Tag Archives: March 2003

Currency Conversion

A recent UK survey for the Department for Education found that of over 1,000 adults, 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.


Meeting News from Ontario

The March meeting of the Ontario Globetrotters was held on March 21st. Jim Low presented “Chasing the Midnight Sun,” a slide documentary and personal commentary of his recent motor trip up the Dempster Highway through the Yukon and NWT to Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk.

For information on Ontario meetings, please contact: Svatka Hermanek: shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.

Meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

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About This E-Newsletter – Format

Did you know, you can change the format of this e-newsletter. This e-newsletter is now available in 4 formats:

1. This format with 2 columns.

2. A single column print friendly version available online, see the link in every e-newsletter.

3. The text only version, if you’d like your e-newsletter in plain text format, just send a blank email to The Globetrotters Webmaster with “Text+Enews” as the subject

4.Have a link emailed to you pointing to the online version, just send a blank email to The Globetrotters Webmaster with “Link+Enews” as the subject


Mutual Aid

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


Meeting News from Texas

PLEASE NOTE NEW LOCATION

We will meet at the VFW Hall on Peace Street instead of the library on Common St.

The hall is across from the entrance to Cypress Bend Park where the April 2002 picnic was held.

Peace Street is between the library and the river off Common St. Turn on Peace Street – the Fairgrounds are across the street so you can only turn one way. There is a sign for the VFW hall on the corner. Go to the dead end (cemeteries on both sides) and turn right into the parking lot for the VFW hall.

Mark your calendars – Dates of future meetings: April 12th,

The VFW folks will open their bar so we will not go to the Hoity Toit after the meeting. If you like, bring some nibbles to share for conversation time following the meeting – since we will miss the peanuts from the Toit.

For more information about the Texas Branch: please Contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates at our website (click here) or call Christina at 830-620-5482

If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk

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Be Careful . Africa

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office have just updated its advice for Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti, referring to a high risk of terror attacks.

The FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk/travel) warns visitors to the three countries to be highly vigilant in all areas frequented by foreign visitors, including hotels, nightclubs, shopping centres and restaurants.

The website has been changed to underline the continued threat from terrorism: ‘The Foreign Office continues to receive information that Westerners are at risk from terrorist attacks in areas frequented by foreigners.

‘In particular there is a potential threat against western interests in Nairobi, Kenya.’

Despite the current warnings, the Foreign Office has stopped short of advising against all non-essential travel to the three countries.


Have you got a tale to tell??

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


Write for the Globetrotters monthly e-newsletter

If you enjoy writing, enjoy travelling, then why not write for the free monthly Globetrotters e-newsletter! The Beetle would love to hear from you: your travel stories, anecdotes, jokes, questions, hints and tips, or your home town or somewhere of special interest to you. Over 7,500 people subscribe to the Globetrotter e-news.

To see your story in cyber print, e-mail the Beetle with your travel experiences, hints and tips or questions up to 750 words, together with a couple of sentences about yourself and a contact e-mail address: Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

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Free London Museums:

Wandsworth Museum

Housed in the old court house, this local museum collection shows the development of social history in the borough of Wandsworth from medieval times to the present day. You can find out about local life in Roman times and learn about the London’s first black mayor. There are plenty of interactive displays and quizzes to keep children occupied and amused.

Address: The Courthouse, 11 Garratt Lane, SW18 Telephone: 020 8871 7074

Admission times: Tues-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun 2-5pm

Costs: Free

Disabled facilities: Wheelchair access

Web: www.wandsworth.gov.uk


Travel Quiz

Win a Moon Handbook on Guadalajara. See www.moon.com for info on Moon guidebooks.

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 winner of last month’s Moon guide of Guadalajara is Gavin Fernandes, so please let us have your postal address, Gavin.

1. Are there an estimated 29.2 million driving trips or 9.2 million driving trips in Mexico City each day?

2. Which warrior civilisation created Tenochtitlan?

3. What principal language is spoken in Mexico City?

4. Which city close to Mexico City is nicknamed “City of Eternal Spring”?

5. What would you do with a chimichanga?

Your Name:

Your e-mail address: