Lost in Transit originally appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Those blog posts are archived here: Lost in Transit

 

A global salute

Local knowledge is absolute king in tourism and indigenous operators can offer an intimacy of experience about their respective cultures that simply can’t be beat. This advantage is being increasingly recognised around the world, with the work of indigenous operators in Australian and New Zealand high on the list.

Congratulations go to Brambuk National Park and Cultural Centre in the Grampians National Park (Gariwerd) in Victoria and Kakadu Culture Camp, owned and operated by Fred and Jenny Hunter.

Both outfits were judged runners-up in the 2010 ITBW Awards highlighting “the contribution of indigenous operators to biological and cultural diversity”. The winner was Nutti Sami Siida which runs reindeer sled trips in Sweden.

The popular vote, however, went to Auckland region specialist T.I.M.E Unlimited Tours. Another New Zealand operator Te Urewera Treks was also a runner-up. It’s eco-cultural wilderness treks adhere to Maori principles and values of sustainability.

Indigenous operators from 10 countries were considered. The ITBW awards may not rival the Oscars, yet every tiny spark of recognition surely helps boost the fortunes of homespun outfits striving to achieve best of practice while offering something unique to tourists. So now you know who to choose when you go.

Connection conundrum

Why do the most expensive hotels charge their guests extra for web access when the cheapest hotels offer it free of charge? It seems to be a prime example of “the more you pay, the less you get”.

There’s free internet in two-star budget hotels. You find it in a tiny café. But not in a five-star establishment with a multi-million dollar annual budget. The luxury end of the market persists in gouging guests as much as $25 a day for the privilege of connection. It doesn’t make sense. You’d think their top-notch room rates might include value-added extras. And there are some hotels that charge separately for in-room access and for lobby wi-fi access.

The answer is simple: they do it because they can. Their guests are either on company expense accounts and don’t care, or they are wealthy enough that cost is not an issue. Once you are willing to pay extra for high-end service these hotels are happy to oblige wherever they can.

eXposed!

MODEST air travellers are being assured that what is private will stay private when full body scanners are introduced to airports next year. The Government has stressed that only a stick figure would appear on the screen as passengers passed through the $28 million scanning machines, and not a naked picture. - source: The Daily Telegraph

    I’m all for safer flying, but ignoring the contrived corps de ballet pose, does anyone seriously believe that this photo depicts how we will appear under a scanner? Should we believe assurances that our body parts won’t show? There’s also the issue of radiation and health. And if you think your scan will be safe from public exposure, then what to make of what allegedly happened at Heathrow? BAA says the claims “simply could not be true”, stating that the scanners had no facility for printing images or storing them. So was it just a Bollywood publicity stunt?

    I think being sniffed by a trained dog would be far preferable, and prove more efficient in detection. Bring on the beagles!

Publish and be damned!

Disappointment at editorial treatment is just one of the many “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” that come with the job of being a freelance writer. So it was with a commissioned piece I penned for a magazine. After submission, the editor suddenly got his marching orders. The magazine has since been published - without my timely story. The explanation given is that “the book got thin” (ie: lack of advertising = fewer pages) and something had to go, my article! Given the time-conscious factor of the piece, the only riposte left for me is to post it on my own website. You can read it here: Vancouver in style

Pipes & drums

I’ve become attuned to the sound of bagpipes. For the past week I’ve heard them swirling daily, first in rehearsal and then in performance at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which in its 60th year is being re-enacted about as far from Scotland as you can get. The Sydney Football Stadium, near where I live, has been transformed into a $1 million patch of the old country each evening, complete with rain squalls during the event just to add an authentic atmosphere. Invited to opening night, I was completely amazed by the spectacle, stirred by the sight and sound of the massed pipe band and overawed at the number of people who turned up to watch and enjoy - some 35,000 on the night I’m told, many from interstate. The show runs four nights.

It’s the second time the Tattoo has been to Sydney. The last time was in 2005, when it also bucketed down on those bearskins and kilts yet was watched by 150,000 people. Australia is the only country other than Scotland where this spectacular has been performed, a significance not lost on those watching, many of who probably attended five years ago. With a cast of about 1500, it’s a constantly entertaining and exceptionally colourful spectacle, run with expected military precision. Guest bands from as far afield as Norway, Switzerland, China and Trinidad & Tobago make it a truly international occasion. I’m going to miss the sound of the massed pipes and drums telling me it’s near bedtime …

Travel tip: The Diamond Jubilee Tattoo in Edinburgh takes place from 6-28 August.

African kitchen magic

One of the top things about travel is finding out “what’s cooking” with old friends, sometimes literally as in South Africa where an old pal from university days has opened a cooking school in the tiny Karoo hamlet of Prince Albert.

One of South Africa’s top 10 young chefs, Vanie Padayachee, is behind the stoves at African Relish, so what’s happening in the kitchen may well turn Prince Albert into a gourmet hot spot. This delightful historic village at the foot of the Swartberg Pass is a few hours drive east of Cape Town. It lies north of the coastal town of George on South Africa’s famous Garden Route and is close to the “ostrich capital” of Oudtshoorn. The Karoo is a semi-desert area occupying a large swathe of central South Africa.

