ShoestringExploring the world - on a budget

Issue #6 | FreeFebruary 2012

Hitchhiking # Travel Insurance # Pakistan # TEFL

Plus:

Aboriginal OzLearning about the Dreamtime

Cuba Libre!Beaches, Castro and a lot of Che

Scaling Mount EverestThe Himalayas off the beaten track

Traversing the StansOn the road through Central Asia

After a long break, Shoestring Travel Maazine is

back, packed full with tips, inspiration and a

sense of adventure.

Our intrepid globetrotter Erik has filed his next

report from the road, making his way east

across the ‘Stans, while Niamh has gone

aboriginal Down Under.

Joining the local parties is always a good way of

getting to know your host nations. Good thing

then that Carnival is currently in full fling around

the world and participation in the street events and parades is free.

From dodging buskers on the dreamy streets of Habana Vieja, to reaching

Everest Base Camp off the beaten trek, this issue of Shoestring should

give you ideas of where to go next and what to do while you are there.

Whether you are planning a Gap Year or your next backpacking

adventure, I hope Shoestring will be the inspiration you need to make it

happen!

Happy Travels!

2 Shoestring

Issue #6

Editor-in-chiEf: Cornelia Kaufmann

PicturE Editor: Cornelia Kaufmann

dEsign & Layout: Cornelia Kaufmann

contributors: Niamh Keoghan, Georgie Russell,

Erik Jelinek, Grashima Sahni, Lynn Mc Donnell, Zamin

Haider, Michele Lorenzi, Joe Reaney, Neil Bennion,

Geeta Sharma, Tom Giles

PhotograPhErs: Cornelia Kaufmann (CoKa),

Georgie Russell (GeRu), Erik Jelinek (ErJe), Anne

Huber (AnHu), Niamh Keoghan (NiKe), Tourism

Australia (TouAus), Laura Festival (LFest), Joe Reaney

(JoRe), Geeta Sharma (GeSh), Tom Giles (ToGi), Lynn

Mc Donnell (LyMD)

contact: editor@shoestring-magazine.com

WEbsitE: www.shoestring-magazine.com

G’ Day!

Cornelia

In this issue:Teaching and volunteering

in Brazil

P. 4

A party in Sulawesi shows

local hospitality

P. 8

Castro, Communism and Che

Guevara

P. 11

Exploring the red heart of

Australia

P. 14

Erik on the road through the

‘Stans

P. 20

Off the beten track to Mount

Everest base Camp

p. 26

Teaching English as a Foreign

Language

P. 29

Celebrating Carnival season in

French Guiana

P. 30

And much more inside!

Shoestring 3

Travel News & DealsNew Discount card for SEAInternational Backpacker have

created a discount card for

backpackers in Cambodia, Laos,

Thailand and Vietnam, the first of its

kind for South East Asia. Special offer

for cards purchased before 01. March

2012. For more info check:

www.internationalbackpackercard.com

Ballooning over UluruOutback Ballooning has announcedthat visitors will be able to enjoy hotair balloon rides over the Patjiregion just outside the Uluru-KataTjuta National Park. During the dawnflights, Uluru will be clearly visible.The flights will start in March 2012after 20 years of negotiations.

Blue Peter presenter in AntarcticHelen Skelton, one of the presenters of

kids show Blue Peter, is currently trying to

set a new world record for the longest

bike ride on snow through the Antarctic

for Sports Relief. She started her 500 mile

journey in early January, and is

accompanied by Norwegian winter sports

expert Niklas Norman.

Switzerland outlaws naked

hikingA favourite pastti

me in

Switzerland, nude hiking, has

been prohibited after a man

walked past a family picnic

area where children were

playing at the time. While there

is no law against public

nudity, there is a law against

public indecency and those

found hiking in the nude could

face hefty fines.

Couple travels world after deathOne of William and Alice Green’s wishesin life was to travel the world, especiallyto Australia and Great Britain. Both arenow deceased, but their daughter had aningenious idea: She set up an ad onCraigslist for „Helping William and Alicetravel the world“. Thanks to the ad,travellers have now scattered some oftheir ashes at famous landmarks andtook pictures for the daughter. Death isno longer a hinderance when it comes toglobetrotting!

The edge of spaceAustrian Felix Baumgartner is looking

to break a 50 year old record, by

becoming the man who dared the

longest skyjump. For this, he will travel

120,000ft to the edge of space, before

attempting his fall, which will also see

him withstand the force of a sonic

boom unaided. Keep updated at

www.redbullstratos.com

Looking for a free place to

stay?Check Couchsurfing!

www.couchsurfing.org

The Hungarian House of Parliament

in Budapest

View from a terrace in Portmeirion,

North Wales, UK

Marine iguanas sun bathing inPuerto Villamil, Isla Isabela,Galápagos Islands, EcuadorDo you have a story to tell?Have you had the experience of

a lifetime somewhere off the

beaten track? Discovered some-

thing new to do? Or taken a

spectacular photo that’s just

too good to be hidden away?

Then get published in

Shoestring. Send your stories and pictures

to editor@shoestring-magazine.comShop front in San Francisco’s

hippie Haight Ashbury district

4 Shoestring

CaChoeiras, Capoeira,

Charity and CaChaça

Writer Profile

Name: Georgie RussellAge: 22This Modern Languages studenthas just spent four monthsvolunteering in Brazil andpracticing her Portuguese

Shoestring 5

As a student of ModernLanguages at NewcastleUniversity in England, it

is compulsory to spend yourthird year abroad. Pity.

I was really looking forwardto spending one of Britain’sworst winters in North EastEngland. Never mind, I guessBrazil will do.

Planning my year abroadwas far from simple as I studythree languages: Spanish,French and Portuguese, withonly one year to immersemyself in all three.

My priority was Portuguese,the language I had studied forthe least time. The reason Ichose to study Portuguese?Aside from the fact that 273million people speakPortuguese, and that it is thefifth-most spoken language inthe world? I have beendreaming of Brazil since I heardthe original Sergio Mendes’“Masque nada”...

Through my friend’s sister Ifound the perfect placement:working as a volunteer in asocial project in Bahia for fourmonths at Associação CasaGrande, a small NGO.

Reliant on volunteers anddonations, Casa Grande aims tofurther the local children’seducation and to offer a secureplace for local children to learnand grow through playing.Their motto is aprender,brincar, crescer - learn, play,grow.

Unlike a lot of gap yearorganisations for volunteers, nosky-high payment is required;just your time, energy andsupport in return for basicaccommodation and anunforgettable experience thatwill be with you forever.

For anyone with a basiclevel of Portuguese thisplacement is ideal: the childrenat Casa Grande although attimes brutal in their criticism,they were my best language

teachers and it is thanks tothem that my Portugueseimproved so quickly.

Meanwhile the friendlypeople of Lençóis welcomedme into the vibrant, weird andwonderful world of Brazilianculture.

The project not onlyprovides academic support forthe children: it also provides anEnglish course for the olderchildren, which is essential in atown with an economy basedon tourism.

On top of this, Casa Grandehas partnerships with othersocial projects: GAL (GrupoAmbientalista de Lençóis)where the children learn aboutthe environment, and how toprotect it; of utmostimportance in a national parkhome to a variety of flora andfauna, various geologicalformations such as themulti-coloured sands of theSalão de Areias, and not tomention the second highestwaterfall in Brazil (Cachoeirada Fumaça).

Fora da Trilha offers a freeclimbing session every week,while AGE teaches the childrenIT skills necessary to keep upwith the digital era in which welive.

Associação de CapoeiraCorda Bamba provides freecapoeira lessons to the childrentwice a week in Casa Grande,this not only keeps the childrenactive and healthy but alsoteaches them discipline,

‘Doing Capoeira

is a million times

more fun than

the gym!’

>>

Opposite page: Street in Lençóis (AnHu). Top: Cachoeira da

Primavera near Lençóis. Below: Capoeira moves in

synchronisation

respect and the history ofAfro-Brazilian culture and itsimportance today.

Of course as a volunteer, it’salso the best way to get toknow the locals and it’s amillion times more fun thangoing to the gym, plus mates’rates make it a must!

For those of you that are not

sure what capoeira is, it is inessence the fusion of dance andmartial arts. Created duringthe era of slavery, the slaveswere not allowed to fight, sothey disguised it with dance, etvoilà an incredible mix ofacrobatics, dance, hauntingchants and animated Africandrumming.

6 Shoestring

Lençóis, once a diamond-mining town, is now a hotspotfor tourists looking foradventurous trekking, or purerelaxation away from hecticSalvador.

It is located in the ChapadaDiamantina National Park,surrounded by awesome viewsand breath - taking waterfalls:another advantage of being avolunteer is the free trekking inyour spare time.

From famous Morro dePaíInácio - ask about the mythof the lovers and the umbrella -to the stunning scenery of Valedo Paty, to the clear, bluewaters of Poço Azul. It has itall, mountain biking for thebrave, Weeklong or daytreks onhorseback, as well aslots ofswimming, sunbathing andrelaxing.

With nearly 100 childrenenrolled in the project, peace,tranquillity and nature aremuch appreciated. As avolunteer, not only are youtheir teacher, but also you area friend and provide support, a

listening ear and advice to thechildren and teenagers.

In a town where school isimplemented in half-day shifts,where parents are working allday and children are left totheir own devices playing in thestreets or working on thetrekking trails sellingrefreshments, Casa Grandeoffers some respite: where thechildren can just be children ina safe and supervisedenvironment.

Of course there are days offrustration where perhaps somechildren are messing about andit feels like you are not makingany progress, but when you putit into perspective a lot ofchildren do not receive anysupport from their parents,some of whom are illiterate;others live with a family ofeight in a one bedroom house;some children have learningdifficulties which are notpicked up on by theovercrowded and understaffedschools.

Considering all thecircumstances, we have torefine what progress means,those small advances, althoughlittle, do not mean they areinsignificant.

From the volunteers’ blog itis obvious that this Casa Grandeexperience has profoundly

affected all of us who havebeen lucky enough to work withthe project.

