Globetrotters meeting 7^th June 2003 by Padmassana

Simon Myers was our first speaker, who described part of his epic motorbike trip from Beijing across to the border of Pakistan. Simon had been living and working in China and was thus able to buy a very unreliable motorbike and set off with some companions and a Chinese mechanic on their trip, no licence or crash helmet required. Setting off from Beijing under the gaze of Chairman Mao, they were soon in the countryside and breaking down at regular intervals. But thanks to having their local mechanic along they were soon on their way again.

Their group was often the centre of attention in the places they went through and they were often fed along the way, one of Simon’s memorable photographs was of a breakfast consisting of all the bits of a chicken that you are unlikely to want to eat. Along the way he saw where the Great Wall of China is nothing but a ruin and the Dun Huang Buddhist grottos. Somehow they managed against the odds to cross the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts.

At Urumqi they said goodbye to their mechanic who flew back to Beijing. The final few weeks to the border they were on their own. They had tried to keep their trip a secret from officialdom so as not to attract attention and problems, but at the border the guards knew all about them from a photograph and piece in a newspaper. The guards were surprised to see them, as nobody in China believed they would make it!

Our second speaker was Globie committee member Jacqui Trotter. Jacqui took a year out to travel around South America, during which time most Globies were kept informed of her progress via regular e-mail bulletins.

Her talk covered only part of her trip, from Ecuador where she first arrived and tried to get to grips with the language down to Chile. Jacqui was part of an overland group, which left Ecuador in November 2001 heading south into Peru. She showed us some wonderful pictures of Peruvian beaches and the snow capped Andean peaks.

She braved a light aircraft flight in order to see the Nazca lines, bravely managing to take a photo before airsickness kicked in. Jacqui showed us Arequipa church being held up by scaffolding after one of the many earthquakes that the area is prone to. Her other highlights of Peru were seeing a condor after waiting a few hours and the more obvious sights of Cuzco and the spectacular ruins of Machu Picchu. Crossing the border into Bolivia she visited La Paz.

By this stage as she headed for Chile the rainy season was starting and her vehicle had to make a long journey to avoid the salt flats. Jacqui and her fellow travellers continued over the border and visited the Salar de Uyuni, where she showed us the salt hotel, where literally everything is made of salt including the furniture and fittings. At the end of this section of her trip Jacqui managed to take some superb photos of ice breaking from a glacier, right place, right time.

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

The Beetle received this e-mail from a Globetrotters who thought it might be useful to pass on to other travellers. If you find yourself under the weather, there is almost always an alternative remedy to finding the local doctor – but if in doubt, seek proper medical advice.

Ø Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately – without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional pain relievers.

Ø Did you know that toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns?

Ø Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 tablespoon of horseradish in 1/2 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

Ø The Beetle’s own remedy for back pain is to put some powdered ginger and some water in a pan and heat until very hot; stir it all around. When the water is cool enough to handle, soak a tea towel in the water and ginger mixture, wring it out and place it over the sore area – bliss!

Globetrotters meeting on July 12^th

The Texas branch will celebrate their 2 year anniversary – 24 months of meetings – in July! Their monthly meeting participation averages around 20. People come and go. Since their first meeting in 2001, close to 200 people have attended. Thanks to Christina for keeping the meetings on track and Mary Jane for spreading the information about the meetings, the Texas branch is a definite success.

The Texas Branch of the Globetrotters Club will meet July 12th 2003 at the New Braunfels Public Library – note back to old location. Dan and Jensie will present the July program. The topic is China. As always, there will be time for sharing and networking.

If you like independent, adventuresome, fun, daring, exciting, “off the beaten path” travel, this club is for you. Our meeting begins at 2 P.M. Come early so you won't be late! Enjoy handouts, travel talk time, and door prizes!

Dates of future meetings: August 9th and September 13

For more information about the Texas Branch or if you would like to help Christina, please contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk or register for e-mail updates at our website (click here) or call Christina at 830-620-5482.

