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Trans-Siberian

Surviving Kidnap in Colombia

TOP 20European festivals CouchSurfing

EmmanuEllE Chazarin explores the growing trend

Win a trip for 2 to new York

HITCHHIKING PROS & CONS + REAL LIFE ON WORKING AND STUDYING ABROAD + SEX OVERSEAS

BOrn-againBuddhisT:

‘How a week in Scotland changed my life’

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Complete guide to the

mafia, ice and fur hats - what not to expect on the track to Lake Baikal

no frills, just thrills.

fRee Russian phrasebook+

Name/Nom (1)

elizaveta youNg

given nicknames/Surnoms (2)

tHe driver

Foreign languages/langues étrangères (3)

ruSSiaN, germaN

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tula, ruSSiaN FederatioN

Hobbies/activitvées (5)

tHeatre, clubbiNg, FaSHioN

Favourite drink/boisson préférée (6)

vodka

>>>elizaveta youNg >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>StaFF writer >>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>david limb>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>FeatureS editor>>>>>>>>>>

Name/Nom (1)david limbgiven nicknames/Surnoms (2)

tHe lad oN tourForeign languages/langues étrangères (3)

FreNcH, SPaNiSHPlace of birth/lieu de naissance (4)

bradFord, ukHobbies/activitvées (5)cigarS, SuitS, wordPlay


aNytHiNg wet

Name/Nom (1)

miNa kaSHerova


tHe multi-taSker


bulgariaN, arabic


SoFia, bulgaria


bollywood, daNciNg, kNittiNg


moJito

>>>>>>>>>>>>>miNa kaSHerova>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>StaFF writer

Name/Nom (1)emma cryaNgiven nicknames/Surnoms (2)tHe oPtimiStForeign languages/langues étrangères (3)

FreNcHPlace of birth/lieu de naissance (4)SHeFField, ukHobbies/activitvées (5)muSic, FreNcH, quirky FeStivalS

Favourite drink/boisson préférée (6)giN aNd toNic>>>>>>>>emma cryaN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>StaFF writer>>>>>>>>>>

Summer 2010 when in ROAM.co.uk 3

Name/Nom (1)

elizaveta youNg


tHe driver


ruSSiaN, germaN


tula, ruSSiaN FederatioN


tHeatre, clubbiNg, FaSHioN


vodka

>>>elizaveta youNg >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>StaFF writer >>>>>>>>

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COnsumEr TravEl PuBliCaTiOn Of ThE yEarTravel Press awardsnEw EdiTOr Of ThE yEarwinnie agbonlahor, highly Commended,Periodical Training CouncilaiTO yOung TravEl wriTEr Of ThE yEarEmma Cryan

EdiTOrialEditor Winnie Agbonlahorassistant editor Emmanuelle Chazarinfeatures editor David Limbstaff writers Emma Cryan, Elizaveta Young, Mina KasherovaEditorial assistant Joseph Innes mythbuster Madame IrmaarTart director Toby Hamand designer Annabelle LeePicture editor Edward DysonEditorial assistant Joseph InnesThanks to Tim Knappett, Leah Whitfield, Robert Corbury, Helen ReeveadvErTisingadvertising director Claire Russelladvertising manager Joel Wrightsenior sales executives Anna Williams, Aled Jamesfor advertising enquiries please call 0114 222 2512 PuBlishingPublishing director Alex Mooremarketing manager Monica Wilsonmanagement accountants Len Bright, Gareth Dickson

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nEEd TO gET in TOuCh?

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tHe oNeForeign languages/langues étrangères (3)

germaN, ruSSiaN, italiaN


bocHum, germaNy


cookiNg, giviNg orderS, daNciNg


red wiNe

>>>>wiNNie agboNlaHor>>>>>>>editor>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Editor’s letterThis summer the uK is set for high temperatures, with rainfall staying below average. at least that’s what the Met Office tells us. last year, we were told almost exactly the same thing, and do you remember last summer? it was hardly dry, and it certainly wasn’t hot.So, what to do this summer?For those of you who are confined to British shores for lack of funds, turn to p.90 and choose from our top five secret swimming spots around the uk. it doesn’t matter if it rains – you’ll already be wet.after some real you-time? maybe a buddhist temple in Scotland will do the trick (p.87).think the recession has put a barrier around the uk, and it can only be unlocked with a pile of cash? that’s where we come in. why not hitchhike around europe for free? don’t feel safe? we weigh up the pros and cons (p.72).How about crashing on a stranger’s sofa to save money on accommodation? Sound dodgy? let’s look at the new trend they call ‘CouchSurfing’ (p.57).if you do have some cash to spare, we suggest you go ahead and astound your mates by taking a tour of Siberia on the train.“why would you do that? it’ll be freezing cold,” they’ll say. Having read this issue’s complete guide to the trans-Siberian railway (p.21), you’ll be able to explain to your friends that, actually, Siberia’s summers reach peak temperatures of up to 40°c. once you get to russia’s Far east, follow the lead of our cover-boy Sergei, and dive into the deep-blue waters of lake baikal.want to chat to the locals? easy. Just use our russian language guide inside this issue and the corresponding podcast on our website: wheninroam.co.uk/podcastsgot a daring side you’re just waiting to unleash? we take a look at one man’s dance with danger (p.62) – and arm you with essential safety tips to make sure you avoid a similar fate.made your feet itch? don’t let us tease you any longer. trust your newly-elected Student travel magazine of the year and break loose.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>david limb>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>FeatureS editor>>>>>>>>>>

Name/Nom (1)david limbgiven nicknames/Surnoms (2)

tHe lad oN tourForeign languages/langues étrangères (3)

FreNcH, SPaNiSHPlace of birth/lieu de naissance (4)

bradFord, ukHobbies/activitvées (5)cigarS, SuitS, wordPlay


aNytHiNg wet

This sEasOn’s COvEr

sergei dovedov somersaults into lake Baikal on a sunny saturday afternoon.

PhOTOgraPh:olivia Hellewell

Name/Nom (1)

miNa kaSHerova


tHe multi-taSker


bulgariaN, arabic


SoFia, bulgaria


bollywood, daNciNg, kNittiNg


moJito

>>>>>>>>>>>>>miNa kaSHerova>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>StaFF writer

Name/Nom (1)emma cryaNgiven nicknames/Surnoms (2)tHe oPtimiStForeign languages/langues étrangères (3)

FreNcHPlace of birth/lieu de naissance (4)SHeFField, ukHobbies/activitvées (5)muSic, FreNcH, quirky FeStivalS

Favourite drink/boisson préférée (6)giN aNd toNic>>>>>>>>emma cryaN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>StaFF writer>>>>>>>>>>

Name/Nom (1)emmaNuelle cHazariNgiven nicknames/Surnoms (2)

tHe PerFectioNiStForeign languages/langues étrangères (3)

FreNcH, SPaNiSH, germaN


moNtPellier, FraNceHobbies/activitvées (5)

FilmS, HiPPie HolidayS, Nutella


StroNgbow

>>>emmaNuelle cHazriN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>creative art director>>>>>>>>>>>>

6 Summer 2010when in ROAM.co.uk

How to Navigate wheninROAM

p.45

gs

uK

ww

ff glOBal sTudiEs

p.13 Heaven and Hallsp.17 california dreamin’

wOrKing wOrldp.74 slice of Paradise: réunion islandp.78 around the world in 80 trades: australia, germany & guatemalap.83 destination unknown: working style quiz

unEXPlOrEd KingdOmp.87 an urban girl Converted: ‘how a week in scotland changed my life’p.90 take a dive on the wild Side: wild swimming spots at a glance

fOrEign frOliCs

p.42 TOP 20 European festivals p.53 unseen bul-garia p.57 Get surfin’: CouchSurfing

rEgularsp.3 editor’s letter p.8 your questionsp.10 in the news: volcanic ash p.37 your best and worst travelsp.38 Competitionp.50 your travel anecdotesp.61 Packed! - summer dealsp.70 mythbuster: indiap.72 comment: would you hitchhike? p.92 Sexionp.94 30 travel facts

and alsOp.62 Colombia: road to aggressionp.66 can we kick it? the other side of the world cup

Festivals map

MusicalCultural

‘offroad’COmPlETE guidE TO ThE Trans-siBErian railway p.21

p.42


p.21

p.49

p.21

p.66

p.87

p.90


ChaTTErBOXyour Questions

Just slip them in our

Question

i’ve always been fascinated by the small islands in the south atlantic and southern Ocean. are they inhabited? is it easy

to get there?Gavin Clacy, reading

The South Atlantic Ocean is bordered to the west by South America and to the east by Af-rica. It begins at the Equator

and is referred to as the Southern Ocean as it stretches south to Antarctica. These vast waters contain a number of small islands (Tristan da Cunha, St Helena and As-cension Island to name a few). All are remote, most are volcanic in origin and others are still inhospitable. But these tiny dots on your map are hugely important, as they are breeding grounds for several rare plant, bird and mammal species, so are often designated protected wildlife re-serves. The Tristan da Cunha archipelago is the most remote inhabited group of islands in the world, lying 1,750 miles from the nearest land. The

Planning a sTay aBrOad? gET insidE adviCE frOm ThE BEsT in ThE BusinEssThE PanEl

British Overseas Territory is home to around 270 people. 4,000 people live on St Helena, another British Overseas Territory, which measures just nine by five miles. The island has a long history, spanning 500 years since it was first discov-ered in 1502 as an uninhabited island by the Portuguese. The British used the island as a place of exile, most notably for Napoleon and over 5,000 Boer prisoners of war. The good news is that it isn’t completely inac-cessible, but you will need a sense of adven-ture to get there and your passage will have to be by sea. The RMS St Helena, operated by MSC Cruis-es, the last working Royal Mail Ship, makes the voyage from Portland (just off Weymouth) to St Helena twice a year (rms-st-helena.com). This is probably your best option. A few cruise operators also stop at St Helena, including P&O Cruises (pocruises.com) and Holland America Line (hollandamerica.com), but note that if the sea is too rough they won’t anchor and you will miss out, as St Helena has no port and it’s necessary to ferry passengers to shore.EriK PETErSEn

i’m going travelling for a year before i go to university. i don’t have any fixed plans as, yet but i’m thinking about

turning up at a ski resort in france and see-ing if I can find myself a job before heading off to Thailand. If I get a job behind a bar, or do one of those short courses to become a ski instructor, will my backpacker insur-ance still cover me? Ben Stocks, Southampton

Q

A

secrets of the south atlantic Ocean

marK hOdsOntravel writer with 15 years of experience, founder of travel Seo

david wiCKErstravel correspond-ent, voted travel writer of the year three times

TErEsa rOdriguEztravel expert, found-er of Tangodiva (social-networking site for women

travellers)

EriK PETErsEntravel and feature writer, expert on travel bargains and international cuisine

Backpackers’Travel insurance

Q

A Not knowing what to do next is part of the appeal of a gap year, but naturally you want to have a safety net.

Although travel insurance isn’t going to protect you from the reality of holiday work - poor pay, long hours, having to dress like a giant sand-wich and hand out leaflets - you’ll be covered by a standard backpacker policy as long as that work is listed within our backpackers remit. This list covers jobs ranging from restaurant and bar work to fruit picking and work in the retail sector - but nothing involving the use of power tools and machinery.And if the idea of doing adventure sports in far flung locations is keeping you up at night, a huge number of those - bungee jumping, camel riding, surfing etc... - are included in the standard policy too.If you’re thinking of spending a year travelling, read through the Backpacking Tips section on our website (wheninroam.co.uk/backpacking), which covers basics like planning, budgeting and safety, and offers useful advice on travel insurance. The rest is up to you.Good luck!marK hodSon

above: beach in tristan da cunha leFt: tristan da cunha


we asked yOu for the best restaurant you’ve found on your global travels

keira ives, from man-chester, suggests the mouth-watering spread in det grønne Hjørne (the green corner) in Århus in denmark.

Det Grønne Hjørne (The green Corner) is situated on frederiksgade, near the main shopping street in the centre of Århus. it is famous in Århus, espe-cially among students, for an amazing buffet packed with mediterranean and middle-Eastern foods: homemade bread, tzatziki, meat rolls, moussaka, pasta salads, ol-ives, hummus, greek salad, couscous with vegetables, rice, chicken, yoghurt and fresh fruits dipped in choc-olate are only some of the dishes you will be presented with as you walk into the restaurant. The buffet costs 59DKK (£6.70) everyday from 11:30 to 16:30 and 99dKK (£11) from 16:30 to 22:00. Perfect for a student budget! There is also a menu to

choose from with prices starting at 109DKK (£12). They also offer a catering service for special occa-sions. The waiters are friend-ly and welcoming and the restaurant is refreshingly un-pretentious. The homely at-mosphere makes the spread all the more delicious. But be warned: once you tuck in, it is hard to stop...

Editor’s pick:

i’m planning on heading to south africa for the 2010 world Cup. i don’t have tickets or accommo-

dation booked, but i want to be there for the atmosphere. what options are there to camp or stay in hostels?lorna harper, liverpool

This year’s World Cup is expected to see 500,000 visitors arrive in South Af-rica during June and July.

