila Valley to Tamdacht village whose Glaoui kasbah is still occupied by former staff (slaves) of the Glaoui. The Ounila Valley is a two-day walk or a dayÂ’s 4WD drive mostly along riverside ledges with wonderful views of the bare mountains, several villages and their lush oases of almond and olive trees. The UNESCO-listed kasbahs of Ait Benhaddou Â- a popular film location (think Gladiator, Jesus of Nazareth) Â- was the next stop before we cut across into the Anti-Atlas range towards Tafraoute to see some of its Berber fortress granaries honeycombed with courtyards and small chambers. Traditionally they provided individual storage facilities for families to guard against famine, and even provided refuge in times of strife. Few remain intact, and the best-preserved are still locked and looked after by a guardian. However, donÂ’t let that put you off – for a small fee, you can often enter these fascinating structures.

For more information and to view some of AmarÂ’s stunning photographs visit his website at www.pictographical.co.uk. The forthcoming edition of Travel Africa Magazine (www.travelafricamag.com) will contain a feature by Amar on the Glaoui.

PETER OVERTON Biosearch Expeditions to Malawi

Our second speaker was Peter Overton. Peter described his experiences of camping and trekking on the steep escarpments and high plateau of the Nyika National Park. The park extends over 3134 km2 and is part of MalawiÂ’s largest and most remote National Park. It is an area that is so inaccessible it is void of all tourists, so you really can get away fro it all! Peter is the Project Director Biosearch Expeditions. He first explored this region in 1972 as part of the Wye College Nyika expedition and loved it so much that he wanted to find a way to go back there each year and, at the same time, to support this special region. He has now organised 14 Biosearch Expeditions to the Nyika National Park where he takes groups of volunteers to live in this wilderness for a month at a time. The research directly assists the Parks Authority with their wildlife surveys, biodiversity research and protection of the game.

The terrain is varied with low lying wet season marshland at around 1000 m to over 2600m at the highest point. Guest trek and track wildlife with the support of game scouts; learning and sharing their skills. Everyone gets expedition training prior to departure and you become Â’part of the familyÂ’ when you return. This involves Peter opening up his farm in Lincolnshire once or twice a year for reunions, speaker events and camping weekends. Globetrotters may like to get a flavour for the expeditions by joining the next training weekend on 2^nd-4^th May in preparation for this yearÂ’s expedition, starting on 26^th July. Please get in touch with him if you are interested – http://www.biosearch.org.uk/index.htm

With Tracey Murray at the lectern we had two excellent speakers to entertain London on a sunny, spring afternoon:-

First up was the returning Jonathan Kaplan who spoke about his Travels in Eritrea, through an adventure entitled “A wedding and two wars on the Red Sea. “.

The second speaker was Peter Gostelow who spoke about his Long Bike Ride Home. In the summer of 2005 Peter left Japan, where heÂ’d been teaching English for two years, and began travelling home, by bicycle. This solo and unsupported journey lasted 3 years and took him through 30 countries, covering a total distance of over 30,000 miles. For more information see his trip journal at www.gostelow.crazyguyonabike.com or his web site at http://www.petergostelow.com.

For details of the forth coming meetings of the London branch, December 2008 through to July 2009 – http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/lon09it1.html.

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, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend. There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh in September. For more information, contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk.

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

Ontario meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

Super knowledgeable GT member Tracey highlights some of the rule changes for entry to the USA, that have been put in place in 2009. Remember this is a summary and you should always remember to verify any visa requirements before travelling.

On Monday 12th January 2009 it became compulsory for travellers who qualify to enter the USA visa free under the Visa Waiver Program to register on ESTA and complete the ESTA [electronic system for travel authorisation] form at least 72 hours prior departure to the U.S.

For further information see – http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/niv/esta.html

What is ESTA ?

ESTA is a new, fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA replaces the current system of travellers filling out an I-94W form during their flight (or ship voyage) to the U.S and collects the same information.

ESTA authorization is not a guarantee of entry into the United States; it means that the traveller is allowed to board a plane or ship travelling to the U.S. without a visa. Once you arrive in the U.S, then Customs and Border Protection officers will determine entry.

How do I apply ?

At least 72 hours prior to departure to the U.S, travellers must access the ESTA website at: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Use of the site is free; and it is available in 16 languages, although all application responses must be in English.

When do I need to apply ?

VISA Waiver Program travellers are encouraged to apply for authorisation as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the U.S. The latest you can apply is 72 hours before departure.

Once I have submitted the ESTA form, what will happen ?

Once the application has been successfully submitted via the ESTA website, then in most cases the application status will be returned immediately. You should expect to see 1 of 3 responses;

1. Authorization Approved = Travel is authorized

2. Travel Not Authorized = Traveller will be referred to www.travel.state.gov for information on how to apply for a visa to travel to the U.S.

3. Authorization Pending = A final response will be issued within 72 hours; the traveller must check back on the ESTA website.

