You've heard it before, whether on a bus or a train, you'll soon be able to hear “hi, I'm on the plane” as people shout into their mobile phones; our friends Ryanair have announced a deal with communications joint venture OnAir to fit its aircraft with technology to allow passengers to use their mobile phones on planes. Another money spinning venture, Ryanair's entire fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft will allow passengers to call, text and email using their mobile phones, BlackBerrys and Treos by the beginning mid-2007. Rates are said to ” mirror international roaming charges.” Ryanair are still looking to introduce in-flight internet games and gambling.

As if Ryanair aren't proving 'no frills' to the extreme, they are now charging passengers for checking in baggage before flights. The charge for each item of luggage going in the hold is now £5 – £2.50 if notified before the day of travel. Ryanair justified this by saying that it was introducing the charge in an effort to reduce queues and airport handling costs. It said passengers carrying only hand luggage would avoid the extra fee and be able to check in online – reducing their overall ticket price by 9%. Earlier this year Ryanair said it hoped to encourage more people to travel on its flights with just hand luggage. “We have to be more creative as to how we tackle costs,” Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said in January. Reducing airport and handling costs would also save Ryanair more than £20m over the current financial year, the company said.

Ever tried to buy one of the dirt cheap Ryanair tickets, only to find that your inside leg measurement isn't 31 ½ inches, you weren't born on 23rd April and your name doesn't begin with M?

Back in May, Ryanair was reprimanded by the UK's Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) over a “free tickets” offer. Ryanair advertised three million free tickets, as long as passengers paid taxes and other charges. The ASA said the advert misled, because the free ticket offer did not apply on Fridays and at some peak travel times. Ryanair argued back saying the advert was not misleading, as it stated the offer excluded major sporting events and holiday periods. Nevertheless, the ASA concluded the advert was “misleading” and told the firm to make clear “all significant exclusions to offers in the small print of future advertising”.

July Meeting News from London by Padmassana

As is our custom the July meeting was given over to club members to take us around the world in 90 minutes.

Africa was our first port of call as Sylvia Pullen took us to Ghana, with its Atlantic coast, old slave castles and fishing boats.

We hopped across the Atlantic as Liz Cooper showed us her trip to Cuba, we saw how farming is still done using oxen, but there is sport and education for all.

Back to Africa as Phil Ferguson took us to Senegal, lovely photos of the giant Pelicans.

East now to Turkey for Gavin Fernandes to show us the spectacular Solar eclipse and also pictures of all the people taking pictures of the eclipse.

Simon Banks took us into the break with his cycling trip around China, showing us the countryside and the markets, which are not for the squeamish!

After the break Katie Fahrland took us to the former Yugoslav countries of Croatia, and Bosnia, showing us how it has been rebuilt after the wars. The Mostar bridge now again attracting tourists.

Alex Mochnacz showed us the “Burning Man” festival held in the Nevada desert, with its enormous interactive works of art, culminating in the arts incineration.

Jacqui Trotter took us to Santorini, where she attended friends wedding on the volcanic isle with its white buildings providing the backdrop.

Malcolm Procter was last up showing us his trip to the Antarctic via Argentina, fantastically shaped ice formations and the ever so watchable penguins.

Many thanks to all those who made the last meeting of the season so interesting and enjoyable and to all those who make it happen.

Padmassana

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

June Meeting News from London by Dan James

Our first speakers this month were Katrina Manson and James Knight, who have just finished writing a new book on Burkino Faso for Brandt travel guides. While in the country Katrina and James were also working for the Reuters news agency and the BBC.

They showed us fascinating images of one of many of the horse festivals popular in the country where riders demonstrate their skills. At these meetings, which are attended by local chiefs as well as as those from neighbouring Mali, musicians sing songs which describe the history of the chiefs of the various clans – there are 60 ethnic groups in Burkino Faso.

