ShoestringExploring the world - on a budget

Issue #3 | FreeJanuary / February 2011

Buying a Car # Ischia # Indian hospitality # Nairobi

Kind StrangersBreaking down in rural Australia

Camino de SantiagoA modern pilgrimage on St James’ Way

Scandinavia on a budgetNorway to Finland on ‘Allemansrätten’

Trains in the cloudsThe best in South American train travel

Maoris and mud pools Travelling around NZ’s North IslandPlus:

A new year, and a new issue of Shoestring

travel magazine!

For the third time, backpackers and Gap Year

travellers have decided to share their

experiences and advice with Shoestring

readers, helping like-minded globetrotters plan

their explorations.

One of the purest and earliest forms of travelling

is a pilgrimage and Lara Thiele walked all the

way to Santiago de Compostela. Erik Jelinek fell

in love with the principle of every men’s right while exploring some of

Scandinavia’s remotest spots. And everybody who is toying with the idea

of buying a car to make the getting around a little easier should consult

Gareth Connerty’s handy checklist before signing on the dotted line.

Planning your travels can be a daunting task. So many different

experiences are out there to be had and it can be hard to decide where to

go. Whether you are trying to fill a whole Gap Year or a two week break, I

hope you will find Shoestring to be a one-stop kind of magazine that

inspires your future journeys.

Happy Travels!

2 Shoestring

Issue #3

Editor-in-chiEf: Cornelia Kaufmann

PicturE Editor: Cornelia Kaufmann

dEsign & Layout: Cornelia Kaufmann

contributors: David Simister, Neil Bennion,

Joseph Reaney, Lara Thiele, Erik Jelinek, Riva Jalipa,

Colette Mauzeralle, Luise Görlitz, Gareth Connerty,

Crazy About Kenya

PhotograPhErs: Cornelia Kaufmann (CoKa),

Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacifico Chepe (FCPC), Tren A

Las Nubes (TALN), Empresa deFerrocarriles

Ecuadorianos (EFE), Área de Turismo La Trochita

(ATLT), Panama Canal Railway Company (PCRC),

Lara Thiele (LaTh), Erik Jelinek (ErJe), Maasai Mara

(MaMa), Colette Mauzeralle (CoMa), Pepe Haze

(PeHa), Tim Hansen (TiHa), David Simister (DaSi)

covEr Photo: Roadtrip through the Flinders

Range, Australia by Cornelia Kaufmann

contact: editor@shoestring-magazine.com

WEbsitE: www.shoestring-magazine.com

G’ Day!

CorneliaIn this issue:

South America’s greatest

train journeys

P. 6

Pilgrimage on Saint

James’ Way

P. 8

Travelling cheaply

through Scandinavia

P. 11

Brekaing down in rural

Australia

P. 14

Giving Health education in

Kenya

P. 18

Land’s end to John ‘o’

Groats

p. 20

Indian cuisine and

hospitality

P. 23

Maoris and mud pools in

Rotorua

P. 25

And much more inside!

Shoestring 3

Travel News & Deals

New Zealand Cycleway A new project is about tostart in New Zealand, whichwill eventually see 2000km ofnew cycleway. 18 new „GreatRides will be added to themap, and the first routeshould be open in September2011.

Forget Spain, head for China!A new study by the UN WorldTourism Organisation shows that

China has replaced Spain as thethird most visited country in theworld with 55.98 millioninternational visitors last year,. The

top visited countries are the UnitedStates (60.88 million visitors) andFrance (78.95 million visitors).

Babylon to open to visitorsThe Iraqi government isencouraging visitors back into

the country by restoring theancient ruins of biblicalBabylon with the WorldMonument Trust. 165travallers from 16 countries

have visited the site, althoughthe Foreign Office warnsagainst travels to thecountry.

Not sure where to go this year?

Dozens of travel companies and

tourism offices from all over the

world will be at this year’s

Destinations Travel Shows in Londo

n

and Birmingham to give you ideas of

where to travel to next.

London Earls Court: 3 - 6 February

Birmingham NEC 4 - 6 March

www.destinationsshow.com

Japanese volcano eruptsMount Shinmoe, the volcano inwhich Bond villain Blofeld hadhis lair in ‘You only live twice’has erupted, propelling hot ashand rocks 6500 feet into theair. Major disruption isexpected in the Miyazakiprefecture in southern Japan.

Santa Lucia Festival, Cuba

For the 18th time, this popular

‘Taste of Cuba’ festival will

take place on Santa Lucia

beach, Camaguey province

between 13 - 17 February.

Check out what festivals theUK has to offer in 2011 atwww.thefestivalcalender.co.uk

Colourful hous

es along the

Promenade

of Napier, New

Zealand

Harbour building at Cape Town’s

V&A Waterfront

Pelican sitting on top of a fibra,Galápagos Islands

Do 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.comGoing on s

afari in South Afri

ca’s

Kruger National Park

.

4 Shoestring

Girls wanna have fun

when travellinG aloneBeing a solitary traveller can be daunting the first time round. Maybe even more so,when you are a young female. The adventure begins once you leave your comfort zone.

‘The feeling ofpersonal growth isinvaluable’

Writer Profile

Name: Colette MauzeralleAge: 24I travel because I believe itmakes us better people and issomething we may always lookback on without regret.

Like always, I reservedmyself a window seat.I’ve become skilled at

sleeping soundly againstairplane walls. My neatlypacked purse held the usualtravel essentials: an inflatableneck pillow, earplugs,magazines, and enough sugarysnacks to give everyone on theplane diabetes.

The fear of travelling aloneproved to be a difficult strugglefor me. I’d lived in our littlefarmhouse outside Seattle for

t w e n t y - t w oyears andwas raisedin a familythat neverventured far.Foreign couldhave been asynonym ford a n g e r o u s ,which meantleaving homewith little elsebut travel booksto guide me wasan endeavor Iwasn't sure I couldundertake.

I began lookingat options of where

I could go and I decided Eng-land might be an easy place tostart. It took three nights ofstaring at the computer screento commit to booking anything,and despite my modicum ofbravery, I didn't sleep well andI cried a little. Looking back,that's okay.

Before leaving Seattle Iresearched ways to get fromthe airport to my hostel. Istudied a city map, read aboutneighborhoods and culture, andlearned about publictransportation as I had nevertaken a bus in my life.

I made sure to book my firstthree nights in a well-reviewedhostel. I've found readingonline reviews to be of utmostimportance, and many timesI've thought a place soundednice only to read the comments

and wonder how it was still inbusiness.

London’s subway took mefrom Heathrow to inner Londonwith ease. Immediately uponleaving the station Iencountered my firstchallenge: finding my way tothe hostel. As I stood at a busyfive-way intersection, trying tofigure out how to hold my mapin the right direction, I noticeda lack of street signs. I had toquickly develop a constantawareness of where I was tofind my way.

Internet will almostinevitably help with directions,where to sleep, museum hours,foreign words, and so on. I’dsuggest that single womentravelling abroad considercarrying a phone with internetbrowsing capabilities.

Quite contradictory toeverything I’ve just written, Iadmit it feels better if you canfind your way with the help ofanother human being instead ofa computer screen. A group ofrather rough-looking but jovialconstruction workers having asmoke on the sidewalk werethe first locals to give me alaugh and a smile as I asked fordirections.

I’d booked a female dorm atmy first hostel. Sharing asleeping space with peoplefrom different cultures meant Imight not know what to expectat times. Staying with womenalso gave me a chance to makefemale friends. The best ice-breakers seem to be those thatencourage others to speakabout their own lives.

It may feel like we'rebugging the other person todeath with random chatter, butthe truth is other travellersreally appreciate the attention.

Despite making friends, Istill took safety precautions. Ibought a lock for my valuablesbut kept most of my importantitems in a cross-body purse,which became something of aconjoined twin. At night I sleptwith it by my side, and duringthe day I wore it constantly.

Carrying a cross-body stylebag can also reduce thelikelihood of theft because thebag is secure around the body.Whenever I wandered anyhighly touristy areas, which areknown for theft, I made sure tocarry my bag in this manner.

Despite taking precautions,something can always gowrong. During my trip I beganto feel a bit of a sore throat,and maybe it is because Iworried about it so much thatit became a full blown coldwith all the fixings. As a solotraveller I didn't have anyone toattend to me, nor was therealways a store nearby where Icould quickly purchasemedicine. I suggest keepingbasic meds with you at alltimes, just in case. I was gladto have flu medicine standingby when, at my second hostel,I developed a moderate fever.

I survived my semi-seriousillness to enjoy my trip and tellthe tale. Perhaps the tale itselfis something to save for a laterdate, but I hope with a littlecaution and a lot of couragethat more women findthemselves able to set off ontheir own experiences. Thefreedom to move about whereand when I wanted wasincredible. The feeling ofpersonal growth andachievement is invaluable, andthis particular kind can only befound when we are able to stepoutside of our comfort zones.

‘ I c e - b r e a k e r sshould encourageconversations’

Top: A typical dorm room;

above: Colette enjoying the

swings at the Bloomsbury

festival. Bottom: On the flight

back to Seattle. Photos: CoMa

Shoestring 5

soak in ischia’s hot

sprinGs on a cold dayItaly’s thermal wonderland not only offers great natural, open-air jacuzzis, but also perfectspots for slow-cooked picnics straight out of a boiling pool. Ideal, even for a winter day.

It was one of those bitterlycold December days insouthern Italy, when the chill

wraps itself around your bonesand draws you towards winter,and I was freezing to the seatof my newly-rented scooter.

The frosted palms and agaveplants blurred at my sides as Itore down the mountain,enduring the icy gales for thetropical target that lay ahead:one of Italy’s wildest and mostunique thermal spas.

My girlfriend and I hadarrived on Ischia, the largestand the greenest island in thebay of Naples, only thatmorning.

After securing our transport,we set off to explore thevolcanic island and soondiscovered that, though it maynot be as famous as the nearbycelebrity resort of Capri, thealmost entirely mountainousIschia – with its ruggedlandscape, secluded beachesand glistening fig and lemontrees–certainly rivals it fornatural beauty.

Then there are the hotsprings. Ischia is home to thelargest concentration ofnatural spas in Europe, whichhave been soothing joints andcuring ailments since Romantimes.

Nowadays the island isinevitably dominated by aplethora of all-inclusive sparesorts, but we’d vowed toavoid these tourist traps beforeleaving the mainland. We knewthere were still many wild anduntapped natural springs on theisland that could be enjoyed

‘Blistering hotsprings and chilledsea tide combine’

phenomenon was more thanjust a Jacuzzi to us.