Spirits will most certainly be high, but ac-commodation is likely to be in low supply, and many places will probably put prices up to try rip off tourists. Go to the official website of FIFA, the world football gov-erning body, where it lists and grades all sorts of accommodation: ams.match-ag.com/match-pty-booking.Camping’s a good idea, but only if you’re prepared to cuddle up in woolly hats and thick scarves to keep warm. Since June and July are winter months in the south-

ern hemisphere, temperatures may drop well below zero at night in some places. However, while the weather might be cold and wet in Johannesburg and Cape Town, Durban and Bloemfontein should be hot and humid. For all the camping details, go to world-cupcamping.com. Hostels are also a good option. They are often located close to the city centre and within reasonable travelling distance from the airports. See worldcup2010southaf-rica.org.uk for details and descriptions of hostels throughout South Africa. For photos, customer reviews and online bookings go to hostelbookers.com. An-other useful site for accommodation is sa-venues.com, which provides maps with matches and stadiums.For those who want to experience the South African way of life outside the sta-diums, cafés and bars, homestays are for you. There are likely to be numerous South Africans opening their doors to fans, and is probably the cheapest option. To plan

your homestay, go to tour2010.net.Be sure to check out specific locations of a house as well as the city, though, as South African neighbourhoods can often change from chic to shabby at the turn of a corner.david wiCKErS

Q

A

winging it at the 2010 world Cup

a camp site in cape town


it’s a strange type of natural disaster that ends not with the loss of human life, but only with disruption. In the wake of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in April, flights have been sporadic and could be halted again. But never fear, if it does happen again Emma CrYan has some tips on how to make the most of your extended holiday, anywhere.

It’s an excuse straight out of an imaginative schoolboy’s exercise book: sorry, I can’t come in today. I’m stuck overseas because of the vol-canic ash.

The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjal-lajokull in April was more violent than expected, but rather than demolishing villages it caused most damage by closing much of northern Europe’s airspace for nearly a week. Trains and boats were crammed to bursting, and the Armed Forces were drafted in to rescue Brits stranded in northern France. Chris Moyles couldn’t even get home for his Radio 1 slots, although that may not have been such a bad thing.

Despite another standstill in May, air traffic is now moving again (at the time of printing, any-way!), and most travellers have found their way home, whether by plane, train or automobile. But volcanoes are an unpredictable and uncontrollable force of nature, and an eruption like this could hap-pen again.

So if you do find yourself stranded, after making the phone calls home and gathering some emergen-cy cash from your account, remember to relax and just go with it. After all, there’s not much you can do, so you might as well head back to the bar and calm down with another Mojito while you plan your next move.

The new flying regulations, which came into force on May 17, allow airlines to fly in higher ash densities than before, reducing disruption to flights, although not elimi-nating it.

With the possibility of engine failure if you get on a plane, is getting home really worth the risk?

No one likes to wait. It’s boring and it’s stress-ful – that feeling of helplessness drives most people crazy – but with some of our ideas to help you pass the time, you can turn your tiresome wait into an awesome adventure!

As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons,

make lemonade. Instead of frantically trying to book onto heavily

oversubscribed ferries and trains back to good old Blighty, why not take some time out to explore your temporary new home? Try learning a new language. By this point

you will have heard airport announcements in a variety of tongues, but we recommend picking up a guidebook for the country you’re in – get out, ex-plore, and chat to the locals! Book into a hostel instead of a hotel

until you can get home. Hostels are usually much more flexible, and actively encourage their guests to socialise. Many also have dedicated com-munal ‘lounge’ spaces, and even organise nights out together. Take a tea tour. Missing your morning mug of

Tetley’s? You might not realise it, but even though other countries don’t seem as tea-crazed as the Brits, they do know how to make a good cuppa. Chat to the barmen. Try out your language

skills on the barmen. Chances are they’ll have some great stories to tell you, and you might even get a round or two on the house.Try out a dance class. Most countries have

their own traditional dances, whether it’s the flouncing Flamenco in Spain, the Samba rhythms of Brazil or the Bhangra beats of northern India, so why not see what where you are has to offer?Eat local. This is always the best and most ad-

venturous way to eat abroad – but always remem-ber to use your guide book to check out what’s in the dishes! Instead of finding the closest pizza joint, or settling for beans on toast, look for a place serving a regional speciality – you could find a new favourite meal. For some tips on tasty treats in Denmark, check out page 9. Get on track. Do you break out into a cold

sweat at the thought of staying put? Are your feet itching to make a move? InterRailing will give you the chance to make your way home, while allowing you to exercise your inner adventurer and exploit the ash as the perfect alibi for dodging a few days of university or work. The InterRail Global pass (priced from €159, visit interrailnet.com for more details) allows you to visit 30 European countries in whichever order you choose, making it the ideal way to travel home on a budget, and create your own great adventure.

Don’t just d off: how to make your wait great

ash

“when life gives you lemons,

make lemonade.”

in thE nEwS


aBOvE: route taken by the volcanic ash cloud

The hot favourite at the moment is Eyjafjallajokull’s bigger and

badder brother, Katla, which normally erupts every 40 to 80 years, usually preceded by the

smaller blast. “Eyjafjallajokull has blown three

times in the past thousand years – in 920, 1612 and

[around] 1823, and each time it set off Katla,” said dave

mcgarvie, a volcanologist at Britain’s Open university.

although the evidence points to Katla as a main contender for

the next big bang, the reality is that there is no way of knowing

when it will happen, or how another eruption would affect

flight paths.whether or not airports are closed depends largely on

the weather conditions at the time. The unusually high winds

during the Eyjafjallajokull eruption dispersed the ash very

quickly over much of northern Europe, increasing the risk of the volcanic dust getting into

the aircraft engines and causing the planes to fail.

sO whiCh OnE is nEXT?



Heaven andHallsfancy a year abroad in a place where the social scene is anaemic, chivalry is on its last legs and the higher education system is on a life-support machine? look no further. david limB is your tour guide.

‘There’s a lot going on in this town,” a particularly cantankerous member of the university’s incongruously-titled ‘Welcoming Team’ told me and a fleet of fellow foreigners as the native tribe

of open-mouthed, narrow-minded French students stared on. “We’ve got a cinema and a tram,” he said without the slightest shred of sarcasm.

Welcome to the concrete paradise of Le Mans: the city in western France where I studied for a year as part of my de-gree in French. Its crumbling apartment blocks, run-down university campus and one-star hotels have earned it twin town status with Bolton.

And with such a scintillating social scene at its disposal, coupled with a ceaseless strike season which left the uni-versity lapsing in and out of a coma, it’s easy to see why the schedule of your average international student consisted primarily of all-day drinking, casual infidelity, and, per-haps most deplorably of all, exercise.

As morals and livers fell into decay, so did the campus itself, with ongoing strikes serving as a blank cheque for carnage. Stairwells were barricaded, windows broken and doors battered down as rebellious students sought retribu-tion for shattered government promises.

With the buildings in dire need of repair and no student union to offer social structure, we were forced to take a ‘DIY’ approach to entertainment.

feature - haLLs


glo

ba

l ST

ud

ieS Having being told in no uncertain terms

that the halls of residence were ‘no place for parties’, we made the local Irish bar – a ha-ven for international students – our second home as abstinence remained the perennial plat du jour for the natives.

For the French, without meaning to gen-eralise, the mechanical, monotonous weeks would be made up of microwave meals for one and evenings of solitary study, followed by a mass Thursday night exodus (most students had Fridays off) in time for yet another three-day weekend with the parents.

Compare this with life in English halls, where the only time you’re likely to see the folks is at the end of term, as you look to scrounge a free lift and make the most of the extra arms at hand for lugging home your haul of ill-gotten reminders of nights out you’d otherwise struggle to recall. And your books.

Ironically enough, the most nocturnal activ-ity we saw came at a time when strikes had once again paralysed varsity life, and hordes of incensed students descended on the town centre to burn effigies of President Sarkozy. Looking decidedly out of place in our pyja-mas and receiving looks that were even more scornful than usual from the academic lynch mob, a friend and I beat a hasty retreat be-fore we ended up on the pyre ourselves.

Protocol is another area where the indig-

enous students can be particularly unforgiv-ing: confuse your bonjour with your bonsoir – the transition between which, I worked out after months of trial and error, takes place around 5.30pm - and they’ll probably look at you as though you just kicked their grand-mother down a flight of stairs.

Despite being less than 200 miles from British shores, the provincial town at times seemed light-years behind in terms of culture and technology. Most lecturers are yet to dis-cover the delights of the new invention that is email, and the student-teacher relation-ship is as archaic as the third-century wall

that serves as the centrepiece of the Le Mans old town; addressing a lecturer using the fa-miliar tu rather than the more formal vous is completely out of the question.

Symptoms of a gaping financial chasm be-tween the two countries are also evident from the outset. As the University of Sheffield, which I attend, splashes well in excess of £20 million on a new library, the Université du Maine offers its students a state-of-the-art technology suite complete with two dozen computers. And a printer.

The town is perhaps best known for its an-nual 24-hour endurance race, and you get the sense that activity for the year is quite liter-ally crammed into one day, with little in the way of weekend entertainment, save for the occasional market in the city centre.

Wandering around the grounds of the halls on a Sunday was like a scene from apocalypse thriller I Am Legend – the ravenous mutant dogs being replaced by somewhat more placid company in the form of the occasional squir-rel, but still a distinct lack of human pres-ence all the same.

The aforementioned rabid Rottweilers were instead confined to the porter’s lodge. The resident guard dog – the aptly-named Ma-dame Dondon which roughly translates as ‘a big lump of a woman’ – was certainly cut from the same deranged cloth as the infa-mous Papin twins – the maids who murdered their employer’s family in the 1930s and who are arguably the town’s most well-known ex-ports to date.

The dreaded Dondon, who wasn’t doing an awful lot for the national stereotype, would

hand out eviction threats and shut kitchens at the drop of a beret; at one point, closures meant that there was one kitchen, consisting of four temperamental hobs, and a micro-wave, to accommodate a block of more than 80 students.

The redeeming positive of life in the ‘Vaur-ouzé’ halls of residence – a high-rise building

with low standards of cleanliness and even lower levels of friendliness - was the cost of rent.

The €110 per month includes all bills and is easily covered by a rather generous Erasmus grant, while language assistants were paying more than €400 to stay in private flats just streets away. Compare this with the thousands you’ll fork out for a year in UK digs, and it really is a steal, although the deso-late and dilapidated surroundings of this industrial jungle are a far cry from the lush and leafy suburbs of Sheffield.

aBOvE: The tram - pride and joy of the Le Mans tourist office. An image of the bright-orange chariot can even be seen hurtling through the golden arches of the mcdonald’s logo in the town centre.BElOw: The foliage and frivolity of first-year halls in Sheffield seemed a million miles away.

“confuse your bonjour with your bonsoir and they’ll probably look at you as though you just

kicked their grandmother down a flight of stairs.”

“wandering around the grounds of the halls on a Sunday was like a scene

from I Am Legend. ”

feature - haLLs




glo

ba

l STu

dieS

feature - usa

California Dreamin’

Thought american Pie and legally Blonde were nothing but shamelessly romanticised images of life in an american university? Cait Kopik, 20, from Bracknell did too. She is a final year International Politics and History student at the University of Sheffield, and tells mina KaShErova how she spent a year abroad in the us to make her american dream come true.

‘When I went to an American sorority house for the first time it felt like the

opening scene of ‘Legally Blonde’ – the doors opened, all the girls were lined up from the staircase to the door, they were all wearing matching outfits, and they were just so…”

Cait jumps from the leather sofa, straightens her back, glues a big smile on her face and sings out a high-pitched “Welcome!!!”. She bursts into giggles as she sits back and brings her legs to her body. Being as petite as she is (her friends usually call her “little Cait”) she looks even tinier sitting like this. But her face is still glowing as she remembers her first encounter with sorority culture.

“I really wanted to join a soror-ity, and I passed the initiation week, but I couldn’t join in the end because of the £3,000 join-ing fee. But I still went to some of their fundraising events after-wards. England just doesn’t offer things like that.”

Why would people pay £3,000 for joining a university society? Cait tells me that joining a sorority is a great way to make friends as you live in the sorority house and communicate with other sorori-ties and fraternities around the campus and the country. From a more practical point of view it works wonders for your CV as it proves you had good grades (a requirement for all members), you were actively involved with charity work and you have devel-oped some coveted networking skills. The tradition is as old as the US itself, and many students go through initiation rituals, se-

cret ceremonies and, in some cases, hazing. But it

seems to be

worth it for most as the major-ity of members of the Congress, Senate and even the Who’s Who in America list are members of a sorority or a fraternity.

Cait wanted to join it for the social work and fun factor as it offered a very different experi-ence to her student life in Shef-field. But it was only one of the reasons why she wanted to go to the USA.

“I like America, I’ve been there a lot in the past, and my mum went to uni at Occidental College, CA. And almost every summer since I was thirteen I have spent between one and three months with family friends in Florida just outside Jacksonville.”

From that age onwards Cait

knew she wanted to go to Amer-ica for more than just a summer, and wanted to study at a US uni-versity for a year.

“Although I always wanted to go on a year abroad before I even came to university, I was put off by the cost. American universi-ties often accept international students because they want their money as they pay about five times more than American stu-dents.”

British students only have to pay half of their tuition fees (£1,500) when they go on a year abroad, but a yearly tuition for international students would of-ten be £20,000 more than what their American coursemates are paying.

The spice of a Yankee accent in Cait’s Received Pronunciation is proof that she made her American dream come true. She went to the University of California (UC) for her second year of university af-ter applying to the Study Abroad programme. She made a smart move in choosing modules

“i knew i wanted to go on a year abroad before i

even came to uni.”


glo

ba

l ST

ud

ieS

feature - usa

cait had a fantastic time studying abroad at the Santa barbara campus, and the experiences she had were unforgettable.

that would count towards her de-gree back at home.

Cait chose Santa Barbara from the UC’s several campuses for many reasons: the campus seemed to offer a nice mix of strong academics as well as en-tertainment, but it was also rec-ognised as a top party university by no other than Playboy owner Hugh Hefner. Plus, who would mind going to a university that has its own beach?

As dreamy as studying in California

sounds, Cait didn’t adapt immedi-ately.

“The night before I moved to Santa Barbara I freaked out. It just suddenly hit me that I was going to be there by myself, and I thought, ‘Why the hell did I ever think about doing this?’ But once I was there, it only took me a cou-ple of weeks to make friends and feel at home in California.”

Cait immediately fell in love with the community feeling on Santa Barbara’s campus.