I have mentioned Capoeira,cachoeiras and the charity CasaGrande, but there is oneinfamous ‘c’ I have left untillast: Cachaça, otherwise knownas sugar cane rum and used forthe legendary Brazilian cocktailCaipirinha.

Lençóis is home to a littlebar called theFazendinha, which literallymeans little farm, where theyhave over 50 home madeflavours of cachaça. These canbe consumed as cachaçapura(not for the faint hearted),batida (think alcoholicmilkshake) or in a caipirinhawith any fruit you desire - mypersonal favourite is withmaracujá (passionfruit).

So whether you come herefor tourism, nature or as avolunteer please stop by thePousada dos Duendes (theowner founded the CasaGrande project), and they willshow you where Casa Grandeis.

There also seem to be a lotof expats from around theworld settled in Lençóis, so bewarned, it seems that once youhave visited Lençóis, you never

want to leave.

‘ Tr a n q u i l i t y ,

peace and nature

are very much

appreciated’

‘Once you have

visited Lencois

you never want

to leave’

WEbsitE

association casa grandewww.casagrandelencois.org

Children at Case Grande show off their art

work. Above: The youngest class at the

project. All photos GeRu

Shoestring 7

Build Castles in your

dreams at the Fort hostelBoutique hostels can make a nicechange to staying at a YHA.Shoestring editor CorneliaKaufmann reviewed and unlocked oneof York’s newest secrets.

The historic British city ofYork has a lot to offer itsvisitors, but cheap

accommodation is hard to find.Luckily for all travellers, a

new boutique hostel opened in2010 right in the medievalheart of York and offers youthhostels and hotel chains somestiff competition.

The Fort Boutique Hostel islocated on Stonegate, on acobbled street in thepedestrianised zone around thefamous Minster. For all yourexploratory needs, youcouldn’t wish for a morecentral location.

Right next door to the hostelis Kennedy’s Bar, which alsobelongs to hostel owner KarenWaughn. The bar serves as areception area, and thefriendly staff will be able topoint you to your room in thetownhouse next door.

Each room in the hostel hasa specific theme, and each wasdesigned by an aspiring artistwanting to create somethingmemorable and different. Thedesigns stretch from a dorm inlog cabin style - complete withStag’s head and wooden walls -to a double room depictinghistoric York as well as a roomthat really comes to life underUV light. With comfy beds andmost rooms ensuite, The Fort isa cosy hostel with unusualdecor.

All double rooms can also beused as twin rooms to allowmore flexibility; all include TV,there is wi-fi throughout thebuilding and every hostel guestis supplied with fresh towels.

Karen Waughn describes herreasons for opening a boutiquehostel as compared to a bedand breakfast like this: „I lovetravelling, and following mytime in Europe I became aware

of the increasing popularity ofboutique hostels. I knew it wassomething I wanted to do, as ahostel gives the guest thechance to save money withoutcompromising on quality.“

True words, because guestsat the hostel definitely don’thave to compromise on quality.The entrance is only passablewith door code, and the firstfloor houses a lounge area andkitchenette with free hot andsoft drinks for guests.

Guests with reducedmobility also have a lift at theirdisposal to get to the upperfloors.

With York’s diverse nightliferight around the corner fromthe hostel entrance, you’llhave no problems findingsomewhere to party with thelocals. Unfortunately, theproximity to the clubs and barsalso means that you can hear alot of what is going on fromyour room, especially at theweekend. However, there is asimple solution: If you can’tbeat them, join them!

Don’t worry about having toget up at the break of dawn foryour breakfast though.Breakfast is served atKennedy’s bar from 10amonwards, so although you mightget kept awake, you are alsoguaranteed a lie-in the nextmorning, which I think is a fairdeal!

WEbsitE

the fort boutique hostelwww.thefortyork.co.uk

Prices range from GBP 20.00 to35.00 depending on room andtravel dates which is within theprice range that YHAs can charge aswell.

Above: Entrance sign to The Fort.

The rooms all have diffrent themes, like

the Blue Room, the Log Cabin and UV Room. Photos: The Fort

8 Shoestring

Join the party,

immerse yourself

in the local cultureAn impromptu street parade sweeps Shoestring contributor LynnMc Donnell up and through the streets of Tomohon in Indonesia

Shoestring 9

In the North-eastern tip ofthe state of Sulawesi inIndonesia lives a pretty

decent collaboration of windingroads, idyllic deserted islands,busy transport hubs and avolcano or two.

Manado, the principal city inNorthern Sulawesi is not unlikeother Indonesian cities in thatit is functional and clogged, adescription that I have founddifficult to expand upon.

Four hours on an enjoyablyovercrowded bus south fromthe city however, lushmountains and sheer cliffdropswill welcome you to theovertly delightful village ofTomohon.

The perfect antidote toManado's dullness, Tomohon is asweet and dynamic littlevillage. With two strikingvolcanoes towering over thevillage on both sides, it is awelcome pleasure to the eyes.

The scenery is not the onlyhighlight. As with many otherplaces in the world remotefrom the backpacker scene, itcomes down to the people ofthe area, the local populationthat not only welcomes you butentertains you and teachesyou.

Looking for a specific placeto stay that had beenrecommended by a fellowtraveller, I strolled through thetown looking for a local to lendme a helping hand in the formof directional inspiration.

Unfortunately, the innateneed to help a lost visitor faroutweighed an innate sense ofdirection. After taking severaldifferent roads in all directionsI was glad to come across ajoyful little settlement of 5huts and a grassy communalarea that turned out to be thesame place recommended tome.

Early the following morning,prepared to hike up to either ofthe volcanoes’ crater rims, Iwas perturbed to find the patchof grass outside my roomunexpectedly awash with localMinahasan tribesmen in fullcostume bearing large drumsand machetes.

The evidential confusion in

my eyes was met with that ofthe other travellers outside,whom for all my knowledge hadcrawled out of the volcano’scrater as I had not seen anysince arriving in town.

They now stood side by sidethe Minahasan dancers and theowners of their guesthouseswhom had clearly draggedthem here without much in theway of explanation.

The bizarre events thatfollowed were made that bitmore humiliating by thematching t-shirts that wereproduced by the local mayor.

With a stylish 'I loveTomohon' motif on the back weresembled some 1980'sadvertisement. Clearly this wasnot a spontaneous event andwas cleverly organized,whether for this exact day ornot.

All dressed and presented,my newfound confusedcommunity and myself alikewere ready. For what? All weknew was that more than likely,our morning was about to enterthe paradigm of strange andmore importantly, memorable.

An enigmatic occasion forsure, I took out my camera stillunaware as to who indeed wasthe spectacle and attempted toestablish my role as ‘watcher’.

Gathered together, this smallbut bewildered group oftourists was instructed tofollow the dancers as theybegan an obviously symbolicmarch through the villages’streets and to the base ofGunung Mahawu, the dominantvolcano in the valley.

Needless to say, this marchbroke down any of mypreconceived role as a watcher.I kept hold of my cameraanyway in an attempt toconfuse the social structures.

Passing by schools on recessto watch the ‘parade’, I felt ashift in emotion from one ofconfusion to one of humblenessand gratitude. The childrenwere not only in number butalso friendly, warm andwelcoming. This small societywelcomed ‘us’ as foreignersinto their homes and their livesand as it soon turned out, into

‘They now stood

side by side the

M i n a h a s a n

dancers’

‘I felt a shift of

emotion, from

confusion to one

of humbleness’

>>

Previous page: A shrine

overlooking Mount Lokon from

across the valley. This page

top: performers and climbers.

Bottom: Climbing Mount

Mahawu. Photos: LyMD

10 Shoestring

their community andtraditions.

As the now expandingparade that now included theoriginal tourist group alongwith local shop-traders, priestsand school children marched onthrough the valley, the reasonfor the event no longer seemedimportant. Regardless, we soonarrived at the base of Mahawu-and the cart that had beenleading the parade since thestart emerged a sa home to 100tree saplings.

I learned that in an effort tocombat global warming and theinevitable deforestation oftheir area, the people ofTomohon had introduced theconcept of tree-planting duringalready existing traditionalceremonies.

Humbled as outsiders by ourinclusion in these plans, weattempted to plant these 100trees and make our own markon the future of this impressivevillage.

In an attempt to get somerelief away from a very publicmorning, I spent the rest of theafternoon summiting GunungLokon, the other volcano in thevalley.

A stunning crater in anactive volcano, Gunung Lokonlooks down upon the wholevillage of Tomohon. The viewmore than compensated for thesulphuric stench that wafts

uninvited into your senses. Thevolcano willingly took over mynewly established role asspectacle and allowed me torevert back to ‘picture taker’.

Since my short humblingstopover in Tomohon I havetried to find out about theceremony that I took part in. Icouldn’t find out much exceptthat it was not a regularoccurrence. The travellerinside me wants to ignore thecynical side of my mind thatpoints out the fact that it wasindeed election season inSulawesi and that the mayorthat had organized the paradewas running for re-election thatweek.

The same traveller wants tofurther ignore the religioussupport of the local church inthe purchase of the saplingsand the association with saidchurch with the mayor. Thefact is that regardless ofmotive, the parade andceremony introduced me to aproud society of high moralstature, healthy family andneighbourly virtues and adefault to positivity.

Although being marchedthrough the town clearlyemanates the sense that as a‘foreigner’ we are different,the towns people and childrenespecially still welcomed us asone of them, into their homesand their lives. For this reason,the ‘I love Tomohon’ motif onmy shirt was proudly worn as acomfortable travel andsleeping shirt during mytravels. I continue to recom-mend it as a stop for anyone in

Sulawesi.

‘This ceremony

introduced me to

a proud society’

Top: Shrine overlooking

Mount Lokon. Lynn on a

crater rim. Below: Street

dancers and performers

during the parade. Photos:

LyMD

Shoestring 11

Feels like

Cuba LibreShoestring founder Cornelia

Kaufmann travelled to the

Caribbean island, fell in love with

Havana and witnessed history.