We had stopped in the foodmarket en route to Il Sorgetoand, upon arrival, beganshifting stones on the beach toform a primitive cookingpot – directly above a naturalspring.

As we waited on our food tocook in the just-below-boilingfreshwater, we enjoyed a nicelong soak in one of Europe’sfinest sea spas; where theblisteringly hot springs and thechilled sea tide combine inperfect quantities for the idealbathing temperature. Noelbow gauge necessary.

Before we knew it, dinnerwas served. We laid a picnicblanket down on our privatebeach, complete with underfloor heating and en-suite spa,and enjoyed a gourmet meal oflemon mullet and mixedseafood with potatoes,courgettes and squash – servedwith a bottle of fine Italian red,naturally – as we watched thesun slowly set over theshimmering Mediterranean.

Not a bad way to spend abitterly cold winter day.

Writer Profile

Name: Joseph ReaneyAge: 25A scriptwriter and journalistwho caught the travel bug atthe age of sixteen and hasyet to discover an antidote.

completamente gratuito, so wewent in search of one of them –one of the most unique andsecluded of all. Il Sorgeto.

The bracing wind sweptaround the cliff top, so we pul-led our jackets tight around usand began our slow descent tothe golden bay below.

We could feel the heatbefore we could see thesprings. Small freshwaterstreams dribbled over the sandinto the salty sea and vastplumes of steamgushed into the cyan wintersky. We had found it: a free,wild and boundless saltybathtub to warm our cockles.

Quite literally, in fact...because this natural

Above: Joe prepares a slow-

cooked dinner in anatural hot

spring. Below: The beach and

springs at Il Sorgeto. JoRe

6 Shoestring

ridinG latin america’sfive Greatest railways

Writer Profile

Name: Neil BennionAge: 36I travel because the openroad is the purest expressionof freedom I know.

Whether you want to traverse the entire continent, ride the Old Patagonian Express

or travel on the most dangerous railway of the world on its way through Ecuador,

Neil Bennion has the low-down on South America’s best train journeys.

No-one talks about greatcoach journeys of theworld.

Whether it’s due to thetechnical feats involved, thefact you can get up and wanderaround or simply the sight ofbeautiful scenery jerkingrhythmically about, train travelhas something uniquely specialabout it.

Perhaps it’s just theinherent fun of accidentallyscalding your loved one whenyou return to your seat with hotdrinks – train travel is romantic,too.

Whilst many of LatinAmerica’s railways have gonethe way of Butch Cassidy andthe Sundance kid, the regioncan still proudly call itselfhome to some of the world’sgreatest train journeys.

Here are five excellentopportunities to see tortuousmountain passes, wide openplains and the various creaturesthat inhabit these places alljerking about rhythmically foryour entertainment.

f E r r o c a r r i Lchihuahua aL PacificoChihuahua - Pacific Railway,Mexico

Also referred to as theCopper Canyon railway, thistreasure of northern Mexicolinks the country’smountainous spine with itscoast.

In tracing a path through therugged folds of green andcopper, the track enlists thehelp of 86 tunnels and 36bridges, and takes at least 16hours.

A real highlight is the stationat Divisidero from where youcan see three awe-inspiringcanyons converge with eachother. You can also seesucculent ears of corncaramelising on grills, for saleby enterprising locals. Whichsight you find more breath -taking probably says a lot aboutyou.

The area is inhabited by theTarahumara, a people famedfor their long-distance runningability, though they probablyjust take the train likeeverybody else when there areno anthropologists around.

www.chepe.com.mx

trEn a Las nubEsTrain to the Clouds, Argentina

Do people accuse you ofhaving your head in the clouds?Well here’s your chance toprove them right. Strictlyspeaking, you’ll prove you’vegot your train in the clouds, butthat doesn’t matter.

This is a high-altitude rompthrough the gorges, dried-upriverbeds and bunchgrasses ofnorthwest Argentina. The trainstarts high and goes higher,gaining over 3,000 metres inaltitude in its ascent to theAndean altiplano (high plain),ending at a breathless 4,200

Above: The Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico on its way to the coast, crossing one of the 36 bridges

in its path (FCPC). Below: The Tren a las Nubes on route to the Andean high plain (TALN).

Shoestring 7

WEbsitE

For more information about Neiland his travels, visit his website

www.neilbennion.co.uk

‘This train ridespans the entirecontinent’

metres above sea-level near tothe Chilean border.

As with other routes in LatinAmerica, the train has to trickits way across difficult terrainusing sleight-of-hand likeswitchbacks, viaducts and even360 degree spirals. There areno loop-the-loops, but youcan’t have everything.

www.trenalasnubes.com.ar

riobamba-sibambE-aLausí Riobamba Railway, Ecuador

When this train isn’t clingingto Andean mountainsides orrattling through orchards, it’shustling its way down thestreets of pastel-shadedsettlements as though it hasjumped the tracks. Which it’salso prone to doing for realoccasionally.

The most famous sectiontraverses the monstrous rockyobstacle known as the Devil’sNose „El Nariz del Diablo“ – itwouldn’t be Latin Americawithout a casual reference tothe devil’s anatomy.

Said appendage is dealt withby doings lots of advancing andreversing, which would justlook indecisive if there weren’talso sets of points and zig-zagsof track - ‘switchbacks’ -involved.

Thankfully there’s no Devil’sAdam’s apple to negotiate: ifthe technical issues don’tsound bad enough, just imaginethe theological ones.

www.efe.gov.ec

La trochitaThe Little Narrow Gauge,Argentina

Immortalised in PaulTheroux’s 1978 book The OldPatagonian Express, thisrailway is not just a journeythrough the wild treeless scrubof Patagonia: it’s a trip back intime. Fortunately, it’s onlyback to the era of steam travel,rather than that of armedrailway banditry.

Enjoy the view from yourtiny carriage as the trainrattles past dotted masses ofsheep and the occasionalguanaco. Ostrich-like rheas areeven known to run alongsidethe train at times, although

they’re not usually packingguns.

The diminutive trains aremade up of rolling stock fromthe 1920s with a wood-firedstove in each carriage forwarmth. These are passenger-fed, so the temperaturedepends entirely on the whimof those sat near the stove.Thankfully, the driving of thisvintage train isn’t done by thesame system.

www.latrochita.org.ar

Panama raiLWayIf you’re not satisfied unless

your train journey was foundedon a legacy of death andmisery, then the PanamaRailway is the one for you.

Construction of the originalroute claimed thousands oflives, many of which were todiseases such as malaria andyellow fever at a time whenmosquitoes had yet to beidentified as the cause.

The railway, completed 60years before the canal,suddenly transformed crossingthe Americas into a feasibleproposition, it being quickerthan sailing round Cape Hornand safer than hydrogen-filledtrousers.

Though the journey takesless than an hour it effectivelyspans the entire continent,giving great views of the canalas well as the jungle andswamps that made the projectso horrendous. For addedrealism, pretend to swat thingson your skin whilst affectingliver pains.

www.panarail.com

Above: Enjoying the scenery from the observation carriage of the Panama Railway (PCRC). Right:

Riding on the roof of the Riobamba Railway, the most dangerous railway in the world (EFE).

Below: La Trochita’s steam engine, immortalised in Theroux’s Old Patagonia Express (ATLT)

8 Shoestring

walkinG st James’ way to

santiaGo de compostelaA pilgrimage route for centuries, the Camino enjoys greater popularity every year. Fromall over the world, people walk, ride and cycle to the northern-Spanish city for physicalactivity and religious enlightenment.

Shoestring 9

Thousands of pilgrims setoff every year to maketheir way to Santiago de

Compostela in Northern Spain. Whether it’s for religious

reasons or just for fun, the“Camino” has something tooffer for everyone.

Known as “El Camino deSantiago de Compostela” – or“St James’ Way” to English-speaking travellers – thisnetwork of pilgrimage pathsstretches across France, Spainand Portugal. Although all thesecaminos start in differentcities, they all end at thecathedral of Santiago.

German comedian HapeKerkeling wrote a book abouthis travels on St James’ Wayentitled “I’m off then.” Andalthough the book was aninspiration for me, I got evenmore motivation from watchingthe French-language film“Saint Jacques”.

That’s when I told myselfthat I would be walking on theCamino one day. And with 2010having been the Holy Year, I,too was on my way.

My journey started inOctober, and my preparationwas nothing out of the ordinary.I have always liked sports andwalking through nature, but Ididn’t increase workouts. I justlet it come to me.

Firstly, you have to decidewhere you want to start yourpilgrimage and how you wantto get there. I chose to fly tomy starting point, but you canobviously drive, cycle, ride orwalk there as well.

And to be a proper pilgrimon the Camino, you will needyour Pilgrim’s Passport, inwhich you collect stamps fromstations along the way. Thepassports are available fromthe St James Confraternity – ofwhich you have to become amember in order to berecognised as a pilgrim and getthe certificate to prove it – andcost € 5.00.

You will need to collect atleast two stamps per day to beallowed to use the albergues,cheap hostels exclusively for

‘I heard my first„Bien Camino“ afteronly two steps’

Writer Profile

Name: Lara ThieleAge: 25A Geo Sciences student wholoves to travel withoutlimiting her choice ofdestinations

pilgrims. The stamps areavailable from restaurants,tourism offices and cafés, andyou can use them even if youdon’t eat or stop there.

To gain the Compostela, acertificate in Latin whichacknowledges the completionof the pilgrimage, you will needto walk at least the last 100 kmof the Camino. If you cycle orride your horse on the path,you will need to cover at least200 km.

All horse-loving pilgrimsshould plan the route carefullythough, as not all albergueshave stables. My starting pointwas Sarria, where a lot ofpeople start, because itslocation is just 112 km outsideof Santiago and thereforequalifies you to gain theCompostela upon arrival atSantiago cathedral.

On my first day, it rained. Ifyou are thinking about walkingon the Camino through Galicia,prepare yourself for a lot ofrain! That sounds like it’s not alot of fun and yes, every day Ihad a phase where I justthought “I can’t and I don’twant any more”, but on theother side, the Spanish peoplemake you feel very welcome. Igot to know so many peoplefrom all over the world andheard my first “Bien Camino”after what felt like my first twosteps.

Just outside of Sarria, youwalk up a hill and get your firstchallenge. But continue, and afew blisters and about 11 kmlater, you’ll see the 100 kmstone. From there on, it’sgetting serious!

There are a lot of little cafésand drinks dispensers along theway to give your feet a rest. Inone of those cafés, I met Mario.He is a Spanish chef who speaksdecent English. Sometimes itcan be a real adventure tomake conversations or order ina restaurant if you have nograsp of Spanish.

