Did you know that icebergs are given names, and that these names relate to the section of Antartica where they are first sited?

US scientists recently reported that an iceberg more over nine times the size of Singapore had broken off Antarctica. It is over 64 kilometers (40 miles) wide and 85 kilometers (53 miles) long, and covers an area of about 5,500 square kilometers.

The National Ice Center said the berg, named B-22, broke free from an ice tongue in the Amundson Sea, an area of Antarctica south of the Pacific Ocean.

The B designation covers the Amundson and eastern Ross seas and the 22 indicates it is the 22nd iceberg sighted there by the US National Ice Center.

The iceberg broke off as a result of climate warming. One UK glaciologist at the Bas in Cambridge said “[It is hard] to believe that 500 million billion tons of ice sheet has disintegrated in less than a month.”

Last year, the British government announced that it would drop the entrance fee to many of the larger museums in London.

The Beetle’s favourite London museum is funnily enough called the Museum of London. It is about 15 minutes walk from St Paul’s Cathedral and the closest tube is the Barbican.

You could combine a visit starting at the Barbican, visit an art exhibition, grab a bite to eat or a coffee or wander around the Barbican complex, which is interesting in itself. Then walk down Aldersgate (about 5 minutes) towards St Paul’s to the large roundabout road where the Museum of London is situated.

It’s a great museum which looks at the early Roman remains in London, all through the ages to the modern skyline of the City. And it’s free!

Weekends are the busiest time since the admission fee has been scrapped, so try and visit during the week, if you can. Take a look atMuseum of London or tel: 020 7600 3699

Under 30? Been a member of the Globetrotters Club for 2 years – or want to take out a 3 year subscription? 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? We have just made the first award to Mike Dodd, a 22 year old mechanical engineering student at Warwick University, to help him with his trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Seeour 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!!

worldtravelguide.net

Gives you stacks of info on countries, cities, weather, airports – most things you’d like to find out about a country.

Tens of thousands of Buddhists have turned out in Taiwan to welcome what is purported to be a finger of Buddha (who died 2,000 years ago) on its arrival for a month-long stay on the island. The relic, housed in a jewelled casket, was flown in to Taipei from China, where it is normally on display at a temple in Xian. It was then driven amid tight security through chanting crowds to be displayed at a stadium in the Taiwanese capital.

Several other relics believed to be parts of his body – including a number of teeth – are preserved in various monasteries in Asia. Buddhists waving yellow flags lined the streets to welcome the finger. Later, thousands attended a ceremony at a Taipei stadium where the finger was placed on an orchid-decorated platform for worship.

“Looking at the bone is like seeing the Buddha himself,” Chinese monk I Kong said. “We hope Buddha”s finger could inspire friendly love and peace across the Taiwan Strait,” he said. Taiwan and China separated amid civil war in 1949. In recent years, many Taiwanese have visited Chinese temples to worship and to view their rich collections of Buddhist scriptures and relics.

Compression bags are amazing things. They can compress bulky items such as sleeping bags and fleeces into small and manageable packages. So take that fleece with you for cooler evenings but compress it!

Got any travel tips for the Beetle? Then e-mail them to: the Beetle!

The pass is available to Brazilians and non Brazilians living outside Brazil when you buy an international ticket. It costs the same amount no matter what time of year you travel. It is valid for 21 days starting on the day of the first flight and can be used for flights in up to 9 cities throughout Brazil. Packages vary from US $530 to US $930.