This is a letter from Nicola telling us about her time as a volunteer for Trade Aid in Mikindani, in southern Tanzania.

After eight months in Mikindani I am preparing to depart with a mild sense of apprehension about returning to cold and grey Old Blighty, finding work and somewhere to live and dealing with the fact that the Little Chef breakfast I’ll be treated to on the journey back to Norfolk will cost the same as a week’s wages here. Oh well, Qué sera sera. Homeless and jobless, but plenty of tales to tell the girls over a few glasses of wine and a pizza.

I think they’ll be surprised to learn that despite the daily toil required of rural women in Tanzania they do not appear to allow themselves to be overcome by any negative spirit of bondage. Life is incredibly hard, no doubt about it, but the ‘fairer sex’ dominates hardship by accepting it as necessary for survival and embracing friendship and humour as a way of enriching their lives.

It has been with a rather embarrassed awkwardness, so typically English, that I have donned my kanga and flip-flops and taken part in women-only activities.

Despite this, the fact that my Kiswahili is still appallingly bad and that their encouragement was largely for the entertainment value of seeing a ‘mzungu’ woman display her incompetence in performing basic tasks I definitely experienced a deeper sense of what is called ‘female bonding’.

I have learnt to cook chapattis, mandazi, ugali and coconut rice and to prepare an exquisite dish of pilau rice under the patient guidance of Mama Mohamedi, Mama Abuba and her 13-year-old daughter Fikira. Standing outside in the midday sun stirring a pot of sizzling oil over red-hot charcoal left me light-headed and parched, but whilst I fussed about the heat the others just wiped the sweat from their faces with a corner of their kangas and laughed and gossiped.

I have been to a couple of funerals, but visiting Mama Abuba as she lay swathed in a kanga in a darkened room grieving for her father on the day of his burial was an especially significant occasion as my own grandmother had died just a week earlier. Many women resplendent in a myriad of colourful kangas lined the street where the deceased had lived. Most were just chatting or reminiscing, but a group of about 12 women were standing and swaying in time to the deep, guttural mourning chant redolent of primeval times. It was International Women’s Day and being one of them felt hugely symbolic.

A morning’s work at Zainabu’s shamba caused much hilarity amongst our neighbours, but left me tired and my hands blistered. Five of us walked a kilometre to the shamba, hoed out the weeds between the maize and picked cassava leaves and pumpkins whilst being attacked by armies of ferocious ants. Zainabu had lent me her boots, but they were so badly split that my feet were filthy. So, before we headed back to the village she brought me some water and washed my feet for me, not out of deference, but friendship. Walking back we shared the load of the fruit of our morning’s work and carrying firewood on my head I (almost) felt part of one of the hundreds of thousands of small groups of women on whose labours so many people depend.

More recently I finally plucked up the courage to get my hair braided. I sat on the stone seat of a crumbling colonial house and as Mama Fatuma meticulously braided each strand of hair three or four other women took turns to hold down the rest of my unruly locks. While I enjoyed the chat of the women as they gossiped about what they’d done the night before and commented on every passer-by I realised that this was not so dissimilar from a visit to the hairdressers at home!

At the risk of seeming naïve and sentimental I have to say that I am happy to have been able to break through some of the cynicism about cultural barriers with which I arrived in Mikindani and shall leave with an enduring respect for the resilience and strength of spirit of the women of Tanzania.

Thanks to Sherie at Trade Aid. For more information on the work carried out by Trade Aid in Tanzania, see their website www.mikindani.com

There were five low cost airline carriers in the UK: Easyjet, Go, Buzz (owned by KLM), Ryan Air and BMIBaby. Easyjet has just announced that it is paying £374m ($524m) for its rival, Go, (which used to belong to British Airways before they sold it to a Venture Capital fund).

The consolidated airline will still be called Easyjet and all Go planes will be resprayed with the orange Easyjet livery and logo. The Chief Executive says that prices will not rise and they expect to face more intense competition from traditional airlines such as British Airways and Air France.

Both companies are still operating exactly as they did before the deal was announced. They will continue to accept bookings over the phone and via their websites. Go and Easyjet will probably continue with their separate bookings systems until at least the end of October 2002. Between them they fly 78 routes. Easyjet says there is little overlap and they have no intention of dropping any of the destinations. They will also continue to operate from their all their existing UK bases.

In early April I took a Eurail/backpacking trip solo through Western Europe. I had the opportunity to travel throughout Switzerland. I gained a great deal of knowledge about Swiss bank accounts and procedures for securing greater financial privacy. I also passed through the tiny independent Principality of Monaco on the French coast near the Italian border.

