Category Archives: enewsletter

First Impressions of Mikindani by Richard Densham

Richard was a volunteer working in Mikindani, Tanzania for a charity, Trade aid.

My first impressions of Mikindani were what an improvement it was on my initial reaction to Dar-es-Salaam, [probably influenced by jet lag and the uncomfortable heat]. After the long journey it was a relief to get into Mikindani, and all I really wanted to do was sleep, however we had to prepare for the long awaited home stay. It was initially a shock, and various words were running through my head, which I shall not repeat. I found my home stay family to be extremely helpful and tolerant towards my bad Swahili, and repeatedly getting the wrong end of the stick.

Home stay was initially difficult, but once you have settled in you learn to ignore the screaming kids “watoto”, and you get on with things. However there is one thing I never got used to, Ugali (Cornmeal Porridge). It’s foul, and each meal was a bit of a trial, with Mama Asha encouraging me to eat more, and me desperately and as politely as possible trying to convey the message that “as much as a like Ugali I’m really actually very ill”.

So it was with some relief that I left my home stay and settled into the base house. I do still go back to my home stay family, just never at meal times.

It was now time to start on the project [bee keeping], and things seemed to get rolling pretty quickly with the help of Mr Thomas and Fabian, the ex-government beekeeper from Mtwara. It took some time to actually get the hive built and it is only now complete, all we need now are the bees. The bees will either come from a feral colony behind the Boma [a natural colony], or they will come from Mtwara. If we get them from behind the Boma we will wait for the bees to naturally colonise the hive, which is baited with bees wax [very much the lazy mans option]. If we use the bait hive then we are going to use some strange and mysterious Tanzanian method of catching bees, which Fabian has yet to reveal to me, should be interesting.

Teaching is something else that I have started since home stay. Teaching the staff has been particularly successful and enjoyable. Computer lessons, swimming lessons and English lessons seem to be the order of the day, and several of the staff seem to be making good ground in some of these areas. However, different things can be said about teaching at the schools. I have come to the conclusion that to get yourself, a head teacher, children, a classroom together at the same time requires an act of divine intervention, to be fair there are usually good excuses, however it is still infuriating.

I have found that a laid back attitude is required when working out here, and that flexitime is essential i.e. “so what time tomorrow morning?” “In the morning” “yes but when?” “Sometime”.

I know that when I get back to the England it is going to be difficult not being famous anymore, it’s quite strange when you walk around Mikindani and several thousand people all know your name. It really would be too easy to get delusions of grandeur.

It has been quite entertaining to watch some of the guests who have never been to Africa before, let alone Mikindani. In a place that feels, not exactly like home, but somewhere that I have got used to, the sight of a large group of Europeans clustered together and meekly discussing how different everything is, seems quite odd. But then I think back to my first reaction to Tanzania and Mikindani, and I realise I was the same.

It has been strange in the way that Africa seems to bend time, the pace of life is extremely slow, and for some reason it doesn’t seem like I’ve been here six weeks.

For more information about Trade Aid, volunteers and their work, please visit their website www.mikindani.com or e-mail Sherie on tradeaid@netcomuk.co.uk

Cruise Ships touted for Homeless

New York City may convert de-commissioned cruise ships into shelters for its rising numbers of homeless people. Last month, a record 37,000 homeless people were sleeping in city shelters every night according to the Coalition for the Homeless, which compiles statistics for the city. City officials, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg's commissioner of homeless services, have flown to the Bahamas to inspect disused ships. They say the idea of using them was just one option being considered – but critics say the plan is unnecessary, and have called on the city to provide affordable housing for those in need. City officials stressed that it is too early to speculate on how the cruise-ship idea might be applied in New York.

Laos by Mike Dodd

Mike is the winner of the Globetrotter Club £1,000 legacy available to members under 30 years of age for the best independent travel plan. Our £1000 travel prize is available to anyone in the world, as long as they are a member, have a great plan for independent travel and are under the age of 30. So, visit our legacy page and get those plans in!!