While travelling around the country, Katrina and James hired a clapped-out old 4×4, soon discovering that once stalled was impossible to restart. As a result they often had to beseech local people to help them push start it. This led to a few hairy moments, most notably when they got stuck in an area heavily inhabited by lions, and another time when, in search of hippos (Africa’s single largest killer of humans), they drove into a lake and again had to be bailed out by helpful local people. During the experience they also saw how, in spite of supposedly being sacred, crocodiles are frequently hauled out of lakes by their tails, for the benefit of tourists such as themselves.

They also showed us harvest festivals where highly skilled dancers wear elaborate animal costumes and dance for the honour of the village and the chief. Dozens of chickens are sacrificed in order for witchdoctors to ascertain how lucky the village is going to be with the upcoming harvest.

Katrina and James explained how, intriguingly, Burkino Faso has a thriving film industry, with movies frequently shown at large outdoor cinemas.

The country is relatively stable compared to many of its neighbours, but still relies on foreign aid for 40 percent of its income. Its largest industries are cotton and gold, but old-fashioned technology means that these rarely manage to extend beyond cottage industry level. Thanks to government awareness campaigns it also has a very low rate of AIDS/HIV infection at around 2.8 percent, far below the rate of many other African countries.

The country is becoming more popular with tourists, many attracted by ancient, natural formations including peaks and domes in the northern part of the country close to the Sahara desert.

Our second speaker was Patricia Baker, who has also just written a book for Brandt, this time on Iran, a country she first visited in 1971. She continued to go to the country up until the Iran-Iraq war broke out in 1980 but was not able to return until 1993; now usually visiting twice a year.

Patricia showed us images of religious iconography including the beautiful glass and mirror work contained in many mosques, much of it many hundreds of years old. These included many images relating to the prophet Muhammad. She also displayed more modern depictions, including public posters, some referring to spiritual events.

She said the process of getting a visa for Iran can be very long-winded, but once inside the country, visitors are overwhelmed by the friendship, kindness and hospitality of the people. However, she warns those thinking of going to expect to be asked questions along the lines of: “Do you know Manchester? My brother is there.”

She also urged, with more than 20,000 recorded road fatalities every year, against driving in the country.

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

May 2006 London meeting

Despite competition from a giant elephant in Trafalgar Square and a spaceship near Waterloo, Globies was still packed this month.

Our first speaker this month was Sam Manicom who showed us his yearlong motorcycle journey down the eastern side of Africa from Egypt down to South Africa. Sam was both amazed and humbled by his experiences. Despite being arrested three times during his trip as well as falling off at regular intervals, he survived to reach South Africa. (www.sam-manicom.com)

After the break photographer Paul Harris showed us that being a commercial travel photographer is not just one long holiday. Paul’s talk was diverse taking in Chilean landscapes, Calcutta street kid projects and the shots he took during a bunjy jump downunder with his camera strapped to his hand.

By Padmassana

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

Meeting News from around he world

We used to have meetings in New York City and New Braunfels, Texas. Regrettably, after having done a superb job, neither organisers are able to give their time to Globetrotter meetings. If you are based in New York or New Braunfels and have the time to commit to pick up where our previous organisers left off, we'd love to hear from you – please see our FAQ or contact our the Branch Liaison Officer via our Website at Meeting FAQ. If you are based elsewhere and are interested in starting a branch of the Globetrotters, please feel free to contact us.

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.

The Beetle recently spent a couple of weeks staying with her friend Nicola in a beautiful village outside Philadelphia. Nicola wrote this article about a trip to China in 2005 that was both work and leisure related. In this article, Nicola reflects on the conditions and people she met with and gives us a fascinating insight into China's geopolitics from a travel and work perspective.

China's rising thirst for oil has long caused consternation in the geeky circles of the oil industry, as most recognized some time ago that the growing band of Shanghainese abandoning bicycles for BMW's would mean a sharp rise in global petrol demand. With the world now well aware of this dilemma, the oil industry is pondering where it will find sufficient oil to meet China's needs.

