Links in this issue may be out of date	Issue 11

COMET - MARCH 1999 - ISSUE 11

For people who like their travel news down loaded, not loaded down.

Brought to you by Lonely Planet (http://www.lonelyplanet.com)

IN THIS ISSUE
The Scoop - News du jour
In the Spotlight - Passengers Without Panpipes
Top 5 - The Problem With Acquaintances
Just In - News From Nepal
Two Cents Worth - Backpacker Poll
New Mail - Writing Wrongs
Compass - Slip of the Tongue
Link - Floral Clues
Soapbox - Our Specialty: Toilet Humour
Pilgrims' Progress - Tales From the Road
Activate - Freedom in Tibet
You Said It - Travellers' Tips
What's New On the LP Web Site 
Face To Face - Catch LP In the Flesh
Talk 2 Us
How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe

***

THE SCOOP

Bangladesh
In a bid to clear the air, Bangladeshi authorities have announced a plan to
phase out two-stroke engines over the next five years. The Bangladeshi capital
of Dhaka contains more lead in its air than any other major city in the world
and it is hoped the ban, affecting autorickshaws and tempos, will improve air
cleanliness. An immediate ban on imports of two-stroke vehicles is already in
place. It has posed the question of how about 50,000 registered drivers of
autorickshaws and tempos will earn their crust. One solution is to replace the
two-stroke with battery-operated engines such as those used in Nepal. The laws
do not affect the manually-operated rickshaws, which are estimated to number
over 300,000 in Dhaka alone, most of them unregistered.

Cambodia
Direct longhaul air links between Cambodia and Europe, Japan and China could
be available by mid year. The flights would be an important step in plans to
improve accessibility to Cambodia. New 747 flights will be made possible by
the improvements to Pochentong Airport in Phnom Penh, due for completion in
June.

Indonesia
After recent stirrings from Anak Krakatau, the volcanic island in the crater
of Krakatau, tourists are being kept away. The volcano is now ejecting huge
quantities of ash and smoke, and volcanic activity is increasing. Local and
foreign tourists are banned from getting closer than 5km from the island's
coastline. Now a popular tourist attraction, the dormant volcano began to stir
again in 1992.

Find out what else is happening on your planet:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/scoop

***

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
I'm With Stupid

So there you are at Yogyakarta station, it's midnight, you're tired, you're
dirty, you've just discovered your wallet's been stolen, you can't change
travellers cheques till tomorrow morning, you've got nowhere to sleep, and
you're by yourself. Shit happens. Ten years from now the story will make great
party conversation but at the time it feels like the most forlorn moment of
your miserable life and you wonder what on earth possessed you to go
travelling in the first place, let alone by yourself. This is when you start
to get misty-eyed at the thought of a travelling companion.

Apart from providing a shoulder to cry on, a travel companion can give your
wallet a boost. Splitting the cost of everything from taxis, food, car rental
and rickshaw fares to city maps and accommodation will decrease your daily
costs significantly. Finding a travel mate makes sense in other ways too.
Ordinary activities that are a breeze back home turn into minor epics when
you're travelling. For the solo traveller saddled with a backpack, a money
belt, a day pack and sundry other items with handles, simply going to the
toilet becomes an exercise in lateral thinking. A baggage minding companion is
invaluable for any activity that involves queuing (buying tickets, getting
timetables, asking for information) or the use of two hands. 

One of the unbreakable laws of travel is that any person sitting by themselves
is, by default, the patsy of choice for any vendor, hustler, scam artist,
bell-ringer, snake-oil salesman or delusional Casanova in the region. There is
safety in numbers. If you're with another person you won't escape the sales
pitch altogether but you'll get the soft sell rather then the hard sell. 

Then there are all those other reasons for travelling with someone: even a
relative stranger is comforting when you're heaving your guts up into a squat
toilet in Thailand; there's always a back-up decision-maker when your own
brain's shut down for the day (good, bad, indifferent - it doesn't matter as
long as someone else is taking control); you can pool your collective
knowledge about a particular place; two people are more formidable than one
when standing up to unscrupulous hostel owners; if both of you are of similar
height and build you automatically double your limited wardrobe; and, finally,
there's someone else to talk to during the long, tedious hours of waiting for
transport, the in-between hours on a long trip, or the delightful hours over a
drink and a meal at the end of the day.