“Everyone celebrates holidays together. Lecturers even gave us a small bonus if we dressed up for their classes on Halloween. We also helped residents, whose houses were destroyed in the California wildfires as they had to stay in the auditorium and the gym.”

Cait also adds that the weather in California was amazing. She quickly got used to a routine of going to classes in the mornings

and swimming in the afternoons.“I am definitely a sun-worship-

per. Even if it wasn’t hot all the time it was always sunny and I felt a lot more motivated than I did in England.”

Beaches, trips to LA, sorority events – it almost sounds like ev-ery American teenage movie ever made. And that is exactly how Cait felt at times.

“Some of the things were so ste-reotypical that it was just like on TV. So many people cycle to class that you have to wait for five minutes to find a gap and cross the street. Or you would see someone cycling with a surfboard in their hand. It could have been in a film, you know?

“Santa Barbara is a very rich area and accommodation was very expensive. In total, my fami-ly and I had to pay about £10,000 including travelling, accommoda-tion, food, fees and books.”

Cait, however, thinks it was worth the investment as she got to experience things she wouldn’t have if she stayed in England for the three years of her degree.

“When you apply to universi-ties in the UK you have to decide what you want to do with your life when you’re 17, and I didn’t have a clue at that age. Now, I’m starting to wonder if I made the right decision. But in America you have to decide on your major two years into university when you’re 19. For me, that would’ve been so helpful.”

The academic feel to Santa Bar-

bara was also very relaxed and gave Cait a different perspec-tive to what studying towards a degree can feel like. The courses didn’t feel as demanding with 2,500-word essays, constant test-ing on the material and little re-search. She was also surprised by how friendly and helpful teach-ers were and how attending of-fice hours was the norm for all classes.

“I don’t get why more people don’t study abroad. A lot of the people who do absolutely love it and it adds a lot of value to your degree. It has so many benefits to you personally, enjoyment-wise and for your future. Plus, I can go visit my friends in Califor-nia next year and stay over for free.”

“Some things were so stereotypical

that it was just like on tv.”

think how much you will spend on your year abroad and save up more, just in case. if you can, work the summer before you go.

apply to only one country if you want to convince them of your desire to study in a particular location.

choose a university that reflects your personality - you’re doing this for fun.

be brave and make new friends, don’t just stick with the other british students.

talk to students who already attend the university before you leave - they can give you some vital tips.

don’t be afraid to apply to a university because you think you won’t be accepted. if you don’t apply, you’ll never know!

TiPs On sTudying aBrOad

- the essentials Pint of beer £1.50

glass of wine £3.70Portion of chips £3.20Pound of apples £1.99

litre of milk 80pPack of cigarettes £6.50

bus fare £1.65

BE ThErElondon Stansted to la

international £386 with air berlin.manchester international to la international £438 with Jetblue

and aer lingus.taxes and vat included.

visa - Apply for a B-2 (Holiday) visa (usembassy.org.uk), and meet with a consular officer.

£1 = $1.53gETTing ThErE



yOur COmPlETE guidE TO ThE

Trans-Siberian

St Petersburg

moscowyekaterinburg

vladimir tomskirkutsk

railway

in This guidEChilling in the siberian Taiga page 24Trans-siberian rucksack - dissected page 29En route to siberia St Petersburg page 30 moscow page 31 vladimir & yekaterinburg page 32 tomsk & irkutsk page 33Russia Factfile page 34a few things to know before you go page 35


laKE BaiKal


SiberianTaiga

siberia – land of the eternal freeze. vastness reachingbeyond anyone’s comprehension -

and never-ending snow. On a three-week tour on the Trans-siberian railway,

winniE aGBonlahor discovers that siberia has much more to offer: quaint towns, busy cities,

stunning architecture, friendly folk, weird people. and, more importantly,

a hot summer. Beaches. a lake to swim in. But first came the train ride. Intrigued?

Turn over the page to experience the journey.

Chilling in the

feature - traNs-sIBerIaN


Spec

ial

‘‘ an elderly, 5’6’’ tall man, asked me hoarsely in Russian. With his crooked back, pale shirt and even paler skin he looked like he was slowly fading away and leaving this world. As he approached us, Jim and I looked at each other in disbelief. Was the old man pulling our leg? It turns out all he was pulling was a big, rusty needle out of his pocket. Unashamed as only a true Russian can be, the old man, Boris, was completely oblivious to the strange nature of his request. I refused politely and glanced over at Jim. It’s times like these that we were happy to be foreigners in Russia.

“What the fuck?” Jim said. “Yeah, Jesus Christ, what a weirdo,” I replied. We put our poker faces back on and continued to gamble for sunflower seeds. After six

hours on the train this was the first oddity we saw. We were on the Trans-Siberian Ex-press.

Some call it a microcosm of Russian culture. Others call it a crash-course in the most shocking aspects of Russian life. But when my friend Jim and I decided to board the Trans-Siberian, we expected to witness some of the most fascinating scenery from the comfort of our cosy train cabins. We hadn’t bargained on ghostly Russians asking us to bring them back into the world of the living.

We were sure to be overwhelmed by the never-ending Siberian steppe, or ‘Taiga’. A strange sensation gripped hold of us at the prospect of seeing firsthand the soil which soaked up the blood, sweat and tears of so many prisoners of war during Soviet times.

It didn’t take long for us to find out that Siberia wasn’t actually that exciting to look at. In fact, the only overpowering aspect about the Siberian Taiga was its monotony and tedious-ness: mainly empty fields and never-ending seas of spruces.

The real mystique of the Trans-Siberian journey was the train ride and the beauty of a few places on the way.

So here we were. Jim and I met at Yaroslavskii Vokzal, one of St Moscow’s main railway stations, both fresh out of the University of Yaroslavl (155 miles north-east of Moscow) where we had been for our year abroad. During our nine months there, we learnt our les-sons on the Russian use of adjectives in popular literature, and the Russian use of vodka in, well, everywhere.

After our Trans-Siberian adventure, we would face the real world again. But at that mo-ment in time we only had Siberia to conquer.

I was glowing with excitement - just like Moscow’s intense July sun was gleaming off Jim’s shades. Jim’s smile stretched from ear to ear. He was basking in the sun just like Lenin posing on a pedestal a few yards behind him.

Eager and excited, we went to the ticket-window to buy our singles to Yekaterinburg, the first stop on our Trans-Siberian adventure. Ten minutes of frustrating verbal ping-pong between the moody cashier lady and me later, we finally had them. With an hour left until our train would depart at 2.38pm and 32 hours until it would get us to Yekaterinburg, we made a quick trip to the nearest super-market.

We returned equipped with a big carrier-bag full of food, a few beers, a bottle of vodka and an un-breakable spirit that we would struggle to keep up throughout the next three weeks, and made our way to the platform.

As we boarded the train, it felt like we had entered another world. The sun was shin-ing through the windows, illuminating the dust particles in the air and giving the scene a mystical atmosphere. The wagon was packed with people talking quietly, napping, eating or staring into space.

But as soon as we walked in, all eyes were on us. We walked cautiously down the narrow aisle, past the slim bunks, which served as seats during the day and beds at night. There were four bunks in each compartment, two bottom and two top ones. If you were allocated a bottom bunk you had to share it with the person from the top bunk, because up there, it was impossible to sit up straight.

All of the passengers looked so at home. They might as well have been sitting in their own living room. They certainly knew they weren’t at home when - shock horror - a foreign couple entered the train. But while all the staring made me feel like a free-loader who turned up to a private party without an invitation, Jim seemed to think he was Johnny Depp walking the red carpet.

Having settled in, Jim and I had about six hours to kill before bedtime. We decided to plan our trip. We were amazed by St Petersburg, where we had stayed the previous week, so we wanted to see as many places on the way as possible. The plan was: stop at Vladimir, then Yekaterinburg, then Tomsk,

Would you mind giving me thisinjection?





Spec

ial

“don’t i have a right to a peaceful journey?”- woman disturbed by the sight of a passenger’s ‘fat belly’

get to Irkutsk, stay there for five days, and stop off in Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk on the way back.After that, Jim tried to teach me to play poker. And so we played for sunflower seeds until I lost all

the 50 I owned. I was about to force Jim to play a card game I was actually good at, when the ghostly Russian appeared.

Boris had inspired us to check out the locals. There must be other strange men like him around, we thought, and set off down the train until we reached the restaurant carriage. Over a cup of tea we discovered that everything else on the menu was extortionate. So we headed back to our carriage and on the way, encountered our first true Russian hostility.

Luckily, we were mere spectators: we had stumbled upon a full-blown argument between a woman and a man in their 50s. The woman was shouting at him for invading her personal space and offending her.

“Don’t I have a right to a peaceful journey on this train?” she cried out. Instead of replying, the guy laughed at her, shrugged and dismissed her as old-fashioned and up-

tight. Everything became clear after 15 minutes of attentive eavesdropping and prudent

consultation with fellow voyagers. The man liked to sit around without a top on and the woman couldn’t bear the sight of his ‘fat belly’. To be fair, when temperatures reach up to 35°C, which is characteristic of Siberian summers, it can get very hot on the train. I would have quite liked to walk around in my underwear too, but, well, I didn’t.

Jim and I chuckled away like primary school children. And just like it is at school, an authoritative grown-up had to come and separate the two hoo-ligans. The grown-up in this case was the train attendant, or provodnitsa, in Russian. She mediated, shook her head, told both quarrellers off, raised her voice and hands - but the arguing continued. Would he ever put his shirt back on? It didn’t look like it, so we moved on.

Although we had just quenched our thirst for entertainment and satisfied our hunger for scandals, we were feeling quite peckish. And as we walked back into our compartment we saw that nearly everyone else in the car-riage felt the same way. Our eyes were taken on a tour. We saw everything from an elderly woman’s multi-coloured salad to the pies, roast chickens and

smoked fish that the other passengers were indulging in. How sad we felt when we reached for our crisps, sandwiches and yoghurt drinks. We could

have been so much more creative on a train like this!So we went to bed, or bunk, rather. I woke up the next morning from the soundest sleep

I had in months. It was 8am, Moscow time. But because we had crossed the Urals at some point during the night and entered Siberian Russia, which is in a different time zone, it was

actually ten. We got off the train and explored Yekaterinburg. We made a mad dash across the city to see all its sights during the day and by the end we were anxious to take a nap on those comfy bunks.

Back on the train we stored away our luggage and went straight for that long-awaited nap. We now had 23 hours before we arrived in Tomsk and because we’d be going through two more time zones, we would virtually gain five hours and have all the time in the world.

frOm lEfT:Our provodnitsa; traditional russian cuisine; a typical russian snack: sunflower seeds; a cup of russian tea; a train carriage, and a russian girl we met on the train.



“you’re from the

west. why

would you

travel to siberia?”- traveller

Still, when Jim and I were forcefully woken up by new people joining our four-bunk com-partment, we were not amused.

We had to get up and let the two young men tuck their bags underneath the lower bunks.

Kaerim and Ahmed took up the entire table with their sausages, cheese, tomatoes and bread. Jim and I looked out of the window, and for about 20 seconds we were impressed with the way the sunset was casting a light on the spruces. We turned around only to find that we had been pushed onto the very edge of our bunk, as seven more hungry men had sat down to eat. We couldn’t even eavesdrop on their conversation because they were speaking in a language which sounded like a mixture of Turkish and Arabic, with a hint of Russian. When they realised our dismay at the crowded situation, they suddenly bombarded us with questions.

“Are you two married?” “No. We’re just friends.” “Would you like some food?”“No, thank you. We have just eaten.”“No, no, no. Have some!”“No, really, we’re quite full.”“No, here, here.” Kaerim cut some bread, sausage and cheese. “Please, have some, have some!”We couldn’t refuse their hospitality. And once I had a bite of that smoked cheese,

I was in culinary heaven. A slice of fluffy white bread topped with cheese, a bit of salami, followed by more cheese, more bread, and more salami. Before we knew it, we were having our second dinner and our stomachs were fit to explode. But the Kazak crowd poured us shots of vodka, and the fun began.

“So, you two are students from England? Wow! What are you doing here then?”

We told them.“You are exploring Siberia? Why?” Ahmed slammed his shot glass onto the table

and shook his head. “You’re from the West. Why would you come here?” It took us the rest of the night to answer that question, while our shot glasses

kept magically refilling themselves. Jim and I suddenly became so fluent in Rus-sian that we started discussing highly complicated subjects with our new friends, using flawless grammar and perfect accents.

I woke up at 11am Siberian time (4am in Moscow) to a dreadful techno remix of the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. My head was pounding. I looked around and was astounded by a multitude of things: Jim was snoring loud enough to give a jackhammer a run for its money (I began to dread the next 20 nights I’d have to spend by his side) and our new best friends had left. Our table was empty again.

But what baffled me most was the scene outside: I saw people. They were working in gar-dens. How did they even get there? Nothing appeared to surround these gardens: no roads, no stations, no civilization. Too tired to find a solution to this puzzle, I got up slowly and made my way to the tiny bathroom.

“It’s engaged,” our pravodnitsa told me. “A lady is washing her hair, so it’ll be a

“what baffled me the most was outside: i saw people.”

Spec

ial



while.”Washing her hair? The bathrooms on this train, if you can call them that, were about as

big as my wardrobe at home, with a sink that could barely fit two hands in at once. Again, I was too exhausted to work out this mystery.

The next few hours flew by faster than ever. We chatted to some passengers in a mixture of Russian, English, and sign language. We ate, we read, we packed our things, and before we could even say the word ‘Vodka’, we arrived in Tomsk. After spending one day and one night there, we were finally within range of Irkutsk and the famous Lake Baikal. And so we returned to the train.

Jim and I really appreciated the towns we visited on the way, having seen nothing but field after field and spruce after spruce during the length of the journey.

But after all the churches, statues and impressive building facades, we were craving some greens and blues, some fresh air, and some of that space we kept seeing outside. All our hopes lay with Lake Baikal. The world’s deepest, oldest and most voluminous fresh water lake was already having a major effect on us, and we were still 12 hours away.