Mario told me that he hasalready been to Tokyo andLondon to cook there – whichexplains his good English – andthat he is looking for a job nowand hoping that he will findwork in Santiago. So we walkeda bit together and split offafter a few kilometers.

>>

Opposite: The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela lit up by

night. Above: A pilgrim takes a rest outside the cathedral after

finally arriving in Santiago. The cathedral as seen from Parque da

Alameda. Below: Pilgrims with the typical scallop shell - St

James’ emblem - on the backpack and the rather untypical mobile

phone in hand. Photos: LaTh

10 Shoestring

internet to keep in touch withfamily while on St James’ Way.

My feet really burned thatevening and I had already usedall my plasters. So I was quiteafraid of the next day. And myfears were confirmed, when Istarted walking the next day.

The first few kilometerswere alright, but then itstarted to really hurt. I justlimped for a long time. Shortlybefore Melide I started thinkingthat I would just push on toMelide even if I wanted to gofurther. But then it started torain and Melide was quitenarrow, wet and packed withtravellers, because everyonewanted to make a break there.

I decided not to stop thereand I found a place just outsideMelide. My feet were achingand I had no plasters. I couldn’ttake one more step forwardsand I couldn’t go back. I had tofind a solution.

I remembered a hint from aBrasilian guy. He told me thatI’d have to prick the blistersopen. Disgusting, but it´s sounbelievable true! I wouldn´tneed plasters at all. So I triedmy best and it worked so welland the more I walked thebetter it got. And then justbehind me I saw Rodrigo!

He had made a break inMelide and now tried to catchup to his father, who he was

saint JamEs

Known as James the Greater, hewas one of the Twelve Apostlesand the brother of John theApostle.

He was preaching the gospel inIberia, when the Virgin Maryappeared to him on a pillar inZaragoza. He returned to Judea,where he was beheaded by KingHerod Agrippa 1 in 44 AD.

James’ remains were buried inSantiago de Compostela and theshrine became a popularpilgrimage site, making it the thirdmost holy site in RomanCatholicism after Jerusalem andRome.

The pilgrimage to his gravebecame increasingly popular fromthe early Middle Ages onwards.

‘The last 5km werenothing compared tothe rest of the trips ’

After about 23 km you getto the Rio Mino, justcontinue over the bridge

and you are in the first cityalong the way: Portomarín!

When you walk straightthrough the city you´ll come tothe Municipal Albergue, whichlike most Municipal Alberguescosts € 5.00.

There are also privateAlbergues for € 10.00 and ofcourse hostals and hotelscosting around € 20.00. I wasan Albergue user thanks to myPilgrim’s passport. That eveningI just ran under the shower,couldn´t believe that I walked23 km, called my mum andwent to sleep. The sleep wasbetter than I thought in a roomwith about 25 people.

The next morning I startedearly at about 7 am, off toPalas de Rei. The day startedrainy, but it got better andbetter. After seeing all the“usual” guys like Mario andanother Spanish guy calledRodrigo, who likes Italianfootball, I met and made newfriends: Akiko and Inaki.

Akiko is a Japanese girl, whoneeds to do the trip as arequirement for universitybecause she has to do apresentation on St James. Shedid the whole Spanish Camino.Inaki is a Spanish guy, who isworking in the wintertime inthe Pyrenees as a snowboardteacher and in the summertimein the south as a kite surfingteacher - what a life!

That night, we all stayed atthe municipal albergue in Palasde Rei. We found that thetourist office provides free

travelling with. So we had greatconversations and – I can´tbelieve till today – we stillwalked a further 15 km thatday to Arzúa. That night I sleptin a cheap hotel and ate pulpowith Rodrigo.

The next leg of the trip wasto Monte de Gozo, it was mylongest leg of the Camino withnearly 40 km! Monte de Gozo isjust about 5 km from Santiagoand has space for about 500pilgrims.

The last 5 km were nothingcompared to the rest of thejourney, but Santiago City wassomething! I never seen apacked city liked this! Maybe itwas because I arrived onOctober 10, 2010 or because itwas a Sunday in the holy year.

In this packed city it wasquite an adventure to find acheap place to sleep. My tip isthe Albergue Final del Camino.It’s a little hidden away, but itis located about 15 minutesfrom the city centre. The massfor the pilgrims is every day at12 o´clock, but there are moreduring the day.

Walking along the Camino deSantiago de Compostela is agreat journey and I met a lot ofgreat people. If you like lessbusy parts of the Camino, youshould walk more than me,more than the last 100 km.

There are a lot of pilgrimson the last leg to Santiago andyou´ll find people to walk andtalk with and you are neverreally alone.

My recommendation: walkthe entire Camino, if you can!You will need about four weeksto complete it.

The blue route shows the Camino Frances, the French pilgrimage route which is the most popular

one. It starts in either St. Jean-Pied-de-Port or near Urdos and leads through Pamplona, Burgos and

Léon. The green route shows the Northern Camino along the coast, starting in Bayonne and leading

via Santander and Oviedo. The pink coloured routes are other pilgrimage route leading to Santiago

de Compostela, many joining or linking the more established routes.

camino - WEbsitEs

Camino de Santiagowww.caminodesantiago.me.uk

Confraternity of St Jameswww.csj.org.uk

Spanish Stepswww.spanishsteps.eu

World Walkswww.worldwalks.com

The Way of St Jameswww.thewayof-stjames.com

Info - Way of Saint Jameswww.way-of-saint-james.info

Compostela Pilgrimagewww.compostelapilgrimage.com

Camino Pictureswww.santiago-compostela.net

Shoestring 11

travellinG on the cheap

in the arctic circleAfter quitting his job, globetrotter Erik Jelinek set out to travel the world on as little

money as possible. Over the coming issues, he will guide Shoestring readers

through the regions he visited and share his experience and advice.

Ayear ago I was working ina rather hum-drum officejob in London.

My feet were getting itchyand the lure of a career didn'tseem that appetising and so Iquit with the intention oftravelling round for a few yearsto discover more about our fas-cinating world.

I had saved up some moneybut my salary was nothingspecial, so I knew I would haveto travel on a shoestring budgetif I was to stay out for as longas I hoped.

Nine months in and thingsare going well. I'm well undermy initial budget (of around£18 a day) despite travellingthrough some of the mostexpensive countries in theworld.

Different regions havedifferent quirks and traits andways of saving the pennies,however there are somegeneral tricks to budgettravelling that are universaland so I will mention them hereat the start.

First and foremost isaccommodation. This is thebiggest drain on finances duringany travel abroad and there area couple of ways to dampen itseffects.

The most useful is via somehosting network, such asHospitality Club orCouchsurfing. As this has been

covered in the issue #1 ofShoestring magazine, I will notgo into any great details,except to say that you shouldnot look upon these networksas free accommodation. Doingso will not get you far at all.

Instead they are far morethan that. They are a way ofgetting in touch with aspects ofa country, its culture, itspeople and its traditions thatone would never get juststaying in hostels. The hosts areinvaluable contacts and areusually worth the trip alone.

A great deal of trust isrequired from both parties andyou will need to be flexiblewith timing and travel to fitinto your host’s schedule. Beprepared for the unexpectedand let yourself go with theflow.

Some of the most amazingthings happen unexpectedly(my best couchsurfingexperience occurred when Ijust met up for a few drinkswith a contact in a sleepy townin Western Sahara - before Iknew what was happening I wasin the middle of a traditionalSahrawi wedding!).

Being hosted is not anautomatic right and sometimesit will not work out for variousreasons. In such cases it isnecessary to have a back-upplan. My favourite is my tent.

Free camping adds a frissonof excitement to your travels asit may not be totally legal insome countries, but theflexibility it gives you is veryliberating and it allows you totruly go off the beaten track.

Beware though; you will becarrying round a few extra kiloswhich you will feel.

Transport is also a bigbudget item. To reduce itseffects to the max Irecommend hitchhikingwhenever possible.

Writer Profile

Name: Erik JelinekAge: 30The world is a far moreinteresting and weirdplace than you could everimagine >>

Above: Hiking along Knivskjelodden, looking south on the Nord-

kapp cliffs in Norway, the northernmost point in continental

Europe; One of Finland’s 50.000 lakes you might come across.

Below: Wild camping on the Lofoten islands - the tricky part is to

find flat ground that is not marsh. Photos: ErJe

12 Shoestring

‘Allemansrätten basically allows you access to uncultivated land’

Of course it is necessaryto add the disclaimerthat it is not 100% safe

and it isn't always reliable, butthere are ways to reduce therisks.

Firstly try and hitch in pairsif you can, especially if you area girl. Secondly, if you areuncertain about a potentialride then politely refuse - youare not obliged to get intoevery car that stops.

And thirdly keep peopleinformed. A great resource forpotential hitchers are websitessuch as hitchwiki.org whichnot only have a large databaseof prime hitching locationsaround the world, but also givehints and tips on how to hitchefficiently and safely.

If hitching is too extremethen a more organised, andsafer, way is to use ridesharingnetworks, such asmitfahrzentrale.de(Germany),freewheelers.co.uk (UK) andkyydit.net (Finland).

If you can at all procure oneI would also stronglyrecommend getting a studentID of some kind. An Internatio-nal Student Identity Card (ISIC)is the best option. In somecountries where many peoplecan't read English (such asChina), any official looking cardwith your photo on it is worth atry to blag a discount.

And finally a mobile phonewith Wi-Fi capability. A mobileis very handy for emergencies,and if you are couchsurfingthen it is essential forcontacting hosts and keeping intouch with them.

If you have one with Wi-Ficapability then you can use theincreasing number of free Wi-Fihotspots to check e-mails,

write messages and even makefree phone calls using Skype.

But enough of thegeneralisations and let’s moveto some specifics. Towards thestart of my trip I spent almosttwo and a half months inScandinavia and Finland. Thesecountries are amongst the mostexpensive in the world and aredefinitely not consideredbudget destinations.

However, with care andingenuity it is possible to havea great time exploring thesebeautiful countries which havea lot to offer, for a very reaso-nable amount. My averagespend was just under £14 (notincluding insurance), which wassignificantly less than when Ivisited West Africa, one of thepoorest places in the world,only 18 months before.

How is that possible? Wellthe most important thing toremember is that Scandinaviaand Finland, although dotedwith some interesting historicalsights, are not world culturalhotspots.

You don't go there for themuseums, galleries or nightlife- just see how far your budgetstretches after a couple ofbeers in Norway! Instead thesecountries are home to some ofthe most majestic and unspoiltnature in Europe.

And the great thing aboutnature is that it's free. Thereare a multitude of stunningnational parks with well-maintained hiking trails and

cheap camping options that willslake the thirst of everyoutdoors enthusiast.