Plaza Mayor inTrinidad

is lined by colourful and

colonial buildings

(CoKa)

12 Shoestring

In recent years, theCaribbean island of Cubaseems to have become a

hotspot for all-inclusiveholidays.

Tourists are flocking to theisland to enjoy sun, sea andCuban cigars in a hotel thatlooks identical to all the otherhotels of that particular brand.

I have always wondered whyanyone would spend money tofly to Cuba (or anywhere withall-inclusive hotels for thatmatter), just to sit in a hotel orlounge around the pool and notsee anything of the country oreven speak to the locals. Whatis the point of travelling to acountry, if you don’t see thereal, the actual country you arein?

Now, I have a confession tomake: When I went to Cuba, Iwas staying at an all-inclusivehotel in Varadero. That isbecause I accompanied mygrandparents and sister on thejourney and they were not keenon shared dorms. But unlikeother tourists, I actuallyventured outside of the hotel,even outside of Varadero, tosee what Cuba was actually allabout.

When thinking about Cuba,there are a few things thatimmediately spring to mind.

Communism, Fidel Castro, CheGuevara, Cuban cigars, rum,and the US trade embargo areusually high on that list.

Born in (West-) Germanybefore the Berlin Wall camedown, but too young to actuallyremember the Iron Curtaindropping, I was thrilled at theprospect of visiting one of thelast strongholds of socialismand experiencing first handwhat my family had told meabout.

I had practised Spanish andwas quite shocked that mostpeople had a very goodcommand of English, and someeven spoke German due toCuba’s former ties with theDemocratic Republic.

Of course, the staff of all-inclusive hotels don’t reallywant you to leave thepremises, unless it is onapproved tours that show youhappy-clappy people and shieldyour eyes from any poverty orhardship that might line theway.

Varadero is one of theisland’s foremost resorts.Dozens of hotels cover a small,sandy, 13km long peninsula.Every hotel looks the same, butthe further up the peninsulayou go, the more expensive thehotels get.

So when you walk into thetown itself and find that thelocal supermarket only holdsthe most basic supplies, youbegin to wonder what thereality is for those who livethere permanently.

Cuba even has twocurrencies – pesos convertiblesfor the tourists, pesos cubanosfor the local population. It isprobably needless to say thatthe touristy one is worth a lotmore than the local one.

Venturing further, we madeour way into the capitalHavana, and the placeimmediately blew my mind.What a beautiful city. Oldhouses, cobbled streets and bigAmerican oldtimers dating fromthe pre-revolution years in the1950s make you think you havestepped back in time,especially in the quarter ofHabana Vieja, the old town.

The city has an arty feel toit. And a relaxed vibe. Groupsof men wearing white strawhats stand around street

corners, smoking cigars, havinga laugh. I know it sounds totallyclichéd, but that’s what it’slike. We found Hemingway’sfavourite hangout, the Bode-guita del Medio, had a Mojitoand kept exploring.

I can definitely see whyHemingway loved it in Cuba.The markets are lively andcolourful, Caribbean flavoursand smells fill the air and musicis played everywhere.

However, the buskers havetwo firm favourites when itcomes to singing:„Guantanamera“ and „Hastasiempre, commandante“. Thelatter is a catchy songglorifying rebel leader andFidel Castro’s best friendErnesto „Che“ Guevara, whoplayed a major role in theCuban revolution. I would notbe surprised to find it being theunofficial anthem of the islandnation.

The „Hasta siempre“ stemsfrom a famous letter Che wroteto the Cuban people. It ends

‘You step back in

time, especially

in the old town,

Habana Vieja’

‘Hasta la victoria

siempre can be

found on boards

and buildings’

Shoestring 13

with „hasta la victoriasiempre“ – until the finalvictory – and this phrase can beseen on billboards and buildingsthroughout Havana and theentire country.

After this outing to Havana,my sister and I decided totravel overland from Varaderoto Trinidad and back. It tookseveral hours to get there, butI felt we were finally seeing thereal Cuba. Pretty soon, we leftthe well-maintained touristroads and ventured into villagesand forests. Several times wehad to change our form oftransport, from a bus, to oldSoviet army trucks, to a boatand eventually just our feet.

The route took us throughsome very poor communities,but I was amazed to find oldcouples sitting infront of theirsmall wooden abode, holdinghands and smiling contently.Leaving the tabacco fieldsbehind us, we made it toTrinidad.

The city has wide squaresand grand buildings and it is nowonder that it is on theUNESCO World Heritage list.But get up close to it, and yousee the bright and vibrant paintflaking and iconic buildingscrumbling. We stroll around,

and come across a smallbackyard bar called LaCanchánchara, in which a bandis playing Bueno Vista SocialClub songs.

Some local women get upand dance while they serve ustheir signature cocktail –Canchánchara – which is madeout of rum, lemon juice andhoney. The world seems ahappy place there. Justoutside, we witness the arrivalof a food and supply trailerthough, which puts us back inour place.

The locals get in line fortheir share of food. In thatinstant, it becomes clear to methat this is exactly what all-inclusive tourists should not beseeing, so they can spend theirtime on the beach, blissfullyunaware.

I do manage to find someonewho is willing to talk to beabout Cuba’s present. He giveshis name as José, and he hasworked in the tourism industrybefore, but he had to leave to

help his family on the tabaccofields.

José tells me that he is fedup with the regime. „It hasbeen too long.“ But he also saysthat not everything is bad.Their healthcare system is oneof the best in the world – it’s sogood that Cuba is trading withVenezuela. For a certainamount of oil per month,Venezuelan patients aretreated for free in Cubanclinics.

José also likes thateducation at all levels is free.But he thinks that the time ofcommunism is over. Too manytourists and „western“ ideas.He would be glad to see ademocracy established, and thetrade embargo with the USAlifted. „Give us 10 years and Ihonestly believe we can turnthis place around, make newcontacts, open upopportunities“ he tells mepassionately and I believe him.

The following day, some-thing remarkable, somethinghistorical happened – FidelCastro, transferred his duties asPresident to his brother Raúlafter nearly 50 years in power.And suddenly, it seems thatthey have taken a step closer toa free Cuba. Cuba Libre.

Previous page clockwise from top left: Skyline of Havana seen from fortress El Morro; Kids playing in the streets of Trinidad; The beach

at Varadero; Che Guevara billboard saying „Your example lives, your ideas remain“; Ernest Hemingway’s favourite bar, La Bodguita del

Medio in Havana. This page, left: Cigar smoking man in Habana Vieja; Top middle: The chocolate Museum in Havana;Bottom middle:

River trips through Matanzas; Right: Lady and dog with hats; Below:American oldtimers on the streets of the capital. All photos: CoKa

‘We can turn this

place around in

10 years’

14 Shoestring

DIScoverIng

AborIgInAlAuStrAlIA

Writer Profile

Name: Niamh KeoghanAge: 28Travel is my source ofinspiration and creativityand it's a method of expressingparts of myself

The culture of the land Down Underfrom the Dreamtime to the present

Shoestring 15

What seems to havebecome the ‘norm’ forthose who are willing

and eager to travel, is puttingon a backpack and headingdown-under.

Australia is where almosttoo many travellers start theironce-in-a-lifetime tour of theworld. Why? Because it’s a safe,it’s distant from most westerncountries, there’s no realculture shock and travellers arewidely catered for.

Convenience and nonecessity to plan can be themain reasons for the hundredsof thousands of backpackers toopt for this country. This meansthat many backpackers can beinclined to have no deeperknowledge of what Australiaactually stands for, when thecountry is experienced only ina manner that’s ‘typical’ forbackpackers.

I, myself, was once a personamongst these ‘manybackpackers’. I was ‘guilty’ ofnot realizing what Australiatruly stands for. I hopped on aplane, simple because it was‘the place to be’. After a year,I left and for some reason I

returned two years later. And it wasn’t until that

second experience that I was tobecome aware just howprecious a country Australiareally is. To share what Ieventually found behind thebackpackers lifestyle, I firstmust share how Australia hadonce been found by thewestern people, some 200years ago.

On the surface, Australia isa land with many similarities toother Western countries,regarding language, wealth,lifestyle and acceptance ofdifferent cultures.

However, underneath,there’s an existing part withinsociety that isn’t alwaysacknowledged by those whoview Australia from afar.

What aspect does thisstatement refer to? It’s theAboriginal communities whowere, up until the start of theBritish colonization in 1788, thesole inhabitants.

The term ‘Aboriginal’ standsfor the indigenous people ofthe land – indigenous meaningthe minority in society that hasdeveloped its roots without any

connection or participationfrom Western cultures.

At present, thesecommunities form 2,5 percentof the 20 million Australians – apercentage that confirms their‘minor’ status in Australia.However before the arrival ofthe British, these communitieswere in the majority; consistingof approximately 350,000inhabitants, with only 900non - indigenous people,throughout the entire country!

They were divided into 250‘nations’ and subdivided intoseveral tribes or communities -each owning individuallanguages, traditions, music,art-forms and survivaltechniques.

There was diversity betweenthese tribes on many levels.But on one all-important levelthey were united. And thisunity existed and still does,even to this day, in the beliefthat their lives are spirituallybound to the earth and theenvironment. They also believeit’s this vital connection thatestablishes the laws accordingto which they live.

Why are these facts relevant

This page: Goomblar Wylo atop the

Sydney Harbour Bridge (TouAus).

Next page left: Aboriginal boys

dancing at Laura festival (LFest).

Right: Niamh Keoghan infront of

Uluru (NiKe). Top: Two young

aborigines (TouAus). Below:

Aborigine withtraditional ody paint

at Uluru (TouAus). Bottom: Tribal

dane display at Laura Festival

(NiKe).

>>

16 Shoestring

when considering travellingdown under? It can be essentialto have an extra ounce ofknowledge to what’s behindthe didgeridoos, kangaroos,barbeques and boomerangs asthis lets the traveller realizehow sacred and spiritual theland actually is.

An Australian experiencethen suddenly becomes farmore rewarding. Appreciationis raised for its vast space aswell as an awareness andunderstanding for the deeperstruggles between the minorityand majority within society.

