Experts have found 80 hairline cracks in China's Three Gorges Dam, amid reports of poor workmanship on the world's largest water project, expected to take 17 years – completion expected in 2009. An estimated 250,000 workers are involved in the project and the reservoir will cover 632 square kilometres (395 square miles) of land. Government officials estimate that the dam will resettle 1.2 million people. Critics complain about substandard construction work, corruption and negligence in resettlement work. The project is expected to produce up to one-ninth of China's total output of electricity.
Category Archives: enewsletter
Budget Airline Easyjet Gets Into Trouble
Budget airline EasyJet has been told by a UK advertising watchdog to make the true cost of its flights clearer in its adverts. The carrier must include potential taxes and other costs alongside the price of the flight. This response came about as a result of complaints about three adverts promoting flights “from just £1”.
Free London Museums: Royal Air Force Museum
If you are into airplanes, then this is the place for you: Britain's National Museum of aviation features over 70 full-sized aircraft including a unique collection of British, German and Italian planes.
The Museum also houses a flight simulator, 'Touch and Try' Jet Provost Trainer and Sunderland Flying Boat 'walk through' experience.
Address: Grahame Park Way, NW9.
Open: Daily, 1000-1800
Tube: Colindale Rail: Mill Hill Broadway.
Enquiries: 020 8205 2266 Entrance: FREE.
So You Think You’re Well Travelled?
Here’s a little Beetle quiz based on airport codes. See how many you get right! Go on, have a guess!
Which cities are served by airports with the following codes:
- MSY
- FCO
- MEL
- LXR
- CMB
For the answers, see at the end of the e-newsletter.
Mac Tells US About Round the World Walker
U. S. Soldiers Home, Mac: I am a compulsive reader and pick up any newspaper, any printed matter I see laying around and start reading.
This is from January 14, 2003 issue of Examiner newsmagazine. Nick Jeffreys write about a guy walking around the world. The walker is Karl Bushby from Hull, England. He is a 33 years old ex-paratrooper. He began the walk Nov l, l998 at the tip of Chile. Has walked 12,00 miles so far going through Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico. He goes 20 miles a day every day and has nine years to go.
He started out with $500 sewn into his jacket (I would probably absent mindedly lay the jacket down some place.) His mom and dad send money and replace his boots every 1,178 miles. His website is www.earthtrekuk.net and there is a lot of info on it, about Karl, why he is doing it, his Colombian girlfriend and more.
He pulls a small aluminium cart with his gear tent, sleeping bag, food, and water behind him When his provisions run out, he lives off the land. A picture of the cart shows that it has large wheels. I always like large wheels on carts as they pull easier and easier to pull up and down stairs. He was in a Panamanian jail for l8 days “in a stinking cell with crooks of all varieties,” for not having the correct visa.
When his journey is over in 2010 he is not sure what he will do next. “But he has a lot of time to think about it. “ Maybe I will just throw myself in front of the TV and never move again.” If I am ever thrown out of the soldier’s home I live in, I hope he will loan me his cart and I will try to follow in his footsteps, although, at 79 I may just be dreaming!
UK TV Show Needs Volunteers
Would you like to take part in a documentary we are currently making for Channel 4? It is provisionally titled Travellers Tales, and is about travellers who have experienced tropical illnesses. Perhaps… you unwittingly transported a bot-fly home from a remote destination? You got lost at sea? You are being de-wormed for tapeworms? You were made part of drug smuggling scam? You were held hostage by terrorists? You left the country on a mission to solve a medical mystery? You survived a natural calamity? Or are you still staggered by a memorable bout of Delhi Belly? Perhaps you even know a British traveller currently receiving treatment in a clinic or hospital abroad?
I would like to hear about your experience of the places you have been to in addition to accounts of any illnesses you might have had. I am concerned with illnesses ranging from diarrhoea to dengue and would be very interested to hear your story – funny or painful – with a view to including it in the documentary. Should you be interested in taking part, your journeys will be portrayed accurately and responsibly.
The idea is to tell people's cautionary tales as a way of helping viewers understand the need to prepare for travel to far flung places in the world and to offer some suggestions of how to deal with problems should they arise.
