Category Archives: archive

Nepal Rhinos

Did you know that Nepal is home to a quarter of South Asia’s rhino population. The latest count of the population has shown that rhino numbers have dropped to less than 400 from nearly 600 animals in three parks in 2000 due mainly to poaching blamed largely on inadequate security caused by the long-running Maoist insurgency. Trading in the horn of the rhino is internationally banned, but experts say that poachers are encouraged by the big profit margin.

Meeting News from London by Padmassana

This months meeting took place to the organ music from the wedding taking place in the Church of Scotland upstairs. Our first speaker was Tricia Hayne who gave us an interesting talk on the Cayman Islands, which were first discovered by Columbus' son and in 2003 celebrated their 300th anniversary. The island's main income is due to its offshore financial companies, but also tourism and it was obviously this area Tricia spoke about. She showed us the local wildlife including the blue Iguana and the Butterfly Farm. For the more energetic traveller there is diving on the Cayman Trench and some rock climbing. Not to mention the beautiful beaches.

After the break Pamela Goodall told us about her cycle adventure around the world with a tent! Her journey took her through Europe, she made it to Germany before her first puncture, where another cyclist helped her out. She had quite an adventure, being propositioned by a dodgy hotel manager in Rawalpindi and “kidnapped” by a shopkeeper for 4 days in India. After a crash on her bike she went on “Good Morning India” with two black eyes that the presenters didn't even bother to ask her about! Her trip continued through Asia where she visited Vietnam and China where strangers kept appearing to take care of her. She came home via Mexico and the USA. Pamela's talk finished to the accompaniment of Bach’s Toccata & Fugue (thanks to Globie Sarah D for identifying that) as the wedding upstairs ended.

Forthcoming London meetings:

Saturday 4th June – 2.30 pm – usual Crown Court location

John Gimlette will talk about his travels in Labrador and Newfoundland, called a “Theatre of Fish” and Tim Mackintosh-Smith will discuss his travels in India in a talk entitled “The Hall of a Thousand Columns”.

Saturday 2nd July – 3.00 pm NB – change of meeting place and time

Concert Artistes Association, 20 Bedford Street, Covent Garden, London WC2

This is the last meeting before the August break, when we'll be back in September. There will be an examination of Members Slides comprising eight mini-presentations from Globetrotters members.

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: www.globetrotters.co.uk

Globetrotters Travel Award

Interested in a £1,000 travel award? A member of Globetrotters Club?

Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?

Then see our legacy page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we’ll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!

Meeting News from New York

We are sorry to say that for the time being, New York meetings are suspended as Laurie really needs a helper. If you have some time to spare and are based in our near NYC, please contact Laurie on the e-mail address below.

For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates, 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 .

Gambling in Singapore

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the government had decided to give the go-ahead for two casinos on Marina Bay and on Sentosa resort island. Despite 30,000 people signing a petition against the idea, Mr Lee said the casinos were necessary to help Singapore attract more tourists. The casinos, which will be operational by 2009, are central to Singapore’s goal of doubling the number of tourists to 17 million a year. A casino is believed to help Singapore recover much of the $180m a year it is estimated that Singaporeans spend each year in neighbouring Malaysian casinos.

Meeting News from Ontario

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.

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.

Our Friends Ryanair

Back in September last year, you may recall us reporting that Ryanair were proposing to make in-flight entertainment available on its flights. Passengers were to be charged £5 ($9.48) to access films, cartoons and tv shows on portable lap top type units. Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary who said in September the units would become “as common as the in-flight magazine”. These have been on trial since November and are about to be abandoned. “It was lack of demand. They decided not to follow it any further,” a Ryanair spokeswoman said. Ryanair said it had not lost any money on the system, which was on trial in only five planes before making a significant investment. The latest money making wheeze is to have in-flight gambling. Watch this space!

News comes of Ryanair selling a brand of water called Blue Rock water, which costs £1.85 for a 500 ml. Reports state that this special Ryanair water isn't from a pure mountain stream or highland spring – it is just carbonated tap water. To purchase the same water from Thames Water i.e. turn on the tap costs 0.06p per litre. The only difference between turning on the tap in any London home and Ryanair's Blue Rock is that the sparkling version has been carbonated at a water treatment works in Beckton, East London, before being bottled and labelled. While the label does not claim to be genuine spring water, neither does it make it clear that it is tap water. Britvic, which 'makes' Blue Rock, made exclusively for Ryanair, claimed the brand was about to be replaced by a new product called Pennine Spring, sourced from a natural spring in Huddersfield.

Kashmir Buses

Two new bus services linking Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir for Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir. The new service has been hailed as a major boost to India and Pakistan’s developing peace process. The inaugural service on 7 April was the first in nearly 60 years. Before you get too excited, it is still dangerous to visit this region and there is heavy security all along the route including decoy buses, escorted by the police and parafamilies forces. The historic bus services has been welcomed by most Kashmiris, many of whom have been divided by the decades-long conflict. Many of them have defied the militants’ call to avoid boarding the bus. “The desire to meet separated relatives is proving stronger than the fear of death,” a trader in Srinagar, Zaffar Ahmed, told the BBC News.