Norway is the king ofjaw-dropping landscapes, withthe spectacular fjords runningup much of the west coast.Among the standout places tovisit are the Preikestolen andTrolltunga rock formations thatgive you vertigo-inducing viewsof the fjord walls that drophundreds of metres below you.

Another superlative place tovisit is the Lofoten archipelagowhich lies to the north of theArctic Circle and is likesomething straight out ofMiddle Earth.

Many people also visitNorway to bag one of Europe's"extremities". The northern-most point on continentalEurope is a bragging right fordedicated travellers, and manymake the pilgrimage up toNordkapp.

Unfortunately to enter thevisitor centre and get to thecliffs "at the edge of Europe" isprohibitively expensive.Furthermore, if you do getthere and look to your left youwill notice a piece of headlandjutting further north than you.

Yes, Nordkapp is one of theworld's great marketing hoaxes.As a discerning budget travellerget off the road a fewkilometres before Nordkappand start walking 9km

‘These countries arehome to some of themost unspoilt nature’

Above: A musk ox is one of

the many species of wildlife

you could come across on the

side of the road. Below: Some

of the amazing camping

facilities offered in Finland

Photos: ErJe

Many food items are thrown out

even if they are still edible. All

these items were found by Erik

and his host while dumpster

diving one night.

Shoestring 13

‘Allemansrätten basically allows you access to uncultivated land’northwest to the real northern-most point of continentalEurope at Knivskjellodden, signyour name in the guestbook,laugh at the muppets on thecliff at Nordkapp and pocketthe 20 pounds you have saved.

However Norway doesn'thave the monopoly on natureand scenery. In Finland you canwalk the legendaryKarhunkierros (Bear Ring) hikethrough some pristine Arcticforest and earn kudos pointsfrom any Finn you meetthereafter (the cabins alongthe route are also the best Ihave ever stayed in and arecompletely free), or paddlearound some of Finland's 55,000lakes.

In Sweden the archipelagojust south of Stockholm isbegging to be explored bykayak (or you could visit thearchipelago off the Finnishcoast by Turku), or you canexplore the vast tracts ofwilderness in the many nationalparks in the empty area ofSwedish Lapland where thereindeer outnumber thehumans by 20 to 1 and you havea good chance of spotting bear,lynx, elk and golden eagles.These are just a few examplesof the places you can visit, butthere are many more.

Travelling on a budget inthese countries is very doable,but you have to work at it a

little harder than in most otherplaces. Accommodation ispotentially the biggest worry,but also the easiest to solve.

Along with hostingnetworks, most Scandinaviancountries have the concept ofallemansrätten (everyman'sright) firmly enshrined in law.Basically this allows youunhindered access to alluncultivated land everywhere,the right to pick berries andmushrooms everywhere, andthe right to pitch your tentanywhere, as long as it is morethan 100m or so from thenearest house.

Food can also come verycheap if you are prepared toget a little dirty and do a littledumpster diving. Scandinaviansare particularly food consciousso a lot of food is thrown outfrom supermarkets once it ispast its sell-by date, even if itis perfectly good.

Also don't forget about theberries if you are there inseason, which are delicious andfar better than anything youwill find in the shops.Hitchhiking, however, can be

problematic in Scandinavia aspeople are a little paranoidabout the risks of picking upstrangers.

Here you will have to bevery patient or bite the bulletand pay for transport everynow and again for longerdistances (a student card isinvaluable for Norwegianbuses, but discounts are onlyavailable to local students inFinland).

Another plus of travelling inthese countries, and one thatcertainly shouldn't be ignored,is that most people speakEnglish to a very high standard,and so you will always not onlybe able to make yourselfunderstood, but also have somein-depth conversations with thelocals and learn more abouthow people live, what theythink and about their customsand traditions (other than Abbaand depressing films).

So the next time you arethinking about a cheapdestination where you canspend some time in the greatoutdoors, do some phenomenalhikes in some of the world'smost gorgeous scenery thenyou really ought to think aboutScandinavia.

‘Food is thrown outeven if it is stillperfectly good’

Above: Norway’s UNESCO-

listed Nærøyfjord offers great

hiking opportunities as well as

a passenger ferry to appre-

ciate the cliffs. Below left: A

harbour on the Lofoten

archipelago north of the Arctic

Circle. Below right: View from

Erik’s tent after accidently

pitching at the end of a military

runway. Photos: ErJe

If you would like to learn moreabout Erik's travels then you canvisit his blog where he recounts hisadventures and day - to - daystruggles in more detail.

http://tchecossais.blogspot.com

14 Shoestring

kindness of stranGers

Breakdown in australia

Writer Profile

Name: Cornelia KaufmannAge: 23This globetrotter caught thetravel bug in 2003 and has nointention of ever getting ridof it again

One thing that a country as vast and varied as Australia lends itself to, has to beroadtrips. But while most head towards the Outback, Shoestring editor ConnyKaufmann took her car through rural New South Wales and Queensland,experiencing some Australian hospitality on the way.

Ihad been in and around NewSouth Wales country musiccapital Tamworth for three

weeks, working on variousfarms in the district and takingin the annual Country MusicFestival.

But I wanted to see more ofthe land Down Under. I hadpretty much all I needed: asmall first aid kit, detailed roadmaps and I even found myself atravel buddy – a girl namedChris who I’d worked withpreviously. All that was missingwas a form of transport.

My plan was to eventuallymake my way to Brisbane inQueensland, where I wouldmeet up with a school friend ofmine. I had been on buses andtrains before and for once Iwanted to be able to stop alongthe way to have a coffee andappreciate the view wheneverit took my fancy.

So I did what a lot ofbackpackers in Australiaeventually succumb to: Ibought a car. I had hoped tobuy a car off a fellowbackpacker but there weren’tany cars advertised in thepapers or on notice boards.

So I had a look aroundseveral used car dealers inTamworth before finding somecars within my budget. I hadnever bought a car by myself,

but I knew what I had to checkand do before signing anything.

I checked underneath thecars to make sure thereweren’t any leaks – this simplemeasure eliminated two carsfrom my list immediately.

Next, I had a look under thebonnet of the remaining cars.The engines all looked fine asfar as I could tell, so I checkedthe oil and water levels. Ontwo cars the levels were toolow, which made me think thatthey hadn’t been looked afterproperly and might needexpensive repairs if anythinghad overheated or burst. Thelast two cars on my list passed,and I made sure they didn’thave too many visible rustyspots.

I drove both cars aroundtown for a test drive. Both carswere automatics, roughly thesame age and they both feltalright. They sounded good andalso passed my emergencybrake test on a quiet street.

Now all I had to do wasdecide between a pickup and aFord Falcon. In the end, I optedfor the Ford. It was cheaper,had more space – so much infact, that I could have slept init – and it also meant that Iwouldn’t have to leave all mybelongings on the open back ofa pickup truck.

The starting point of Conny and Chris’ roadtrip:

Country music capital Tamworth. Below: Conny

and her Ford Falcon ‘Marty’ on the day of purchase.

Photos: CoKa

Shoestring 15

>>

The actual buying part tookonly a few minutes. I was told Ihad to register as the newowner within two weeks and allwould be good. With that, I gotthe keys to my new ride. ABordeaux-coloured 1992 FordFalcon which somebody hadnicknamed “Marty” accordingto the key ring.

I was allowed to register thecar using the hostel’s addressand did that straight away. Onelast night in Tamworth withAussie BBQ and kangaroo steaksand then we had to pack ourthings. The next morning, Chrisand I grabbed our backpacks,bought an esky which we filledwith cans of soda and then bidTamworth a fond farewell,heading east.

Enjoying the new-foundfreedom of going wherever wewanted, we followed the NewEngland Highway to Armidale,where we had a coffee beforewe turned south to followGrafton Road / Waterfall Way.

The plan had been to get tothe coast for a change ofscenery, but we had misjudgedthe distance. We decided topush on to the next town with ayouth hostel which would beBellingen. The coast could waita day or two.

Bellingen is a quirky, littlehippie town, and we locatedthe YHA in no time at all.Luckily, they still had two bedsin a dorm left as we hadn’tcalled ahead. Housed in aVictorian-style building withextensions, a massive porchand balcony and a labyrinth ofstairwells, this hostel wasbackpacker heaven.

After dinner at the hosteland a stroll around town weimmediately decided toexplore Bellingen properly andstay another night, especiallyafter we saw the flying foxesfill the night sky.

Leaving Bellingen, wecontinued to Coffs Harbour andwanted to push on to Ballinafollowing the Pacific Highway.Everything was going smoothlyand we were doing well fortime.

We had just pulled out ofGrafton, when I noticed the

temperature gauge shooting upto hot and smoke coming fromthe bonnet. As I was on thehighway, there was no hardshoulder or lay-by I could havepulled up in.

So I pushed on and pulledinto the first street I cameacross. The engine actuallyclonked out just as I was goingturning off the highway, so wehad to push the car around thecorner and onto the side street.

We had pulled up in a towncalled Ulmarra, roughly 13 kmnorth of Grafton, New SouthWales. It was the first timeeither of us had broken downdue to anything engine-related.

While I popped the bonnetand let the smoke out, Chrisgrabbed our esky and pulledout a cold drink. The car hadcome to a stop right outside apetrol station, so I went insideand asked for help, but nobodythere was a mechanic.

They pointed me to anotherpetrol station, about akilometer down the road, so Iwalked there just to find theirmechanic on his lunch break.Back at the car, Chris had founda park bench and pulled out thesandwiches we had preparedthat morning.

A few people stopped andcommented, and one lady evensent her husband round to helpus, but he did not look like heknew anything about cars.

While we were sitting there,trying to get hold of therecovery firm, a guy parked hispickup behind us and walkedpast. He looked at us, looked atthe smoking car, and said “Waithere, I’ll just go to the barbershop, I’ll be back in 30 minutesand take a look at it.”

Since we couldn’t goanywhere even if we hadwanted to, we waited. And hereally did come back. By then,the engine had cooled downsufficiently, and he didn’t looseany time between introducinghimself as Bryan and gettingunderneath the car and havinga look.

After a while, Bryan came tothe conclusion that a pipe hadburst but would be pretty easyto repair. He could fix ithimself, if one of us drove intotown with him to get the newpipe and pay for it. As it was mycar, I reluctantly agreed.

Before I got into his carthough, I told Chris to take acouple of pictures of him andmyself, jot down his pickup’s

‘The car’s engineclonked out goingaround the corner’

Above: View from the Moonbi Lookout outside of Tamworth.

Below: Stopping at one of the waterfalls along Waterfall Way to

stretch our legs. Photos: CoKa

16 Shoestring

registration and call the cops ifI wasn’t back in two hours.After all, we were two girlstravelling alone, and I wasabout to drive into Graftonwith a complete stranger. Youcan’t be too careful.