If you have a gripping story to tell or know anyone who has been afflicted by long haul travel OR have faced unplanned challenges, please do get in touch. If you have been ill contact catherine.brindley@rdfmedia.com If you have a story to tell about the severe hardships you faced the please contact danny.horan@rdfmedia.com
Have you got a tale to tell?
If you have a travellers tale that your aching to tell. Then why not visit the “Travel Sized Bites” section of the Website and share it with the world. Travel Sized Bites
All aboard the Santorini – Emily Jackson
The Santorini Ferry or as it is lovingly called Mama Tanzania, is one of those amazing things that can only be found in Tanzania. This boat is an experience in itself. The Santorini ferry is a 1960’s Greek cruiser and is run by a Greek Crew. It is in good nick for its age and is certainly the most upper-class thing ever to hit Mtwara.
The boat takes roughly 18 hours crossing time. You leave Mtwara lunchtime on Friday and are in Dar-es-Salaam by the morning. On return you leave Tuesday lunchtime and arrive Mtwara Wednesday morning. There are five classes, A-F ranging from class A at 40,500 Tsh to class F at 11,500 Tsh. Class A, B and C all have cabins although only class A has an en-suite bathroom! If you are in the top three classes you have use of the two restaurants one which serves Swahili food which will set you back about 2000 Tsh and is self-service canteen style and another which serves European food and is waiter service. This cost me about 8,000 Tsh but I did have three courses and a salad, what can I say Mikindani makes you hungry! And a good bowl of mushroom soup followed by spaghetti bolognaise followed by fruit salad was a well-deserved treat, I thought! Volunteers must be warned, local eating habits do not apply here and attacking food hyena style is not advised, believe me, I know! When a man wearing a T-shirt saying “ABIBAS”(ADIDAS) looks at you in disbelief you are really put in your place.
Despite this you are made to feel quite comfortable in the top three classes on this mystery boat. The bar is well equipped with two satellite TV’s and and a DJ, as I suppose you could call him – the man who bangs out tunes for the entire journey. This is needed, as the majority of passengers use this room just to keep their bags in, this is a style adopted by our very own Emmanuel who managed to make it the whole 18 hours propped up at the bar so I was told by the stewardess ladies on board who all remember Mr Casanova very well! This is a lively place, not for the faint hearted. If you suffer seasickness or hate rap avoid this bar like the plague. I seemed to know a lot of people and like anywhere in Tanzania everyone is related somehow!
Class D and E are made up of rows of armchair seats inside with a small counter to by snacks and drinks. All classes A- E are air-conditioned. Class F is a plastic seat outside that runs down the hallways of both sides of the boat. On the top deck there are benches covered by a canopy. In rough weather these seats can be a bit difficult and on the top deck is very windy and the coldest I’ve ever been outside in Tanzania. If you want to cool down, clear your head and get a wonderful view of the stars then this is the place to be. All in all I would recommend using the Santorini as a reliable way to travel from Dar-es-Salaam to Mtwara. Especially for future volunteers, it is a cheaper alternative to flying and the 1960s décor is bound to keep you amused!
Update: our friends at Trade Aid tell us that the Santorini has been pulled from this route. We do not yet know if this is permanent or not.
For more information about Trade Aid, volunteers and their work, please visit their website www.mikindani.com
Travel Mad Families Wanted for UK TV Program
Hello, I am making a new primetime UK ITV holiday series and am looking for various families who are passionate about going on a certain type of holiday to take part. I would really love to have a chat with any Globetrotters to see if you would be interested in taking part. I can be contacted on: mike.cotton@rdfmedia.com or: telephone me on: 0207 013 4574.
Concorde
Last month we reported that both the French and British authorities had decided to retire Concorde. Now, Richard Branson, millionaire owner of Virgin Airlines, has stepped by saying that he could make Concorde profitable and more affordable. He said, “we believe it has as many as 25 years good flying in it. Concorde is a great ambassador to Britain and should be in the air, not broken up and sold.” Under Virgin, the planes would offer cheaper second-class seats while first class prices would increase.