While in Spain I visited the Andorra Tourist Office in Barcelona. It is located in the mall area of a prominent office complex at the Port of Barcelona. Andorra is located at the very top of the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France. It recently won its independence from France and Spain and has since become a tax haven for many Spaniards and other Europeans. Tourists often make a trek to Andorra, 2 hours by train from Barcelona, to purchase duty free goods.

But it was the discovery of yet another tiny tax haven on the Swiss/Italian border that really caught my attention.

Anyone who has ever flown into the Airport at Omaha, Nebraska has had the experience of having to pass through a tiny strip of Iowa after they leave the airport, to get to the city of Omaha. Carter Lakes, Iowa is a geographic anomaly. The town is completely isolated from the rest of the State of Iowa, surrounded by a lake on one side and Nebraska on the other.

Like Iowa, Italy has its own Carter Lakes anomaly in the Alps. Campione D'Italia is completely surrounded by the Lake of Lugano on one side, and the Italian-speaking Swiss Canton of Ticino on the other. The closest point on the Italian border is 11 kilometres away. But the Village has been a part of the Italian State of Lombardy (also home to nearby Milan), for over 7 Centuries.

It is relatively easy to get to Campione. Just take one of the wonderful Swiss trains from Geneva, Basel, or Zurich to Lugano. From Lugano it's just a ten minute ride in a taxi or a rent-a-car to Campione. Or, it's a 45 minute ride – all highway – from Milan.

Its isolation from Italy has given it a very unique status. It is almost like being in another country. It is similar to Monaco in that the town sits on a very narrow strip of coastline surrounded by cliffs. It even looks like Monaco with a Casino, boat docks, and a small palm-lined beach. The population of the town is just over 3,000. The total area is 1.7 square kilometres. Italy administers local governmental functions. However, Campione uses the Swiss banking system, currency, and post office.

It is their system of taxation that outsiders, particularly for those who are interested in financial privacy, may find of greatest interest. Basically, there are no taxes. Campione's only Casino makes enough revenue to support the town. Residents do not pay local municipal taxes, Italian income or VAT (Value Added) taxes, nor are they subject to the onerous taxation from Switzerland.

What's the catch?

Establishing residency in Campione is a little difficult. I speak fluent Italian. So, I was able to converse with some of the locals. They are a little suspicious of outsiders, with the exception of visitors to the Casino. They even seem to be a bit secretive about Campione and it's unique status. They have a good deal and they want to keep it that way. For example, it is not easy to purchase land in Campione or even an apartment, which is the only way to gain residency. Real estate is quite expensive. Though, if you are able to purchase a little land you will receive automatic residency. They say that about 1,000 foreigners now live in Campione taking advantage of its unique opportunities for avoiding taxes and corporate protections.

Libertarians and other financial privacy seekers have searched the world for attractive havens such as Campione. Purchasing a plot of land in the town could prove quite pricey. But this could be a very attractive option for a joint venture?

Note – Eric Dondero R. is the author of the “Worldwide Multilingual Phrase Book” – www.portsidelanguages.com. He is an interpreter in Houston and speaks over 20 languages. He is also active in libertarian politics and is an avid proponent of global freedom.

Young, a Korean American, living in California saw Globetrotter Kevin’s Korean itinerary in March’s Globetrotter e-newsletter whilst visiting Korea for a week with his wife and daughter after a trip to Tibet and Sichuan, China.

Young has a few hints and tips he’d like to pass on to us, particularly more interesting as Korea will see a massive influx of tourists as a result of co-hosting the next Football (Soccer) World Cup with Japan in a few weeks’ time:

1) Gyeongbokgung is a fine introduction to Korean “old palaces”, a significant part of Korean cultural heritage. An advantage is that there are museums on the grounds as you say. But if I were to pick a single palace for someone with limited time, it would be Changdukgung Palace, which is a beautiful place, especially the Piwon (Secret Garden) part. There are also regularly scheduled guided tours in English. 2) In Gyeongju, most Koreans would consider Sokuram (Stone Grotto) a must see. Last year I had a privilege of seeing it up close (beyond the glass barrier) thorough some contact, and it was a great experience to see the details of the stone carvings. Certainly not as extensive or imposing as the relief in Angkor Wat which came later, but they offer subtle and balanced beauty that you see commonly in Korean art.