On a more personal note,when I first travelled toAustralia, I was blinded to whatwas behind the bright sun, thebeautiful beaches, the dryearth and the friendly smiles.My eyes didn’t open until mysecond visit and what Idiscovered truly touchedsomething within.

I found out that the Westerncivilized world that wasbrought to Australia in the late18th century, has sinceintensely influenced the livesof the indigenous people andhas led them to experience aninvasion of literal space -meaning disputes over thelandownership - and figurativespace – meaning increasingrestrictions when expressingtheir own traditional beliefs.

When a traveller venturesinto the Australian out-back,

the most populated cities suchas Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbaneand Perth, become a distantmemory and suddenly the heartof Australia can be discovered.This is what I experiencedduring a two-month road-trip Itook, together with a fellowtraveller of Australian descent.The deserted, rural and remoteoutback – where urban lifeceases to exist - is where thecommunities and tribes aresettled. It’s the spacious plainsthat offer them a degree offreedom to live according totheir cultural beliefs that couldotherwise have been snatched.

The outback ‘allowed’ thisminority to express the laws ofthe land along with thecomplementing spiritualprinciples and practises. Thefirst Western influxes and theaccompanying lifestyle wouldnever have coincided with thedeeper importance theindigenous people give to life.So their seclusion was in aid ofkeeping their culture alive. Itwas an inevitable turn ofevents.

How unfair it seems that theonly way they were able tohold on to their own ways ofliving was by opting forisolation! It could seem to bethe result of feeling ashamedfor the rich heritage they own,just because it didn’t ‘fit’ withthe beliefs of people whoinvaded their space (in everysense of the word).

This is where the frictionbetween the two worlds beganand for decades it seemedthere was little that could bedone to resolve the disputes.However, the world as we knowit today is becoming moreaccepting of deeper beliefs,

cultures and groups that holdonto something other thanwhat the individual considersto be the ‘norm’.

Throughout my road-trip, Iwitnessed how the Westernworld in Australia is working tosupport the communities, sotheir culture lives on. I alsowitnessed the spirit that liesbehind the sun, beaches, earthand smiles. I saw indigenousAustralians standing strong intheir own truth and this showedme, and hopefully many othertravellers, the root of Australia.

But where did I come acrossthe root and heart of the land?It was in the red-centre whereI stumbled upon the mostfamiliar sight; Uluru (alsoknown as Ayers Rock). Thesurrounding environment ofthis 350m high rock with a10km boundary, made me trulyfeel to be on sacred land. Withthe first sighting I instantlybecame silent, peaceful andtouched. I had no clue whatwas taking my words away andnearly bringing me to tears.

I spent several days in thered centre and by the last day Irealized that, yes, the spirit ofAustralia is smack-bang in themiddle of the desert, in theclose vicinity of this amazingRock.

For many tourists it can be a‘must-see’ simply because it’sthe icon, symbol or emblemthat stands on the deserthorizon. But I realized it’s so

much more. This notion wasconfirmed when I startedhearing tales of tourists whohad taken pieces of the actualrock back to their native home,as a souvenir. I’d heard theywere unable to functionthroughout their daily lives,with that piece of Uluru in theirpossession.

The only way they were ableto free themselves from the‘sin’ they’d committed, was byreturning what wasn’trightfully theirs to claim. Thespirit of the blessed land heldon to the spirit of the travellersand it led them to feel forcedby an extra power to put rightthe wrong they’d done. Thisexample is a mererepresentation of the spiritthat lies upon these red plains.

Another encounter came topass during the trip thatshowed me what’s being doneto sustain the indigenousculture, in this 21st century.Coincidentally, on the sametwo-month road-trip asmentioned before, we cameacross an annual dance festival,in an outback town calledLaura (situated in the northeastern Queensland).

The festival was in aid ofkeeping the tribal spirit alive inthe hearts of the indigenouspeople themselves – as theywould be inclined to rejecttheir own heritage, due topressures applied by theWestern society.

Also it was aimed ateducating visitors and lettingthem be touched by theuniqueness of Australianheritage. Throughout the 3 dayfestival tens of tribes cametogether to share theirindividual tribal dance, music

‘Freedom to live

according to their

cultural beliefs’

‘Upon first seeing

Uluru, I became

silent, peaceful

and touched’

Shoestring 17

and dress.

The performances wereliterally out of this world andeach one told the story of theirancestors, their connectionwith the earth and their lovefor nature. It was touching tohear the sounds of didgeridoosaccompanied by speeches thatexpressed acceptance for theircurrent status within Australiansociety as well as a willingnessto change that status, bystanding strong in their trueculture.

This festival was just one ofthe many annual gatheringsorganized throughout Australia,aiming for disputes within so-ciety to slowly become a thingof the past. It’s as the sayinggoes: “they will reap what theysow”. All they need to do iscontinue holding on to theirbeliefs, their faith and theirspirit and to not act out ofshame for who their ancestorshave ‘let’ them become butinstead act out of pride andhold their heads high for the

fact that they, themselves, canpositively influence those whoare willing to be touched, notby the Australian sun butinstead by the Australian soil.

And all we can do, as thetravellers, is spread the wordand open up our hearts to whatthis country has to offer.

One heart in particular hasbeen touched. Although it’s notmerely enough to make a hugedifference when it comes toacknowledging the Australianspirit so as the future of thecommunities can be stabilizedand cherished by the entirepopulation – but it’s not a badplace from which to start.

And so, I speak from apersonal perspective when I saythat Australia becomes an extraspecial place when a visitorlooks past the 200 years ofrecent history and engages inall that lies behind the Westerninfluences.

Because it’s still theretoday; it can be seen, felt andcherished, not only by thetribes themselves, but also bythose who are on the outsidelooking in.

And suddenly Australia hasbecome a country unlikeanywhere else in the world.What a sacred place to havetouched base with.

www.australia.com

‘Influence those

willing to be

touched, not by

the Australian sun,

but by the soil’

18 Shoestring

Kutwal laKe in paKistan

is a pieCe oF paradise

If you are looking for paradise in Pakistan, I can guide you,because I found it in Haramosh, Gilgit-Baltistan. Haramosh liesabout 65 kilometres (40 miles) east of Gilgit, in the south-

central region of the Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains, a sub-rangeof the Karakorams.

Here you can find a sub-tropical forest, lush hills, verdant lawnsand natural ponds and lakes. The trees and boulders are likeimmense sculptures in the open air. I believe it should be declaredas one of the wonders of Pakistan, but for the moment, it appearsto be the best kept secret of the Haramoshi people and a fewintrepid explorers.

The people are very hard-working and friendly, although they dolack many modern amenities. The Kutwal Valley is far from theroadside and it takes 6 hours of trekking to reach it. However, thetrek is quite unique.

It involves one hour of trekking across rocky terrain and a fewhours crossing meadows and forests. The reward of such a trek isto find a wonderful mountain lake, with clear water that reflects

the snowy peaks and glaciers that encompass it. The climate insummer up there is cool and refreshing, a perfect place to take inthe silent snow, the thick forests filled with cool breezes, thesinging of birds, the bleating of goats and beautiful mountainflowers. Kutwal (and much of Haramosh) really is a paradise foradventurers and nature lovers.

We spent four days in the valley under blue skies and whitecotton clouds, with a guide called Imran Ali, an impressive andknowledgeable local man. He says: “Haramosh is an excellentoption for experienced trekkers and hikers. The trek can be quitedemanding in places, so physical fitness and trekking experience isnecessary.”

Although some negative stereotypes persist in the mind of somepeople about this beautiful valley (Haramosh), I am trying to bringthe truth of the matter to light . I always suggest that people visitthe Kutwal Lake and see for themselves. When we went there, thelocals were nothing but friendly and respectful. I would certainly

go again!

Looking for a beautiful spot to relax and reflect upon the

world, Zamin Haider came across a stunning lake in a

nature lover’s heaven.

Shoestring 19

Shoestring is a travel magazine aimed at students, backpackers and gap year

travellers who are looking for inspiration and advice when it comes to planning the next

big adventure. It lives on voluntary contributions from

Preparing for a trip can be hard work, especially when there are many options to choose

from. This is why Shoestring is looking for experience reports, introducing projects and

how to travel on the cheap.

If you want to introduce a city that you know well, get in touch! I'm also always looking

for simple (and I mean fool-proof), tasty recipes from around the world.

Shoestring should also feature outdoor stories, active stories, including extreme sports -

but on a travelling angle. This could for example include travelling to New Zealand to

bungee jump from the bridge where the sport was invented or crossing China on a

pushbike. There are no real limits, as long as it has to do with travelling and is of interest

to the target readership. Stories exploring different cultures are also welcome!

Have you recently read a really good (factual) travel book? Seen a great

documentary? Want to explain why David Attenborough / Michael Palin / Ray Mears (delete

as appropriate) is your travel hero? Tried a new travel app on your phone? If so, I'm

looking for short reviews.

Your story should have a clear angle and be written in British English. Please don’t send

an email saying „I can write about India“ - let me know what experience in India you have

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harder to edit your story.

Please send your stories to editor@shoestring-magazine.com. The full contribution

guidelines can be found on the website www.shoestring-magazine.com

Calling all

Travel WritersFancy yourself a travel writer? Do you have an amazing gap year or backpackingexperience you would like to share with the world? Have you taken photographs thatare too good to be hidden away in a drawer somewhere? Then Shoestring wouldlike to hear from you!

20 Shoestring

GeTTiNG FrieNDLy

WiTh The STaNS oN

The oLD SiLk roaD

Shoestring’s globetrotting correspondent Erik Jelinek has reached

the next stage of his tour and shares the wonders of Central Asia.

Shoestring 21

For most travellers thecountries of Central Asia –the 'Stans as they are

often affectionately known –are a mystery, a sort of Here BeDragons in the middle of thevastness of Asia.

Under - reported, unknownand so far from anywhere else.Does anyone even live there? Atone point the region was hometo vast, powerful empires thatshaped the history of the worldand controlled the lucrativetrade along the Silk Road thatpassed through the heart ofCentral Asia.

