Tag Archives: November 2003

Airline News

State-owned Air Malta has announced that it will operate low cost flights between Malta and London for USD$53 one way from March 2004.

Qantas will start a low cost carrier called owned JetStar in May 2004 to compete against Richard Branson’s Virgin Blue started in September 2000.

Good news for air travellers: Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific was granted rights to operate on the transatlantic route between Heathrow and New York, currently dominated by four US and UK carriers. At the same time, Virgin Atlantic has won the right to take on BA and Qantas on services to Australia. Both of these things should result in more competitive process for Globetrotters.

US Regional air carrier Atlantic Coast Airlines has unveiled 'Independence Air' as the name for the new low-fare airline it plans to start in the first half of 2004 at Washington Dulles Airport.

Singapore Airlines has confirmed that it is now carrying air marshals on some of its flights as part of increased security measures.


Being Careful

The Foreign Office is urging travellers to avoid all non-essential travel to major Turkish cities following November’s bomb attacks in Istanbul which killed at least 27 people, including three British citizens, and injured 450.

Updated advice on the Foreign and Commonwealth website (www.fco.gov.uk) now reads: 'There is a high threat from terrorism in Turkey. We urge you to be vigilant in all parts of the country, and especially in the vicinity of potential terrorist targets.

'We advise against all but the most essential travel to Istanbul and other major cities, until the situation becomes clearer.'

The Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking on David Frost’s BBC programme, responded to FCO advice by insisting his country is safe for anyone to visit.


Travels In Papua New Guinea by Jon Hornbuckle, UK

The pilot’s safety briefing was interrupted by a loud squeal. “Was that a pig? If it makes a mess you’ll have to clear it up when we reach Hagen” he said indignantly to the woman with a large bulge under her coat. The pig squealed repeatedly as we took off but was quiet for the rest of the 45 minute flight – another small incident in travel around Papua New Guinea, the land of the unexpected. The previous flight to Tari had been over 4 hours late: “As the weather was unusually fine, we took the opportunity of using the aircraft to visit poorly-served airstrips before sending it back towards Hagen” the fat controller eventually explained. At Tari we watched the Spirit Dancers, Huli wigmen dressed up in all their finery with head-dresses of Birds-of-paradise feathers and cloaks of Cuscus skins, performing their dance to help overcome problems such as serious illness. Higher up, in the moss-covered forest, a King-of-Saxony Bird-of-paradise performed a similar dance, bouncing up and down on a thin branch, swaying his bizarre elongated head feathers and singing just as tunelessly as the Hulis.

The Central Highlands Highway was now open to regular traffic, thanks to recent patrolling by police vehicles. It had effectively been closed for years by the presence of “rascals” who stopped and robbed any who dared to use it. Now it was possible to drive from Tari to Hagen in 8 hours instead of at least 20 on the safe route. We took part of this when we travelled from Hagen to Lake Kutubu, mainly in the back of a lorry masquerading as a Public Motor Vehicle. The “5 hour” journey took 8 hours and included another pig on board, very well behaved this time. We climbed up and down mountains, mainly through a semi-cultivated landscape, dotted with patches of forest, before dropping down through hills covered with young forest. My backside felt thoroughly tenderised after bouncing up and down on the wooden plank cum seat as we hit numerous potholes. We got off at dusk and had to wait for a boat to take us to Tubo Lodge on an island in the picturesque lake. The jovial local headmaster explained the meaning of time: “I know that if you say you will meet me at 7.00, you will be there at 7.00, not 6.59 or 7.01, but if a Papuan says 7, he will arrive at 9.”

We took a birding trip to the mainland with bare-footed Robert as guide. We had a good time until it started raining in earnest, so we returned to where the canoe had been left. “The others have taken it to the village, we will walk there.” “How long will that take?” “It depends how fast we walk” – we had heard this before. It took an hour, without stopping, as we slithered along the muddy path which looked as though it had not been used for weeks – a wrong assumption as we met four children who were walking to a village some 10 km away where the school was. They would live there during the week and walk home for the weekend. I was happy to accept Robert’s helping hand, such as when we crossed streams on slippery rocks, but my companion stubbornly refused all offers. He fell into one stream, soaking both feet – no, I didn’t say that. In the village, the men played touch-rugby and the children touch-basket ball. The men all lived in a single longhouse, each with their own fire next to their bed, and the women and children in their own family houses.

