All posts by The Ant

Write in (3)…The Global Scavenger Hunt by Pamela Finmark

“Wanted: The World’s Greatest Travelers To Compete in Around-the-World Travel Adventure Competition” SANTA MONICA, CA 2 November 2010

Looking for all would-be Magellan’s, promising Indiana Jones-types, adventurous Nellie Bly hopefuls, and Phileas Fogg contenders!

The annual around the world travel adventure competition known as The Global Scavenger Hunt, that will begin April 15th taking participating teams to at least ten countries over 23-days before crowning The World’s Greatest Travelers on May 7th, wants real travelers to compete in a real travel adventure event.

Novice wayfarers and jaded travel veterans always ask who the greatest travelers are Are they independent globetrotters, backpacking travel junkies, business travelers (aka road warriors), do travel writers make for great travelers, what about tour guides or travel agents, maybe travel bloggers have an inside edge these days, or even former reality TV contestants?

It just makes such great on-the-road travel conversation: Who are the best travelers? asks Event Director and author William D. Chalmers, But our event adds a new wrinkle to that simmering debate, because for the first time all those Amazing Race wannabes who claim that I could do that!’ finally have the opportunity to prove it in a real life travel adventure competition. The rubber meets the highway–literally in our event.

The Global Scavenger Hunt travel adventure is designed to test not only participants travel IQ, those well-honed travel skills that serious international competitors bring to the event; like overcoming language barriers, intercultural competence, logistic challenges, team dynamics, the heat of competition, and three week’s worth of real-world creative problem solving, while traveling to at least 10 countries performing cultural scavenges; but this real-life event is also about getting travelers to trust strangers in strange lands and about personally and actively participating in sight-doing scavenges, not just passive sight-seeing while traveling the globe.

The travel competition is now accepting applications at the GlobalScavengerHunt.com website for a limited number of 25-two person team slots available for the 2011 event that will at the end, crown The World’s Greatest Travelers. The reigning 2010 champions are excited about defending their title and crown in this life-changing event against other international travelers.

Life-changing because not only are there bragging rights and The World’s Greatest Travelers trophy at stake, but because Teams will be collectively traveling more than one million kilometers in travel-a-thon fashion to help raise funds towards a $1 million goal for ongoing global charitable efforts including micro-loans supporting entrepreneurial women, and the continued building of co-ed elementary schools in developing nations such as: Kenya, Niger, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, and Ecuador, among others.

The event is limited to 25-two person teams, and the $9,900 per person entry fee (about $400 a day) includes: all international airfare, first class hotels, 40% of meals, along with special event gear. All travelers will be interviewed for suitability! Single travelers are welcome to apply.

Apply online at www.GlobalScavengerHunt.com or by calling GreatEscape Adventures at 1.310.281.7809. (CST#2071053-40) or email Pamela at MediaRelations@GlobalScavengerHunt.com for more details.

Write in (2)…Three things about Mac

Via an email from R. Dale Anderberg, Mac came up with these answers to some interesting questions about the life he’s enjoyed so far. Just a bit of harmless fun but it does help to explain our American friend The Ant

A. Three names I go by:

  1. Billy (when young)
  2. Macsan (Japan)
  3. Your Excellency

B. Three places I’ve lived:

  1. Japan (five and one half years (military)
  2. McCool Junction, Nebraska
  3. Have been in over 150 countries both in]

and out of service.

C. Three places I’ve worked

  1. In Nebraska and California Railway mail service
  2. New York City (mafia)
  3. Everywhere taking travel notes.

D. Three things I love to watch:

Not answered what happened Mac ?

E. Three places I have been:

Not answered what happened Mac ?

F. Three people that email me regularly:

  1. Toogood
  2. Janis, Marilyn, Carol, Betty, Ann, Linda, Kay, and all the other nieces.
  3. World War 11 llths Armd Div buddys

G. WHAT I LIKE TO eat

  1. Dunkin Doughnuts and their coffee (prefer it to Starbrucks)
  2. Italian Wedding Soup
  3. Peach pie with icecream

H. Three things I am looking forward to:

  1. Richard Haddocks new book
  2. Any new travel thing Pico Iyler writes.
  3. To be able to travel again.

I. Three people I think will respond:

  1. None
  2. Maybe all of the above.
  3. The Beetle, The Ant, and Padmassana (Globetrotter people)

Gulf coast tourism officials say the real problem with the spill has been perception.

TravelMole US Editor David Wilkening explains how misconceptions are causing further damage to tourism in the Gulf Coast.

“Damage forecasts soon after the BP Gulf oil spill were bad. But then they got worse. Dead birds. Soiled beaches.

The reality, however, is that the spill led to the deaths of less than one percent of the number of birds killed in the Valdez spill.

The spill was enough oil to fill about one- sixth of the Louisiana Superdome.

That’s not exactly a drop in the proverbial bucket, but it’s a strikingly different image from one emblazoned in people’s mind by the early reaction,

Write for the eNewsletter

If you enjoy writing & travelling, why not write for the free Globetrotters eNewsletter ! The Ant 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 14,000 people currently subscribe to the Globetrotter eNewsletter.

Email The Ant at theant@globetrotters.co.uk with your travel experiences / hints & tips / questions. Your article should be approximately 1000 words, feature up to 3 or 4 jpeg photos and introduce yourself with a couple of sentences and a contact e-mail address.

Write in 4…Epic South Africa by Beryl

Hello The Ant,

We hope that you might find information about our Epic Enabled holidays and Accessible Epic Guest House in Cape Town useful for your members, if ever they want to travel further afield to Africa.

South Africa, the most cosmopolitan of the African nations, has long been renowned for its bio-diversity, wildlife and the breathtakingly beautiful landscape.

However, these amazing gifts of nature have always been little more than a dream for people stricken by disability. Until now! Epic Enabled offers accessible African Safari’s in South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park , and private game reserve close by, as well as day tours in Johannesburg , Cape Town the

GT Travel Award

Are you inspired with all this talk of travel ?

Are you ready for you own independent adventure ?

Or do you know someone who could benefit from a helping hand into the wider world ?

What is the award ?

Each year the club offers up to two £1,000 awards to give out for the best independent travel plan, as judged by the club’s Committee.

The deadline to receive applications for the next award is 31 May 2011.

See the legacy page on the club’s web site for more details, where you can review previous winners’ trips and/or apply with your plans for a totally independent, travel trip.

If your idea catches our eye we’ll take a closer look at what you’re proposing and give you feedback & maybe a helping hand on your journey of a lifetime !!

Web sites to muse about travel to:-

  • from Matt Doughty       about this year’s Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize winner see http://www.bbc.co.uk/ for more details
  • from Matt Doughty       about travelling an unusual way, on the way to Mecca http://www.bbc.co.uk/
  • from James       Robinson via Facebook about a popular & interesting travel blog…http://www.backpackingjournalist.com/

Welcome to eNewsletter October 2010

Hello all,

Here in London the nights are drawing to a darker close, earlier in the evening and despite a recent escape of mine to the Corsican sunshine, its probably time to start thinking of travels in 2011 and to listen to what our many Globetrotters & friends have been up to lately. The start of the new seasons in the London & Chester branches has meant a new burst of energy & a chance for friends and travellers to catch up on each others news. Anyway without any further delay …

What has been happening lately across the club & the wider world ?

Foremost in most long standing members is the sad, sad news that club founder Norman Ford has passed away L As charted in this article on the club’s web site, http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/history/FOUNDAT.html, Norman started the club off on its way with the idea of sailing around the world, once the dust of WWII had settled … however life took him to the USA for a whole new set of adventures he never expected notably as a long distance cyclist & prolific author !

If you scroll down to the article Write in (2) … Norman D. Ford by The Ant you’ll see a tribute that shows a different side to Norman, one that tells of his family life & his later years across the States … still travelling, style writing. All in all Norman led a varied & extremely interesting life, and we in the club managed to be inspired by some of them. Thank you & adieu Norman …

Have your say at the Globetrotters Club AGM. Globetrotters Club Annual General Meeting will take place at 1.30pm (BST) at The Church Of Scotland, Crown Court, London. (behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden), directly before the London Meeting on Saturday November 6th 2010. All members are invited to attend and contribute to the running of their club.

Agenda

Review of plans for the year from AGM 2006

  1. Chair’s report
  2. Treasurer’s report
  3. Election of Committee Members & Club Officers
  4. Plans for the coming year
  5. Any Other Business

Should any member wish to add items to the agenda, they should send an email/letter to the secretary as soon as possible – info@globetrotters.co.uk

  • In this edition you can also meet the new editor of the members only newsletter Chloe Marshall and hear from Victoria Leat about the charity Links for Change
  • Our very own Dan Bachmann is exhibiting with London Photographic Meetup Group at Chelsea Old Town Hall, London through until 10 October … see http://www.meetup.com/lpmg-org-uk/calendar/14089231/ for more details
  • And finally … Are you a budding travel writer, perhaps in the ilk of Palin, Hemingway or Chatwin ? Perhaps youÂ’re just starting out on a literary career … either way have a read of http://www.puretravel.com/Guide/Travel_writing_competition/How_to_enter/How_to_enter and consider sending through your own entries J And if you shortlisted even better, let me know about it & IÂ’ll feature your story in a future edition … good luck.

That’s all for now, enjoy the read and keep sending me more of your stories, adventures and articles J

The Ant theant@globetrotters.co.uk