On its western border, China is flanked by the oil rich nations of the Caspian Sea – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan – and most have assumed that these countries will export to China. Beijing's attempts to cosy up to its neighbours has been eyed warily by American, European and Japanese leaders who would also like to get their hands on Caspian Sea oil. Historians have noted that similarities with the 19^th century Great Game, a land grab between the Russian and English Empires.

For its part, China has pointed out that its energy position isn't as precarious as the outside world likes to think, that it in fact has vast untapped oil and gas resources in the Tarim Basin of it's far west Xinjiang Province. As is often the case in China, the easiest way to verify claims is to go see it!

Unfortunately, 270,000 km² of the Tarim Basin is covered by the Taklamakan Desert, a vast inhospitable shifting sand desert long the preserve of adventurers and eccentrics. Culturally a part of central Asia (one of our translators planned to marry a woman from nearby Tajikistan), the majority Uighur population of the region have an uneasy relationship with the Han Chinese. Younger Uighurs are clearly torn between the economic opportunities (such as rare non-agricultural jobs) that the Han Chinese offer and the security that traditional village leaderships represent. There are also signs of rising religious tensions, for instance, in Islamic graffiti on the walls of ancient Buddhist caves.

Most journeys into the desert begin in Urumqi, a modern city indistinguishable from any other second tier Chinese city. Though it formed part of the original Silk Road, a journey through the desert was long considered a death sentence, and it wasn't until 1995 that a highway was erected. Though the highway allows access to the amenities of the region's cities to the tiniest desert village, some villages chose to remain closed and the highway was evidently rerouted and the villages excluded from maps to accommodate this. Ironically, those who put great store in recreating ancient methods of traversing the desert (donkey, rickshaw, et al) also rely heavily on the “shamo gonglu” highway.

The five-day long drive through the desert is punctuated by the odd wild camel-sighting, sand storms, and stops at oasis towns. As in much of the Islamic world, the centre of patronage in each village is the mosque and the hub of activity is the market place. There you can see dried snakes curled around washing lines at a medicine stall (see photo entitled Market), super sweet unleavened cookies at another, and mounds of ripe watermelons. With colourfully festooned donkeys still the primary mode of transport, the towns have a medieval air.

There are also plentiful cultural activities along the route, including the remains of the “lost city” of Subashi, well-maintained mosques, and little visited museums – we had to wake the curator from a lunchtime nap to ask him to turn the lights on for us in one.

Lodging is, naturally, pretty basic, in an area where running water and electricity remain rare, and most families live with their animals in small brick and wattle courtyard houses. Camping in the desert was icy cold at night, but glorious sun rises over the dunes more than compensated.

Even for those lacking a focus for their trip (and yes, there were oil wells aplenty), the Taklamakan Desert is a fascinating journey, a great place to challenge your assumptions about the influence of the modern on ancient cultures and to feign life as an adventurer for a little while.

About the author: Nicola Kerslake has travelled and worked in Asia, Europe and the US, and has written extensively on China's oil industry. If you would like to get in touch with Nicola, the Beetle will pass across any messages.

Stuck between two very large local ladies with a yard of wet fish draped across my legs, gave a moment to ponder on an extremely different day out that I had just enjoyed!

We had been filming a feature film (partly financed by C4) for about five months on location in Maputo, in the very lovely but battle scarred Mozambique. As happens on most features there sometimes comes a small problemette, a hiatus or in other words, 'The shit hits the fan' and the company needed 'time out'. So the Brazilian Production Manager said, “Be a good 1st Assistant Director and organise the foreign crew a fun day out and I will give the locals paid leave whilst things are sorted out”.

The total crew of 200 was very large but the foreign contingent consisted of Kenyans, Zimbabweans, French, South African, English, Irish, Brazilian, and American. The language of the 'Set' was Portuguese, French and English, but that in itself was another story!

So I set about planning a day out, away from Maputo, in a very different environment, that I hoped, would let them all enjoy themselves and forget about filming for the time being. The plan was to take a trip aboard a large public water bus that would take us down to the mouth of the river and on to an idyllic island where there were wonderful golden beaches, lovely coves and most importantly a great fish restaurant. The sun decided to make the day as perfect as possible and as I went down to the harbour, my spirit was high in spite of a few deserters. For example: the Brazilian Director of Photography said, “I don't want to be away, when the politics are flying around in three languages”!

Finally we were on our way, our multicoloured, multiracial and multilingual crew, packed like a tin of Sardines aboard the boat. This was Sunday and everyone else in Maputo seems to have had the same idea. The two hour trip ended and we dropped anchor off this fantastic island, all started to dive of the boat and swim to the golden beach, anticipating the great day of pleasure to come.

Suddenly soldiers appeared and demanded to see everybody's papers. I began to have a premonition that things might be working out a little different to my plan. So before the soldiers stopped any of the crew without their passports – I went up to the Sgt. And said in my best Portuguese, “I am looking forward to a wonderful Sunday on your lovely island”. It was as if I had dropped a bomb. “What!? No papers” said the Sgt. “Arrest them all”. “Take them to jail and I'll phone HQ”. No amount of pleading could change his mind. We tramped up the beach surrounded by an armed guard, towards the middle of the island and he explained that he had been alerted about a South African commando group that might try to infiltrate his position and take the Island. I looked at my motley crew plus French lead Alex Defcaf and the two new actor arrivals from the UK, Peter Postlethwaite and Struan Rodger. Nothing I thought could look less than a commando group. The gorgeous South African continuity girl in her bikini meanwhile whispered in my ear for me to remember she wanted me to say she was French. A soldier and the female Sound Mixer from England were having a discussion in broken Portuguese, on the merits of various famous Alto Sax players. The Sgt. Pointed at the black French Actor and demanded as to why he did not speak Portuguese – “He is a Parisian” I said, which seemed to satisfy him! I quickly got my cast and crew into a group and told the Sgt. we would not enter his dark, damp jail but would sit in a group outside in the sun, under guard while he phoned his HQ. Speaking to my group in their various languages, telling them that the company would buy them the best lunch possible in the restaurant to make up for their spoilt day! The Sgt. began to be more confused and said. “”I'm beginning to believe you, as I cannot imagine a 'guerrilla group' not being able to speak the same language”. A soldier was chatting up the black accountant from Kenya and though she only spoke English, they seemed to be getting on splendidly. All this time there had not been one whinge from any of the cast or crew even though their day out was passing by fast. All were communicating in some friendly way or other and the soldier's discipline went out the window as all started mingling outside the jail.

Finally the Sgt. got word: HQ asked “Were the people very strange? Yes” said the Sgt. “Then it really is a film crew “said HQ. From then on things got better and better. The Soldiers escorted us to the best beach via the restaurant for us to place our order for a magnificent lunch courtesy of the film company.

So after a rather strange start, we had some great swimming in that clear blue water, followed by an awesome fish lunch, washed down by very good white wine. Then back to boat, sailing homewards as a fantastic African sunset spread across sky. The motley band were all over the boat, enjoying themselves in their different ways ; while I was sitting quietly in the stern surrounded by a group of large local women. They squashed all around me, and I of course, had to help when one of them needed to feed her baby – So that's how I came to have a large fish across my knees as the boat docked. The cast and crew went passed me, as I held the fish and the baby and I heard a voice remark; “I'd say that was definitely a different day out”.

About the author Tony Annis: Have camera will travel. Over the top but not yet over the hill. Past sixty five and still alive, my get up and go has not entirely got up and gone – like good whisky, I'm still going strong. Travelling through these global villages of ours is great adventure but to me it is the people that make this wonderful world, as well as the exotic places that I love to visit. See you over the next horizon, Tony.