Our anticipation grew as soon as two soldiers boarded the train and sat down beside us. It was times like these that I was so glad I was with a male companion. It was 2pm and Dima and Vladimir, who were starting their six-month leave this very moment, were reeking of beer, vodka and cigarettes. They could hardly focus or hold their balance, let alone keep their voices down. Soon, they became unpopular with every single passenger in the wag-on and the pravodnitsa asked them to keep it down, but without success.

We endured hours of nodding and politely answering each of their ques-tions before we stuck our earplugs in and went to sleep.

Then, with a jolt of liberation, tomorrow finally came. We had arrived. I almost jumped on Jim and gave him a gigantic hug, but we had to get out of the train fast.

Five hours later, we were lying on the beach of Olkhon Island, right in the middle of Lake Baikal, playing poker. This time, we were placing bets using seashells. I lost all five games. But I didn’t care because I could just climb up the hill near us and dive into the lake. I looked back at Jim and gave him a big smile.

“Take a picture,” I shouted. And three, two, one, go!

“Then, with a jolt of liberation, tomorrow finally

came.we had arrived. i almost

jumped on Jim and gave him a

gigantic hug, but we had to get

out of the train fast.”



Trans-siberian rucksack - dissected

slippers

diary

bottle of water

tea bags

iPod

your copy of wheninroam

water purifying tabletsear plugs

Pot noodle

torch (lights are switched off at around 8pm)

travel adapter

a good book

Spec

ial


KazansKy CaThEdral

want beautiful architecture? visit ka-

zansky cathedral. the building, built in

a semicircle, has 96 supporting columns

which can be seen at the rear of the

building.

ThE hErmiTagEmainly set in the winter Palace, the Hermitage is so vast it can absorb you for days. to avoid queuing, book your ticket through the Hermitage’s web-site (hermitagemuseum.org) or join a guided tour of the Palace. the entrance fee is free for students, so don’t forget your european student card. other-wise, get in free on the first Thursday of every month.

sT PETErsBurgSt Petersburg is almost entirely built on a series of islands across the delta of the Neva river, so a boat tour is an excellent way to explore the city’s rich architec-ture and bridges. Hydrofoil boats link the city centre to it’s coastal towns from may to october, but if you’re travelling on land, bear in mind that the bridges connecting central St Petersburg to its many islands are drawn at 10pm every night.

sT isaaC’s CaThEdral

For those with a head for heights,

why not climb the 300 steps of St

isaac’s cathedral colonnade for a

bird’s eye view of the city. Peek in-

side the church to see the incredibly

detailed mosaic icons, paintings and

the large, brightly coloured stained

glass window of the resurrected

christ while listening to the harmoni-

ous voices of the church’s choir.

mariinsKy ThEaTrEadd a touch of class to your stay by visiting the mariinsky theatre, home to the world-re-nowned kirov ballet and opera company. use your student card to get cheaper tickets.

aniChKOv BridgE

this is one of the architectural highlights of Nevsky Prospekt and is an essential place to visit both for the spectacular views of the surrounding palac-es and for the famous bronze sculptures (the Horse tamers) that crown its four corners.

St. Petersburg


Here, you will also findThE wOrKEr and ThE COllECTivE farm wOman mOnumEnT

izmaylOvO marKET

in the mood for shopping, but

don’t want to raid your piggy

bank? then head to the iz-

maylovo market. you can get

a good bargain or souvenir

from a choice of art, handmade

crafts, antiques and Soviet

paraphernalia.

mETrOget around the city via the intricately designed moscow metro.

ThE arBaT

moscow’s most famous street, the arbat, is also worth

a visit. each day, talented street performers and instant portrait painters gather on the street to entertain passers-by.

moscow

rEd sQuarE

along the perimeter of the red Square you will

find three important landmarks: St Basil’s Cathe-

dral, lenin’s tomb and the kremlin. the latter is

worth a visit because it is the apex of russian

political power. it is from here that the tsars, com-

munist dictators and democratic presidents gave

their directions. the kremlin houses an endless

array of jewels and weapons, just be sure to dress

appropriately, visitors in shorts will be refused

entry.

rOllEr Bladingif you fancy a relaxed day in the sunshine,

why not hire a pair of rollerblades and

skate around the recreational park at

the all-russian exhibition centre (metro

vdNkh, russian - ВДНХ)?


CaThEdral Of sT dmiTry

unfortunately the mysterious church is permanently closed, but its exterior is something of a spectacle. the walls are cov-ered with over one thousand relief images of lions, centaurs, snow leopards and exotic ornaments.

gOldEn gaTE

take a stroll to the centre of the town where the golden gate of vladimir stands. right at the top, you will find the town’s military museum.

vladimir

assumPTiOn CaThEdralThe five-domed Assumption Cathedral was built to announce the town’s claim as the

capital of rus’ (the ancient name for russia). it was designed as a tomb for grand princes

and dedicated to the holy icon of the virgin mary. it was constructed in 1158–1160,

expanded in 1185–1189, and painted by the famous russian artist andrei rublev and

iconographer daniil chyorny.

ChurCh Of ThE BlOOd

visit the church of the

blood which was built to

honour tsar Nicholas ii

and his family after the

bolsheviks murdered them

in July 1918. it is also said

to contain the most expen-

sive icon in the whole of

russia.

shirOKOrEChEnsKOyE CEmETEry

This is the infamous “Mafia cemetery” where you will

find dozens of gaves ornated with big life-size im-

ages in stone of former Mafia members.KEyBOard mOnumEnT

easily one of russia’s weirdest attrac-

tions is the huge keyboard monument in

yekaterinburg.

nighTlifE

as for nightlife, the vodoley entertainment complex

on Shevchenko Street has something for everyone,

from bowling to dining and drinking. Strict face con-

trol operates at the door, so make sure you dress the

part. if dancing is your forte, then get down to maly-

sheva Street, where nightclub zebra plays progres-

sive, house and techno music.

Yekaterinburg


irkutsk

TomskThE OPPrEssiOn musEum

Step inside the dungeons of the former tomsk kgb head-

quarters. walk through the eerie prison cells, which contain

survival stories, literary exhibits and a range of kgb arte-

facts and memorabilia. guided tours are available only in

russian.

wOOdEn arT

want to see traditional

wooden architecture?

Head to Shishkov

House, the russian-

german House, the

dragon House and

the Peacock House

on krasnoarmeyskaya

Street.

lagErny sadtake a walk around this war memorial

park that looks over the river tom.

TOmsK sTaTE univErsiTy

take a stroll down Prospekt lenina and

you will come across the classical colon-

nades of the university buildings.

laKE BaiKaltake a short trip to the largest lake in the world and immerse

yourself in the crystal-clear waters of lake baikal. Surround-

ed by rocky mountains, the lake is home to a living museum

of flora and fauna, 80 per cent of which is found nowhere

else on the planet.

nErPa aQuariumtwo nerpa (freshwater seals) perform shows at the

Nerpa aquarium every half

hour. the program includes

singing, break-dancing, ball-tossing and even basic

maths!

gETTing TO laKE BaiKal

the nearest lake baikal village to

irkutsk is listvyanka. to get there,

head to the bus station and jump on

the R30 bus, which runs five times a

day and takes one and a half hours.

also, marshrutky (r60) run regularly

and only take 50 minutes.


The russia faCTfilETOurisT visa

the ruSSiaN touriSt viSa is the easiest to get and the least expensive, so it is ideal for tourists. this visa can be single-entry or double-entry and is

valid for the period of up to 30 days. it usually takes the russian consulate three to eight

working days to issue and costs £189 or £115 respective-ly.to get a russian tourist visa, you need a tourist invita-

tion. this comprises a tourist voucher and a tourist reser-vation confirmation. This is issued by any Russian travel agency and costs about £20.Fill in the visa application form aFter you have re-

ceived your invitation, specifying on it the same data, i.e. the name of the inviting travel agency, the purpose of the trip (tourism), the visa dates, cities to visit, etc. after you come to russia, your visa will need to be

registered within 72 hours. if you stay in a hotel, they will register your tourist

visa for the whole period of your stay (hotel registra-tion costs about £5). if you stay in an apartment or with your friends, the

landlord (the owner of the apartment) should fill out a special landlord letter and submit it to immigration authorities via the post.

apply for your visa and tourist invitation on visitrus-sia.org.uk

sTudEnT visa

the StudeNt viSa is issued only to students who come to russia as part of an exchange or for educa-tion. you can only get this visa if you have applied to

study at a russian university or institution. you will need to submit your data to the university and

the foreign department of the university will take care of all the formalities. they will submit all your data to the immigration officials and have your student invitation ready in about seven to ten days. after that, they’ll send you the invitation by post.usually, the student visa doesn’t have a limited va-

lidity, it is extended all the time, depending on how long you study.when you apply to the consulate for a student visa,

you’ll need to pay a normal fee, which will be about the same as for a tourist visa.

TO gET a visa yOu will nEEd:

your passport, valid for a minimum of six months after you leave russia and containing at least two unused pages. Photocopies will not be accepted.one passport photo. ensure it has been taken with-

in the last month.a completed visa application form. consular fee. this starts from £50 per person, ac-

cording to processing time, for british passport hold-ers. Plus consulate service administration fee of £22Self addressed envelope to return your passport. if you are applying for a tourist visa, you will also

need a tourist voucher (visa invitation) from a regis-tered russian tourist company.

gETTing ThErE

£1 = 44.40 rubles

london Heathrow to St Petersburg Pulkovo airport return from £158 with lufthansa airlines, taxes and vat included.

check skyscanner.net for real time prices.

BE ThErE

How much do the essentials cost?

Pint of beer £3.95

glass of wine £4.50

bottle of russian sparkling wine £9.00

Portion of chips £1.15

Pound of apples £1.30

litre of milk 68p

Pack of cigarettes 80p

bus fare 45p


A few things to know before you go

what do you do upon entering a russian’s home? not sure? Our russia expert ElizavETa YounG uncovers some of the most important cultural and social rules you must follow to avoid embarrassment, awkwardness and insult.

Let’s play a game of word association. Someone says Rus-sia, you say...? Snow, fur hats, bears, Vodka? Yes, when it comes to defining this great country our expectations are completely warped and stereotypes, it appears, still reign

over reality. In the summer it can get as hot as 40°C in Russia and bears only

roam the wild forests of Siberia. That said, Russia still harbours lots of weird and wonderful traditions that would surprise and be-muse many.

Compared to other countries, Russians can initially come across as rather unfriendly. Don’t be alarmed when a shop assistant snaps at you or tuts impatiently as you count out your rubles. It is a well known fact that Russia’s customer service has a long way to go be-fore it reaches European standards of normalcy.

But once the ice has been broken and you seize the opportunity to befriend a Russian, you will find that the trait, which is rooted deeply into most Russians, is one of overwhelming generosity and hospitality.

If you are invited to a Russian home, make sure you go with an empty stomach, but not empty-handed. A bottle of sweet wine or a cake would go down well, or, if you want to surprise your host with some flowers, make sure there’s as odd number of them, as even numbers are strictly for funerals.

On entering a Russian’s home, you will be supplied with a pair of slippers. These, you must wear inside the flat at all times. If you don’t, as any Russian will explain, you will catch your death.

After washing your hands, you will be led straight into the kitch-en, where you will be plied with mounds of food and gallons of drink. On occasion, be prepared to toast your arrival with a few shots of Vodka – despite the fact that it may only be ten o’clock in the morning.

After dinner, tea will be served. Bear in mind that drinking tea on its own is considered strange behaviour, so make room for cakes, cream éclairs and chocolate sweets.

If you decide to do a spot of food shopping, make sure you wear comfortable shoes. Outside big cities, if you head for a Produkti store (a small shop that sells basic food) you will often find yourself standing in three different queues just to buy a loaf of bread.

You must firstly queue up and request your bread. Then, you must get in line and pay the cashier who will hand you a receipt. Only then are you eligible to get into the first queue again where you can exchange your receipt for your purchase. And they say the English like to queue.

Please note that in small towns many shop staff do not work on a rota basis and close their doors at lunch for up to two hours. Don’t be caught out – go shopping early.

It is no wonder that in a country where beer is classed as a non-alcoholic drink, a litre of Vodka can cost you less than a packet of fruit juice or a visit to the cinema. And if you do decide to treat yourself to a movie, remember that the earlier the showing, the cheaper the ticket.

Russian transport is also something you will have to get used to, because there’s no getting around getting around. Gypsy cabs are

one of the fastest and cheapest ways of getting across the city. As long as you agree on the price before getting in, you and your five (yes, five!) friends can experience an invigorating ride in a rusty Russian Lada.

If you find yourself on a Russian elektrichka (electric train) during rush hour, the most important thing to remember is not to panic. Yes, an elderly grandma may be elbowing you in the ribs, and yes, your head may be thrust into someone’s sweaty armpit. But look on the bright side – at least you’re in the carriage, unlike the man who is wedged between the sliding doors.

On the Moscow Metro, you may find that you are not the only mammal in need of a ride. Stray dogs are frequent Metro consum-ers and can easily navigate between stations. If you’re lost, try fol-lowing a dog, they probably know where they’re going better than you.

Incidentally, if you are after a degree or medical certificate or per-haps you want a work permit, you needn’t waste your time at uni or in some bureaucrat’s office. Pop down to your local Metro station and buy one from a gangly boy in a baseball cap. Sorted.

As night approaches, you will no doubt want to explore the Rus-sian night-life. A metropolis like Moscow will keep you up all night, with almost everything open 24 hours.

Fancy Italian at five o’clock in the morning? No problem, step this way. Maybe you want a coffee to perk yourself up before the next club? Easy, just round this corner. And if you can’t wait to get your photos developed tomorrow, don’t fret, there’s bound to be a 24-hour photo developing service down the road.

The success of your night, however, depends on Russian bounc-ers. Many clubs have a ludicrous face-control policy which ensures clubs are filled with rich, beautiful people, dressed to impress.