On the way into town, Bryantold me that he used to drivetrucks and had his fair share ofbreakdowns. Every time hebroke down, he was gratefulwhen somebody stopped tohelp, which is why he nowmakes it a point to stop andhelp others that are strandedat the roadside. Within minutesof arriving in Grafton, we hadlocated a pipe that would fitmy Ford.

The good thing about havingbought an elderly Ford is thatspare parts are quite easy tocome by and that nearlyeveryone – mechanic or not –knows how to fix them. Back atthe car, Chris and I helpedBryan remove the old pipe andfit in the new, as our fingerswere slimmer than his andcould reach the pipe better.

Although the car sputteredback into life, we could onlyget it onto Bryan’s drivewayaround the corner beforebreaking down again. By then,the light was fading; we hadnowhere to stay and no meansof getting anywhere.

Bryan offered that we couldstay the night at his place andhe’d have another, proper lookat the car in the morning. Weaccepted the offer and set upcamp in his guestroom.

Because Bryan burned thedinner he was preparing for us,

he took us out and gave us agreat tip on the way: If you’reon the road, look for theroadhouses that have trucksand pickups out front. Thismeans that the coffee is goodand the food is filling andcheap.

Chris and I decided to orderthe cheapest thing on themenu, because Bryan insistedon buying dinner for us. So weordered a bowl of chips each,not knowing that behind ourbacks, Bryan got the waitressto throw a steak on the plate aswell, which we were reallygrateful for.

The next morning, wehelped push the car into theyard and had a look under thebonnet now that the smoke hadstopped. Bryan was certain hecould fix it – and said that heonly wanted me to pay for thematerial costs, not the timehe’d have to put in.

We figured it would take awhile to fix when we startedtaking the engine apart. In theafternoon, we asked whetherBryan could drop us in Graftonso we could take a hotel there– after all we didn’t want tooverstay our welcome.

We booked ourselves intoGrafton’s Crown hotel / motelat the end of the main street,right by the river. Bryan kept us

‘We went from being strangers to good friends’

Top: Conny’s travel buddy Chris fooling around. Above: Conny at

the wheel of her Australian car, on a blast through the countryside.

Below: Locals pour in to help after ‘Marty’ broke down in Ulmarra.

Photos: CoKa

‘The Ford’s headgasket was onlysiliconed together’

Shoestring 17

updated on the car, and camearound to pick us up when heneeded our help and we werehappy to oblige.

In the end, we found outthat the Ford’s head gasket hadblown, due to having beensiliconed together, which wasnot visible just looking at theengine. It took about a week toget the car fixed and back onthe road and Bryan called meto say he was driving the carback into Grafton for me, if Icould give him a lift back to hishouse.

On one of our visits to hishouse, I had checked what kindof beer he kept in his fridge.After all, most favours betweenfriends can be paid with a slabof brew in Australia. Once I hadthe car back, I went and bought24 bottles of VB.

After all, he had done all thework on the car, let us stay withhim and didn’t want any moneyfor his time. A generous amountof beer was only fair. But on theway out of Grafton, disasterstruck again. At the petrolstation, I noticed that I wasnow leaking oil which was anew development. I managedto come up with a temporaryfix for it myself, which wouldget us back to Bryan’s.

While Chris was giving him ahand with the oil leak, I tookthe beers inside. Luckily theleak was easy to fix and it wassoon time to say goodbye toBryan for the last time. WhileChris and I took the opportunityof a bathroom break beforehitting the road, Bryan secretlyput eight bottles of the beer I

had just bought him back intomy esky. He even threw in somebread and cheese for us tomake sandwiches with!

I couldn’t believe that afterall the car trouble and mypayback attempt, he would stillgive it away so that we’d belooked after. In the space ofonly a week, we went fromstrangers to really good friends.

When we finally pulled outof his drive, he even gave us anumber to call should we getlost in Brisbane. Sticking to hissuggestions, we only drove inthe morning and afternoon inan attempt to stay out of themidday heat and keep theengine from boiling up again.

To be on the safe side, westopped overnight in LennoxHead and resumed our drive toBrisbane the next morning. InBrisbane, all I wanted to do waspark the car and never comeback to it after all the troubleit had caused.

But because that wasimpossible, I advertised it onseveral backpacker noticeboards. In the end, I sold it to aused car dealer – luckily the carwas behaving itself on the testdrive. Although I made a loss onthe car, I was glad to have it offmy hands. But then again, Iwouldn’t have experiencedtrue Australian hospitality, if ithadn’t bought that Ford in thefirst place.

For tips on how to buy a

second hand car, check out

Shoestring page 28

‘We went from being strangers to good friends’

Top: Enjoying a cold beer with Bryan after a day of car repairing.

Above: View of Grafton and the river from the hotel. Below: Bryan,

Chris and Conny with fully-repaired Ford Falcon ‘Marty’.

Photos: CoKa

18 Shoestring

GivinG health education

in maasai countryFinding out what levels of human rights awareness and health care exist in rural

Kenya has been a learning curve for Shoestring contributor Riva Jalipa.

While working for anorganisation in Kenya,I was given the chance

to travel to Loita and getinsight into the local healthcare system.

Loita is about two hoursfrom Narok, and Narok is abouttwo hours from Nairobi. Weride with Manfred who also hadsome business there, and whowas described to me as beingtoo much of a gentleman toallow us to mat it.

The drive to Narok issmooth-going and we only stopbriefly at 'The World Trade Cen-tre' and other shops to take pic-tures of the Great Rift Valleyand to haggle with the sheepskin vendors about buyingsome. I love sheep skin andused to swim in it as a child,but they are too expensive sowe leave without.

When we got to Narok, wewere met by Dr. Maria at agreen petrol station. We snackon samosas and tea at a nearbyrestaurant and then splitourselves up between Manfred'sand Dr Maria's cars.

The second leg of thejourney is very bushy and forthe most part, devoid of roads

and so I wonder how Dr. Marianavigates her way around;turning left at this rock overhere and right at that hill overthere.

We finally arrive inEntasekera near the Tanzanianborder where Dr. Maria has herhouse and hospital. And yourealise all of a sudden, howclose you are to nature as thereare no services around and noreception unless you climb thenext hill, hold your phone highenough and strategicallyenough to catch one of theTanzanian networks.

The water for the hospitaland staff houses comes fromthe stream uphill and theelectricity is generated fromsolar panels which Manfred'scompany provides.

The solar power, howeve,r isnot enough for a refrigerator ora television. So we have toconsume any fresh foods we

have brought with us within thenext few days. We had boughtcanned foods and dried goodsbut Dr. Maria's pantry is alreadystocked full with them.

We settle ourselves in andDr. Maria goes to the hospital.Manfred offers to drive us tothe real Maasai market forsome vegetable shopping andthe sight on arrival is a profuseof red: its almost surreal! Mostof the shop vendors are Somali.And I wonder where all thelessos and shukas come fromthat they can sell them at Ksh150 here and for Ksh 400 inNairobi.

We begin our work the nextday, asking women a series ofquestions that will give us apicture of their state andawareness of their human andlegal rights. It is interesting,the things that they say, thenon-educated ones especially -as they don't give us answersthey think we want.

Most of them tend to cattle,waking up at six in themorning, milking the cows andcleaning the homesteads. Onlya few work as teachers or inany kind of formalemployment. The highest

‘The things theysay are interestingand unexpected’

Maasai women tending to their

children. Opposite page top:

Looking out over the Loita

hills. Photos: MaMa

Shoestring 19

position they aspire to iscouncillor. But perhaps this isonly because it is the highestrank within their reach. Most ofthem are married. And all ofthem went through the horrorof female circumcision.

We take exceedingly sweetmilk tea during our breaks andit has this burnt taste in itperhaps from being boiled in asufuria for so long. We watchthe women interact with oneanother, carrying their babiesand sipping the same sugar milktea. The organisation hadarranged to conduct human andlegal rights workshops andmedical training about thedangers of circumcision and sothese carry on while wecontinue our questionnaires.

We interview a few men andthey are decidedly morearrogant in comparison. Buttheir testimonies are of equalnote; they talk about theconflict between modernityand tradition; the question ofland registration and one manis even so blunt as to confessthat he prefers uncircumcisedwomen. I decide I want to writea story about it.

We stay a total of three daysdoing the questionnaires. Andevery night Dr. Maria tells usthe saddest stories of events atthe hospital. A thirteen yearold, leaves her baby to die ofneglect because she is bothdepressed and ill-prepared totake care of it. Pregnantwomen die because theirhusbands won't take them tohospital sooner. That theclitorises of circumcisedwomen heas to feel like leatherand that they rip every time awoman gives birth.

It breaks our hearts. And wecan only imagine how often Dr.Maria has her heart broken.This is not helped by the factthat she lives alone and in soremote a place. She says shekeeps herself sane by writingjournals. And that perhaps oneday she'll publish her stories.

We stay a day extra in Loitabecause the rains threaten theviability of the roads. We areonly too happy however to

keep Dr. Maria company.We meet the Chief and the

District Commissioner in thehope that their influence willpromote the rights of women.But both seem rather removedor indifferent about it.

One of the men in ourworkshop, trained in healthcare and a key staff memberwill (a few months after ourvisit) impregnate a fifteen yearold and run away from both thegirl and our work. That's thebenefit of hindsight, I suppose,it puts things into perspective,allows him to be both a sinnerand a saint. Perhaps, beingtrained by Dr. Maria was merelyan opportunity out of Loita forhim.

We are sad to say goodbyeto the women and leave Loita.They shower us with hugs andbeaded jewellery. And I amemotional myself; emotionalabout their situation,emotional that we allowedthem to open up, to talk if evenjust among themselves, aboutwhat women mean in theirsociety.

When we returned toNairobi, we wrote the NeedsAssessment in the form of areport. It will be used for agrant proposal that will allowDr. Maria to continue her workand for the organisation tocontinue its human and legalrights workshops in the heart ofMaasai country.

‘They talk about theconflict of traditionand modernity’

20 Shoestring

can you travel across

Britain in only 24 hours?

Shoestring 21

>>

Writer Profile

Name: David SimisterAge: 24A journalist who loves toexplore the British Isles byall means available insearch of great beergardens

Land’s End to John ‘O’Groats by trainJust how reliable is Britain’s rail network? David Simister attempts to find out in just

24 hours, using the country’s most revered route as a backdrop.

Sunrise over the Cairngormsworks as a wonderful curefor cramp.

The Caledonian Sleeper,when it winds its way throughthis ineffably beautiful stretchof Scotland at around seven inthe morning, seems a stunningand yet utterly surrealsurrounding in which toawaken. Yet from yesterday’sexperience, I now know it’ssomehow magical.