But the shift of trade to theoceans led to a long declineand stagnation that culminatedin the incorporation into theRussian (and then Soviet)empire, which furthermaintained the isolation. Thefall of Communism led to anopening up to the rest of theworld as well as chaos,instability and a collapse of thecountries' economies.

Things are now safe andstable and it's possible for theintrepid travellers to discoverthese wonderful countries withmillennary cultures tinged withRussian Communism as well aslandscapes that range fromvast, unforgiving deserts tosome of the highest mountainsin the world.

In this article I will beconcentrating on Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan, Uzbekistan andTurkmenistan – Kazakhstan willbe covered in the next issue ofShoestring.

A trip to Central Asia can bea very rewarding experiencebut, more than most otherregions in the world, requiressome careful forethought and alittle bit of planning to get themost out of it. Two issues are ofparamount importance whenplanning a visit: timing andvisas. From the shores of theCaspian Sea at -28m to the topof Pik Komunizma (renamedPeak Somoni, although mostpeople still call it by its oldname) at 7495m the span ofaltitude means that you can bebaking in the plains whilststaring at snow-capped peakswhere winter snows still layheavy on the impassablemountain roads.

For a start winter travel,unless you are supremelyprepared, should bediscouraged as harsh, bitingwinds from Siberia howl fromthe north causing temperaturesto plummet everywhere. The

lowlands of Uzbekistan andTurkmenistan become afurnace in summer but areideal in spring and autumn.

On the other hand Tajikistanand Kyrgyzstan are dominatedby their vertiginous mountainranges, the Pamirs in theformer and the mighty TianShan in the latter. The seasonfor the mountains (and not justclimbing them, but even simplygetting around from valley tovalley) is very short, from Julyto September, and even thenyou have to be prepared forsudden storms that can bringsnow, hail, floods and freezingtemperatures at any moment.

But first you have to getthere. The difficulty doesn't liein airlines, as you can geteverywhere these days, butrather in getting into therespective countries. Each andevery one of them requires avisa and these can be ratherbureaucratic and constrainingthings to obtain. If you are atall pressed for time then theseshould all be organised beforedeparture and count on startingthe process at least a monthbefore going, especially if youare planning to go toUzbekistan.

There are two mainproblems with visas to the'Stans; the first is general andthe second specific. Thegeneral problem is thatembassies require you to giveexact entry dates from which

their validity commences. Forpeople with a limited amountof time and specific itinerariesthen this will not be much of aproblem, but for those who liketo travel with fewer timeconstraints it can be tricky andwill need at least some idea ofan itinerary beforehand.

The specific problemscentre on Uzbekistan, whichrequires that you apply via alocal travel agency, andTurkmenistan, which doesn'tgive tourist visas tobackpackers.

This can only becircumvented by obtaining atourist visa for which you willneed to show that you musttransit the country. This meansyou need an Uzbek visa andthen one for either Iran orAzerbaijan before they willeven consider issuing you onethemselves.

Nevertheless a visit toTurkmenistan, one of the mostclosed countries in the world(up there with North Korea andEritrea) is well worth it. (Ofcourse, as with all informationconcerning visas, this is allsubject to the whims of thegovernments and embassies ofthe countries, which can benotoriously capricious, so Iwould recommend double -checking both online - with aforum such as Thorntree – andby contacting the relevantembassies directly.)

A few more tips toremember when travelling toCentral Asia: since it was partof the Russian empire andSoviet Union for over 100 yearsRussian is the best linguafranca; apart from Kyrgyzstanthe countries are still run byCold War-era dictators whohave little time for such

‘Russian is the best

lingua franca, apart

from Kzrgzystan’

The ruins of ancient Merv in Turkmenistan are waiting for you to

explore them. Left: The Pamirs are a harsh, desolate environment

where even the local herders find it difficult to eke out a living

among the sharp peaks. All photos: ErJe

22 Shoestring

niceties as freedom of speechor human rights (though as atourist you will be unlikely tosee this in action), so steerclear of politics with localsunless you know them verywell; dollars are the currencyof choice, with euros a moredistant second, and ATMs arenot dependable; and mostpeople are nominally Muslim,and whilst Central Asian Islamis generally tolerant, it's goodto err on the side of cautionand be respectful with regardsto dress and public displays ofaffection between the sexes.

Once those obstacles havebeen surmounted you willdiscover that Central Asia canbe one of the most rewardingtravel destinations withsomething for everyone (unlessyou happen to be a beach bum,in which case you will be sorelydisappointed). The 4 countriescan be divided into twocategories: the lowland,historical countries ofUzbekistan and Turkmenistan,and the mountainouswonderland of Tajikistan andKyrgyzstan.

The former are easier totravel around, with decent

railway and road networks andobvious “sights”. Uzbekistanrules the tourist roost with itsthree jewels of Samarkand,Bukhara and Khiva and theirglorious Silk Road history whenthey were amongst the richestcities in the world.

The mosques and madrassasbuilt by Tamerlane and hissuccessors rival anything in theMuslim world. This also meansthat these places are relativelytouristified with large groups ofolder French tourists making upthe bulk of visitors.

However step only slightlyoff this main tourist trail andyou will be the only Westernerfor miles allowing you towitness proper Uzbekhospitality. Uzbekistan is alsothe best place in the region topick up souvenirs, from adrassilks and silk carpets tominiatures and embroidery.

Travelling is generallyinexpensive, especially if youchange your money at the morefavourable, black - market,rates (which are about 40%better than the official rates),although bureaucratic rules forforeigners mean that you haveto stay at approved guesthouses/hotels every night andshow a proof of staying at suchan establishment for every dayof your stay, which means thataccommodation costs cannotbe circumvented. Still, you caneasily get by on £15 a day.

If you manage to make it to

‘Their glorious Silk

Road history made

them the richest

cities in the world’

Top:The Fan mountains in western Tajikistan are a

relatively easy and very rewarding hiking destination with

snow-capped peaks, glacier lakes, alpine meadows and

friendly farmer Middle: The infamous ship graveyard in

Moynaq on what used to be the coast of the Aral Sea, but

which is now the site of the greatest environmental

catastrophe in the world. Below: The Registan complex in

Samarkand, the pinnacle of Timurid architecture and among

of the finest Islamic buildings in the world. All photos: ErJe

Shoestring 23

Turkmenistan then there aretwo places that you must visit.The first is the capitalAshgabat, a monument to thedelusions of grandeur andwastage of vast natural gaswealth by the current andprevious presidents.

Flashy, modern ministrybuildings, vast museums anduniversity complexes andapartment blocks lie empty andunused whilst an army ofgardeners tend the grounds.And secondly the bizarre sightof Darvaza, a giant crater inthe middle of the Karakumdesert where gas seeping out ofthe ground has been on fire forthe past 40 years.

A unique and mesmerisingplace that looks like the verydoorway to Hell itself. If youget in on a transit visa thenTurkmenistan is very cheap andcan easily come in at less than£10 a day, though if you enteron a tourist visa, with theaccompanying guide and driverthat such a visit entails, thenyou are looking at well over£100.

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstanare all about the mountains,and yet their characters arevery different. The Tajiks are asedentary, Persian - speakingpeople with a long settledhistory of which they arefiercely proud; whereas theKyrgyz are a Turkic,traditionally nomadic, people.

The ultimate goal of a visitto Tajikistan is to travel thefabled Pamir Highway that linksKhorog in Tajikistan to Osh inKyrgyzstan, skirting the bordersof Afghanistan and China andpassing in the shadow of someof the highest mountains in theworld.

The air up on the Pamirplateau is thin and thelandscape harsh andotherworldly, but hauntinglybeautiful. And even if you'renot there to climb mountainstheir majesty and the locals'ability to eke out a living insuch an inhospitableenvironment make you feelhumble.

The isolated nature of thePamirs and lack of resources

means that prices are thehighest in the region andgetting around can be a realmission as public transport isextremely rare.

And although I'm a greatbeliever in travelling alone oras a couple this is one placewhere it really does pay to bein a group (ideally between 4and 6 people) so that you cansplit costs and hire a jeep and aguide together (even so youwill be looking at around £50 ormore per day per person).

If you are unable to organisea group before you go thenhead down to the Adventurer'sInn in Dushanbe where mostoverlanders congregate. Forthose who want to scale someheights but feel 6000m isoverkill, or are unable to get agroup together, there areplenty of smaller (only 5000mhigh) mountains in the Fan andHissar ranges in the west of thecountry that are accessibleeven for the inexperienced.

As soon as you cross theborder to Kyrgyzstan thelandscape becomes morewelcoming and verdant, withsemi - nomadic familiesspending summers in yurts onhigh alpine pastures – jailoos –looking after their herds ofcattle, horses and sheep.

And although the country ispoor and the localinfrastructure is sometimeslacking, there are greatnetworks of grassroots tourismorganisations (such as CBT andShepherd's Life) that can easilyhelp independent travellers toorganise homestays andhorse-trekking tours with localsfor very reasonable prices: youcan get a horse,accommodation and food fromaround £10 a day. These arefantastic opportunities to trulyexperience a very differentway of life, see somebreathtaking landscapes andtry Kyrgyz specialities such askymyz (fermented mares'milk)and kurut (dried curd balls).

For those who are not putoff by a few bureaucratichurdles then Central Asia willbe one of the most memorableplaces you will ever visit; sowhat are you waiting for?

‘The goal in visiting

Tajikistan is to

travel the fabled

Pamir Highway’

‘See breathtaking

landscapes and try

Kyrgyz specialities’

Top: A Tajik woman wearing a

traditional Khan Adras

ensemble. Saffron stand in the

market of Bukhara,

Uzbekistan. Below: Erik at the

flaming gas crater of Darvaza,

which has been burning for

over 40 years. All photos ErJe

24 Shoestring

the way BaCK FromstrawBerry Fields

Hitch-hiking is seennowadays as a dangerousway to travel, or at least

as a hippie occupation for lazyand rich youngsters.

But in some cases it is justthe only possibility to gosomewhere. The answer then isin your hand: that short andchubby finger you call thumbcan really take you anywhere.