But there are pitfalls associated with throwing in your lot with a stranger.
Being on the road can cause your  'bullshit meter' to go on the blink - your
judgement gets fogged by too much road food and too little sleep and you end
up travelling with a cross between Arthur Daley and Ferris Bueller; before you
know it they've pissed off down the road with all your money, your camera and
your one clean shirt. Some fellow travellers aren't concerned with your
valuables at all - they just want to steal your sanity. Too late you realise
that your newest friend is a panpipe enthusiast, and from Orbost to Orbetello
you are treated to the entire history of the instrument, along with excerpts
from the 72 hour Peruvian Panpipe Festival. It's death by a thousand inanities
and it should be avoided at all cost. Sometimes co-travellers suffer from the
opposite extreme - they're way too 'interesting' - which is why you end up in
the boondocks of outer Mongolia attending a ritual that involves nudity
(usually yours), rhythmic chanting and a yak breathing down your neck, when
all you really wanted to do was wander around an art gallery. 

Then there's the bludgers, always short on ready cash but long on stories of a
cheque waiting for them at the next city; the whingers who can't bear anything
foreign, especially food; the old hippies who are tripped out from too many
years in Goa and treat first-time travellers with contempt; and the freshly
minted ingenues who chatter for days without drawing breath. The trick is to
find a travel companion with a similar budget, compatible interests, a modicum
of dependability, a soupτon of intelligence and a compass pointing in vaguely
the same direction as yours. 

From the very beginning you should be clear where you stand on certain issues:
money, sex and destinations to name a few. It doesn't mean these rules are
written in blood but you both need space to work into a common groove. You may
decide after a while that borrowing small amounts of money is neither here nor
there but, unless you trust that other person with your life (literally), do
not agree to any proposal that begins with the phrase, 'I'll take your
passport...' There is a bottom line and your passport is it. Once you do hook
up with someone, for better or worse, there's travel etiquette that should be
observed. You do not leave a fellow traveller stranded in the backwaters of
Africa because you've got a sudden urge for Spanish paella. Any parting of the
ways should be done in a civilised manner (this does not mean sneaking aboard
the Rome express when your co-traveller's at the information centre) and
reasonable notice should be given. Any outstanding debts should be payed off,
borrowed items returned and an attempt made at forgiving past transgressions.

Ultimately, meeting and travelling with a complete stranger can leave you with
a bucket load of good memories, a lot of laughs and a lifelong friend.
Sometimes it even leaves you with a lifetime partner. It has happened. On the
other hand it may leave you clutching your head and muttering, 'the horror,
the horror'. It's all about making an informed choice, taking a few
precautionary measures, and then road testing the relationship. If it doesn't
work out, give notice and move to another country.

***

TOP 5

Mary Corriveau's Top 5 Reasons Not to Travel 2 1/2 Months With a Mere
Acquaintance (as discovered by Mary and her best friend)

1. That person could turn out not to be a morning person: this will result in
morning after morning of dragging him/her out of bed kicking and screaming.

2. Every person has an evil/psychotic/depressive side, some worse than others:
this will result in tumultuous days, most of which are spent walking on egg
shells; if the wrong thing is said, the silent treatment will follow.

3. That person could turn out not to want to participate in any daily planning
like calling hostels and planning itineraries: this will result in you doing
everything for him/her and bitterness will follow.

4. That person could turn out to be a closet alcoholic: imagine him/her
getting hammered on an afternoon Bordeaux wine tasting tour and pulling a
disappearing act until 3am. (Luckily, my friend and I had the room key!)

5. That person could turn out to be uninviting to any outside people met
throughout the trip: this could result in him/her being unfriendly and just
plain rude to fellow travellers in the hopes of driving them away. (Luckily,
it didn't always work.)

We sent Mary the LP guide of her choice for her trouble. Earn one for yourself
by emailing us a Top 5 on ANY travel-related topic that we like enough to
publish in the next issue: comet@lonelyplanet.com.au

***

JUST IN

Don't be put off by the alarming and depressing news coming from Nepal
recently, says Stan Armington, author of LP's guide to Trekking in the Nepal
Himalaya and its new on-line Upgrade. The country remains an inexpensive,
friendly, attractive and satisfying place to visit - especially for trekkers.
Facilities for individual trekkers continue to improve and both private
companies and the government are making efforts to improve tourist services.

Among other discoveries Stan made while researching the Trekking in the Nepal
Himalaya Upgrade:

* ENVIRONMENT: In an attempt to curb the ever increasing problem of air
pollution in Kathmandu, the government has banned the importation of
three-wheeled scooters, the worst sources of vehicle emission. Under pressure
from environmental groups, the use of glass bottles has been banned in the
Everest region, and there are efforts to extend this ban to other trekking
areas. Beer and soft drinks are now available only in cans, which are more
valuable to recyclers. The ban has also resulted in a revival of consumption
of locally produced chhang (rice beer) among both visitors and villagers. 