After returning to the lodge, we proceeded to the other side of the lake to see the bleached skulls and bones of the locals’ ancestors, laid out on a ledge beside a chalk cliff. Their glory had been to be killed by the Japanese in World War II. Later, we ate delicious small crayfish, speared by boys standing precariously at the front of a small wooden canoe. One of the local women had a fever, probably malaria; we gave her some pills to help – the nearest pharmacy was at least 6 hours away. In the early hours I spent a long time in the rain trying to see a very rare bird, Wallace’s Owlet-Nightjar, which called only once or twice every 10 or 15 minutes. He won, I had to leave at 05.30, to go home. The first step was to get the guys out of bed to take me by canoe to the other end of the lake, an hour’s journey in the rain. There was no sign of the vehicle to the airport: “The man allotted to arrange this forgot to do it”, said Penny in a matter of fact way. We walked it in 45 minutes, in time for the 30 minute flight to Hagen, followed by an hour in a jet to Port Moresby, 6 hours to Singapore and 12 hours to Heathrow, where my bag failed to appear, one hour to St Pancras, 3 hours to Sheffield and bus home, only to find there was no-one in and my key was in my bag still in Singapore…


Asian Spooks Experience

A tour company in Kuala Lumpur are offering a tour on Asian ghosts, spirits and superstitions. It costs US $44 and starts at the site where more than a decade ago, a terrible triple murder occurred in Bangsar in Malaysia. Two children and their maid were killed by a security guard who had just started work that day at the expatriate’s home. The guard was caught, tried, sentenced to death and hanged in 2002. The tour takes in an Indian temple, a Chinese cemetery, a prison, old railway station and a den. For those of you who would like more info, see: KL Ghost and Spook Tour


Ramadan by Alhabib, Libya

Alhabib is from the Tuareg people in Libya and sent us this fascinating insight into the Islamic festival of Ramadan.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims fast and when Muslims concentrate on their faith. It is a time of worship and contemplation. There are fairly strict rules about how one can live during the month of Ramadan: during the Fast of Ramadan, Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink during daylight hours and smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting. At the end of each day, the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar. In the evening following the iftar, it is customary for Muslims to go out visiting family and friends and the fast is resumed the next morning

As the holy time of Ramadan approaches, everyone is very happy and starts to prepare for it. The women in the home usually prepare special meals for the month of Ramadan. Everyone is happy and anticipating the coming of this holy month. Ramadan begins after watching the crescent shaped moon at midnight or even later. During this period, Muslims start their day before early dawn and eat a meal, called the Sahour. This is sufficient for fasting for the day. After that, they begin the worship and call to God for forgiveness. All Muslims must fast between the hours of dawn and dusk.

Before sunset the women prepare delicious savoury food. At sunset , when the call to prayer to Al Magreb is made, all the family gather round the feast to eat. They begin with some dates and some milk (this is the sunna of the prophet Mohamed ) and then begin the Magreb prayer. After praying they return to eat and drink. There is lots of visiting going on and much time is spent with friends and all houses are open to receive any guest from anywhere.

After eating the Iftar (breakfast), much worship and prayers take place during the month, and at night, when the call to prayer for the evening Aisha begins, people go to the mosques to pray evening prayers. They pray the Al Traweh prayer and this continues every night. On the 27th night, the Greater Night (Alila Alkabira ) which is called (Night of Al Gadr), the holy Koran begins to descend from heaven to prophet Mohamed. On this night people recite the Koran all the night until dawn so as to be close to God.

After the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the holy Bairam comes. In the Morning of the first day of the lesser Bairam, the people get out to the Plazas to pray the Feast prayer. It is two bows: after praying, each person begins to greet each other (Alsalam) happily and to wish him a merry feast. After the Feast after the holy month, the lesser Bairam continues for three days, all of it to visit friends and family and everyone is happy.

If you would like to contact Alhabib about Ramaddan or Libya, he can be reached by e-mail on: tenerecotour@yahoo.com


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


Taiwan Tallest Building in the World

Malaysia’s Petronas Towers used to be the world’s tallest buildings. Taiwan intends to top this (groan… with a 508-metre (1,667-feet) tower, the Taipei 101 which is expected to be completed in November 2004. No inauspicious activities have been spared – feng shui and geomancy experts have been called in. The $1.7 billion skyscraper is meant to resemble a bamboo stalk, known for its sturdiness and vigour. It will have 101 storeys and will house the Taiwan Stock Exchange and offices for 12,000 people. There are plans for the world’s fastest lifts: 34 double-decker shuttles that can reach speeds of 60 km/h (37 mph) and take passengers to the 90th floor in less than 39 seconds. Wow! That will be some tourist attraction in its own right!


European Rail Timetable Resources

Spotted by our webmaster, Paul. If you are planning to travel in Europe by train, then the links below will take you to the English language versions of local rail journey planners. The majority of these provide timetable, ticket and booking facilities.

Belgium http://www.b-rail.com
Denmark http://www.dsb.dk
Finland http://www.vr.fi
France http://www.sncf.fr
Germany http://www.bahn.de
Italy http://www.trenitalia.com
Ireland http://www.irishrail.ie
Luxembourg http://www.cfl.lu
Netherlands http://www.ns.nl
Spain http://www.renfe.es
Sweden http://www.samtrafiken.se
UK https://www.thetrainline.com/
Eurostar http://www.eurostar.com

So You Think You’re Well Travelled?

Here’s a little Beetle quiz based on capital cities. See how many you get right! Go on, have a guess!

What is the capital city of the following countries:

  1. Bangladesh
  2. Guyana
  3. Oman
  4. Syria
  5. Vietnam

For the answers, see at the end of the e-newsletter.