The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to the sacred tomb of Saint James located in the Northwest corner of Spain. Over a thousand years separate those first faithful footsteps and the steady stream of 21st-century pilgrims that currently wander the streets of Santiago de Compostela. The key to survival is adapting to change and over the last millennium the Camino and pilgrims have transformed in many ways.

In 1993, UNESCO declared the Camino de Santiago a world heritage site. It starts from the boarder of France and works it way west to the city of Santiago de Compostela covering some 750 kilometres. Originally, pilgrims had to navigate their way using the sun, moon, stars, and even the Milky Way. Getting lost was part of the journey. Today, the trail is so clearly marked that losing your way is not really an option. With shiny traffic signs, brass and tile scallop shells, and the distinct yellow arrows you'll always be pointed to Santiago.

The oldest documentation of the Compostelana, the official certificate of having completed the pilgrimage, was delivered to André le Breton in the Capilla del Rey de Francia and dates back to 1321. Almost 700 years later, you can still request the Compostelana certificate, complete with your name in Latin. To be eligible you must have either walked or ridden a horse for the last 100 kilometres or bicycled the last 200 kilometres. The demand for this document has grown such that there is now a special Pilgrim's Office that will attend to your petition.

In the 12th Century, a French Monk named Aymeric Picaud wrote a comprehensive book detailing the route from the French border to Santiago de Compostela. This was actually the first guidebook ever written and recommended safe havens to sleep and eat, warned of potential dangers, such as thieves and bandits, and described the various monuments, relics, and holy sites that were along the way. The Codex Calixtinus broke up the Camino into 13 convenient stages that covered the entire 750 kilometres in less than 2 weeks. Today, you still see pilgrims thumbing through their guidebooks looking for all sorts of practical information regarding accommodations, restaurants and explanations of the countless sights. The books are also filled with more modern conveniences, such as Internet cafes, pharmacies, and swimming pools! However, the biggest difference now is that most books recommend the crossing of Spain in a less exhausting 30 days to reach Santiago.

To accommodate for the faithful and weary in the middle ages, albergues or shelters were created along the route and sponsored by the Church, nobles, and royalty. Here travellers could rest their tired bones on a bed of straw, perhaps warm themselves by a fire, and have a sip of wine. In the 21st century, there continues to be a network of public albergues run by the government and private associations related to the Camino. These places are in high demand in the summer and are fitted with rows and rows of bunk beds, showers (some even with hot water) and perhaps a small kitchen to receive you after a long day of walking. And, yes, you'll still find a sip of wine!

Upon arriving to the great Cathedral of Santiago, medieval pilgrims would break down with tears of joy as they finally reached their destination. Overwhelmed from surviving their journey, they would embrace the statue of Santiago and give thanks for their arrival. Today, the emotions still run high. Pilgrims, who were previously strangers, hug and cry as they make their way into the Plaza Obradoiro and share that first look of the Cathedral's ornate Baroque façade. Together they wait nervously in line to give the Apostle a hug and perform the required pilgrim, just as millions of pilgrims have done before.

Despite a thousand years, the Camino de Santiago remains and its pilgrims continue to flow into Santiago. The Camino is an unforgettable experience that creates a special bond and camaraderie among all those who have walked it. In a world where things change so quickly, the Camino de Santiago is so refreshing as things really haven't changed so much after all!

About the author: my name is Alex Chang and I first walked the Camino de Santiago in 1999. You could say it was a life changing experience. Since then, I became a tour guide and have led over 40 groups (some 500 pilgrims) along the Way with various tour companies. Year after year, it has been amazing to repeatedly see the effect the Camino has on touching people's lives. It truly is a magical experience. Born and raised in the United States, I am lucky to call two places home as I have been living in Spain for over seven years. Alex currently owns a tour company based in Bilbao, Spain that offers small group walking tours along the Camino de Santiago, the Basque Country, and Andalucia, Spain. He can be contacted by e-mail: info@frescotours.com or visit his website: www.frescotours.com