* POLITICS: The 'peoples' war', organised and started by Maoist groups in
1996, has intensified and there are occasional clashes between the police and
extremist groups. Both the British and American embassies have published
traveller's advisories warning against night road travel outside Kathmandu,
and other possible dangers in some regions. Fortunately, most of these regions
are in the southern part of the country where trekkers seldom visit, and none
of the attacks have been specifically directed at tourists. Travellers are
advised to register with their embassy and to check for recent advisories
before heading off into the hills.

* ECONOMY: Nepal (along with India, to which its currency is linked) largely
escaped the Asian economic crisis. After a long period of stability the Nepal
rupee has devalued by about 15% while prices have increased by about the same
amount. 

* EMAIL & INTERNET ACCESS: Internet access is now widely available in
Kathmandu and Pokhara. Facilities range from telephone shops with one terminal
to cybercafes with half a dozen and fast access times. The average fee is
three to 10 rupees a minute.

* DOMESTIC AIR SERVICES: Domestic airfares have remained constant in US dollar
terms though several airlines, including Nepal Airways, Everest Air and
Dynasty Aviation, have ceased operations. The rattletrap Russian MI-17
helicopters are no longer allowed to carry passengers and Asian Airlines now
uses its choppers only for cargo flights. However, several new private
airlines have spring up to fill the gap, including Cosmic Air, Yeti Airways
and Buddha Air.

For the total low down: 
http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/upgrades/up-tin.htm

To re-charge another guidebook: 
http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/upgrades/index.htm

***

TWO CENTS WORTH
Ian Wilson wrote to Comet a while back: 'How about a listing of the best
backpacker hostels in the world?'

Okay, go to it. Cast your vote (no ads please) and we'll try to compile it
into some sort of poll for the next issue. Tell us what it's called, where to
find it, and why it stands out from the pack. Email us at:
comet@lonelyplanet.com.au

***

NEW MAIL
Christian Tuebing from Germany sent Comet the following addition to the 'what
went wrong on my trip' file:

"As I had suspected it is of great importance to speak at least a few scraps
of Spanish before visiting South America. When I arrived in Santiago de Chile
I found myself feeling very brave taking a taxi with my two weeks of evening
school Spanish. I was taken to town and realised that one's level of mastery
of the local language in no way affects the enthusiasm of the locals in
telling you about their country in just that language. I was told (I think)
about the city, the locals, the country, potential dangers, restaurants,
yesterday's papers, football, the driver's family, especially his daughter's
new boyfriend and his dear love for America.  After I had conveyed (with hands
and feet and very bad pronunciation) that I was from Germany, he confessed his
very dear love for Germany as well.

"A further discovery was that persistent and understanding nodding with my
head had a much more calming effect than a few well-meant but badly pronounced
words of Spanish. My speech lead to hectic activity because the driver thought
I had just changed my mind and decided on a brand new destination. This caused
intensive questioning, about which I understood nothing. I was frightened,
partly because this highly energetic and fierce questioning could have been
prosecuted by law in my own country and partly because I absurdly
misinterpreted the noticeable relocation of the driver's centre of gravity
towards my seat and our very intensive eye contact at 110km per hour on a four
lane highway in city rush hour as attempted suicide.

"I didn't let these little setbacks affect my motivation. Infected by the
incomparable friendliness of the people and their kind efforts to understand
me I one day wandered into one of those coffee bars in the bustling centre of
Santiago de Chile. There I was to learn that the pronunciation of the little
squiggle on top of the letter 'n' was vitally important. One of the terribly
nice waitresses I was chatting with grew very angry when I asked what I
thought was a legitimate question: '┐Cuantos a±os tienes?' (How old are you?).
By mistake I dropped the squiggle and asked '┐Cuantos anos tienes?' (How many
asses do you have?). The angry answer, 'íUno!', left me completely puzzled and
I suddenly found myself alone.

"Despite that little incident I soon developed a satisfactory confidence in
speaking. Only one little thing raised my suspicion from time to time.
Whenever a local greeted me with a friendly '┐Que tal?' or '┐Como estas?',
which means 'How are you?' or 'How's it going?', my by now well pronounced
answer caused remarkably strange smiles and restrained giggles. I was certain
I was saying things right - I was getting confident speaking Spanish - and
besides, I have my pride too! Four and a half weeks later I found out that I
persistently answered the question 'How are you?' by replying 'I'm beautiful!'
('Estoy bonito!'). I'm sure the locals must often have disagreed..."