Remember, Russian bouncers do not negotiate, if they say no, walk away. Don’t worry though, while one club refuses your entry because you are foreign, another will welcome you with open arms – for that very reason.

If you are male and are lucky enough to worm your way into an exclusive expat club – beware the gaze of beautiful Russian ladies. There have been times when unsuspecting male students got a lit-tle bit more than what they bargained for when they woke up in the snow, half naked, without a penny to their name.

At least you can come home and have a nice relaxing shower. Wait, spoke too soon. If you are staying in Russia in the summer, you may wake up one morning to find that your flat has no hot water.

However infuriating, this is perfectly normal. During the summer months hot water is cut off for two weeks in Russian flats so that maintenance work can be carried out on pipes.

Don’t let this put you off. Russia is a vast place where opportu-nities and new discoveries lurk behind every corner. It is a place where a pair of tights can set you back 700 rubles (£16) and sun-flower seeds are sold by the kilogram in case you get peckish.

So instead, why not try to fit in? Pull on your tracksuit, get your-self a mullet hair cut and step outside. Somewhere along the spit-stained pavement you will find your way, and when you do, you may not want to go back.

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feature- russIa



my best trip...

i never go travelling without...

backpacking in thailand. it was the first time I’ve been out of Eu-rope, and the country is so differ-ent from city to city. in the north you can go to the jungle or go trekking, and down in the south you have the party atmosphere.

After finishing my undergraduate degree me and four friends went on a spontaneous trip from the north of Saudi arabia down to the south. we ended up spending several days in the empty quarter (rub al khali) - a vast uninhabited desert.

i went to india with my dad. we went on the toy train to Shimla, which i wanted to do ever since i was a kid. my dad wanted to pay for slightly fancier hotels and res-taurants than i was used to, so it turned out to be quite fancy.

tallinn, in estonia. it is one of the most unspoilt old towns in eastern europe i’ve ever seen. the cobbled streets make you feel like you are stuck in the 19th century.

Preferably somewhere close to the sea, but anywhere where i can become a better person and improve my quality of life.

cuba. life is a lot slower, so people have time to talk and feel safe and confident.

as a youngster i went on a cara-van holiday in clacton-upon-Sea. activities included walking and visiting chester zoo, so it wasn’t the greatest holiday experience for a 10-year-old child.

when i was 15 i travelled alone for the first time. I had to spend three weeks in the uk, but on the second day of my visit Princess diana died, everything was shut, and most people were not in the mood to be welcoming and happy hosts.

when i stayed in moscow i was alone and people would stare at me on the metro until someone with a darker complexion would get on and then they would stare at them. i wouldn’t say it was bad but it was weird, and i felt a bit singled out.

an open mind.my qur’an, Sejadah, laptop and beloved iPod.

Faith in the kindness of other people.

a friend’s wedding in india. there were 30 or 40 different stalls, each stall offering ten dishes prepared in front of you. the strategy was to find a middle-aged uncle or aunt and ask them what a foreigner should try, and they would take me and fill up my plate.

visiting Hard rock café in orlan-do, FL. It was my first visit to Hard rock, and it triggered off my obsession to visit as many restaurants from the chain as possible.

i went to this italian restaurant near the eiffel tower. it was a classic place, which was weird as i was in Paris. they had the biggest pizza i’ve ever tried, and i ate it while looking at the eiffel tower.

your best and worst travels

michael hunter, 22, Billinghammurad abouammoh, 29, riyadhJoanna Bending, 24, Basildon

Email your answersto [email protected]

Every issue we ask three readers about their best and worst holidays.

if i could live anywhere in the world, i’d choose...

my worst holiday memory...

my favourite meal while travelling...

Your Best aNd worst


wiN a triP to

New York



when did new york become a state?a) July 26, 1769 b) July 26, 1788 c) July 26, 1791

To bag you and a mate a week in a 3* New York City hotel, plus return air travel from London with Virgin Atlantic and £500

spending money, just answer the following question:

Take a walk around Central Park Take the Staten Island ferry to

go sightseeing (it’s free!)

Visit the Statue of Liberty

How to enter:

log on to wheninroam.co.uk and click on the‘competition’ tab to enter your answer and contact details. entries must

be submitted by July 10, 2010.

whEninrOAM COMPEtitiOn


Take the Staten Island ferry to

go sightseeing (it’s free!)


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20Europeanmusic & Cultural festivals

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from indie anthems to pounding basslines, food fights to duck

races, even the most seasoned festival-lover is sure to find something new and exciting inside.

7-PaGe GuIde oN suMMer festIVaLs

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date: august 3 - 8, 2010 location: dádpuszta, ozora, Hungary cost: €90 in advance + booking fee, €100 at the gate line up: laughing buddha, blue Planet corporation, christof, carbon based lifeforms, vibrasphere, Protoculture, Solar Fields, transwave, union Jack, logic bomb, liquid Soul and burn in Noise.

every year, 40,000 people gather in the beautiful ozora valley for six intense days of 24-hour blasting psytrance,

hardcore dancing and hippy-style living. with a cinema, playground, corn labyrinth and an a-list line up, this underground festival is a must on the psytrance calendar. interna-tional artists and electronic music lovers can finally come together in the Hungarian sunshine and moon-light.

the main stage is set in a huge, natural amphitheatre in a cove formed by steep hills on three sides, with the tallest at the back of the stage. atop the highest stand two 15-metre-tall wicker figures with a myriad tiny, multicoloured lights enlaced around their danc-ing bodies. Around the figures, overlooking the plain, hundreds of different-shaped crystals shine in the dark. while the valley pounds to the sound of the bass, the sur-rounding hills contain the loud beats within, making the music almost impossible to hear from the campsite. the hills around the stage also offer an attractive perspective on the dance floor for the many revellers splayed out in the shade or dancing under water

spurting from sprinklers. a sea of tents pops up between

international campervans as the vast campsite expands throughout the week and into the weekend. the organisers have changed the rules for the better this year: no personal sound systems are allowed to be played on-site. in previous years campervans would set up their own dance floors and compete with one another to see who would be the loudest or stay on the latest.

the whole festival is a visual ex-perience, from the setting in the heart of a green valley, t h e colourful, thatched structure circled by uprooted trees which constitutes the main stage to the range of people who go. along the dirt ‘high street’, you can spot hippies with bare-footed toddlers sprawling on the arabian-style café rugs, goths buy-ing fluorescent gear, trendy types drinking smoothies while hungry psytrance fans queue at

the pizza van.On the dance floor, all types merge

into a trance, stamping the ground rhythmically to the sound of live acts and dJ sets echoing around the hills during the full length of the festival. Poi spinners and fire jugglers share the dance floor with the jumping crowd – everyone dances alone, but everyone is together. there’s no de-nying the widespread use of all kinds of psychedelic drugs in these circles. illegal drugs are part of the experi-ence for some, but everyone can have fun in ozora, whatever their choices.

everything is payable in euros or forints, although traders tend to round figures off to the high-est euro, so sticking to the

national currency will re-duce expenses. close to 90 per cent of attendees

are non-Hungarian, which means english is the stan-

dard language. At Ozora, the fin-ishing touches are what make the real difference: you can buy afford-able fruit and veg from a stall sell-ing organic produce, with a fridge packed full of yoghurts and freshly pressed juice – far from the main path overflowing with expensive make-shift snacks. a giant roaring bonfire is restocked throughout the nights near the main stage, and the toilet and shower facilities are numerous, spread out and well-looked after. the hill of light over-looking the dance floor offers a magical journey through the night, and the maze is sure to keep you entertained during the long hours of sunlight. volunteers hold instru-mental and pottery workshops dur-ing the day, and among the crowd are some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet – they’ll share their shade, water and even their glowsticks with you.

Ozora, Hungary1book now ozorafest.hu


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date: July 15 – 18, 2010 location: benicassim, Spain

cost: €193 for a four-day pass (via seetickets.com) line up: the Prodigy, kasabian, vampire Weekend, Leftfield, Dizzee Rascal, The Cour-teeners, the cribs, echo and the bunnymen, goldfrapp, ian brown, Hot chip, ellie goulding,

mumford & Sons, the Specials, the temper trap, Scratch Perverts and two door cinema

club.

the benicassim festival, near valencia, is one of europe’s most popular – and for good reason. with bands such as vampire weekend and echo and the bunnymen playing the beachside venue, it’s sure to be an unforgettable weekend. enjoy the relaxed Hispanic atmosphere with tapas and sangria and take an afternoon siesta before hitting the arena until the early hours.

benicassim, Spain

date: July 23 – 25, 2010location: Petrcane, croatiacost: €75 + booking feeline up: alexander Nut, andreya triana, aSm (a State of mind), gentle-man’s dub club, toddla t, benji b, blue daisy, broke’n’£nglish, danny drive thru, Part time Heroes, laura J martin and zero 7 (dJ Set).

Set on a beautiful peninsula, where the dalmatian coast meets the adriatic Sea, festival-goers can dance the night away under the stars, or swim in the sparkling blue waters. catch some rays on the beach or party at the main Stage where the terrace gives you prime views of the live sets against the backdrop of the stunning Petrcane bay.

melt!, germany date: July 16 - 18, 2010location: Ferropolis, gräfenhainichen, germanycost: €94 - full weekend ticket; €75 - 2 day ticket for Friday & Saturdayline up: massive attack, the XX, booka Shade, the wombats, Foals, goldfrapp, Shout out louds, Jamie t, Friendly Fires and the big Pink.

the 13th annual melt! Festival is held this year in a giant industrial mu-seum in Ferropolis, germany.with everything from indie-pop to electronica, hip hop and ambient beats, echoing around inside the bizarre metallic structure, melt! is a festival that has something for everyone.

Soundwave, croatia

MuSiC

grupo Fantasma

date: July 8 – 11, 2010 location: Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia cost: from Jan – may: 4 day festival ticket: €85 + booking fee; June onwards: 4 day festival ticket only - €99 + booking fee. camping ticket: €20 + booking fee (via exitfest.org and lastminute.com) line up: the chemical brothers, Faith No more, mika, missy elliott, Placebo, david guetta, lcd Soundsystem, röyksopp, behemoth, Sui-cidal tendencies, ricardo villalobos, crystal castles, Pendulum live, bonaparte, the Horrors and does it offend you, yeah?

eXit, a festival held in a fairytale-like fortress on the banks of the dan-ube, began with rebellion. The slogan for the first EXIT festival in 2000 was “EXIT from ten years of madness” – a reference to the Milošević regime. eXit is growing in popularity every year and encourages every-one to bond over fantastic tunes and a wish to make the world a better place.

eXit, Serbia

date: July 22 – 25, 2010 location: vic-Fezensac, gers, France cost: €80 (if booked online via tempo-latino.com) line up: Sebastián avispa, ojos de brujo, calambuco, Salsa celtica, grupo Fantasma, choco orta, la Sucursal Sa, especial Salsa dura and Jimmy bosch e amigos.

Every July red-hot salsa rhythms fill the pretty streets of Vic-Fezensac, a quiet French village in the heart of the countryside. with dance classes for those less confident everyone will be able to mambo, salsa and cha-cha-cha the night away.

tempo latino, France

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Strapped for cash? Think you can teach?We need people like you to teach English at our renowned language centre.Send your CV and covering letter to

[email protected] or [email protected]


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date: october 13 – 17, 2010 location: reykjavik, iceland cost: €70 for early bird tickets line up: alex metric and charli XcX, tunng, mount kimbie, and every-thing everything

a late one in terms of the festival calendar, iceland airwaves is now known as one of the premier spots for showcasing new music. Held in reykjavik, iceland’s welcoming capital, you can party all night and explore all day. the blue lagoon is only a short bus ride away, and, to us, soaking in the hot springs sounds like the perfect hangover cure.

iceland airwaves, iceland

date: august 9 – 16, 2010location: Óbudai island, budapest, Hungarycost: €170 for an eight-day pass with camping included (for other op-tions please see wheninroam.co.uk or szigetfest.co.uk)line up: muse, kasabian, the Specials, iron maiden, Faithless, ill Niño, Papa roach, the Hives, orquestra buena vista Social club®, omara Portuondo, calvin Harris, 30 Seconds to mars, and the cribs

the word sziget means ‘island’ in Hungarian, explaining the festival’s location. Famed for its diversity, Sziget hosts artists from all kinds of genres – from blues and folk to rock and indie. in addition to these audio treats, Sziget also offers a range of activities, including bungee-jumping, volleyball, film screenings and even a life-sized foosball (table football) pitch.

date: June 18 – 20, 2010location: clisson, Francecost: €129 for a full-weekend ticket€59 for a one-day ticket for Friday, Saturday or Sunday. camping in-cluded in ticket priceline up: deftones, Fear Factory, alice cooper, twisted Sister, kiss, motorhead, Slayer, and dying Fetus

a medieval French fortress in clisson, brittany, is the spectacular set-ting for Hellfest. attracting metalheads from all around the world, and with kiss’s debut Hellfest performance, this summer’s party is sure to be one of the best yet.

date: may 12 – 15, 2010location: graz, austriacost: €81 + €2.77 booking fee (if booked online via the springfestival website springfestival.at)line up: Pendulum, mowgli, and zombie Nation live

wend your way along the cobbled streets to discover springfestival’s extraor-dinary locations, such as a cave carved into a mountain and a ‘Friendly alien’ museum. Perfect for lovers of electronic art and music, springfestival is an exciting mix of indie riffs and electric beats.