This was hardcore traintravel, an almost non-stop dashacross the entire length ofBritain in an attempt toemulate the revered Land’s Endto John ‘o’ Groats route.Almost every variation of thewalk has already been tried,but this trip was never aboutnovelty.

My quest was simple. Cantrain travel cover an entirecountry in just 24 hours? Idleresearch on the internetseemed to suggest so. All Ineeded to do now was headdown to Penzance to find out…

cornish fastiE

The answer to a questionfew people have ever askedbegan over a pint at Land’sEnd, the westernmost point ofCornwall and starting point ofcountless end - to - endescapades.

Gareth Connerty – myphotographer – and I hadtravelled down from Liverpoolthe previous day to this gloriousend of the West Country, andhad so far been greeted withwarm sunshine and stunningviews from the Land’s EndHotel, with a velvety blueocean just a stone’s throw

away from the tip of myGuinness.

We didn’t stay long. At12:15pm, we boarded theaptly-named number one busfor the quick trip to Penzance,taking in gorgeous Cornishcountryside as we went.

There was just enough timeto grab lunch in the idyllicseaside port before boarding acommuter train to Plymouth, ajourney which took in some ofthe West Country’s best viewsalong the plentiful curves ofthe Great Western Railway.

Despite possibly the tightestchangeover in history (fourminutes!) we somehowmanaged to make Plymouth ontime, jumping straight onto thehigh speed service for LondonPaddington.

First Great Western run theservice with ageing 125 trainsof Intercity fame, but it does atleast mean being able to stickyour head out of the window tocatch some breathtaking spotsacross the Devon coast.

Obviously our need forspeed meant we couldn’t getoff at stops like Dawlish, butit’s a place I’ll definitely visit.Never has a stretch of railwayseemed so impossiblybeautiful. Devon and Somersetrushed by, and as we left theWest Country, so the 125 pickedup speed. Now we were reallyflying. Capital, here we come!

London caLLing

The internet had suggestedchanging tack at Plymouth andheading north, but instead Idecided to travel to London,and catch the sleeper trainthere. Perhaps doing as I wastold might have been quicker,but somehow the comfort ofthe Caledonian seemed moreappealing than the time savedtravelling north on VirginVoyagers.

London’s also blessed withchangeovers that are excitingrather than stressful. MaybeLondoners won’t agree, but toa Northener, the instantaneousand permanently busyUnderground seemed likeanother world.

After we’d arrived at

Paddington Station, it wasminutes before we werebrushing alongside businessmensomewhere below the capital’sstreets. With time ticking away,the buzz was as electric as thetube itself.

The Circle Line doesn’tactually call at Euston, so wehad to walk from EustonSquare. At 300 yards, going byfoot through Camden wasn’texactly taxing, but in hindsight,I should have savoured everystep.

The Caledonian Sleeper waswaiting for us at platform 15,and its reclining seats were aworld of comfort compared tomost of the buses and trainswe’d sampled today. Yet withour next stop being Inverness,my feet would only travel as faras the buffet car over 500 milesand twelve hours.

night ridEr

Not that I really minded,because – even though we werein the cheapest seated coach –First Scotrail had done theirhomework.

We could afford to stretchout across two seats eachbecause so few were travellingalongside us, andcomplimentary Scotrail -

branded masks were providedto cover our now weary eyes. Inthe end, Gareth and I decidedto stay up and order somereasonably-priced beers, eventhough the oddly moody manresponsible for the buffet carrefused to let us sit in it.

I had been expecting theCaledonian to be a test ofendurance, a nappingnightmare replete with swayingcarriages and constantclickety-clack from the tracks,but I was wrong.

Somewhere past Carlisle, Idonned the mask, stretchedout across the seats, anddrifted off to sleep. I think Imight have stirred as theyshunted the carriages around inEdinburgh, but the nextscenery I’d see would be thatof the sun rising over theCairngorms.

I got up to take somepictures, stretch my legs, andstick my head out of thewindow to breathe a fewbreaths of crisp Scotch air. Mylimbs – free from being bent forhours at contorted anglesacross the seats – seemed toache endlessly, but my mindwas at peace, awed by thesun-kissed peaks rushing pastthe window. Surreal, butstirring stuff.

Opposite: At Land’s End. This page:

Waking up to a Cairngorms sunrise.

Photo: DaSi

22 Shoestring

highLand fLing

After what seemed like alifetime, we finally stepped outof the sleeper after itslumbered into Inverness. Themorning was brightened by thesame blue skies we’d seengrace Cornwall, but the air wascolder, the winds stronger.

It’d be something I’d getused to, because it was eighto’ clock and our next train, toThurso, wasn’t leaving untilgone half past ten. It becameobvious that Land’s End to John‘o’ Groats within the magical24 hours wasn’t going tohappen. We’d manage the railnetwork’s most southerly tip toits most northerly in thattimeframe, and somehow, withall our trains running on time.Yet Penzance to Thurso justisn’t quite so impressive.

The rest of our trek becamesimilarly disappointing.Inverness to Thurso takes anepic four hours to cover just120 miles, with moorlandscenery which seemsimpressive at first but seems tostay exactly the same and tiresyou out on a train thataverages just 30mph. Thurso –being the most northerlystation in Britain – is anachievement in its own right,but I staggered onto theplatform in relief rather thanexcitement.

Yet even that didn’t prepare

for the overwhelmingdisappointment of John ‘o’Groats. The famous finaldestination was blessed withfine (but windy) weather, butwith its disused hotel and scantfacilities, Scotland’s tip lookedto have seen better days.

Thousands of journeymencomplete Britain’s most famoustrip here every year, so why notgive them somethingmemorable to finish on?Certainly better publictransport would help, becausea lack of it combined with anunhelpful taxi firm resulted inus having to head back – atmassively expensive taxi prices– via nearby Wick.

JournEy’s End

We somehow made it backto Inverness, ready for a comfynight at the youth hostel,relieved we’d left the farnorth. As much as I hate tooffend the people of Caithness,John ‘o’ Groats was a massivedisappointment.

At least I’d answered thepointless question; you can’t goend-to-end in 24 hours usingjust trains and buses. Takingthe Liverpool flight the nextmorning, I pondered whetherit’s possible to do the same sortof thing and visit all fivenations in the British Isleswithin that same timeframe.

But that’s another story…

Top: The iconic signpost at Land’s End, 874 miles from John ‘o’ Groats. Below: Gareth and David enjoy a pre-journey pint before

boarding the first train to the north of Britain. Bottom: David arrives in John ‘o’ Groats, the northernmost place on the British mainland.

Photos: DaSi

Shoestring 23

experiencinG the land

of smiles throuGh foodIndia is a country well known for its hospitality. No wonder then, that locals invite

travellers into their homes to share meals, stories, cultures and laughs. Niamh

Keoghan was lucky enough to make new friends and enjoy the local cuisine.

India is the land ofhospitality. I was told thisbefore my visit.

It wasn’t however until Istepped foot on the soil of thismagical land, that I realizedthe truth behind thisstatement.

And I’m now a true believerthat there’s nowhere else inthe world to experience amentality where natives willgive beyond belief, whetherthey have a little or a lot; theywill aim to offer you theirworld.

For 6 months I venturedthrough south India. The peopleI wanted to touch base with,weren’t the tourists ortravellers. I wanted to focus asmuch as possible on meetingand befriending the locals.

And so, this is what I did. Anamazing experience, isdefinitely what I had. Thelocals I met through the jobs Iwas doing - as I was teachingEnglish is various schools -would treat me like royalty.

Colleagues would arrangespecial evenings for me, theywould take me for chai, showme the sights, arrange mytransport, provide me withexpenses and do what they loveto do most in the world, whichwas expressing their love, kind-ness and culture through theIndian cuisine.

Opening up to theirgenerosity and letting myselfbe embraced by their givingnature, brought me to learn afew valuable lessons. When itcame to the cuisine and theimportance of engaging in thisaspect of their culture, Irealized that people areoffended when you say “no” tofood, regardless of the reasonbehind your rejection of whatthey consider to be anexpression of love.

Because in India, love isshown through food, frompreparing to consuming; hoursof chopping vegetables,grinding spices, cutting herbs,mixing batters and addinggallons of love, brings togetherthe sum-total of how best toacquaint yourself with Indiaand the people. Thepreparation is timeless, theirlove is timeless and theirfood-intake is timeless.

To avoid disappointing theseloving people and to not comeacross as being the “ungratefultraveller who doesn’tappreciate Indian cuisine, andtherefore is neglecting theIndian culture”, more oftenthan not, I just ate whenever,whatever, and as much as theywanted me to, whilst being intheir homes. The food reallycan be “out of this world”.

But, even so, on severaloccasions I became physicallysick by the amount of food theygave me (no matter howdelicious it was). I reluctantlyate, because I felt I couldn’tsay “no”. And on otheroccasions the physical sickness

was brought on by eatingparticular foods my stomachsimply couldn’t handle. I waswell aware of this fact, but Iwas taking their pride intoaccount and therefore I wasn’tgoing to let my weak stomachreject their love, their kindnessand their culture.

I was eating just to pleasethem and harming myself in theprocess. Not the wisest thing todo but a learning curve if everthere was one!

It took a few incidentsbefore I actually realized that Idon’t have to suffer in order tokeep a smile on the beautifulfaces of the friendliesthostesses in the world. I don’thave to feel obliged to takefrom their giving hearts andhomes, if I don’t feelcomfortable doing so. Thisshouldn’t be the approachwhen it comes to acceptingtheir hospitality.

And hospitality concerns notonly the cuisine they offer, butalso the daytrips, expenses,accommodation and gifts.Stating your needs clearly andnot saying “yes” just to pleaseothers, can be a way to setyourself free in your receipt ofgenerosity.

Writer Profile

Name: Niamh KeoghanAge: 27Travel is my source ofinspiration and creativityand it's a method of expressingparts of myself

>>

‘The food reallycan be out of thisworld!’

Top: Niamh hitching a ride.

Below: Taking in the culture.

Photos: NiKe

24 Shoestring

Otherwise the simplicity intaking and not being allowed togive them your thanks inreturn, can start to take aneffect.

I reached a point in mytravels, where the hospitalitybecame overwhelming. Thefirst encounters of beingtreated like the King or Queenof the house, were a novelty. Itwas new and special, andwhilst travelling, it’s definitelysomething not to miss out on.But when the attention startsto feel too much and almostevery person “wants a piece ofyou“, you start to ask yourself:why me?