***

COMPASS

We've got 20 copies of LP's new guide to the USA to give away. Be in the
running by telling us where and by whom the Gullah language is spoken and from
what it is derived.

Think your internal compass is working? Email us at:
comet@lonelyplanet.com.au. And don't forget to include your name and postal
address with your answer. We select 20 winners at random from the hundreds of
correct entries we receive each month to give folks in all time zones a
fighting chance to win a prize.

Last month's winners correctly identified the Midriff as the informal name
given to the group of islands in the Sea of Cortez off Baja California that
extend from the latitude of the north end of Guardian Angel Island south to
the latitude of Isla San Pedro Martir. It includes 55 islands, islets and
pinnacles; the largest, Tiburon, is located geographically in the state of
Sonora. 

***

LINK

Quel dommage! Only two people found the link last time: Rue de la Huchette and
Rue de la Harpe in Paris are part of the area of the city known as 'Bacteria
Alley'.

What do ling and bog heather have in common? Email us at
comet@lonelyplanet.com.au with your answer and if you're correct you could win
one of 20 copies of the new edition of LP's guide to Britain. Don't forget to
include your name and postal address.

***

SOAPBOX

How EXACTLY should a squat toilet virgin approach the act of excretion,
secretion; passing; moving; defecating; shitting (vulg), crapping (vulg);
being taken short, having the trots; relieving oneself, answering the call of
nature, going, going to the lavatory; urinating, micturating, piddling,
peeing; having a pee, pissing (vulg), having a p. (vulg), having a slash,
taking a leak; making water, spending a penny? Those discrete souls on the
Thorn Tree's India branch provide some tactful tips:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/thorntree/ind/dltt.htm

If you're already toilet trained, start a topic of your own:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorn/thorn.htm

***

PILGRIMS' PROGRESS

Last issue we asked you what inspires you to save hard and plan a trail to
your holy grail. Sarah Oettli of New Zealand and Liz Price of Malaysia had
this to say.

"In December last year I set out on my pilgrimage. I was on my way to Israel,
where I was to visit significant places I had studied during my degree as well
as fulfilling a life-long dream. (That is another story!) I decided to stop
off in Italy on the way there. My mother had been to Italy numerous times as a
young woman and had kept all of her photographs, even after emigrating to New
Zealand in 1970. Her photographs have been an inspiration for me for many
years. Each visit to a photo album would be followed with 'I'd love to see
that again' or 'I'd love to see Florence with your Dad'. Sadly, my Dad passed
away, so that was never to happen. But during the planning stages of my
pilgrimage to Israel, I remembered all the photos and decided to visit all the
places of significance to my Mum. 

"I took photocopies of the photographs and walked for miles around Florence,
Pisa and Rome trying to locate buildings and sites (most of which you can't
help but fall over, so that wasn't hard), trying to line up the shot so it
would be as close to Mum's as possible. I'm sure I must have looked very
strange looking from the piece of paper in my hand then looking through my
camera lens and moving two inches to the left. I even asked people to move so
that I could stand in what I thought was exactly the right place. They were
very understanding. As it turned out I was pretty close on all of them and the
new photos look great next to the old ones in my photo album. They gave my
trip the extra element of a pilgrimage and the knowledge that I had walked in
my mother's footsteps."
- Sarah Oettli

"My inspiration to travel is looking for caves. Yes, holes in the ground.
Having been hooked by the caving bug for more than 20 years, most of my
holidays are dedicated to going to places in search of new caves. This has
taken me to many countries in many parts of the world, and is also an ideal
way to get off the well worn tourist trail and reach parts of the country not
normally seen by tourists. Apart from ordinary holidays on which I have
checked out any caves I have come across, I have also been on spelaeological
expeditions to Europe, Africa and Asia.

"The fascination? Every cave is different. Tropical caves are totally
different from those in temperate countries; they tend to have a lot more
stalactites and stalagmites, and also cave fauna. There maybe lots of bats,
insects and sometimes even a cave snake. Some Asian caves are converted to
temples and contain Buddhas or Hindu statues. Some caves have rivers, others
are dry. Tropical caves are hot and humid, temperate caves are cold and damp.

