As noted by our eagle-eyed Webmaster, Paul Roberts, this is a facility whereby you can send faxes via the web or email – rather handy! Take a look at The Phone Company website.

You can also receive replies with a free efax.com number.

A recent UK Sunday newspaper ran a brief report about a five month study the Lithuanian government has just conducted.

As a result of the study, the government has scrapped a law that required women to take a gynaecological examination before they could be issued a driver's licence. Government officials argued that certain diseases in women could cause sufficient pain to hinder driving. “This requirement made our country look more than strange” said a health ministry spokesman.

Strange, indeed, says the Beetle, wondering what if any examination the men have to undergo.

London Waterways week takes place between 7-15 September.

The event will start with the Great River Race and finish with the Mayor's Thames Festival. Many waterside attractions are taking part in the festivities offering special events and discounts. A special leaflet with details of events and discounts is available from London Tourist Information Centres and libraries from mid-August or by calling +44 (0) 20 7286 7306.

The Beetle has been having an interesting e-mail conversation with Peter in the US, but British, about what counts as having visited a country. He says that he visited Czechoslovakia, but now it is two countries. Does his visit count as 1 country or 2? The same must be true of the former Yugoslavia.

Which other counties have split? And what do you think?

Email the Beetle

Under 30? A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a £1,000 travel award?

Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?

Then see our legacy page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we'll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!!

PRÓXIMA VIAGEM want to hear from you! Próxima Viagem is a Brazilian travel magazine that sells around 70 000 copies a month. For the special birthday issue of their magazine they want to publish a poll of the top travellers in the world, people who have been to more than 100 countries and are members of some travellers club. The poll is to ask travellers about their favourite small-charming cities in the world. It is a “travel is peace” kind of article.

Please send Denise your top 10 small cities that are very special for you and a brief biography of yourself, focused on travelling and the number of places you visited.

contact Denise by e-mail

Dr Livingstone is walking through the jungle and comes across a clearing with a huge hippopotamus lying stone dead in the middle of it. On top of the hippo is a pygmy. Dr Livingstone approaches him and asks: “Did you kill that?” The pygmy replies: “Howrya. Yes, I did.” Dr Livingstone is surprised by this and continues by asking: “How did you kill it?” “With my club,” replies the pygmy. Dr Livingstone asks: “How big is your club?” “Oh, there's about twenty of us at the moment,” says the pygmy.

US Airways, the sixth biggest airline in the United States, has filed for bankruptcy protection. Under the so-called Chapter 11 procedure, the company will continue to operate while it attempts to restructure its business and return to financial health, estimated to be the first quarter of 2003.

Last month US Airways pilots agreed to pay cuts amounting to $465m a year, in an effort to keep the company afloat and the company is also attempting to save $1.3bn in annual expenses from labour, suppliers, lenders and creditors.

All of the US airlines have experienced a downturn in air travel since 9-11, but this is the first carrier to file for bankruptcy. Part of the reason is that whilst US Airways did not lose any planes on 11 September, its main hub, Reagan National Airport, near Washington DC, was shut down for three weeks and reopened with only a limited schedule.

United Airlines, the second-ranking US carrier, has warned it may follow rival US Airways in filing for bankruptcy protection. They say that unless it succeeds in cutting its costs, it will also be forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors. Interestingly, UA is 55% owned by employees. The firm has given itself 30 days to conclude talks with staff on rebuilding the carrier around a new business plan. Watch this space!

Blaming the problem on a slump in passengers, Chairman and Chief Executive Jack Creighton said: “The world has changed, revenue isn't coming back the way the industry expected. Demand isn't returning, fares remain low, and the industry is grappling with how to respond.”

Michael is looking for a cheap guesthouse, pension or hostel near Villefrance (halfway b/w Nice and Monaco) in France. He arrives in Nice on September 3^rd and leaves on the 28^th September and is looking for a cheap place to stay in both Italy and Villefrance. If you can help Michael, please e-mail him.

Need help? Want a travelling buddy or advice about a place or country – want to share something with us – why not visit our Mutual Aid section of the Website: Mutual Aid

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