African Relish offers an extensive program of creative seasonal cooking courses, as well as tours and accommodation. Guests chefs often star in specific courses. The restaurant is open from Wednesday to Saturday. Tours include culinary experiences in Cape Town and visits to game reserves. To find out more about this tantalizing program visit African Relish

Less ouch in the south!

South of the Equator is definitely the most affordable place to travel. Not only is the weather fairer over much of the southern hemisphere, now travellers find they don’t need to spend nearly as much as they do in the north simply to have a good time.

Two global surveys comparing the cost of living agree that Europe now has the world’s most expensive cities in which to live; one cites Oslo, the other says Moscow. And a third survey, released this week, adds that London is now the most expensive city in the world for dining out.

Mercer Human Resource Consulting’s annual survey covers 143 cities across six continents and measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. Moscow tops its list followed by London.

Thanks to the strength of the euro, other serious European dollar drainers include Copenhagen, Geneva, Zurich and Milan. In comparison Sydney ranks 21st.

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2007 Worldwide Cost of Living survey names Oslo as the world’s most expensive city for the second year running, followed by Tokyo and Reykjavik. London ranks fourth whereas Moscow is way down the list, only a shade more costly than New York. But the Economist survey omits housing, so doesn’t truly reflect the total cost of living.

Much more tuned to the tourist pocket is the recent Zagat Restaurant Guide 2007 survey. Its focus is the cost of a restaurant meal and it finds that London demands the biggest splash of your cash. Expect little change from $200 for a three-course meal for two! (average cost $94.35 or £39.09 per person). Next in line is Paris ($85.40 pp) then Tokyo ($84.75 pp).

Such astronomical costs may well drive travellers elsewhere, most likely in the direction of South American cities at the opposite end of the spectrum. Both COL surveys rank Asuncion in Paraguay as the world’s least expensive city, with Quito and Montevideo also low down on the list.

Pain in the ear

When I first wrote about the introduction of mobile phones on aeroplanes, it seemed this might happen before the end of that year. Thankfully it has turned out to be a case of so far, so good …. although the gloomy day of mobile lift off edges ever closer.

Low cost carrier Ryanair has said it will equip its entire fleet of Boeing 737s with small base stations that use satellite links so mobile phones can be used during flight without interfering with ground-based networks. This system recently won approval from European aviation authorities. The “picocell” system is supplied by OnAir, a high tech outfit backed by Airbus and it will allow passengers to send and receive not only e-mails and text messages but also make voice calls.

Qantas also said it would consider allowing limited cell phone on its planes, then later modified that to allowing text messaging only. Emirates and Air France have also announced their intention to open up the airways to the chattering classes.

Could flying possibly get worse? But maybe you think this is a good idea? And perhaps it’s already de facto? At the end of a recent international flight a fellow passenger casually switched on his Blackberry and was busy jabbering away throughout our descent. The crew didn’t bat an eyelid.

No nuts!

I have a sailing mate who suffers from Popeye syndrome. Should he inadvertently overdose on spinach then his cheeks and forearms swell up, his eyes take on a weird metallic glint and he adopts a jaunty nautical gait. In the worst case scenario he puffs frantically on a cob pipe.

This patent rubbish is simply to focus your attention on a real and serious problem, one that can get even more problematic, even life threatening, when in unfamilar surroundings.

Food allergies and sensitivities are a critical issue when travelling in foreign countries where you are probably unable to speak the language and therefore unable to alert anyone to your problem.

The humble peanut, scoffed without thought by millions around the world, is a total nightmare for anyone suffering a nut allergy. They can even prove fatal without ingestion! Yet peanuts are found in all manner of foods, as are many other nuts.

For other people it’s fish or shellfish that presents a lurking and potential fatal danger. Other less serious food allergies may affect us when young but generally disappear as we grow older.

So how do you prevent a disastrous bite in a foreign land? One really bright and simple idea is to carry a card - such as No nuts with that! written in the appropriate tongue and flash it whenever you order a meal.

Customised, laminated food alert cards, available in any language and covering a wide range of foods, from alcohol to yogurt, can be ordered on-line from SelectWisely which also does multi-food, multi-language cards and special cards for specific needs. As a last resort, there’s also a “get me to hospital” card costing $5 (US$3.50)

A river ramble

I’ve been walking a few sections of the Thames Path, one of the best quick breaks out of London I can imagine. This national trail follows the river from its source in the Cotswolds all the way to the Thames Barrier in London so you can do the whole walk should you have both the time and stamina or choose parts to walk either for a day’s outing, a weekend break or a three or four-day hike.
Best of all, the weather turned splendid for the time I was strolling along its banks between Goring and Windsor. I arrived in Henley-on-Thames the day after the annual regatta ended which thankfully meant I could at least find a bed for the night, something that would be impossible while the event is in full flow.

Anyone visiting London and wanting some time out can easily access any part of the Thames Path trail simply using public transport. There are so many options for an overnight stay and plenty of lovely pubs to use as pitstops along the way or for an evening meal.

I felt I was literally following in the footsteps of history. Fittingly, I ended my Thames walk with a visit to Windsor Castle. I’d be very interested to hear any tales of adventures along this famous river.

All about the Thames Path

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