Do I need to complete the ESTA form on a per trip basis ?

Once approved, authorisation can be used for multiple entries into the U.S. However, if the traveller’s name, gender, citizenship or answers to the questions “yes” or “no” change; a new application must be submitted.

Applicants can update their destination addresses or itineraries should they change after their ESTA has been approved, although this is not required

The ESTA authorisation is generally valid for 2 years or until your passport has expired, whichever comes first.

As a summary, it generally affects people who are nationals of the below 34 countries:-

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom

Regular contributor Mac this time interviews the Beetle via an email loaded with interesting travel questions. What do you think – are the Q&A something we should see more of in future editions of the eNewsletter ?

The Ant

Who am I ?

A Chartered Accountant, or CPA in American terms. I used to have my own consultancy business specialising in strategy, business turnaround and performance improvement. I’ve been lucky enough to live and work all around the world – earn money then spend it by travelling. I am now a cheese maker in the North Yorkshire Dales trying very hard to turn around my uncle’s business and make mostly goat’s cheese.

1. What countries did you visit and what time frame ?

About 100 over around a 20 year timeframe. Since Nov 2006, with the exception of Cuba I haven’t been anywhere because of my cheese business and any spare funds are going in to doing my house up which is a statement to the 1970s!

2. Which countries were you the most glad you saw ?

Papua New Guinea, Burma, Bali, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Bosnia, Tonga and I love Miami where I lived for a year 1999 – 2000. Borneo, though it comprises three countries, I lived in Brunei and was lucky to have time to travel around and do some fabulous diving. The north of Pakistan was a real eye opener, so beautiful, incredibly friendly people, I’d like to go back.

3. Which sights did you enjoy seeing most ?

So difficult to answer, there have been many. The walk from Grand Baie to Pereybere in Mauritius. The scenery of Camiguin, Philippines; the coral reefs around Papua new Guinea. South America is my favourite continent ever, I took 9 months out and backpacked around by myself, and had just the best experience ever. The temples of Bagan in Burma and travelling around Burma generally. I love Bangkok having lived there a short while, a great city to live in. I like the main square in Marrakech, always so vibrant and full of life and wonders. The Khyber Pass because it was a hell of an experience getting there.

4. Which waterfall did you enjoy most ?

In Venezuela, lots of little ones. The Angel Falls in Brazil/Argentina, though were disappointing. There are some lovely ones in the Kakadu Nat Park and around St Katherine’s Gorge.

5. Which country was the most different than your preconceived idea ?

Brunei – a mixture of opulence and third world. Burma made beautiful by the people. The Hawaiian Islands with the exception of Molokai and Kauaii were so commercialised and expensive. But Bora Bora was the biggest disappointment – a huge rubbish tip in the middle, in fact I would not give Tahiti a second thought now that I have been there, Papete the capital is not so nice either.

6. Which game parks did you like most ?

Berenty in Madagascar – a national park not game park. For game park, then without doubt, the Massai Mara in Kenya.

7. Which countries would you like to revisit ?

New Caledonia though a department of France. The north of Pakistan, it is so beautiful. Madagascar. I’d love to go back to Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Vanuatu to dive again, fantastic and if we are talking about diving, then definitely Papua New Guinea again for diving.

8 In which country were the people the most friendly ?

Burma and Bali without a doubt and New Zealand too.

9 Which least friendly and helpful ?

China, Hawaiian Islands, India

10 Which country would you not particularly like to revisit ?

China and India

11 Which country the easiest to visit ?

Most are pretty easy

12 Which countries the best bargains and cheapest ?

US, Bangkok, Singapore

13 Which airlines did you like the best and which the least ?

Not keen on any but would avoid any American based airlines if I could.

14 What travel items you took with you used the most and were most glad you took ?

Lonely Planet and a laptop

15 Which travel guide books did you take and which did you like best ?

Lonely Planet, don’t like Rough Guides

16 Were you ever uneasy on your trip ?

Yes, in Zanzibar, also held up at machete point twice in Mozambique. The capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo can be scary and Port Moresby is horrendous. I lived in Karachi for a year and I got used to it but would not recommend it. Felt uneasy in Kandy too. I didn’t like parts of Lima but otherwise, did not have one bad experience of south America at all, perhaps I was lucky. I would never return to Zambia, nothing but bad memories and experiences.

17 Were you ever sick on trip ?.

The last time was in Syria and Jordan where I picked up amoebic dysentery. Not a great experience, but it was a good 15 years ago. Oh, suffered horribly from altitude sickness in La Paz and in the Colca Canyon.

18 What were the prettiest places ?

So hard to say

19 What country would you like to visit, if possible ?

Namibia, Iceland, Libya and Colombia

20 What was your last trip ?

Cuba

21 What will be your next trip ?

Nothing on the horizon, working hard with the business, this is an important year to us, a bit of a make or break year so limited time and funds. Maybe a long weekend in Lisbon as my father lives there, for his 71st birthday.