Mike is using his travel award to visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Here’s Part 2 of his travels:

I am now in Luang Prabang in Laos and have been for the last few days. I believe Tha-ton was the last place I e-mailed so I’ll try and update you on the progress. I took the boat down to Chiang Rai where I visited the Hill Tribe museum and pottered about. Chiang Rai is a very prosperous city with large shops and a very large number of four by fours.

I left the next morning to make it up to Chiang Sean further north on the Mekong which allowed me hire a motor bike to head up to the Golden Triangle and to the boarder crossing with Burma. The motorbike allowed a great deal of freedom and the chance to take back roads and see farms and local industries.

From Chiang Sean I set off early for the slow boat into Laos leaving from Chaing Kong. The trip took two days. We spent the night in a little village called Pakbeng roughly half way along the route. The scenery was amazing, mile after mile of hills covered in vegetation the whole way down. A snake came aboard for a while and water was being bailed for the whole of the second day but we made it into Luang Prabang without sinking!

I've found an incredible difference between Thailand and what I have so far seen in Laos. There are many obvious changes like they drive on the opposite side to Thailand (though in both countries no one seems to stick to anyone side for very long!). The money also is almost comical. The exchange rate is about 10,800 kip to one US dollar so when I changed a 100 dollar travellers cheque I was an instant kip millionaire! This alone is not the crazy thing – the largest current kip note is 5,000 or around 50 cents so my 100 dollars brought me literally a rucksack full of cash I guess it must be easier to weigh it then to count it out. The kip also goes down in denominations down to a 1 kip note! The greatest difference that I have found is the people. In Laos they are so friendly – in my experience I have never come across such genuine friendliness – everyone smiles and wants to chat, everyone always waves as you go past and the children especially want to see you and play.

There has been none of the hassle which you can get – especially in Bangkok – everyone just seems happier and contented and it is definitely noticeable. Luang Prabang is exactly as I hoped it would be. The town is beautiful and very small and you can easily walk across it. The atmosphere is very relaxed and slow moving you can sense the French influence all around and I’m going to be sad to leave. Around the city there is lots to do including many incredible waterfalls where you can walk right onto them and swim at the bottom. I went to the Royal Theatre last night in the grounds of the old Royal Palace – for a traditional Lao night – so culture is being thrown at me from all angles.

7 UK Airports may Close Due to Strike

A British union that has firemen and airport workers as its members has announced a set of dates it on which it proposes to strike.

These will affect seven airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh, Southampton, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Proposed strike dates are: 28 Nov, 2, 10, 15 & 23 Dec and 2nd Jan, and if the fire service does strike, the airports will be left without fire cover and will almost certainly be forced to ground all flights.

Namibia by Renate

There is an old Namibian saying: “If the Namibian sun has shone on you once, you are part of the country.”

People who have never been to Africa seem to be under the misconception that lions and wild animals roam our streets or that we stay in the bush! This has caused much laughter from Africans and some even thought that this was just the opportunity to fool around with someone. But that is typical African hospitality. People will joke around just to make you feel comfortable and at ease!

And when you finally convince someone to come and stay in “the bush” in Namibia, it's amazing to see their reaction when they arrive, one of disbelief and feeling that a mistake has been made, is written all over their faces! You see, our International airport is situated 40km outside Windhoek and when you arrive there, it truly seems as if there is nothing! And you do not see the city until you are basically in it! The landscape is such that it hides civilisation from a first time visitor!

But once your find yourself in Namibia, you'll be angry at yourself for not coming here sooner! The country is exquisite in beauty, cultures, places to see and things to do! But don't be in a hurry! African time seem to have found its way to Namibia too! At the coastal town of Swakopmund (the most visited town in Namibia and the second largest town) you get a true European feel – people are laid-back and it seems as if they are on a constant vacation. But don't misunderstand: business is good – you do get good service, but this is the place to come and unwind completely! And we do offer the best cuisine! You can even experience a true African dinner in Windhoek in a township restaurant! This is a must do for any traveller! But you must have a strong stomach! This is not for the faint-hearted!

So what is there to see and do in Namibia? There are international events, such as championships in sand boarding and powerboat racing, to mention a few. And don't forget, we do have the oldest desert in the world, the Namib Desert. You can ride the endless waves of dunes on a quad bike or in a 4×4 or hot-air ballooning over the Namib Desert or visit indigenous tribes or go big game fishing or skydiving or going on a seal and dolphin cruise or bird watching or take a safari to see the big 5, or, or, or…(the list is endless!) Travelling in Namibia you will encounter good hospitality and good value for money and unspoilt nature scenes where wild life is abundant.

With is wide variety of inhabitants, habitats and scenery, Namibia has a lot to offer any traveller! It is fast becoming a popular holiday destination and with a well-planned itinerary, you can see an impressive amount of the country that will leave you breathless with awe and amazement! Even the most difficult to please will find something to enjoy.

For more information, visit Renate's website at www.mcleodcontours.com

Currency Conversion

A recent UK survey for the Department for Education found that of over 1,000 adults found 30% felt unable to compare rates in exchange bureaux. A similar proportion said they were not comfortable converting foreign currency into sterling. Over a fifth of those surveyed admitted they had wrongly calculated how much they spent on holiday, with 12% saying they had run out of money.

The Globetrotters Club has just teamed up with Oanda.com to provide people with information about currency conversions and cheat sheets. To translate currency or make a cheat sheet, visit:

The Globetrotters Currency Converter — get the exchange rates for 164 currencies
The Globetrotters Currency Cheat Sheet — create and print a currency converter table for your next trip.

Bali, Indonesia

You would have to be living in a world with no access to the radio, newspapersor tv not to hear about the recent bombing in Bali. News reports say that around 75 percent of those who died (around 200) in the blasts were Australian nationals.

But let's not forget the local people of Bali and other nationals too, who lost their lives in Bali. A further 300 people were injured in the attack. As investigations start into Saturday's nightclub bombings on Bali, Australian airline Qantas is laying on extra flights to bring tourists and injured victims back from the Indonesian island. Singapore Airlines has also been carrying additional passengers.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and Australian police and intelligence services are helping in thesearch for the bombers.

The governments of Australia and the United States are advising against travel to Indonesia and the US State Department has asked all American citizens to leave the country. All US government personnel, apart from those in key positions, are being withdrawn.

The UK has also issued a travel warning, advising the cancellation of non-essential visits to Indonesia.

Despite some expected cancellations, Singapore Airlines says it is continuing to operate four daily flights to the area.

The airlines say they will not impose penalty charges on passengers who change or cancel their flight reservations. Those without tickets wishing to leave Bali are being offered discounted fares.

Heart Equipment on Board Planes

The US carrier Horizon Air, based in Seattle, is set to equip its entire fleet of 60 regional aircraft with defibrillators and medical kits to deal with in-flight heart attack emergencies.

Horizon is making the move two years ahead of a US Federal Aviation Administration deadline requiring any US commercial plane of at least 7,500 pounds and carrying at least one flight attendant to install the life-saving equipment.

Free London Museums: The Photographers' Gallery

There are three galleries offering a change of photographic exhibitions from photographers around the world.

Admission is free and the small gallery can be found at 5&8 Great Newport Street WC2H, tel: 020 7831 1772, website: www.photonet.org.uk From 4th October to 16th November, there is a great exhibition called Brixton Studio which looks at local photographer Harry Jacobs and four other contemporary artists. There's a great bookshop too.

The nearest tube is Leicester Square, so you could combine this with a visit to the great National Portrait Gallery that is close by, followed by a Chinese dinner in China Town, or a film in Leicester Square.