Why shower me, personally,with this generosity, when youdon’t even know me? Is it onlybecause I’m not Indian? Is itonly because the status thelocal family holds within theneighbourhood, will be raisedwhile a foreigner is visiting? Youeven start to wonder if youweren’t white, would they stillembrace you like this! Manyquestions as to “why suchgiving hearts” started roamingthrough my mind, but I neverwas able to find the answers.

I tried but it only left mefeeling frustrated and

suddenly the real enjoyment inthese precious experiences wasfading and becoming a thing ofthe past.

I started to feel like I wastaking too much, and they wereasking for nothing in return.They were insulted when Ioffered gifts, or when I tried torepay them in some way oranother. They didn’t want tohear me say “thank-you”. Thisthey even considered to beanother insult.

To avoid walking away withfeelings of having taken toomuch and not having givenenough and to stop thesethoughts from weighing heavyin your backpack, it’simportant to unburdenyourself. You can do this bytruly feeling that your visit wastreasured to such an extent,that the local family waswilling to give you their all, andmore, if they had the chance.The happiness and enjoyment

they experience is oftenbeyond our comprehension.

When you truly feel this,then you know there’s abalance. They give withouttheir homes and you give inyour uniqueness. They give youan experience, just as much asyou give them an experience.The impact it’s made on yourtravels is just as big as theimpact you’ve made on theirlives forever.

Because when you leave andventure onwards, they will befeeling full and rich in theirknowledge that a foreignerrelated to them so closely, evenif it was only for a very brieffew days and it cost them aweekly wage. They will alwaysand forever remember you,talk about you and take you in,if you so happen to land upontheir doorstep without anyprior warning. A phone-callwhen you’re in need of helpand they will do anything foryou.

It’s one hell of an inspirationyou’ve been to this family, bysimply choosing to say “yes” totheir homely invitation andtheir generosity when they soeagerly wanted to embraceyou. It’s what both sides

wanted: you - the foreigner -and the locals. You bothwanted to learn from eachother and relate to each otherscultures, families, lifestylesand, most importantly, cuisine!

My experiences with theopenhearted locals, makes myIndian adventure extra specialand there’s simply nowhereelse on earth where peoplegive without expectinganything in return. For somereason they see the magic inyou just as much as you see themagic in their land and so, alsoin them.

So when you get the chance,and you travel that amazingcountry, my advice to you is todefinitely take opportunities toexperience their hospitality,but find a balance betweenwhat they give you and whatthey are willing to take. Andnever forget, that you are afree traveller, and when it getstoo overwhelming, simply walkaway, count your blessings andcontinue your journey for you!

But never forget to thankthe magic of travel for thelessons it teaches us, no matterwhere we may roam.

‘They’ll rememberyou, talk about youand take you in’

Shoestring 25

kapa haka and

thermal wonderlandsNew Zealand’s North Island is home to the country’s fascinating geothermal activity,ranging from mudpools to active volcanoes. It is also the centre of Maori culture, acombination Shoestring editor Cornelia Kaufmann felt compelled to check out.

26 Shoestring

The smell of sulphur isoverwhelming at first. Itis absolutely everywhere,

but I find that my nose getsused to it within a few breaths.

Steam comes out of thebubbling, boiling mud pool inthe center of Rotorua.

The city in the heart of NewZealand’s thermal wonderlandis known for its geysers, mudpools and natural spas. But it isalso home to one of the biggestMaori cultural institutions inthe country and worth everyminute you will spend there.And if breathing thosesulphuric fumes is the price topay, then I am happy to pay it –after all there is a lot todistract you.

Rotorua and the surroundingtowns have been known forcenturies thanks to the healingqualities of the thermal water.The Old Bath – now the RotoruaMuseum – located in the

Government Gardens was thenumber one location forthermal therapeutictreatments in 1908.

But unfortunately thethermal powers around Rotoruadid not always do good. Thevillage of Te Wairoa, on theshore of Lake Tarawera,became New Zealand’s Pompeiiafter Mount Tarawera eruptedin 1886 and buried the Maorisettlement which had beenfrequented by travellers for itsproximity to the Pink and WhiteTerraces.

The terraces were hailed asnatural wonders of their time.Along with the village, theywere buried by the eruptionand have never been foundagain. Te Wairoa was partiallyexcavated and is now anopen-air museum giving insightinto village life of the 1880s aswell as access to the lake.

The thermal activity is

evident all throughout Rotorua.Public parks contain sulphurand mud pools but the city’smost famous geothermalhotspot is located deep insideanother attraction. Te Puia –formerly known asWhakarewarewa Maori Arts andCulture Institute – is the mostimportant Maori learninginstitute in the country, andhouses Puhuto geyser, famedfor its display of smoke andsteam, in its geothermal park.

Visitors to the Te PuiaMarae, a traditional Maorimeeting house, will be met bya warrior. The challenge heposes to his visitors looks

intimidating but the principlebehind the shouting,spear-weaving and eye rollingis simple: If your intentions arebad, you fight back or flee toget back up. If your intentionsare good, you stay calm.

Once you have passed thischallenge, you will be invitedinto the marae for a ceremony.Maraes are holy places, eachunique to the tribe it belongsto. The wooden carvingsrepresent the tribe’s ancestorsand creation story. Out ofrespect, visitors have to leavetheir shoes at the marae’s door.

Inside, the ceremony startswith the well-known Kapa Haka“Ka Mate”, which many knowas rugby team All Black’s warchant. Wahines, Maori women,sing love songs and tell thelegend of Lake Rotorua’screation. Skills are displayedduring Poi dances and morekapa hakas. The ceremony isvery energetic and rhythmicand everybody has a greattime.

Once outside again, I take astroll through a traditionalvillage and the thermalwonderland that stretches be-hind it. I pass Puhuto geyserand am lucky enough to catchone of its eruptions. By now, Ionly register the sulphur smellwhen I walk straight through afresh cloud.

On the other side of thethermal park is a village, calledWhakarewarewa. Unlike theMaori Arts and CultureInstitute, this is a real, lived-invillage. Kids take baths in thehot pools, and next totraditional buildings likemaraes there are also general

‘Te Wairoa became New Zealand’s Pompeii’

‘If your intentionsare good don’t reactto the challenge’

Previous page: Puhuto Geyser.Top

left: Maori wahine at Te Puia. Top

right: Whakarewarewa village.

Below: Tiki wood carving.

Photos: CoKa

Shoestring 27

WEbsitEs

An overview of Maori culturewww.maori.com

New Zealand’s official websitewww.newzealand.com

Rotorua city and attractionswww.rotoruanz.com

Te Wairoa Buried Villagewww.buriedvillage.co.nz

Tongariro Crossingwww.tongarirocrossing.org.nz

In and around Taupowww.greatlaketaupo.com

Maori Language tipswww.maorilanguage.net

World famous Huka Fallswww.hukafalls.com

Art Deco city Napierwww.napier.nz.com

stores, restaurants and modernhouses. I learn how to dancewith a poi, a small, soft ball ona string and it does look a loteasier than it actually is.

While I am inWhakarewarewa, I also trytheir speciality corn – fresh outof the boiling water. It tastessurprisingly nice and normalconsidering that it had beendipped into a sulphuric pool.Unfortunately, I don’t have thechance to also enjoy a hangi,an earth-oven dinner.

Heading south out ofRotorua towards Taupo, I passseveral more Maori villagesknown for boiling pools andgeysers. A quirky, non-thermalattraction just outside of Taupois Huka Falls. It does not havea Maori connection, and it’s nothot water, but the fact that itis proclaimed as “World-famousin New Zealand” makes melaugh, stop and have a freelook around. With the watergushing by I finally notice that Ican’t smell sulphur anymore.

Taupo, on the shore of LakeTaupo, offers a stunning view ofthe Central Plateau, threevolcanoes that make up thebackbone of Tongariro NationalPark. But it is once you passLake Taupo and get onto StateHighway 1, that you fullyappreciate how differentlygeothermal activity can shapelandscapes. While the sceneryaround Rotorua is lush andgreen, State Highway 1 gets avery descriptive nickname inTongariro National Park.

The Desert Road runs pastMount Tongariro, MountNgauruhoe and New Zealand’smost active volcano MountRuapehu, which last erupted in2007. The ground is dry andstony but the Tongariro

Crossing is one of the best hikesin the country. Mount Ruapehuis also accessible, and has twomajor ski fields as well as theNorth Island’s only glaciers.

Heading east instead ofsouth out of Taupo, NewZealand’s thermal wonderlandcontinues. The stretch ofhighway between Taupo and ArtDeco city Napier is known asThermal Highway, leads pastcountless waterfalls and moregeysers. Napier, right on theshore of the Pacific Ocean, wasrebuilt in 1931 in Art Decostyle, because the whole townwas destroyed by one of theworst earthquakes the regionhas ever seen.

New Zealand’s North Island

has it all. From therapeuticmud pools, to Art Decoarchitecture, excellent hikingtrails over volcanic territoryand a massive dose of Maoriculture. You could lose yourselfin it. It’s everywhere, maybemore than even localssometimes realise. Places havetraditional names, and many ofthese even tell a Maori legend.

The language Te Reo Maorican be heard everywhere, andsome words have made it intoeveryday English. NewZealand’s own Maori name –Aotearoa – means “Land of thelong white cloud.” You mightget asked whether you’re aPakeha. The literal translationis “rotten flesh”, but it is usedas a common term forEuropeans and is not meant asan insult.

However, the only word youwill really have to remember is“Kia Ora.” It means welcome orhello, and is typically servedwith a smile.

Top left: Mt Tongariro on the

Desert Road. Top right: New

Zealand Silver Fern. Below:

Maori challenge at Te Puia.

Photos: CoKa

‘The North Islandof New Zealandreally has it all’

28 Shoestring

checklist for BuyinG

a second-hand car

Whether you buy a carfrom a used car dealeror off a fellow

backpacker who is headinghome, don’t just take theirword for it when they tell youthat it is ‘running fine.’

Your dad might have givenyou the well-meant advise tocheck ‘under the bonnet’ whenyou said you were planning tobuy a car. But what if you’renot sure what to look for? Andthere are more parts to check,than just the bonnet.

intErior chEcks:

Switch on the ignition. Payattention whether all thewarning lights illuminate andgo out again when you start thecar.

Check that all electrical itemswork. Make sure the dashboardlights come on when you turnthe lights on.

road tEst:

Ideally start the vehicle fromcold. Get the car up totemperature, making sure thevehicle doesn’t overheat on themove (or stationary for thatmatter).

Operate the heater to makesure it blows both hot and coldair.

With all cars, perform anemergency brake test on aquiet street somewhere. Stepon the brakes while you’retravelling at speed and checkfor stopping power, whetherthe steering pulls to eitherside, and whether you can feela vibration through the pedal.

