The winner of last month’s Frommer’s Guidebook on Spain Moon guide is: Azusa Nakamura congratulations!
This month, win a Rough Guide guidebook on Los Angeles. See www.roughguides.com
for info on Rough Guides.
Some people have said the quiz is difficult, we say do some research: try google.com or Ask Jeeves, if you need help with the answers.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has just issued a travel warning about the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
There has been no recent history of terrorism in Trinidad and Tobago, although an Islamic group, the Jamaat Al Muslimeen, attempted to overthrow the government by force in 1990.
We believe Trinidad and Tobago to be one of a number of countries where there may be an increased terrorist threat. British nationals should exercise vigilance, particularly in public such as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls.
1. Austria: Vienna
2. Ethiopia: Adis Abbaba
3. Mauritius: Port Louis
4. Swaziland: Mbabane
5. Vanuatu: Port Vila
The Thai authorities have announced their intention to clear Bangkok’s streets of thousands of homeless people ahead of a meeting of world leaders next month.
Where will they go? The Thai Prime Minister and officials have said that some would be sent for vocational training at army camps or shelters, and those suffering from psychiatric disorders would be taken to hospital.
But the Beetle noticed a discrepancy in what is being reported: “Arrested immigrant beggars will be deported, prostitutes will be sent to rehabilitation centres and insane homeless will be sent to mental hospitals,” said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
“There are no excuses for being a vagabond,” Bangkok’s Governor told The Bangkok Post. “Everybody must have a place to live.”
Give them a chance to go back home first, then put (the rest) together in one place and feed them from the state budget like my previous operation against street dogs,” Mr Samak was quoted as saying by The Nation.
Police in Colombia say that eight foreign tourists have been kidnapped as they hiked near the Caribbean coast where a so-called Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) sits in the jungle built by an indigenous civilisation 500 B.C. One British tourist has managed to escape, the remaining seven tourists are from Israel, the UK, Germany and Spain. Thousands of troops have been mobilised to search for them in the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada, 750 kilometres (465 miles) north of the capital, Bogotá. Most of Colombia's 3,000-odd kidnappings every year – that is one every four hours – are carried out by FARC (Latin America's biggest guerrilla group with 17,000 fighters) who use the ransom to fund their 39-year war on the state.
Globetrotters Marion Bull is having a photo exhibition at the Horniman Centre in south London, opening 4th October. The free exhibition depicts the dramatic landscape in and around the plateau and the nomadic Tuareg herders, the Kel Djanti, who once inhabited Tassili N'Ajjer, before they were driven out by drought.
There will also be a special concert of North African Berber 'N' Rai music and dance to celebrate the opening of the Sahara exhibition. With a fusion of traditional and modern Algerian music, this exciting and energetic four-piece band is guaranteed to get you out of your seats and up on your feet!
Sunday 5th Oct 2 – 2.45pm & 3 – 3.45pm. Free entrance.
Any Globetrotters reading this e-newsletter is entitled to a 20% discount staying at the Jaipur Inn, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. To claim your discount, contact: jaipurin@sancharnet.in
TrekAmerica has offered Globetrotters readers of this e-newsletter a 10% Discount on all of their tours.
TrekAmerica offers a range of over 60 adventure camping, lodging and walking tours in small groups (13 passengers maximum) in Canada, the USA (incl. Alaska) and Mexico.
In 2004 we will also be offeringfamily tours and various specialty tours (e.g.- biking and birdwatching tours).
To claim your discount, you need to book direct and mention membership of the Globetrotters Club. For more information, see www.trekamerica.co.uk or call 0870 444 8735.
The BBC recently showed a programme outlining the results of a viewer’s poll stating the top 50 things they thought everyone should do in their life.
The top 5 things were as follows:
What would your top 5 things be? Write in and tell the Beetle.
Aviation enthusiasts, get ready! Air France is set to auction 200 parts from its retired Concorde fleet at Christie’s Paris auction room in October. After 27 years of service, everything from the famous nose cone to smaller pieces of memorabilia will be for sale. The proceeds will go towards children's causes supported by Air France. As a price guide, the famous drooping nose cone is estimated at EUR10,000 (USD$11,000) to EUR15,000 but prices for other mementoes, such as photos and models are as low as EUR20. There are no reserve prices, so everything must go.