3) We took a 3-day side trip from Seoul to Busuksa Temple and Andong in Kyungsangbuk-Do (the province where Gyeongju and also Taegu, one of the World cup sites are located), made easier with the recent opening of “Central Highway”. Busuksa is an old Buddhist temple dating back to the 7th century, and contains the second oldest wooden structure in Korea. Some people consider this temple to be in the most beautiful mountainside setting in Korea. Andong is a traditional town with well-preserved Korean style houses. At the nearby hamlet of Hahoe, we attended the annual festival commemorating the visit by Queen Elizabeth II 3 years ago. The highlight is the mask dance that started as a parody on the ruling class 600 years ago. From spring to fall, there is a performance of the dance every Saturday and Sunday. We also visited the most celebrated of the old private schools for Confucian scholars, Dosan Seowon, dating back to 16th century.

4) For me, the fascination of the Korean landscape and culture can be found in one setting – Buddhist temples. They are typically located deep in mountains, and many of them have survived the ravage of war throughout centuries. They are still the central repository of Korean Buddhistic practice where meditation in the serene setting is an integral part. Try to visit at least one Korean temple – it is vastly different from a Thai temple, typically gaudy and metropolitan. The most famous is Bulkuksa (often overrun with tourists), mentioned in Kevin's itinerary, not far from Daegu and Ulsan where World Cup matches are to be held. Haeinsa and Tongdosa in Kyonsangnamdo, near Busan are also well-known.

5) Visitors will find it difficult to communicate in English in Korea, especially in the countryside, even though we saw the whole country gearing up for co-hosting of the World Cup. Organized tours will be convenient but expensive. Independent travellers will need patience and spirit of adventure, but rewarded with memories of a unique culture, neither Chinese nor Japanese. Korea is much cheaper than Japan, but significantly more expensive than most third-world countries, especially in the world-class city of Seoul.

Rachel works for a non-profit conservation organization in the US, The National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation. She is are offering Volunteer positions at our field station in Costa Rica where we have a sea turtle conservation project. Any volunteers would be doing nightly beach patrols to look for turtles as well as participating in a nest protection technique study. In the mornings we do nest surveys on horseback. The cost is $600US per month and this includes your room and board. All transportation is separate and must be covered by the individual. But I can help with arrangements. This opportunity is for the hearty, as it includes a lot of walking on soft sand late at night plus we need people for the complete month. We also have ten-day ecotour packages; Deluxe and Economy. If any of this sounds interesting to your group, please contact me. I hope to hear from you soon.

Pura Vida, Rachel Silverman National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation

http://www.savetheseaturtle.org

The central monk body has begun teaching computer operations to monks in its bid to electronically archive Bhutan’s rich collection of Buddhist manuscripts, biographies and historical documents.

Twenty monks of the central monk body recently completed a two-week computer operations course conducted by the National Technical Training Authority under its special skills programme. Among the skills taught were using Dzongkha (the national language) fonts with MS Word, typing, editing and formatting in Dzongkha, typing pechas (scripts) and using templates for pechas, printing techniques and an introduction to the internet. With this training the monks will be able to save all the scripts on computers using CDs as back up storage. The central monk body has already purchased twelve computers for the project and will soon buy another eight.

This project was personally initiated and funded by His Holiness the Je Khenpo, His Holiness contributed Nu 1.8 million (£25,289/$36,815 source http://www.xe.com) to the project.

To start with the Drukpa Kagyued text will be compiled. “Some portions of the text have been lost”, said Karma Lhendup of the central monk body, “but we have borrowed the text from Buddhist monasteries in India and Nepal to fill in the missing bits and make corrections where necessary.” He added that other rare Buddhist texts, which once existed in Bhutan but are now lost, will also be borrowed and archived. Important religious texts of other Buddhist lineages like the Nyingma tradition will be compiled at a later date.

“When we complete compiling, our archive will be accessible to the public and those interested in research” said Karma Lhendup.

Keep up to date with news from Bhutan by visiting Bhutan’s national newspaper online at www.kuenselonline.com

This article was taken from the April 2002 newsletter of The Bhutan Society. With thanks to Lucy Hornberger and Kevin Brackley from the UK.

DVT poses a threat to some airline travellers. In the UK, DVT used to be called economy (or coach) class syndrome, but this is very much a misnomer. DVT can happen to any one of us, whatever our style of air travel.

It is now possible to take a blood test to determine your vulnerability for blood to clot.

This test examines the number, type, form of your red and white blood cells, platelets and includes the genetic (inherited) tests including Factor V Leiden. It is estimated that 2 million people in the UK alone are at risk through the Leiden V Factor.

By identifying travellers who are predisposed to thrombosis they can be given pre-travel advice or treatment in order to reduce the risks of clot formation and it's consequences.