Plenty of news about our friends Ryanair.

Despite their difficulties with court cases with the European Union about state aid, (whether Ryanair received unfair state subsidies at its Belgian hub of Charleroi) Ryanair has announced two new European bases in Rome and Barcelona. The new bases would start from January 28 and February 5 2004 respectively, adding 12 routes to its rapidly expanding network.

And the bad news: Ryanair is to close all its recently-opened intra-Nordic routes due to weak demand and switch capacity to destinations outside the region. They plan to end flights from Sweden’s Skavsta to Oslo in Norway, Tampere in Finland and Arhus in Denmark from January 14 2004. Ryanair added in a statement it was also shutting its flights from London to Ostend in Belgium, Maastricht in the Netherlands and to the French destinations of Reims and Clermont.

The good news: new routes will be from London Stansted to Linz in Austria, Bari in Italy, Erfurt in Germany, Jerez in Spain, and from France’s Charleroi to Calladolid in Spain.

You really wanted to know this, didn’t you: you can now buy Ryanair gift vouchers: for more info, see: http://www.ryanairvouchers.com/They say you can choose from 135 routes across 16 different countries (does that include flying into the wrong country – Beetle?) and that for every voucher bought Ryanair will make a £1/€1 donation to charity

For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates, click here at our website.

Hi Globies – hope you all had a good Happy Thanksgiving! We have another great slide shows coming up for January 10^th!

Michael Luongo will be talking about Rebuilding the Ruins of Afghanistan – from women who work at re-opened museums to hunky gym rats who worship Arnold Schwarzenegger. Afghanistan has changed in the 2 years since the ousting of the Taliban. A lot more work needs to be done, but new buildings rise from the rubble to punctuate the Kabul skyline, archeological initiatives are helping tourism, and wheelchair programs are giving mine victims a new chance in life. See the Afghanistan you never read about in the papers. We'll look at what there is to see as a tourist in Kabul and we'll also touch on travel to other Islamic hotspots like Jordan, Turkey and Morocco

Venue: as always 4:00-5:30 The Wings Theater 154 Christopher Street. $10.00 for non-members and $8.00 for members.

The NY Globetrotters website: www.globetrottersnyc.com

New York meetings are held at The Wings Theatre, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich St and Washington St), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 4 pm.

What is it: rabies is an acute, and occasionally fatal virus almost always transmitted by dogs, jackals, foxes, skunks, cats, bats, mongooses, and farm animals. Rabies is found on all continents, except Antarctica and Australasia. Doctors have estimated that 2% of dogs in Bangkok are rabid – no, the Beetle did not know that either.

How do I get it: the rabies virus is transmitted in the saliva of an infected animal by biting or licking an open wound. The virus is usually carried by Half of all people bitten by an infected animal will develop rabies.

What happens if I get it: it can take weeks, months and sometimes years to develop, although the usual incubation time is 2 to 8 weeks. Symptoms can include loss of appetite, muscle aches, sore throat, headache, paralysis, spasms of swallowing muscles, delirium, convulsion, and, in worse cases, coma and death. Sometimes, odd behaviours manifest themselves in the form of aggression, agitation or anxiety

Diagnose and treatment: samples of saliva and blood will determine rabies. A course of rabies vaccinations will cure you. A pre-exposure vaccine is available for travelers visiting high risk countries. Seek medical help as soon as you have been bitten. The earlier you can receive rabies injections, the better, even if you have received a pre-exposure course of injections.

How can I avoid contracting rabies: if you are visiting a high risk area, arrange to have rabies vaccinations. In any case, avoid contact with all animals, whether domestic or wild. If you are bitten, wash the bite with soap and water and then with alcohol or iodine to reduce the chances of becoming infected.

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.

U. S. Soldiers Home, Washington: during a century of travel (well 78 years!) both in and out of service I have travelled to over 150 countries (I count both North and South Dakota as countries) and for some reason have jotted signs and happenings that I thought funny at the time (and now wonder why). So here is the perfect opportunity to share some of my anecdotes.

In the India train schedule they have all these comments on leprosy.

1. Deformity does not mean infectivity.

2. Leprosy affects all faiths (Me. Surely not Catholics)

3. Any doctor can treat leprosy

(I have three suitcases full of notes I have taken about travel, military, yes, three suitcases. I have to get rid of some of the notes. Guess where I am sending them? Ha!

One Sign in restaurant: do not spit

Do not make nuisance

(Indians use this word nuisance often in their signs. Always reminding you to not make a nuisance of yourself (bad form)

One sign reads Deshi chicken eggs 20 rupees

English eggs 12 rupees

I was told English eggs mean the chickens were imported from England. Perhaps the eggs are smaller than Indian chickens.

They have a neat way of presenting your bill in Indian restaurants (even budget ones.) It is put in a folder that looks like a leather stationary folder which you open to look at the bill and no one else can see the amount of your bill. You then put the money in the stationary folder and close it. If you are host no one sees the bill and also they don’t see how little you leave as a tip inside the folder. I, of course like the system.

Sign in store: Vacancy for peon.

The different color turbans the Sikhs wear have no religious significance or other meaning. They can wear whatever color they wish. The man telling me this said he was wearing a black one because he was wearing a black suit.

Next month, Mac discusses Kenya. If you would like to contact Mac, he can be e-mailed on: macsan400@yahoo.com

The Texas Branch of the Globetrotters will hold its next meeting January 10^th at the New Braunfels library, 600 Common St New Braunfels Texas.

Christina (with Wiggling Wanda – the club’s travelling mascot!) is out of the country on a “Santa Mission Trip” in Tokyo and Bangkok, and will have a lot to share about this heartfelt adventure.

If you like independent, adventuresome, fun, daring, exciting, “off the beaten path” travel, this club is for you. Our meeting begins at 2 P.M. Come early so you won't be late! Enjoy handouts, travel talk time, and door prizes!

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