How did you do at our little Beetle quiz based on capital cities. See how many you got right!
0 out of 5 – you need to get out more!
1-3 – not bad
4 – Very good! You are a Globetrotter!
5 – Are you sure you didn’t sneak a look?
Around 400 air passengers are thought to have been stranded abroad after Irish low-cost airline Jetmagic announced it is to cease trading. Jetmagic launched in April 2003 and flew to destinations throughout Europe including Alicante, Barcelona, Nice, Nantes and Milan. It has reportedly lost £7.5 million and more than 100 workers are facing redundancy. On the company’s website www.jetmagic.com all booking facilities have been replaced with a statement explaining that the company is no longer in operation.
Travellers who have booked tickets with Jetmagic can
obtain a refund from:
Jetmagic
Refunds Department
5100 Airport Business Park
Cork Ireland.
icelandexpress.com/ is a low cost airline that flies to Iceland, and goodness knows, Iceland is expensive, so the more you can save by getting there cheaply, the more there is to spend.
An American tourist from Pennsylvania was prevented from entering Brazil because he poured water over a baby that had been crying during his flight from the US to Brazil. His bad behaviour started in the US and caused him to be refused boarding access on his flight from Miami to Sao Paulo, and again he was kicked off a flight from Brazil (after having spent a day in police custody in Brazil) back to Miami. Police said later that he was drunk.
This is the second incident involving a US citizen at Sao Paulo Airport in January 2004. Two weeks ago, an American Airlines pilot was arrested and fined almost $13,000 after making an obscene gesture while being photographed by immigration officials.
Cuba has received the first group of Chinese tourists since China designated the Western Hemisphere’s only communist nation as one of its tourism destinations last year. A group of 20 tourists from Beijing arrived in Havana for a four-day stay and planned to visit the beach resort of Varadero.
Tourism has become Cuba’s main source of hard currency since the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Havana is hoping to draw increasing numbers of the 16 million Chinese who travel abroad each year, Cuban officials said.
The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all travel to Haiti, and all British nationals in Haiti are advised to leave the country if they can do so safely. A highly volatile security situation prevails throughout the country, and rebels have taken up positions outside the capital, Port-au-Prince. The threat from terrorism is low.
The FCO website says: Kidnapping of foreign nationals (for ransom money) is increasingly common. Random shootings of civilians have become more common, robbery usually being the motive. Crime is widespread and often violent. Pickpockets and theft of valuables are commonplace. You are advised not to leave property in vehicles; travel with doors locked and windows up. Armed hold-ups of vehicles take place, even in daylight, in busy parts of Port-au-Prince.
Some areas of Port-au-Prince should be avoided at all times. Wherever possible you should avoid going out after dark in the capital and do not travel outside the city during the hours of darkness.
The political situation in Haiti is in turmoil. The government and opposition groups are still at loggerheads since the flawed May 2000 election. The security situation is unpredictable, particularly in Port-au-Prince and in the country’s other major towns. There was significant civil unrest in the latter part of 2003, with several large anti-government demonstrations taking place in Port au Prince and elsewhere in the country. These intensified either side of Haiti’s bicentennial celebrations at the beginning of January 2004, and are continuing. Several attacks on government facilities have been reported. The worsening economic situation is further complicating the security situation.
Wherever possible travel with a reliable guide. Avoid using public transport. You should only use rented cars with a local driver from a reliable agency (Dynamic Car Rentals, Budget, etc). Internal flights between the capital and some major provincial towns are available.
An eagle eyed Globetrotter wrote in to say: I just found out that starting March 1st, US citizens will be required to have a passport to enter Barbados. Perhaps this will set a precedence for other Caribbean islands.
A man who shipped himself across America in an air cargo crate to avoid paying a passenger fare was fined USD$1,500 and sentenced to 120 days of house arrest. Last September the man, aged 25, filled out an air freight order that charged his New York computer company for the shipping costs, stuffed himself in a crate and sent his 5-foot-8-inch (173 cm) body in a box that was 42 inches (107 cm) high, 36 inches (91 cm) wide and 15 inches deep (38 cm). It was sent, without insurance, on a two-day journey from the New York area to his parents’ home in a Dallas suburb. He was discovered by a delivery man who thought there was a corpse in the crate when he saw eyes staring at him through slats in the box when he dropped it off at McKinley’s parents’ home.
When the crate started to rattle and the apparent corpse came to life, the delivery man called police, according to a police report.
The USD$1,500 fine is more expensive than some airlines charge a first class ticket from New York to Dallas.
The International Maritime Bureau says that more than 20 sailors were killed by pirates in 2003 – twice as many as the previous year. Seventy are missing, presumed dead. The Malaysian based organisation says piracy is increasingly becoming an Asian problem, with Indonesia the most dangerous area.
South and East Asia recorded twice as many as the rest of the world put together. More than a quarter of the world’s piracy took place in Indonesian waters, and without action from the Indonesian Government, the figures will not drop, the board said. Bangladesh is also a piracy hot spot where incidents almost doubled last year over 2002. Nigeria, Vietnam and India all have serious problems.
Other trends are also emerging: ships are now less likely to be hijacked for their cargo; attackers, possibly from militant groups, are seizing ships and ransoming their crew. Another concern is that oil tankers have become a common target and security experts fear a tanker could be used as a floating bomb to attack a city.
This is a new company recommended by Padmassana specialising in Ashtanga yoga for all levels for busy people who want to get away for long weekends in beautiful surroundings to recharge their batteries.
Our first retreat is Spring Rites: Awakening on the spring full moon: Friday 5th – Sun 7th March 2004. The theme of this retreat is to get your body moving after the winter blues.
The centre has heated wooden floors so that the yoga takes place in a warm inviting atmosphere. Mysore self practice as well as a beginner’s Ashtanga class held each day for different levels of experience. Hot tubs will be on throughout the weekend for your relaxation.
Sacred Journeys: Sally Griffyn & Gail Sixsmith.
Venue: Earth Spirit 17th century farm conversion, Glastonbury with heated wooden floors, hot tubs, beautiful countryside and a large banquet hall. Massage will be on offer.
Cost: £265 includes 3 sumptuous vegetarian meals a day, accommodation based on shared twin, yoga classes, intention workshop, hot tubs and open fires. For more information, contact:
www.sacredjourneys.co.uk
sally@sacredjourneys.co.uk
Sally Griffyn 07866385366