U. S. Soldiers Home, Washington: during a century of travel (well 78 years!) both in and out of service I have travelled to over 150 countries (I count both North and South Dakota as countries) and for some reason have jotted signs and happenings that I thought funny at the time (and now wonder why). So here is the perfect opportunity to share some of my anecdotes.

In the Bangkok post office two Scandinavian girls came in with backpacks the size of a Volvo Auto on their backs. They were wearing dresses and proceeded to take them off in the middle of post office and stood there in their panties while they looked in their backpacks for jeans and blouse. Naturally, I volunteered my help. Patrons were dropping their mail at the sight of this goings on. You don’t have to go to the strip shows. You can just go to the Post Office.

Elephant School Chiang Mai, Thailand: Elephants go to school for seven years and live to be around 80. An American military retired man living in Chiang Mai, with his Thai wife told me that the elephant’s pregnancy lasts 2 years and he compared it to a U.S. Senator’s two year term of office. It is high level, there is lots of noise and it takes two years to get any results. Someone has asked me what elephants learn in their school. They learn potty training, basket weaving and how to pick up logs. I was given some bananas to feed the elephants at the elephant training school. I gave my elephant one and ate the rest myself. He has never forgotten this. I rode this elephant for an hour over mountainous hills sometimes so steep that I feared I might fall off and down he cliff with the elephant on top of me. The ride costs 480 bahts ($16.00) I kind of got roped into taking the elephant trip. A Thai girl told me that she and her husband would get a free ride on the elephant if they got eleven other people to sign up for the trip. They had just gotten married and the elephant trip was their honeymoon. (Don’t ask!) Elephants don’t eat after midday and monks don’t either. However, the elephant I was on ate everything his trunk could pull up along the road and it was about 1230 noon. Monks smoke but do not touch alcohol. If I understand correctly, Buddhism does not tell others how to live but it is within oneself to better yourself, treat others how to live and don’t steal bananas from elephants.

I met a British retired military that spends his time living in monastery guest houses in Thailand. He gives them a donation of $80 a month, which pleases them. He married a Japanese girl while in India (I don’t know what she was doing there) but she got homesick so left Thailand to return to Japan. He believes in reincarnation. He thinks it is the only way to handle the thousands of people that have died before us. He unfortunately had a stroke while revisiting England but returned here to spend out the last days of his life. He reads a book a day he rents from library in Chiang Mai, sees the sites and eats tomatoes.

A lady in a tailor shop (“our materials are the sheapest”) in Banglampor (the budget hotel section) of Bangkok claimed she knew me from when I was stationed there and said I should buy a suit from her for old times sake and the wonderful times we had together. I was never stationed in Thailand.

Next month, Mac discusses clothing.

If you would like to contact Mac, he can be e-mailed on: macsan400@yahoo.com

If you enjoy writing, enjoy travelling, why not write for the free monthly Globetrotters e-newsletter! The Beetle 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 7,500 people subscribe to the Globetrotters e-news.

To see your story in cyber print, e-mail the Beetle with your travel experiences, hints and tips or questions up to 750 words, together with a couple of sentences about yourself and a contact e-mail address to Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

Due to popular demand, we have included the answers to last month’s Travel Quiz. We are inundated each month by people entering the quiz, and receive many correct submission answers. Our webmaster collates all of the correct answers into a draw, and the Beetle selects a number. We notice that some people are sending multiple entries – if we notice this happening, we will restrict their entry to one.

1. How many states are there in Australia? Answer: 6: New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Southern Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

2. In which valley in New South Wales can you visit famous vineyards? Answer: The Hunter Valley.

3. Which gorge named after a woman’s name is found in the Top End? Answer: the Katharine Gorge

4. The Great Barrier Reef stretches for more than 2,000 kms (1,240 miles) along Queens land’s coast and ends at which place 384km (238 miles) north of Brisbane? Answer: Bundaberg

5. By which alternative name is Ayers Rock also known? Answer: Uluru.

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