I spent the summer monthsin Denmark, working instrawberry fields: an amazingexperience that restored myconfidence in people, in fact Icouldn’t imagine to meet somany interesting and kind guysworking there.

When the time came to goback to Italy, my dear friendwho took me there with his carhad already gone back to tryand work things out with hisgirlfriend.

So, there I was, in Denmark,with only my tennis bag full ofclothes and the tent where Ilived during harvesting time.Well, I packed up all my stuffand bought a black marker, Iwas ready.

I tore down a card-board box, wrote a big KBH onit and placed myself near theentrance of a motorway. KBH isthe short and friendly way torefer to København, the capital

city of Denmark,Copenhagen. After waitingsome twenty minutes, a nicebig truck stops and picks meup, while cars are honkingbehind it.

The Estonian driver was oneof the nicest guys I ever met,it’s a shame that our knowledgeof languages overlapped onlyfor a few words in English;anyway, and despite that, theride was very pleasant, and Imust say, a hitch hiker on atruck always feels a certainsuperiority to all other carsthat are below. FromCopenhagen, I then set sail toHamburg, where I arrived aftercrossing the Baltic sea on aferry (paying the ticket ofcourse, it's quite hard to get alift offshore).

After another couple of daysspent in Hamburg, I hit theroad again: another truckdriver gave me a lift to a nearpetrol station (it's always saferto hitch hike there then at theentrance of the motorway). Ihad waited for long hours,when an Hungarian guy offeredhimself to take me on his wayto Budapest.

At first I thought that he wasgoing too much to the East, butlooking at the map I realized hewas going to pass very close to

Vienna, so I enthusiasticallyaccepted that lift that wouldbring me many hundredkilometers closer to home. Theday after that I visited Vienna,and I was really impressed bythe beauty of the historicalcentre, the elegance of the oldbuildings and the number ofthe attractions of the Prater.

The morning after I pickedup my bag and I went toSchönbrunn, not to see theimmense mansion of EmperorFranz-Joseph, but to show acardboard with "Graz" writtenon it. That day I was able toreach Klagenfurt, a town nearthe border to Italy. As nightfell, I took out my tent and putit near a fence in the gasstation, and slept there verycomfortably.

The following day, as I wascrossing the border andentering in my home country, Iasked myself if it would fill mewith a feeling of relief or not.Well, it didn't. I was staying infront of the petrol pumps andthis time Trieste was the city Iwrote on the cardboard. Apolice patrol passed by and toldme it was illegal to hitch-hikethere; I was quite surprised,because not earlier than thatmorning, in Austria, two guysfrom the 'Polizei' checked my

documents and said everythingwas good.

But, despite that, the Italianpoliziotti fined me € 24, andwhen I asked them how was I tomove or to try and take a train,they just told me to asksomebody for a lift - Ok, that'show things work in Italy.

In the evening I reachedTrieste, an ever-windy town onthe Adriatic coast where a verygood friend of mine lives. I stillhad some 300 km to go beforereaching my hometown,Trento, but I gave up the ideaof hitch-hiking again, and in-stead I decided to buy a trainticket.

The final leg of my travelwas more comfortable on therailway, it's true, and I knewexactly what time I would bearriving home... but, I alreadymissed hitch-hiking, talkingwith people I knew nothingabout, finding out day by daywhat my next destinationwould be.

This one was my first longtrip I made by thumbing up andI am realizing it was a kind ofinitiation for me; now I amconfident enough to decide touse it again in the future: itonly takes a bit of patience, abit of trust in people, and ablack marker.

Europe by way of hitch-hiking: First-time hitch-hiker Michele Lorenzi found that

getting a suitable (and legal) ride is easier in northern countries than in the south.

Shoestring 25

the way BaCK FromstrawBerry Fields

Boosting your CV with

worK experienCe aBroad

Writer Profile

Name: Cornelia KaufmannAge: 24This travel writer Turnedinto a proper globetrotterduring her Gap Year and hashad itchy feet ever since

Sometimes it pays to be thrown in at the deep end and find out

whether you are actually cut out for the job you want, before

you commit to a course of study or a permanent position.

Many employers thesedays insist on previouswork experience and

preferably even experience inworking abroad.

So when I decided that Iwould take a Gap Year, Icombined the two and lookedfor work experienceopportunities in the mediasector. This is how I came towork for the Daily Voicenewspaper in Cape Town, SouthAfrica.

I have always had a keeninterest in journalism and hadmy heart set on studying thesubject at university after myGap Year. But I wanted to makesure that I could actuallysurvive in a busy newsroom andthe journalism was really thething for me.

I expected the make coffeeand photo copies for a day ortwo before they’d let meaccompany anyone, let alonelet me write a story. But whileI was still om my traincommute from the outskirtsinto the city centre of CapeTown, another train crashedinto a lorry at an unsecuredcrossing, and according topolice there has beencasualties.

As soon as I arrived at theoffice, the editor introducedme to the team and sent meand a handful of otherreporters out to the crash site.When we got there, police andambulances were still there,there was blood everywhere

and several bodies had beencovered with blankets.

First I got sent to walk longcrash site from the point ofimpact to where the traineventually stopped and I wasasked to measure the distance.

I felt sick to my stomach,seeing the blood, various itemsof clothing threwn across thetracks and the mangled lorry.When I later asked an eyewitness about what hadhappened it transpired that alorry had picked up daylabourers, who were sat on theback of the pick up when thevehicle stalled on the tracks.The train was going too fast tostop in time. 19 people losttheir lives that day. Talk abouta first day at work!

I soon learned that thetabloid Daily Voice served thelocal English and Afrikaansspeaking communities and I gotsent on a few more harmlessstories - I think the editorthought that my first day wastoo much of a shock. Becauseof the readership, I also got togo into communities andtownships I might not haveseen or visited as a normaltourist in the area.

When another reporter and I

were out on a story about a guywhose house got raided bypolice by mistake (they weremeant to search theneighbour’s house), we heardgunshots. Now, usually whenyou hear gunshots, you shouldrun away.

Being investigativejournalists, we ran towardsthem. It turned out thatthere had been a kidnappingand shoot out between taxidrivers over fares. Becausewe were first on scene, wegot a big exclusive story forthe next morning.

Being in South Africa, Ialso learned more aboutthe Rainbow Nation’shistory and culture andused my free-time to seea bit of the country.

Working at the DailyVoice showed my that Ireally wanted to pursuejournalism further.

Having this experience onmy CV is definitelyhelpful and confirmed that Ican actually do the job.Because English is not mynative language, thisplacement also shows that Ipossess foreign languageskills and that I can adopt tonew situations.

workexperienceabroad.com

workandvolunteer.com

‘Talk about thatfor a first day onwork experience’

Right and below: Old African Trading Port at

V&A Waterfront. Conny in front of Table

Mountain, Cape Town. Photos: CoKa

Top: making the front page.

Billboard for my colleague

Elliott Sylvester. CoKa

26 Shoestring

The MaGiC oF evereST

oFF The BeaTeN PaTh

Shoestring 27

Ifeel like throwing up. Myhead is spinning, mystomach churning, my

joints throbbing. I suck in a lungful of icy air

but there isn’t enoughoxygen. Yet still I ignore thatpounding thought: ‘turn back,turn back’.

After two weeks ofphysical and mental exertion,with my final destination onlyan hour ahead, I know I can’tgive up now.

So I plant a walking poledeep into the dirt track anddrag my heavy body onwards.Slowly, I begin to move mylegs, bend my knees, pick upmy feet, and I struggle onthrough the white wilderness,closer and closer to the finishline. I’m going to make it.

That’s when it all goesblack.

I awaken seconds later:confused, disoriented, falling.The footpath is gone and I’msliding, hurtling, down themountainside, twisting frontto back, heading for the giantglacial lake below.

I dig my heels into theground but it’s scree: theearth is falling with me. Thejagged silhouette of a rock isrevealed through the thickfog, too late, as I smash myknee on it.

The agony darts up my leg:I cry out, and it echoes back.And it’s only then I realise.I’ve stopped. The windlanguidly whistles around thevalley as I nurse my bleedingknee, my feet danglinguselessly below me.

Confused, I look up theslope to find that my torn –heroic! – down jacket iscaught on the boulder above.

I’m suspended. I angle myfeet and try to shuffle

backwards, up to the rock,but the earth slips again andI’m jerked back to myhanging position.

Then it dawns on me. It’s4.30am, minus 10 degreesCelsius, and I’m out of sightfar below the path to BaseCamp, on the side of amountain that won’t staystill. If I don’t act soon, I’llfreeze to death.

With a newfound clarity,afforded by the dramaticdrop in elevation, I considermy options. I can’t go upand I can’t go down. So I’llhave to go along... along thescree slope in search ofsomething, anything, I canuse to climb.

So I yank my jacket,testing my weight... I turnto face the slope... and,with an enormous effort, Iheave myself up until I'mcrouching on the fixed,solid, rock.

Then I tighten mybootlaces, take a deepbreath and break into asprint.

I tear along the slope,running at angles, slippingwith every step; edgingnearer and nearer to thefreezing lake. My lungs burn,my legs ache, my convictionstarts to die.

But then, out ofnowhere, I see it throughthe fog: a wall of God -given rock, leading up theslope. A ladder.

Within an hour I’m backon the path, still nauseous.I look down at my warmhostel, then up towardsEverest, and I consider justhow far I’ve come. And justhow close I am. And I know.

I can’t give up now.

Shoestring reporter Joe Reaney

experiences an unforgiving and

treacherous mountain while he is on

his way to Everest Base Camp

Trekking in the Himalayas is one of the

reasons travellers flock to Nepal. Local

guide Geeta Sharma offers tours

across the roof of the world

Raj Bala Treks &Expedition was foundedand is run successfully by

two Nepali women, GeetaSharma and Lata Sharma.

Years of knowledge,experience with boundlessenthusiasm for their countryand love for adventures, bothladies believe in sharing thesense of excitement andadventure that one feels whilstvisiting the Himalayas.