"In the more remote places it is a good way to 'meet' the locals, although
invariably I can't speak a word of their language. In places like China,
seemingly every child in the village would follow us to the cave entrance, and
wait outside whilst we went in to explore. When we emerged
later on, most of our audience would still be waiting for us!"
- Liz Price

***

ACTIVATE

1999 marks the 50th anniversary of the Chinese Army invasion of Tibet, the
40th anniversary of the Dalai Lama being forced into exile and the fourth
anniversary of the arrest by the  Chinese government of the 11th Panchen Lama
and his family. At just nine years of age, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima (pronounced
'Gedun Chowkee Neema') is recognised by Amnesty International as the worldÆs
youngest political prisoner.

Mark the occasion by checking out the following Web sites:

* The Australia Tibet Council (ATC) actively campaigns for the rights and
freedoms of the Tibetan people, including their right to self-determination.
For information on Tibet and to get involved in urgent actions, including a
campaign for the release of the Panchen Lama and his family:
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~tibet/

* Free Tibet Campaign, in conjunction with other Tibet groups in the UK,
organised the recent Freedom for Tibet Week, 10 days of events culminating in
the Freedom March - the largest Tibet rally ever held in the UK - on Saturday
13 March. To get in contact with the participating organisations who support
the Tibetan people by campaigning for their rights and freedoms, promoting
their culture and religion and aiding refugees:
http://www.freetibet.org/40years/links.htm

***

YOU SAID IT

Recent UNVERIFIED reports & tips from travellers

NEW ZEALAND
"While at the Dunedin railway station waiting for the Tairei Gorge train we
encountered automatic toilets. You push a button to open and close the door.
You push a button to receive toilet paper, but you only get three sheets. The
soap dispenser, the water and the dryer are all sensor activated and the
toilet flushes automatically when you wash your hands. Beware though: if you
are in there longer than 10 minutes, the door will open after a series of
warning beeps! This was an experience not to be missed, complete with the
classical music while you sit and contemplate."
- Megan Middleton (Feb 99)

SOUTH-EAST ASIA
"The national airlines of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand,
Philippines and Brunei have launched an air pass targeted at long haul
travellers from the US and Europe. All you have to do is fly to any of the
above countries on the airlines mentioned above and you can buy a ticket to
any other destination within the six countries for only US$90. You need to buy
at least three tickets however."
- Magdelene Lim (Feb 99)

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)
Dubai now has metered taxis run by the Dubai Transport Corporation. They can
be distinguished from the un-metered taxis by the company logo, beige colour
and uniformed drivers. They are well maintained and the lost and found service
is excellent if you have taken note of the taxi number. I know a couple of
people who have left handbags and cameras in a taxi and had them returned.
There are still un-metered taxis and you need to haggle over the price before
you get in. Dubai's bus service is much improved and there is now an
inter-Emirate minibus service. Getting around is much easier than before.
- Anon (Jan 99)

Take me to your reader. For more tips, news & opinion from travellers:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/postcards.htm

***

WHAT'S NEW ON THE LP WEB SITE

Destination Equatorial Guinea - we're heading for a swinging time in West
Africa. Grab a cold one, pull up some beach and lay back, but watch out for
that tree: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dest/afr/eqg.htm

Destination Albania - it's a sunny slice of the Adriatic, it's Soviet style in
a box, it's a wild punch of traditional Mediterranean charm. Play pass the
orange at: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dest/eur/alb.htm

Hitting the shelves this month - Europe on a shoestring, France and The Gambia
& Senegal. For an exhaustive list:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/prop/newlist.htm#out

You can find Lonely Planet on the Web:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com
On AOL (keyword: lp)
And on Minitel (3615 lonelyplanet)

***

FACE TO FACE

For a full list of places to press the LP flesh this month:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/pro-events/index.htm

***

TALK 2 US
Is Comet the greatest thing to happen to travellers since a broke Swiss
soldier decided to hock his knife, or about as useful as a backpack full of
wet matches? Let us know how we're doing:

talk2us@lonelyplanet.com.au

***

SUBSCRIBE & UNSUBSCRIBE

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Don't have web access? Send us an email and we'll do it for you:
comet@lonelyplanet.com.au

***

Lonely Planet now produces two different newsletters: Comet (monthly via
email) and Planet Talk (quarterly via snail mail and bookshops). If you're
currently on the mailing list for Lonely Planet's quarterly printed
newsletter, Planet Talk, but would prefer to receive Comet instead, let us
know:
comet@lonelyplanet.com.au

***

COPYRIGHT
All material in Comet is copyright (c) 1999 Lonely Planet Publications. All
rights reserved. 

Although we have tried to make the information in Comet as accurate as
possible, the authors and publishers accept no responsibility for any loss,
injury or inconvenience sustained by any person using this newsletter.

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