Sziget, Hungary

MuSiC

Hellfest, France

Springfestival, austria

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when: July 18 – 27, 2010location: ghent, belgiumget there: Get a flight to Brussels and then a train or bus to Ghent (only 40 miles away)info: Ghent Tourist Office - Web: visitgent.be, Tel: +32 9266 56 60, email: [email protected]

belgium’s bustling medieval city of ghent is transformed every summer by europe’s largest cultural festival, which attracts a 1.5 million-strong crowd of music and performing arts lovers. the festival is, in fact, made up of four separate ones: the blue Note Festival of Jazz; the international Puppet busk-ers Festival; the international Street theatre Festival and; the dance festival - 10 days off. the origins of the latter lie in the 19th century, when ghent’s peasants took a ten-day break to release all their pent-up holiday spirit in an immense, vigorous party.

when: every third Saturday and Sunday in July location: venice, italyget there: Get a flight to Treviso airport (18 miles from Venice). The ATVO bus meets Ryanair flights and takes 70 minutes. Or take the Number 6 bus into treviso, then take rail and bus connections to ven-

12 when: June 30, 2010location: amsterdam, the Netherlandsget there: Easy - get a flight to Amsterdaminfo: Amsterdam Tourist Office - Web: iamsterdam.com/entel: +31 900 400 40 40

koninginnedag is a national holiday to commemorate the birthday of the country’s former queen, queen wilhelmina. it is by far the most widely celebrated holiday in the Netherlands and can be described as one huge party across the whole city. queen’s day begins on april 29 with a day-long vrijmarkt (free market) and open-air concerts in the city’s parks. at night, it turns into koninginnenacht or queen’s Night, when amsterdam’s bars and clubs host a series of spectacular all-night par-ties.

balaruc-le-vieuxmedieval Festival,France

when: July 16 - 17, 2010location: balaruc-le-vieux, Franceget there: Get a flight to Montpellier from London Gatwick or Leeds, and jump on a bus which will take you the last 16 miles to balaruc-le-vieuxinfo: Montpellier Tourist Office - Web: ot-montpellier.fr, Tel: +33 4 67 60 60 60

once a year balaruc returns to medieval times. the small town is built around a feudal castle where the festival begins with a torchlit proces-sion followed by a cavalcade show. in the morning everyone attends mass in their medieval costumes, and then the lord of the castle knights a chosen candidate. afterwards, a jousting tournament is held in the town hall square while soldiers practice their sword skills outside the city walls. elsewhere in town there is a medieval market and a ban-quet where food is cooked over an open fire. The festival ends with a fireworks show.

13 Festa del redentore,italy

gentse Feesten,belgium

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la tomatina, Spainwhen: every last

wednesday in augustlocation: buñol, Spain

get there: Take a flight to Manises International airport in valencia (20 miles from buñol), then a train

to the town.info: Valencia Tourist Office - Web: turisvalencia.es, Tel:

+34 963 153 931, email: [email protected]

Essentially one big food-fight, La Tomatina brings a whole new meaning to playing with your food. Nearly 140 tonnes of toma-toes are trucked in from around the countryside and, come wednesday, the town’s streets turn into one hot salsa riot,

with over 20,000 revellers pelting each other with the large, squishy fruit. this is part of a week-long fes-

tival, which features music, parades, dancing, and fireworks. It is tradition for the women

to wear all white and the men to go shirtless.

CuLture

iceinfo: Venice Tourist Office - Web: turismovenezia.it, Tel: +41 529 87 11

the Redentore began as a feast to give thanks for the end of the ter-rible plague of 1576, which killed 50,000 people. Preparations begin early on Saturday morning as people decorate their boats and small wooden terrace rooftops, from which they will admire the fireworks later that night. At sunset, Saint Mark’s basin begins to fill with up with boats festooned with balloons and garlands, and thousands of venetians await the fireworks while dining on the boats. At around 10pm the fire-works are let off from pontoons near the island of San giorgio and last 45 – 60 minutes.


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when: June 23 – 24, 2010location: Porto, Portugalget there: Get a flight to the Porto Airport - Aeroporto Francisco Sá carneiro, with a change at lisboninfo: Porto Tourist Office - Tel: +351 22 339 3472

arm yourself with a squeaky rubber mallet or a particularly smelly bunch of wild garlic stalks and head to Porto for some serious head-whacking in one of europe’s most riotous festivals. No one knows the origins of this tradition, but every year thousands of people come to the city centre to pay tribute to Saint John the baptist in a party that mixes sacred and profane traditions. the party starts early in the evening of June 23 with street concerts, street dancing, flame jumping, boat racing and fireworks and ends with the release of illuminated flame-propelled balloons over Porto’s summer sky.

when: every Julylocation: Sonkajärvi, Finlandget there: Get a flight to Kuopio, which connects at Helsinki, then a train to Sonkajärviinfo: iisalmi is the nearest major town to Sonkajärvi. iisalmi tourist of-fice -Tel: +358 17 272 3223, Email: [email protected]

at the annual wife carrying world championships men carry their wives on their backs over a 250-metre-long obstacle course. like so many of the world’s bizarre festivals, wife carrying has its origins buried deep in an age-old local tradition - wife stealing in the 19th century. Finnish men of the era were known to ransack neighbouring villages and steal their women. to enter the modernday championships a wife is a necessity, butshe doesn’t necessarily have to be yours. the winner is awarded the spouse’s weight in beer. what a sobering thought.

when: The first weekend in August, Friday – Sundaylocation: Jablunkov, czech republicget there: Get a flight to Prague and then a direct train to Jablunkov.info: Ostrava Tourist Office - Web: infolbc.cz, Tel: +596 485 10 17 09,email: [email protected]

the primary goal of this international cultural and folklore festival is the presentation of gorol folklore groups from the surroundings of Jabłunkóv and the Zaolzie region. The festival honours Gorol history with storytelling and songs while small wooden cottages are set up so that visitors can buy traditional food and beverages like miodula (mead). Entertainment includes singing, folk dancing, a display of fine arts and handicrafts. there is also a parade and a feast with traditional czech, Slovakian, Polish, Hungarian and South american cuisine.

when: april – Septemberlocation: luxembourgget there: get a plane to luxembourg cityinfo: Luxembourg City Tourist Office - Web: lcto.lu/en, Tel: +352 22 28 09, email: [email protected]

Due to its minuteness, Luxembourg has to find a way to get noticed – and cow painting seems to be as good a method as any. every summer the city could easily be mistaken for a crazy barnyard, as local and international artists pull out all the stops on their canvases – fake cows. metal, wood, concrete, fibreglass – no ‘canvas’ is out of bounds as long as it is cow-shaped. don’t believe us? Pop over to luxembourg city this summer and see for yourself.

16 Festa de São João,Portugal

17tübingen duck race, germany

19 gorolski Swieto, czech republic

cow Painting Festival,luxembourg

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when: July 1 – 31, 2010location: tübingen, germany get there: get a plane to Stuttgart and then jump on a bus, which will take you the last 21 miles to tübingeninfo: Stuttgart Tourist Office - Tel: +49 711 22 28 240, Email: [email protected]

ladies and gentlemen, start your ducks! up to 7,000 ducks make a break for it every summer in the annual tübingen duck race. Not ducks of the feathered variety, but the plastic, yellow ones of the bath-tub species. thousands line the course, which runs from alleenbrücke to the finishing line at Neckarbrücke Bridge. The flag drops at 2pm, but those looking to rent a duck need to be registered and at the starting line by 1pm. to enter the race, a small fee of €3 will be required.

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CuLture


izzy dean, 21, from formby, Ba zoology

in the summer of my second year at uni i went inter-railing in europe with a friend. in a

hostel in budapest, a group of english girls approached me because i was wearing my uni hoodie: “oh my god, we’re Sheffield University students too!” after 15 minutes of chit-chat, we were shocked to realise that we’d been living next door to each other in Sheffield for a year, and we had to be in Hungary to meet!

Joanna sullivan, 23, from greenwich, Ba accounting & Chinese

when i went to mongolia last winter, we stayed in a traditional yourt for a night as an organised trip. the trip also included a little tour on mongolian ponies with a 21-year old mongolian guide who would, rather than speaking to us, sing mongolian folk songs in a very

loud voice. it was cold, and i was freezing. and because i am quite an experienced horse-rider, i knew how to make my horse go faster. i was well ahead of everyone else, when suddenly my horse decided to have a lie-down, with me on it. I was terrified that I had done something to it, or that it had hurt itself. I jumped off immediately only to find seconds later that nothing was wrong with my ponie: it just felt like shaking me off and going on its well-deserved lunch break.

Your travel anecdotes


andrew martin, 21, from north lincolnshire, Ba french & management

i broke my hand after a quad bike accident back in canada, where i’m on my year abroad. when faced with what would have been a huge medical bill the doctor said it was free as he couldn’t be bothered with the paperwork. and then he winked at me. crazy canadians…

david austin, 21, from nottingham, Ba french, spanish & russian

i was born in Peru, but i was adopted and brought up by my english parents. i feel completely british, and i seem to have none of the Peruvian inborn character traits in me: i don’t have any of that fire, that passion. I’m really laid-back about everything, but I never learned how speak fluent Spanish, and i can’t dance to save my life. i don’t have a feeling for rhythm or beat. and when i last went to Peru on a summer

holiday, all these women dancing really close to me in the club just assumed i was one of their men and would bust out some moves. it always gets really awkward for me when they find out I’m foreign, and painful for them when i start stepping on their feet.i wish i could dance.

Your travel anecdotes


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Unseen BulgariaBulgaria is one of the most popular travel destinations at the moment – here, you get more than your money’s worth and there’s plenty of seaside in summer and ski slopes in winter. But if you want to avoid mainstream resorts and bars packed full of Britons, follow this guide to some of the best places in Bulgaria, off the beaten track.

If vegetating on a beach turning a lobster colour is not how you want to spend your holiday, then make

like Michael Palin and soak in the culture and traditions. While most people come to Bulgaria for the nature, the country is over 13 centuries old, so it has a lot

to offer in terms of history, archi-tecture, customs and crafts. It’s really up to you and your budget to decide what to see, so why not customise your tour with Alexan-dertour (travelinbulgaria.eu/en)? For about £400 you can visit ten destinations in less than a week. We recommend that you include

Etura, Plovdiv and the Rila monastery in your trip. Etura is an open-air museum where you can experience the traditional 18th century architecture of the region, and have a look at some conventional crafts. Plovdiv is one of Bulgaria’s cultural centres and home to landmarks from dif-

ferent eras, from an ancient Ro-man amphitheatre, to a medieval mosque and a Bulgarian Renais-sance Old Quarter. The 10th century Rila Monastery will give Brits a better understanding of the little-known Eastern Ortho-dox Christianity.

For the tourist on a mission – roundtrip tourEtur

a village

Rila monastery

Alexander Nevski cathedral

Kukeri ghostchasers

feature - BuLGarIa


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No matter what kind of music you are into, there are enough op-tions at the Black Sea

seaside to keep you happy.If you are a flower-power lov-

ing hippie, Bulgaria has a unique ritual to offer. Every 1st July tens of thousands of people gather at different seaside loca-tions to greet the sunrise and the beginning of summer.

So, if you are into drinking beer all night while trying to stay awake in anticipation of the ‘purifying’ sunrise, this mystical

ritual is for you. Central loca-tions for the tradition are Varna, Burgas, Kavarna and Kamen Briag.

The tradition started as a protest against the communist regime 20 years ago and was inspired by the song ‘July Morn-ing’ by Uriah Heep, which prais-es the morning as a symbol of cleansing and the beginning of a new life.

Rock and metal fans will love Kavarna Rock Fest, which takes place between July 23 and 25 (kaliakrarockfest.com). Kavarna

is the rock capital of Bulgaria, and in the past six years has been graced by the likes of Manowar, Scorpions, Black Sabbath, Al-ice Cooper and Whitesnake. This year the festival features Epica, Kreator and Annihilator. A three-day pass costs £40 and includes an entry into the prize draw for a Harley Davidson, which could make your trip back to the UK significantly more in-teresting. Rooms can easily be rented around Kavarna for as little as £6 a night. Two of the popular guest houses are ‘Dora’

(+359570 85475) and ‘Rusanka’ (+359899 80722).

The biggest music event of the summer is without doubt the Spirit of Burgas festival, which takes place between August 13 and 15 (spiritofburgas.com). There are many fans of elec-tronic music in the country, but it was this three-year-old event that finally put Bulgaria on the European music map. Fans are offered a choice of seven stages located on the beach and 100 performances, headlined by The Prodigy, Gorillaz Sound System

For the music fan – the seaside

If you want to treat your significant other to a well-deserved getaway, Velingrad is the place for

you. While this is one of the most

famous spa resorts in the coun-try, you will rarely find foreign-ers in any of the many mineral pools around the town. Be pre-pared for Velingrad’s socialist realist architecture to leave you underwhelmed at best. Apart from a handful of worn-out cafes there is little to do in town, giving you all the more reasons to focus on your better half.

We recommend you stay in

For the couple in love - spa retreat in Velingradthe five-star ‘Dvoretsa’ hotel (+359295 05895, dvoretsa.com). For £20 a day per person you get a double room, break-fast and access to the warm mineral water pools, sauna, steam room, and the Turkish bath and gym. Some of the spa procedures are quite pricy, but there are a few quality mas-sages and aromatherapies to try for no more than £15. A special couple relaxation pro-cedure comes with wine.

While the hotel restaurant is overpriced to say the least,

you can indulge in some tra-ditional Bulgarian dishes in the nearby ‘Omar’ and ‘Mil-lennium’ for almost half the money. The taverns offer a va-riety of fresh salads, including Shopska (feta cheese on a bed of cucumbers, tomatoes with traditional Bulgarian spices) – probably the most popular dish amongst Bulgarians. Also on the menu are a variety of fresh offal and fish dishes.

If you do decide to break your loving embrace and leave the hotel make sure you find the time to visit the Kleptusa

Lake, which is romanti-cally illu-minated at night and calls for an i n t i m a t e dinner in the res taurant surrounding it.If you feel

like stretch-ing your legs after all that pampering, ask at the hotel for the best hiking routes around Velingrad.Make sure you

take your camera with you to capture the rustic village scen-eries and picturesque land-scapes.