Due to their well and activefunctioning in Nepalese Tourismindustry, they have beensuccessfully leading Raj BalaTreks & Expedition since the1990s.

Their main direction is toprovide first classadventure tourism whilstgenerating a fairer income forthe local community.

„We pride ourselves on vastknowledge and networks whichallows us to focus on everydetail of your journey ensuringminimal impact on theenvironment and local people.

Therefore we have been inthe profession long enough toknow what makes our trips ahuge success. We've spent yearsfinding places to stay that arequaint, out of the way, andcomfortable when we take youto the most amazing parts ofthe Himalayas.

When travelling with us youwill feel a sense of comfort asyou become part of our family.

Our team has been carefullyselected for their specializedskills and talents along withtheir dedication to managingour large network of clients.

What hasn't changed is thepassion for people, trekking,mountains and the personalservice we offer to everyonewho travels with us. Raj BalaTreks & Expedition continues toorganize and lead quality treks,tours, climbs and adventuresfor small groups of like-mindedoutdoors people. We remainsmall enough for all our trips tobe special.

This is our corner of theworld. We know it intimately.We love it passionately, somuch so that we want to shareit with kindred souls. We areproud to showcase theHimlayas to the world!“ Geetaexplains why she loves the

Himalayas so much: It was themonth of November it wasreally getting colder in theupper elevations of the trek.

We were covered with bestpossible warm clothes to keepourselves warmer and safefrom the weather. After ahealthy breakfast we startedour walk for Tyangboche fromNamche around 8: 30 in themorning.

This trek was truly becomingfascinating day by day. Afterapproximately walking for 2and half hours we came acrossa so called holy man coveredhis body with ashes, almostnaked as only he had coveredbelow his waist witha transparent and thin yellowcloth and was not veryconscious about wearing thewarm clothes like us.

To our utter surprise, he wasnot shivering at all. In fact, hewas enjoying such cold weatherand rather walked faster thanus. We were really amazed tosee his enthusiasm and hispower to fight against nature.

We continued our walk andthat holy person was with us forpreceding 2 days. We asked himso many questions out ofcuriosity as what his aim wasand what he wanted to achieveby going through such toleranceand few of our membersenquired when he would returnfrom the trek.

That holy person said hespends around half of the yearsin different parts of mountainsmeditating and visiting themonasteries wherever they are.He also said that he wanted tohave interaction with themonks at the monasteries overthere.

In the beginning we werenot ready to belief him easilyand even thought he waslooking for some donations orany favor. But that holy mannever had any demands. Afterthree days he got disappeared.

During the rest part of thetrek we could not forget hisever smiling face filled withsome divine powered until theend of the our trek. We alsoregret that we were not able totake his single photographer ashe was indeed a faster walkereven in the hard mountain.

Joe’s hostel in

the valley with

the Himalaya

rising behind

Opposite page:

Mount Everest

as seen from

where Joe got

stranded. All

photos: JoRe

28 Shoestring

EvErEst basE camP trEkis a classic trek which follows inthe footsteps of Hillary andTenzing and ends with anascent of Kala Pattar for superbviews of Everest.

Kala Patthar is also known asblack rock. Before reaching theEverest Base camp, the trailfollows the Khumbu Glacierwith huge ice pinnacles soaringto unbelievable height.

This trek starts with anexhilarating 35 minutesmountain flight into the airstripat Lukla. From here you trekslowly upwards to the Sherpacapital of Namche Bazaar,following the valley of theDudh Kosi river.

It is not long before youglimpse your first view ofEverest as it peeks above theLhotse-Nuptse ridge. At thispoint it is still many days walkaway, but with carefulacclimatization it is not longbefore you find yourself high upin the heart of the Khumburegion.

You visit Tengbochemonastery en route beforecontinuing on to your goal, anascent of Kala Pattar, a rockyoutcrop to the west of Everest.

This vantage point givesfantastic views of the Ice Falland South Col as well as theimmense south-west face ofEverest which was first climbedin 1975 by Chris Bonington'steam.

This is truly a classic trek,which undoubtedly gives one ofthe best mountain views in theworld. Accommodation andfood is provided in the locallodges.

Trip duration: 14 Days; Tripgrade: Moderate to fairlychallenging; Longer treks goingright into high mountain

country, to some of the famousmountaineering Base Campsover high passes.

Physically quite tiring,involves approx 6-8 hourstrekking along rocky ridges ofhigh Himalayan peaks. Noprevious experience isrequired, you should bemoderately fit, used to someregular exercise and enjoywalking in the high altitudeconditions.

Activity: Trekking andCultural excursion. Starts in:Kathmandu, ends in:Kathmandu. Trek type: TH(Tea House / Lodge).Accommodation: Hotel, lodge(tea house). Transportation:Flight and car. Maximumaltitude: 5357m.

EvErEst highLight trEkThe experience of this trekretroactively helps you releaseyour demons as you hike downto its ever so peacefulmonasteries; whilesimultaneously viewing some ofthe highest and mostpanoramic peaks on the planet.

This scenic trek through theriver valley of the Dudh Kositakes you through thetraditional Sherpa villages ofNamche, Khumjung and Khundeand brings you to the ever-so-quiet monasteries atThyangboche and Pangboche.

You will meet the friendlySherpas and enjoy their worldrenowned hospitality. You willalso be amazed to observe howlife continues in this extremelyquiet and spiritual side of theworld; very much at its ownpace as it has done forcenturies. Our highest point isPangboche [3908m] with itsdelightfully unspoilt monastery.

There may also be an

opportunity for you to visit therather rare and unusualBuddhist nunnery at Debocheand the famous ThyangbocheMonastery, set high on aninclined ridge, commandingsome of the most spectacularviews in the area.

Indeed, throughout thistrek, you will have magnificentviews of Mt Everest (8848m),Lhotse (8501m), Nuptse(7879m), Ama Dablam (6856m),Thamserku (6608m) andKantega (6685m).

You will also see greatglaciers, sprawling snowfieldsand glistening ice ridgesemitting sparkling flashes inthe warm, Himalayan sun. Youwill experience some uniquenature hikes through darkforests, open pastures andwade through masses ofrhododendron flowers in thepre-monsoon, or the reds andgold ones of autumn in thepost-monsoons season.

Look out for the hugelammergeyers, with a 2 to 3mwingspan, circling on the updraughts, the proud thar, theHimalayan mountain goatsilhouetted on a high ridgelinelooking out for greenerpastures or the strange muskdeer, shyly scurrying throughthe undergrowth.

You will also look into theintricately carved Mani stonesand prayer flags whisperingodes to the gods in the breezeand the all-seeing eyes ofBuddha on every Chorten andstupa. This is an area rich incultural, religious andenvironmental interests, setwithin an awe-inspiringlandscape below the highestmountain on Earth.

Trip duration: 8 Days;Grade: Soft adventure trek;

Activity: Trekking and CulturalTour. Starts in: Kathmandu:Ends in: Kathmandu. Trek type:TH (Tea House / Lodge).Accommodation: Hotel, lodge(tea house). Transportation:Flights, private car or touristbus. Maximum Altitude: 3985m.

Trekking around Everest with Raj Bala

WhEn to go

The best season to trek to theEverest base camp region isAutumn (from mid-September untilNovember), and Spring (March toMay). The nights are cold (between-10°C to 5°C) but the days aresunny and hot (between 10°C to20°C). Trekking during themonsoon and winter is notrecommended. March, April,October and November are themost favoured months.

What to takE

Lightweight walking boots, sparelaces, sleeping bag and down jacket,a rain proof jacket with hood orponcho, fleece jacket or woolensweater, thermal underwear, 2 pairsof loose fitting long shorts/skirts, 2cotton T-shirts, Sun-hat, one pair ofsandals, 2 pairs of thin and 2 pairsof thick woolen socks, first aid kit,flash light, toiletries with towel,sunglasses, suntan cream, lip guard, water bottle, iodine for thepurification of drinking water,daypack, rucksack for porter.

find out more about raj balaand their treks at:

www.thehimalayantrips.com

Top: Views you will be greeted with

in Nepal. Below: Some of the

highest peaks in the world, including

Everest, behind Buddhist prayer

flags. Photos: GeSh

Shoestring 29

BLooD, SWeaT aND

eNGLiSh TeaCherSF

rom behind I may havelooked composed andprofessional, but had I

been facing a mirror ratherthan a whiteboard, the truthwould have been apparent.

What on earth was thepassive voice used for? My mindhad gone blank with thepressure and the whole lessonwas rapidly evaporating. Thiswhole TEFL-course lark was alot harder than I’d imagined.

In similar circumstances, atrainee in a previous year hadapparently sat down and gotout their lunch, leaving thepupils wondering if it was partof the lesson. Talk aboutunprepared - I didn't even havea packed lunch.

One of eighteen trainees ofvarying ages on an intensivefour-week Cambridge CELTAcourse in England, I was payingfor my lack of work theprevious evening. I’d only donefour hours of preparation andhad sloped off to bed atmidnight.

We’d been pre-warned thatthe course would leave no roomto work part-time or socialise,but most of us had mentallyappended the word ‘much’. Imean, they were exaggerating,right?

The average day started inthat most terrifying ofenvironments for the untrained– the classroom. For this wewere split into smaller peergroups, with half of us teachingon any given day. Those notteaching sat at the backobserving or, if they were upnext, wondering if anyone

would notice if they shriekedand ran out the room.

Later, after the fears ofthose teaching had proved tobe unfounded (or entirelyjustified), we came together toget feedback from the assessorand to exchange it with ourpeers.

This could be a strangelydeflating experience after theadrenaline of the classroom:Your concept-checking is okaybut you're not eliciting enough;don’t ask if they understand –they might think they do, evenif they don't; and try not toweep so openly.

Afternoons brought withthem a role-reversal as webecame the students, learningthe theory and practice of TEFLplus some key tenets of theEnglish language. We wereexpected to incorporate thesenewly learnt classroom skillsinto our next lessons, like ajuggler being thrown anothercouple more balls every day,and maybe the odd chainsaw.