Check the tracking: thesteering wheel should not pullto the left or right while youmove in a straight line.

Getting hold of an old car to travel around with is often quite high up on thebackpacker must-do list. Mechanic Gareth Connerty knows a lot about owning oldercars and recommends that you check the following before signing on the dotted line.

Suspension: Listen for squeaksand rattles which may becaused by worn components.

Take a torch: check the tyrecondition. If they are bald, youwill have to invest in new ones.

Look for signs of corrosionwhich usually starts on thelower sections of the vehicle,for example sills, wheel arches.

For manual cars: Make sure thegear selection is smooth andthe clutch bite is low. Gothrough all the gears and checkfor clutch slip while you’re onthe road test.

Automatic cars: Make sure allthe settings work, and that thecar moves through the gears.

Make sure ‘kick down’ works.

Backpacker cars in New

Zealand. Above: A Daihatsu

Sirion, perfect for all day

drives with enough boot space

for a few backpacks. But if you

really want to save money, get

something like the Toyota on

the left because you can even

sleep in it! A van might also be

a good idea if you’re travelling

in a group. Photos: CoKa

Shoestring 29

sErvicE history:

Check that the vehicleidentification matches the logbook.

If it has a current MOT /WOF:check if there were anyadvisories and whether any ofthem have been fixed. If theyhave not been fixed they couldbe costly repairs.

If the vehicle is not taxed, itshould be on SORN.

EnginE bay chEcks

Once you open the bonnet,check for any obvious signs offluid loss and leaks. Also checkunderneath the vehicle for anyleaks of water or oil.

Remove the oil filter cap andcheck for signs of a residue ofmayonnaise - like substance.This is a sign of headgasketfailure due to oil and watermixing together.

Remove the dip stick to checkthe oil level and condition. Ifthe oil is black, the car would

benefit from an oil change. Ifthe oil is clear, it has recentlybeen serviced.

Check for any evidence ofprevious accident damage -look down the chasis sectionsand check for bumper, wingsand bonnet alignments. If anyof the panel gaps are large,then it’s a sign of previous bodywork.

Check the coolant level as wellas all under bonnet fluid levelsand check for oil in the water.

Start the engine and payattention to any engine rattleson cold starts which maydisappear when the engine getswarmer.

Check for excessive exhaustsmoke

gEnEraL obsErvations

If you are still in doubt, youcan always take the car to agarage to get it checked out,but it will obviously be moreexpensive than checking thecar yourself.

Make sure you test driveseveral cars before deciding. Itsounds clichéd but youshouldn’t go for the first thingyou see.

If you buy from a private seller,ask whether he knows of anyproblems, such as the fuelgauge being not completelyaccurate. If it’s somethingminor, it might still be worthgoing for it.

It might be worth utilising anHPI service provider. This givesyou an overview of outstandingfinances on the vehicle;whether it had any accidents orwhether it has been reportedstolen.Some of these servicescan even be provided by textmessages.

If the HPI report shows the caras being category A, it isconsidered a write-off andcan’t go back on the road.Category C is roadworthy, butshould come with a certificate.

And always make sure youregister the car and haveproper insurance!

diP stick tochEck thEoiL LEvEL

brakE fLuidcaP

EnginE oiL caP.this is WhErE youfiLL uP your oiL

PoWEr stEEringfLuid (not onaLL cars)

cooLantcaP

What’s under the bonnet?(for aLL of you Who havE nEvEr takEn a rEaLLy cLosE Look)

Enjoying the new-found

freedom a car can give.

Photo: TiHa

30 Shoestring

Festival - TimeusEfuL travEL WEbsitEs

Currency Converter with current rateswww.xe.com

World Clockwww.timeanddate.com

Couchsurfing Networkwww.couchsurfing.org

Country Calling Codeswww.countrycallingcodes.com

Embassies of the worldwww.embassyworld.com

Language Translationswww.travlang.com/languages

Round the World flightswww.roundtheworldflights.com

Gap Year advicewww.gapyear.com

YukON QuEST

1.000 mile Sled Dog Race05th February 2011, Yukon / Canada

LOSAr

Buddhist New Year05th March 2011, Tibet and Nepal

kArNEvAL / rOSENmONTAGSZuG

Fancy dress street parades07th March 2011, Cologne / Germany

mOOmBA FESTIvAL

City-wide community festival11th - 14th March, Melbourne / Australia

HANAmI

Japanese Cherry Blossom festivalMarch, Japan

Language lesson in... GermanHallo, ich heiße...

Hello, my name is...

Ich komme aus...

I’m from...

Wo ist die Jugendherberge?

Where is the youth hostel?

Entschuldigung, können Sie mir helfen?

Excuse me, could you help me?

Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof von hier?

How do I get to the train station from here?

Wie weit ist ... von hier entfernt?

How far is ... away from here?

Ich habe ein Zimmer für heute Nacht gebucht.

I booked a room for tonight.

Fährt dieser Bus in die Stadtmitte?

Does this bus go to the city centre?

Wieviel kostet das?

How much does that cost?

Kann ich bitte einen Kaffee haben?

Could I have a coffee please?

Wo bekomme ich ... her?

Where can I get ... from?

Bitte / Danke

Please / Thank you

check out the website www.shoestring-magazine.com for a german pronounciation podcast!

Shoestring 31

Our kind of town: Nairobi

Kenya is best known for the Mara and the annual migration, but don’t miss out on Nairobi, asthis capital is an up and coming haven for culture vultures. Take one look at the colourfulmatatus that zip through the urban landscape and you’ll have some idea of the creativeundercurrent that keeps this vibrant city buzzing.

There’s nothing like a bit of local flavour, and Acacia Africa’s Crazy about kenya partnerscertainly know where it’s at. A talented collective that joined forces with the tour operatorafter 2008’s political turmoil, this group of Nairobi based musicians, artists and poets,continue to come together to put a positive vibe back into the wildlife capital.

My Favourite HangoutWant that feeling of being in the bush whilst still being in the midst of the big city? Nairobi’sNational Park is only 7-kms from the heart of the capital and tops the list as the onlyprotected area in the world lying a stone’s throw from a modern day metropolis. Hang outwith the lion, leopard and cheetah, and sample the walking trails at hippo pools– Kenya Travel Ideas

Watering HolesYou should definitely head for Havana – a great place for some pre drinks. Then swing byBlack Diamond in Westlands for a little bit of everything else. Why? Take the diversity of ayoung African nightlife culture, mix it with a little bit of the West, and you have anunbeatable experience – Amateurs In Africa

Not To Miss While In TownThe Kenya National Theatre is the place to be if you’re looking to get your fix of traditionalbeats and contemporary drama. A combination of sensational musical talent and the dramaticvisual arts, the venue also hosts a free live show every Saturday featuring acrobats andmagicians – Grandmaster Masese

Great Food To Tuck Into, and more...Daas Restaurant is right in the heart of Westlands, Nairobi's party capital suburb. Full of energyand faiya, you can expect amazing Ethiopian cuisine, all you can eat and drink, plus asmattering of urban talent. This is an exotic food haunt that does more than please your palette,as Daas also serves up Slam Africa – a head to head battle of the poets. An eclectic offering,enjoy a heavy dose of hip-hop, dub poetry, a little non-rhyming narrative, and if you're reallylucky, beat boxers and tap dancers who choreograph their written word – DJ Wave & Pepe HazePerhaps more well know, but still worth a mention is the Carnivore restaurant. Ideal for firsttime visitors, this oldie but goodie is a brilliant place, with good food, good service,reasonable prices, lots of atmosphere and a disco (2-3 times a week) – Acacia Africa

Can’t Sit StillFusion band, Sauti Sol, perform live at various venues in and around Nairobi, their tracksinspired by the choices, consequences and challenges today’s Kenyan youth face. Thefour-member collective has already been voted best music group in the Kenya CHAT AWARDS2010, their uplifting African sounds featuring an urban vibe. Get the party going in the capitalat Alliance Francaise on 25th February as the band will be launching their new album, or log ontowww.penyafrica.com for news on forthcoming live events – Sauti Sol

www.crazyaboutkenya.com

By Crazy About Kenya

Top: At Nairobi National Park.

Below: Daas Restaurant

featuring Slam Africa. Left:

Pepe Haze & the Paramedikz

enjoying the vibe at Nairobi’s

monthly WAPI event. Photos:

PeHa

32 Shoestring

EASy cAMPING REcIPESBeing out camping or backpacking usually is accompanied with oneproblem: What do we eat? You may not be able to just drop by agrocery store every day, so you need to keep some sort of stock.We found potatoes, rice and onions to be the cheapest and longestlasting „fresh“ food.

Luise Görlitz put together some easy and very basic recipes thatmostly share the same main ingredients. All of these can becooked on a camping stove. And Luise actually lived on these for afew months while backpacking through New Zealand. The recipesserve two people.

‘thE JackEt Potato’

1 can of baked beans in tomato sauce

3 - 5 potatoes

This is a very cheap meal as potatoes usually come in quite bigbags, beans usually are cheap and both make you full very quickly.Add anything you like, from cheese to coleslaw to the mix to makeit more diverse.

‘thE gErman brEakfast’

5 potatoes

1 onion

2 eggs

Yes, let’s make „Bratkartoffeln“ (roast potatoes)! Also cheap andfilling you up very quickly roast potatoes are a typical Germanmeal. Just put sliced potatoes and onion into a pan and later addthe egg. Stir. Done! For a more hearty meal, add some bacon.

‘thE oh no, not PotatoEs again!’

5 potatoes

5 hot dogs

We’re making hot dogs with mashed potatoes. First boil thepotatoes and start mashing them – this works great by squishingthem with a cup. Add some milk if you have any. Then put the hotdogs in the pan and let them heat up.

‘risi-Pisi’

rice

Any vegetable you like (beans, peas, onions, carrots...)

Boil the rice. Add some water to the rice. Heat on full flame untilit starts to boil. Put a lid on and reduce to half flame. Heat like thisfor 10 minutes, then turn the flame off but keep the lid on thepot. Let it stand for 15 more minute and you’ll have perfect rice!Add the veggies and maybe meat. You can also add an egg or two.

‘thE vEry Excotic!’

5 potatoes... no just kidding. We found out that in all of Europe, America and Down Under youcan buy „typical“ Mexican and American food. So, if you need alift up - or a break from potatoes - you can make Fajitas orCheeseburgers. Just look in the international sections of yoursupermarket. Especially Fajitas are great to make with thecamping stove. Just cook ground beef, add some Mexican sauceand throw this on a tortilla together with some cheese and anyvegetable you could find and chop up.