How to get there: There are regular buses to Velingrad leaving from ‘South’ bus sta-tion in Sofia (‘Dragan Tsank-ov’ Bld 23, +359287 22345). Tickets are £6, and cannot be pre-booked.

feature - BuLGarIa


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and Serj Tankian from System of a Down. A three-day pass costs £54. If you were born and bred on the festival fields of Glastonbury you won’t mind shedding an additional £14 for a three-day camping pass as long as you bring your own tent.

If you really think it’s worth the money you can see the trance guru Armin Van Buren play in Sunny Beach resort on August 13, but we think you can just wait for his next ap-pearance at the Global Gath-

velingrad

kavarna

burgasPlovdivrila

etura

For the tourist on a mission

For the music fan

For the couple in love

how do i say…hello, how are you? - zdravei! Kak si?Thank you. - Blagodaria/mersi.Bye bye! - dovijdane!nice to meet you. - Priatno mi e da se zapoznaem.how much is this? - Kolko struva tova?i am a student from Britain. - az sum student/ka ot velikobritania.i’m sorry, i don’t speak Bulgarian. – Sujaliavam, az ne govoria balgarski.

BE ThErE - the essentials Pint of beer 79p

glass of wine £2.70Portion of chips 90pPound of apples 45p


bus fare 50p

gETTing ThErEmanchester international to

Sofia Airport £69 with Easyjetlondon gatwick to burgas £63

with thomas cooklondon gatwick to varna £105

with bulgaria airtaxes and vat included.

Visa - None required for stays of up to 90 days.

£1 = 2.20 leva

ering festival in Stratford-upon-Avon on in the end of July (globalgathering.com), which will be a much closer and easier option.

How to get there: There are regular flights to Varna and Burgas Inter-national Airports. If you want to go to Kavarna, take the 409 bus from the Varna airport to the central bus station (70p), where you can catch a regular bus to Kavarna (£3.50). Tickets cannot be pre-booked.

feature - BuLGarIa

For the couple in love - spa retreat in Velingrad


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it’s the latest trend to wash up on british shores. From meeting new people to discovering new cultures and countries, CouchSurfing is the cheapest and most exciting way to travel. EmmanuEllE Chazarin jumps in at the deep end.

To the uninitiated, CouchSurfing must sound like an adrenaline sport for the indolent. As if someone who counts playing their Xbox as a form

of exercise suddenly awoke from their lethar-gic state to don a skin-tight wetsuit and bal-ance on the living room furniture surrounded by an ocean of cheap lager.

That’s certainly the image that sprang to mind for Alyesha Ingrouille, 21, from Brack-ley, Northamptonshire, when her friend first mentioned it to her.

She was mesmerised. Now that she’s done it once, she’s become an addict.

CouchSurfing is actually a rapidly grow-ing way of travelling the world on the cheap. It’s a not-for-profit network that connects travellers and locals in over 230 countries. Members sign up online for free and create a personal profile where they can post their interests and tastes, much like on dating or social networking sites.

So if a cash-strapped architecture student is hell-bent on seeing the Eiffel Tower, he can find a like-minded Parisian on a CouchSurf-ing site to host him for a night or two, for free or in exchange for a couple of beers. Emails are sent, and a meeting is arranged. Surfer fi-nally meets couch – and the adventure begins. Since its launch in 2004, the CouchSurfing site has enabled over a million meet-ups which would otherwise never have happened. By offering people the chance to stay in locals’ homes, CouchSurfing allows travel lovers worldwide to experience the places they visit from a new perspective, while hosts benefit from the opportunity to meet people from all over the world without leaving their home. The exchange that ensues between host and surfer helps boost the understanding of differ-ent cultures in a way no travel guide ever will. CouchSurfing has one key advantage for students: it doesn’t work on a purely recipro-cal basis. If someone puts you up it doesn’t

necessarily mean that you should have them over in exchange. You can sign up on the website as a host or a surfer, or both, depend-ing on whether you’ve got room for visitors.

The concept rests on the assumption that one good deed will inevitably be repaid with an-other, even if the two involve different people and take place on opposite sides of the world. Eddie Mallard, 19, from Bristol,

gET surfin’

feature - CouChsurfING

“the exchange between host and surfer helps

boost the understanding of different cultures like no travel guide ever will”


crashed on many a couch during his Eu-ropean tour last summer. “At the minute

I can’t register on the site as a host because I live in university ac-commodation, but as soon as I have enough room, I’ll definitely change my status,” he says. This way, CouchSurf-ing also gives more people the chance to become travel-

lers because ‘surfing’ lowers the financial cost of exploration. Alyesha is a language student and loves to travel. She uses the site to host strangers in her London home, and reckons she has crashed on about 15 couches in England, Germany, Portugal,

Serbia, Holland and Canada. “The first time I tried it, my friend and I

hitched a ride into Amsterdam but couldn’t get hold of our intended host,” she says. “We went to an Internet café, logged back onto the site and ended up getting hosted at the last minute by Rik, a 32-year-old guy who was about to go visit his family in Rotterdam. “Despite us turning up virtually unannounced he still cooked for us, made sure we were OK and then left us to use his flat even though he’d

only just met us. Actually, I’ve had this happen plenty of times - people just give you their house key after know-ing you for five minutes. It’s very cool!”

Lily Walker, a 23-year-old art student from Chatham, Kent, agrees. “I hate be-ing spotted as a tourist when I’m abroad. I hate how instantly, because of the language barrier or whatever other factor, people single you out as the naïve foreigner who

can get fooled by exorbi-tant prices and lame attractions.

“Last autumn my friend told me about

CouchSurfing, and we decided to go spend a few days in Rennes, France, to see an exhibi-tion. We met with Elodie, a 27-year-old con-firmed CouchSurfer, and stayed at hers for three nights.

“She gave us her bed and took the couch for herself, showed us around the city centre and took us to a huge outdoors market where we sampled amazing types of goats’ cheese and rustic breads. On the last day she drove us into the countryside, and we helped her pick wild sorrel that went into that evening’s quiche.

“CouchSurfing’s like visiting a long-lost friend - it’s awkward for the first five minutes and then everything falls into place. Since you’re with a local, others start accepting you for who you are. They teach you words and explain expres-sions. It’s a great alternative to hostels where you’re inevitably confined to a foreign bubble. I loved it and will be back on the road after I finish my degree.”

Staying with strangers is one thing, but CouchSurfing relies largely on the generos-ity of those who welcome the relative strang-ers into their own homes. Daniele Rinaudo, a 24-year-old chef, has hosted more than ten CouchSurfers at his home in Sheffield. “People tell me it takes guts to open my doors to people I don’t know for a couple of nights,” he says.

“I just think of it as a sort of repayment for all the fantastic people who welcomed me into their homes when I was skint but still wanted to go travelling.

“However, I do screen the people I accept - everyone gets references on their online pro-files from people who put them up or stayed at theirs. But people usually contact me because they see I’m a vegan on my profile, and are veg-an or veggie themselves.

“It’s a bit odd to invite people into your house when you’ve never seen them before, but the more people you host the quicker you get com-fortable with each of them. We usually start talking about travel experiences, and take it from there.”

Yet for many the idea of CouchSurfing raises deep concerns. Understandably, they fear that wandering into a stranger’s home, or allowing them into yours, makes you vulnerable to crime or fraud. However, seasoned CouchSurfers in-sist that the dangers are minimal.

“My only bad experience was when a guy called Mitch came over from the US,” says Daniele. “It turns out he wasn’t vegan despite claiming he was in our e-mails –after an hour

of normal conversation he started tak-ing the piss out of me and my house-mates’ lifestyles. I let him stay for the night because it was late and he had nowhere to go, but the next day I told him he should find somewhere else to stay.”

Alex and Rosie Fenwick, 24 and 25, have never stayed at anyone’s while

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aNti-clockwiSe From toP:Daniele in his Sheffield house with german cS madeleine; elodie’s house in renne, France; lily and elodie; alyesha at a cS party in berlin; meeting point in renne; eddie on a Serbian couch and; rosie and alex in their brighton house, with Swedish cS katrien.

“CouchSurfing is a great alternative to hostels.”

- lily walker


set your boundaries. write detailed guidelines in the couch information section on your profile. Be honest about what behaviour you expect from Surfers.

set a meeting place. you can ask couchSurfers to meet you at a café or park before you show them where you live.

it’s never too late to say no. if a couchSurfer makes you feel uncomfortable at any time, you should ask them to leave. Surfing is a privilege, not a right. You can invent a last-minute excuse and make your couch unavailable.

Explain your rules early. your comfort is more important than the convenience of your Surfer. let them know right away what’s available to them and what isn’t.

anTi-ClOCKwisE frOm TOP: alex with canadian cS in brighton; lily playing bongo in rennes with elodie’s boyfriend; cS sleeping at daniele’s house; christmas vegan feast with friends and cSs and; alyesha in amsterdam with friend and host.

abroad but have hosted a dozen people in their Brighton home. They’ve only had one slightly unpleasant encounter where the surfer was antisocial to the point of treating them like hotel staff, but overall have ended up making friends with most people they took in.

“That Swedish guy expected us to provide clean towels and sheets, but wasn’t interested in engaging in conversation with us. It was re-ally frustrating because it made us feel like we were being utterly used.

“But some have come back for full holi-days because we got on so well the first time round.

“If you enjoy meeting new people, learning about other cultures and offering hospitality for a few nights, then I recommend getting into CouchSurfing.”

CouchSurfing has become a sort of com-munity, where hosts and surfers meet in their home cities for events and parties to celebrate multiculturalism. Or that’s the excuse they give, anyway. But, as the slogan goes, together they try to ‘participate in creat-ing a better world, one couch at a time’.

Want to get involved? Then visit couchsurf-ing.com and off you go!

“if you enjoy meeting new people and learning

about other cultures, i recommend getting into

CouchSurfing.”- rosie Fenwick

gEnEral TiPsyou are never obligated to meet another member. be picky when accepting a couchrequest or choosing a host.

Keep your contact information private. other members should contact you through the CouchSurfing messaging system at first.

references protect community safety. whether it’s positive or negative, leave a specific reference after you’ve hosted or surfed with another member.

Be a part of the community. get to know other hosts and surfers in your area by joining groups online and attending events.

TiPs fOr surfErsalways have a back-up plan. know what to do if your hosting situation doesn’t work out: keep a list of a few hostels nearby.

Know where you’re going. Have a written copy of the directions to your host’s home or meeting place as well as their phone number.

it’s never too late to say

no. if something makes you uncomfortable when you arrive or during your stay, you are always free to leave. Just explain that you’re leaving the city sooner than expected - and then check into a hostel.

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feature - CouChsurfING


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“The two male drivers turned to face us, one waving a blade in our faces. They barely

spoke a word of English, but were fluent in the language of intimidation. They looked

about 40, and in dire need of a wash. The one with the knife stank of booze, although i was

hardly one to judge.”

it was going to be the trip of their dreams. Two boys were looking for adventure and got so much more than

that. Tim KnaPPETT tells their story.

Road toaGGREssion

feature - CoLoMBIa


Here we checked into the Sunshine hostel. The name provoked rapturous laughter when we saw it, as after eight weeks of sweltering heat, we were now, in our last few days, faced with high winds and rain. How fitting a back-drop for us to leave for England, we thought.

Despite the laughs we were in subdued mood. This was our last night abroad. The reality of going back to Blighty, where the rat race began again and we both had to start thinking about what we really wanted to ‘do’ with our lives, dawned on us like the storm clouds above.

Darv and I had a pact: no matter how much money we had left over, we were going to have one hell of a blowout in Bogotá. There’s nothing worse than forlornly packing your bags, getting an early night and feeling sorry for yourself that the experience is over. We were going to eat a dinner fit for two kings, enjoy a few beers, and head out into the city to see the lights.

Meal times at hostels are a real lottery. Sometimes the facilities are so poor that you’re forced to eat out. At others, you find you’re the only ones cooking and have an industrial-sized kitchen all to yourself. On the whole, though, they are the best places to meet fellow travellers, and, although some conversations end after the small talk stage, we’d made many a friend over a hostel din-ner table.

And we were in luck at the Sunshine hostel. We met three Spanish students who, after we’d mentioned it was our last night, offered to cook for us if we supplied drinks. They’d been staying in Bogotá for three weeks on a research project and were excited about showing us the city.

Happy to be accompanied by speakers of the language, we donned our evening wear and hit the town, blissfully unaware of what lay ahead.

The incidentThe Spaniards took us through winding al-

leys where we were coaxed into bars by pushy Latin men with too much charisma for their own good.

The smell of cigars and head-spinning spir-its engulfed every bar we entered. Naturally, we got into the mood, and by our sixth tequila we were both starting to forget that we were even heading home the next day. The atmo-sphere was so far removed from the arrivals lounge at Stansted that it was barely believ-able, even more so for the fact that

You only really experience life when you travel. I don’t doubt the num-ber of kicks you can get out of the standard nine to five, but you realise

just how colourful things can get when you’re placed in situations so alien to the usual rou-tine. Sure, 99 per cent of the time this liber-ating lifestyle is enchanting and rewarding. But when it goes wrong, you find yourself completely out of your depth. Three years ago, I was in that one percent.

The TripIt was to be the trip of our dreams. Seven

months slaving away in factories, through a particularly harsh English winter, to save enough money to hit South America.

It was to be the ultimate travelling expe-rience: few English speakers, thousands of miles from home and tinged with an element of danger we’d been warned about.

The plan was to arrive in Panama, make our way through Colombia then Venezuela before travelling south to Brazil.

I’d been through a lot with my best mate Darv (a shortening of his surname – Darvill). We grew up together in rural Leicestershire - a sleepy place where endless fields are bro-ken up by small villages containing the odd pub and phone box. The drowsiness of the countryside only awakened our sense of ad-venture.