Teaching English doesn’trequire you to speak a singleword of the students’ language.In fact, you’re encouraged toban all talk in any otherlanguages and make theclassroom an English enclave.“Just imagine you’re inTorremolinos,” you might tellyour class.

The meaning of new wordscan be conveyed by charades,pictures and using words withwhich the students are alreadyfamiliar, the latter beingparticularly useful if you wantto avoid play-acting 'geneticengineering'.

By evening the course wasover for the day, but the workwasn’t. It was taking meupwards of four hours toprepare an assessed lesson;

researching the subject matter,creating the materials anddrafting a to-the-minute lessonplan. Even our intended use ofblackboard space had to bepre-determined.

Thankfully, in the realworld, the ratio of preparationtime to teaching time is farmore reasonable. And youwouldn’t be required to do thefour written assignments thatwe had to produce in our sparetime (ha!).

The hours soon took theirtoll, and it became the normfor me to have eyes sagging offmy face at night and acaffeinated stare in themorning. Meanwhile, myanti-social working hours andtrail of unwashed crockery wasputting a strain on myrelationship with myhousemate.

I could have gone to sleepearly, of course - the failurerate on such courses is onlyabout 4% globally. And then I’dhave felt bright and fresh as Ihumiliated myself in theclassroom due to under -preparation.

I was aware of the moreobvious benefits of the coursebefore I started: the ability tospeak English is in demand inmany countries, making theability to teach it a useful skillthe world over. It can help fundtrips to exotic places, can be afun job in itself and makes for amuch more immersed travelexperience than just excitedlypointing at stuff and takingphotos.

But it was the unexpectedaspects that had the greatestimpact on me. Firstly there wasthe growth in belief andself-confidence that came fromhaving to repeatedly stand upin front of a group andperform. Then there was thesense of satisfaction that cameexactly because the course wasso demanding without beingunrealistic.

Finally, there was thesolidarity that came fromsharing a difficult situationwith others: hearing a

colleague say they were thin-king about quitting was a dailyoccurrence, but so was theinevitable chorus ofreassurance that came inresponse.

But as I stood facing thewhiteboard, it wasn’t the warmglow of comradeship that I feltbut the icy grip of pressure.Come on, you’ve got this far -you can do this. “Okay,” I saidwith a cheery smile and agently perspiring forehead,“this is what I want you to do.”

My tutor looked quizzicallydown at the lesson plan as Ilopped off an exercise, handedout homework as an activityand generally squeezed my wayout from the tight spot. Nopacked lunch required.

tEfL coursEs

www.celta.org.ukwww.teflcourse.netwww.onlinetefl.com

Writer Profile

Name: Neil BennionAge: 37

I travel because the openroad is the purest expressionof freedom I know.

‘The ability to

speak English is in

demand in many

countries’

30 Shoestring

Hit tHe streets

of Cayenne for Carnival!

Life in French Guiana ismost of the time anexciting hodgepodge.

Around carnival it becomesevident that this region isundoubtedly the crossroadsbetween South America,Europe and the Caribbean.

Traditions of many differentand seemingly contrastingorigins combine to form oneglorious party, lasting all theway from Epiphany to AshWednesday, during whichcarnival is king in the town ofCayenne and normal life almostceases to matter.

In the run-up to carnival,conversation seems to touch onno other subject. Who will beplaying Vaval? This is themythical King of the Carnival,pictured here in this year'sinteresting aquatic - themedcostume.

Which groups will behonoured with the primepositions in this year's parades?The competition is not quite ascut-throat as that between Riode Janeiro’s famous Sambaschools, but it is still prettystiff. Who will dance with

whom at this weekend'sTouloulou: a ball steeped inCreole tradition where theladies arrive anonymously,covered up from head to toe,but where they dictateabsolutely during the eveningand men are not allowed torefuse a Touloulou's request fora drink or a dance?

Once carnival is in fullswing, there is little time foranything else. Weekends andmost week nights belong tomusic, dancing and drinking.

Besides the maincelebrations, such as the livelyparades through the towncentre, there are countlesssmaller events. Each night ofthe week is typically dedicatedto one social gathering oranother.

Friday evening? Let's cut thegalette (traditional French

cake). Saturday night? Time todig out the Touloulou costume!Sunday afternoon? Head downto the main square, the Placedes Palmistes, to dance alongwith the parades, and fall intoBrazilian bars Chez Domino orBar do Chris afterwards torefresh yourselves with cachaçaand samba music.

Any other time is dedicatedto preparation for the nextparty or recovery from the lastone. Monday morning in theoffice at the height of carnivalseason is, to say the least,subdued.

For me, there is perhapsonly one evening which couldeven come close to summing upthe variety of my FrenchGuianan carnival experience:sitting on the balcony of afriend's house on a Saturdayevening, up on top of a hill andsurrounded by Amazonianjungle, dining on snails andfrogs' legs, drinking BrazilianCaipirinhas and Caribbean rum,while listening to the sounds ofthrobbing carnival drumscarried up from the town belowby the warm, heavy breeze.

The week before Lent starts is traditionally a time for parades,parties and lots of music. So when Tom Giles travelled to SouthAmerica, he found a melting pot of cultures and beliefs during thelocal carnival.

Top: Vaval, the Carnival King

is given the symbolic key to

Cayenne. Above: colourful

witch custome. Below: drum

group during the parade. ToGi

‘Weekends and

nights belong to

music, dancing

and drinking’

Shoestring 31

Hit tHe streets

of Cayenne for Carnival!What is carnivaL?

Carnival is a festive seasonbefore Lent starts. The mainevents are usually held inFebruary, but this can depend onthe calendar.

During Carnival, people dress upin customes, or masquerade forthe parades and parties.

Carnival is celebrated inpredominantly Catholic and to alesser extend Eastern Orthodoxsocieties. In other religions, someevents are adapted and modifiedso they appeal to a wideaudience. Shrove Tuesday - theTuesday before Lent starts - hasthus become known as PancakeDay in many cultures.

In many cultures, the start ofCarnival season is 11 Novemberat 11.11am. From this pointonwards, participants are allowedto work on their floats for theparades and practise new danceroutines. The actual celebrationsusually start the Thursday beforeAsh Wednesday, and laststhroughout the weekend. Thefestivities culminate in paradeson either Rose Monday orShrove Tuesday.

Carnival is often seen as a chanceto celebrate local traditions aswell, so every carnival party isunique. During the parades, localmusic and local languages,dialects and traditions play amajor role.

Historically, Carnival was a timeto have parties and and the lastchance to eat rich foods likemeat, dairy and sugar before the40 day fasting period of Lentbegan.

Where the word Carnivalderives from is not entirelyproven, but many believe itcomes from the Latin expressioncarne vale which means „farewellto meat“.

The perfect pancake for Shrove TuesdayPancake Day this year is on 21.February.

Prepare each pancake separately in abeaker.

- 100ml water- 3 big spoons of flour- 2 eggs- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Shake beaker till dough is completelysmooth.

Put oil in a pan and heat on full power (nottoo much oil - the dough shouldn't "swim"in the oil). When heated, put dough intothe pan and keep on highest heat until thedough on top starts to dry. Put a lid on thepan.

Turn the pan around, let the pancake slide off the lid and back into the pan the other way up. Reduce heat by half. Put lid on

pan and do not lift the lid for approx. 7 minutes. ENJOY! If everything went according to plan, you should now be about to

tuck into a golden-brown, fluffy pancake.

Serving suggestions: sugar & lime juice; Nutella or any other chocolate sauce; banana, bacon and maple syrup; apples; sugar& cinnamon; vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce (as a "Palatschinken") and many more!

Famous Carnival celebrationscarnEvaLE di vEnEziaThe Carnival in Venice, Italy is one of the oldest and most famousones. During the fest, elaborate face masks are worn and thereare mask balls and best mask competitions held all over the city.The Venetian Carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday (21. February 2012).

köLnEr rosEnmontagszug The German city of Cologne is at the heart of the Carnivalfestivities. Partis kick off on Old Women’s Day (Thursday, 16.February 2012) and culminate in a city-wide parade on RoseMonday (20.February 2012), the Rosenmontagszug. Sweets will bethrown from the floats, there are local dancers known as„Funkemariechen“ (in photo) and you should come in fancy dress.

carnavaL do rio dE JanEiroThe Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is considered the biggest inthe world. The parade is filled with floats and foot groups fromvarious Samba schools and the schools compete against each other.While parades are held at the Sambadrome and balls at theCopacabana Palace, local street parties are free for all. Festivitiesstart on 18. February 2012.

nEW orLEans mardi grasThe name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French, and known asShrove Tuesday in other parts of the world. There are variousparades through New Orleans but many of these do not actuallyenter into the French Quarter. The main throws to collect duringMardi Gras are beads and doubloons, while masks and revealingcostumes are common features. Mardi Gras is on 21.February 2012.

32 Shoestring

Do NoT Leave hoMe

WiThouT TraveL iNSuraNCeWhat should it all cover?

Medical and health cover for an injury or sudden illnessabroad

24-hour emergency service and assistance

Personal liability cover in case you’re sued for causinginjury or damaging property

Lost and stolen possessions cover

Cancellation and curtailment (cutting short your trip)cover

Extra cover for activities that are commonly excludedfrom standard policies, such as jet skiing

Additionally, you might also want to get extra cover fornatural disasters including earthquakes, volcanoeruptions and floods

Why do you need it?Travelling without valid travel insurance, means that youare exposing yourself to more risks and dangers duringyour travels.

Should you have an accident while you are on the road,your health care bill could run up into the thousandswithout appropriate cover. Next to health insurance

With these covers in place, you can for example claimthe cost of a plane ticket back, when your flight getscancelled. Should anything happen to you while you areaway and you have to return home, repatriation will becovered.

The cheapest travel insurance is not always the best foryou. Shop around and compare covers before you buy butdon’t leave it to the last minute. Should you have to can-cel your trip unforeseeably then you can still make aclaim and won’t end up out of pocket.

travEL insurErswww.worldnomads.com/Backpacker-Cover

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