It started when we were 18, being the first of our friends to fly the nest, backpacking around Europe for three months. It gave us ‘the bug’ and since then, year on year, we’d been hatching plans to discover other parts of the world, gradually getting more and more ballsy about our choice of destination.

‘Be careful of muggers’ was the advice we’d received, and we were told to keep well and truly on the beaten track whilst in South America.

Taking this on board, we set off, armed with travellers’ cheques and dummy wallets, ready for what lay ahead.Calm before the storm

Whether trekking through Panama’s Cordil-lera de Talamanca mountain range, touring the Rocinha favela town in Rio de Janeiro, or skiing in the resorts above Santiago, the con-tinent guarantees a treat at every turn.

Over the two months we’d been blown away by the jaw-dropping scenery and heart-warming openness of the people. We’d seen some rough areas, but the closest we’d come to any form of crime was when a ticket seller charged us well over the odds for a ten min-ute train journey. And this particular act of villainy was partly down to our dreadful knowledge of the local currency.

The holiday had been all we’d wanted and more. Since living costs were so cheap, we’d managed to do activities we wouldn’t even have imagined in Europe.

Due to the spontaneous nature of travelling, we’d decided to leave Colombia until last. The flight back was from Medellin, so we trav-elled to almost all of the other 12 countries in the continent before landing in Bogotá, the capital.

“the closest we’d come to any form of crime was when a ticket seller charged us well over the odds for a ten minute journey on the

train.” From toP to bottom: Party

scene in bogotá; the latin honey trap; tim

and darv enjoying their last day.

feature - CoLoMBIa


we had struck up conversation with three beauties who found it funny to mock our lack of Spanish and naive understanding of the city.

We couldn’t believe our luck. These girls were stunning and we weren’t doing too badly despite the obvious communication problems. I had my eye on one of them in particular. Flowing dark brown hair, smooth caramel skin and the body of a goddess, Ma-ria had a glint in her eye and it seemed to be for me. Desperate to keep the girls inter-ested, I ordered another round of drinks. It cleaned out my wallet, but it seemed com-pletely rational at the time. The shots were called ‘Ayahuasca’ and were renowned for their hallucinogenic effects. In hindsight, it was a bad decision.

I downed my drink in a show of confidence which completely tipped me over the edge, and everyone found it funny to watch me struggling to cope with the new experiences that were being inflicted upon me.

It was only when I was outside that I started to come round. Hit by the intense humidity, it was the feeling of sweat dripping down my face that alerted me to the fact that we were no longer in the bar. Darv was tugging at my shirt, eager to inform me of how I’d been act-ing for the last 20 minutes and even more ea-ger to tell me what was next on the agenda.

After finding out that I’d been walking the bar shaking hands with strangers, Darv told me that the girls wanted to take a bus to a club up in the mountains. He still had some extra cash, and assured me he’d pick up the bill from then on.

I didn’t take much convincing, although I remember thinking it weird that a minibus was already waiting for us. Unfortunately, we’d lost our Spanish friends, thus putting us in a much more vulnerable position.

We clambered in, and the door slammed shut. I looked out and saw Maria and the other girls shuffling off into the night. The two male drivers turned to face us, one wav-ing a blade in our faces.

They barely spoke a word of English, but

were fluent in the language of intimidation. They looked about 40, and in dire need of a wash. The one with the knife stank of booze, although I was hardly one to judge. He poked the end of the weapon into my throat and told me we were going on a journey. He had dark brown shades on and I could see my own re-flection in them. It wasn’t a pretty site, and I was sure that it would be the last time I’d see myself in a mirror.

We drove for ten minutes in complete si-lence. Darv had been sick in his hands, the mix of alcohol and sheer dread combining to ill effect. When the bus stopped at a small house on the outskirts, the men dragged us out and blasted us for the mess we’d made.

Outside, we were pushed towards two more men, the Colombian equivalent of the Mitchell broth-ers. Both big, bald and dripping with jewellery, they looked happy to see us as they exchanged jokes with our chauf-feurs. They looked ridicu-lous. And menacing.

Predictably it was money they were after, and they frog-marched us to a cash point, where I withdrew my full bal-ance. The biggest one of the lot ripped it from my hands, punching me to the ground for good measure. Thankfully, the alcohol numbed the pain.

Darv helped me up and I

muffled ‘wanker’ under my breath - a minor victory in what had become a harrowing ex-perience.

The men had one final trick up their sleeves. The hygienically-challenged pair held us while the bald banditos opened our mouths and forced nearly a litre of some black spirit down our necks. It left us disorientated as they walked away in rhapsody.

We were left in a badly-lit suburb of a city we’d never even seen a map of. Luckily, due to the surrounding land, we had a rough idea of where we needed to get to. With blurred vi-sion we staggered back, cursing our stupidity and wondering how we’d get to the airport in the morning with no money. Furious and up-set, we vented our frustrations at each other. We rarely talk about that walk nowadays.

It took two hours to get back to the hostel after numerous falls and even more fallings out. We were ashamed of ourselves for ne-glecting our Spanish friends to chase some women we knew were too good to be true.

As we stumbled through the door it crashed shut behind us – an instant reminder of the hellish ride we’d just endured. We managed a smile as the realisation that we’d survived

dawned on us.

out of the WoodsAt breakfast the following morn-

ing we were greeted by our smil-ing Spanish friends. Unsurprised at our story, they laughed at how

we’d been suckered in.They gave us enough money for a

train to the airport and more for food on the way. We’d seen the best and

worst of human nature within 12 hours, an overwhelming experience that was rewarding yet crippling, and left South America with a bittersweet taste in our

mouths and plans for our next trip on our minds.

“we had a pact: no matter how much money we had left at the end, we were going to have one hell of a

blow out in bogotá.”

gETTing ThErElondon Heathrow to bogotá airport return £792 with klm.

taxes and vat included.check skyscanner.net for real

time prices.

Visa - None required for a stay of up to 180 days

£1 = €1.15

BE ThErE - the essentials Pint of beer £1

glass of wine £1.20Portion of chips 40pPound of apples 30p


bus fare 10p

above: a shot of ayahuasca

leFt: darv and tim in bogotá, the day before the kidnap

how do i say…(See basic language guide on p.81)

feature - CoLoMBIa


Colombia Confidential

• Colombia is a deeply divided, conflict-ravaged country, where right-wing paramilitaries, left-wing rebels and drug gangs have fought the state for control for many decades.

• Despite being plagued with travel advisories because of the crime rate, colombia has seen a year-on-year increase in tourism since outgoing President Álvaro Uribe took office in 2002. The cause appears to be a hard-line stance which seeks to push rebel groups away from major cities.

• Criminal organizations based in large cities practice express kidnappings (secuestros express), colloquially named ‘millionaire tours’ (Paseo Millionario). these are most commonly performed after victims withdraw money from atms or while riding in fake, terrorist-operated taxi cabs.

• The British embassy in Bogotá strongly advises tourists to undertake no overland travel whatsoever outside major urban centres. the northern city of ciudad Perdida - or ‘lost city’- where british backpacker mark Henderson was held hostage in 2003, is notorious for crimes against tourists.

• There have been several cases of assailants drugging tourists. drugs are administered through food, drinks, needles, cigarettes, aerosols, powder, and have even been impregnated in ‘flyers’ handed out at traffic lights. Never accept food, drink or cigarettes from strangers – no matter how friendly they appear.

• Avoid unnecessary visits to deprived parts of all colombian cities. in bogotá, you should be vigilant in areas to the south of candelaria and to the west of the airport road as these areas are particularly dangerous.


a KiCK4lifE fooTBall maTCh in lESoTho


as world Cup hysteria reaches fever pitch, one British hiv charity is sure:

‘Yes, we can!’

Can we kick it?

South Africa will this year be the first African nation in history to hold the World Cup tournament, with hundreds of thousands of people of all colours, cultures and clubs due to arrive in droves – a huge landmark, considering that only 16 short years ago the coun-

try was still in the grip of apartheid.Symptoms of a stark divide will still be visible this summer, however. As

South Africa prepares to welcome the football elite, resplendent in their designer boots and glittering egos, barefoot Pule Malephane – a 17-year-old football fanatic from Lesotho – trudges alone through the dusty, rubble-strewn streets that double as his pitch.

Lesotho – a small, landlocked country within South Africa - has the third highest HIV prevalence in the world, and is the base of Kick4Life. The charity, which uses sport as an educational tool, seeks to stem the spread of HIV and AIDS in the impoverished African enclave.

While the mercenaries and the materialists fly in for a ‘Brits abroad’ bash, it is the love of the beautiful game which will remain the lifeblood of Lesotho’s fight against HIV long after the event becomes little more than a series of holiday snaps.

“Africa has an unrivalled passion for football,” says Steve Fleming, co-founder of Kick4Life, as David Beckham beams back at us from one of dozens of the charity’s photos that he has spread across the table.

feature - worLd CuP

he collects the ball inside his own half. he dodges, dribbles forward and takes his shot as the cheers erupt inside his head.

But the goal is empty and nobody’s watching.

david limB and Emma CrYan speak to the founder of Kick4life.


“That’s why we decided to focus our efforts there.”

The organisation is the brain-child of Steve and Pete Fleming, two British brothers who found-ed the charity on the back of the success of the Kick4Malawi chal-lenge in 2005, which saw them dribble a football for 250 miles across Malawi to raise money for children orphaned by AIDS.

“It was a life-changing experi-ence,” says Steve, flicking through the images which catalogue his memories of Lesotho.

Kick4Life raises awareness of HIV and AIDS through football matches, where they also hold educational classes and HIV testing.

The aim is to break down the stigma attached to the disease and engage the youth and orphans in Lesotho, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie which encourages them to take the test together.

“We deliver a range of programmes focused on tackling HIV by pro-viding sports-based health education, voluntary testing, life-skills de-velopment and support into education and employment,” says Steve, suddenly business-like.

Pule Malaphane first became involved in Kick4Life when he was 15 years old. After one of the charity’s football matches, with posi-tive peer pressure to get tested running at fever pitch, Pule and his friends made the decision to find out if they had HIV.

It was two years ago in one of the makeshift testing tents that England manager Fabio Capello joined Pule for the agonising seven-minute wait to find out the results.

It was negative. Pule was one of the lucky ones, educated by Kick4Life in HIV prevention before he was exposed to the vi-rus.

To date Kick4Life have tested 8,000 teenagers in Lesotho for HIV. Approximately 4% of them were positive and were immediately referred for treatment with antiretroviral drugs.

“This figure reflects the fact that we work with kids mainly before they become sexually active – after 18 years of age, the figure is 23.2%, and so we try to reach people before it is too late,” says Steve.

So moved was Capello by Pule’s experience that he was compelled to contribute to Steve Fleming’s new book – Eleven – which highlights the importance of sport as a tool for social development.

Steve stresses that the most important thing is to ‘get the message out there’, and with influen-tial celebrities such as David Beckham and Prince Harry working together for Kick4Life, these tiny

ripples are sure to make waves on a global scale.

And we’re already beginning to see the effects: FIFA, football’s international governing body, has recognised the significance of sport in the building of communi-ties in the developing world.

The ‘20 Centres for 2010’ project is a new FIFA initiative which will create sports, health and ed-

ucation facilities across Africa. Five centres have already been built, and the fact that Kick4Life has been selected to host the Lesotho cen-tre is testament to the tireless efforts of Steve, Pete, and their army of helpers.

“We have about 350 volunteers in Lesotho, and we couldn’t do with-out them,” says Steve. “People are

really interested in getting involved, since unemployment is really high in the town.”

Aside from celebrity endorsements and community involvement, Steve also urges students to join the battle, citing Kick4Life All Stars Tours as the dream ticket for gap year students and graduates alike.

“It’s more than a typical ‘charity challenge’,” says Steve, himself a former University of Sheffield student.

“There will be football matches against local teams and they will be taught about HIV testing and run education sessions. The current students love it.”

Later this month Kick4Life will become a household name as the charity which will benefit from the proceeds of this year’s World Cup single.

The song is called “We’re All England Underneath”, and has been written by English classical crossover artist Thomas Spencer-Wortley, with the vocals on the track provided by one

fan from each of the 92 clubs in the League, each one wearing their own club’s football shirt.

“It brings together all the rivalries, and shows that we’re all ‘England underneath’,” says Steve.

So how does Steve think the World Cup hysteria will affect South Africa – and Lesotho – in the long term?

“We hope it will promote Lesotho as it hasn’t been as well-publicised as perhaps it ought to have been in the run-up to the tournament,” he says.

“Symbolically it’s massive for Africa. Let’s hope it’s a success and a lasting legacy for South Africa and the continent as well.”

Further details on wheninroam.co.uk

ClOCKwisE frOm lEfT: the teams get the chance to show off their football skills on an Hiv awareness day; england head coach Fabio capello sits in on an Hiv test with Pule malephane; david beckham with thabo tau and Pule malephane from lesotho.

righT: a boy takes part in an Hiv awareness exercise, to teach children the causes of the disease and how to prevent it.

feature - worLd CuP


Kick4life all stars

The concept is simple: travel, play football, change lives.

We are now looking for people of all abilities to join our upcoming two-week tour in september 2011. during the tour you will: * Play against local teams in front of hundreds of supporters. * run hiv/aids education sessions at local schools and orphanages. full training provided. * Visit local AIDS projects to see how the money you raise will make a difference. * go on an adventure trip to lesotho’s beautiful mountain region.

Our tours are very popular with both men and women, and if you don’t fancy playing football there is still loads to get involved with.To take part you must be over 18, and raise a minimum of £2,500 which will cover flights, accommodation, full board, transport, a range of activities, and a large donation to charity.To find out more email [email protected] or call 07710 999 169.

“The Kick4life Tour is simply a life changing experience. helping to make a real difference to the children and communities of lesotho goes hand in hand with seeing the wonderful beauty of the people and landscapes of this amazing country.”

dave, Tour 2009 kick4life.org/allStarstours.htm

MythbustersIn our regular page we took to the streets to find out what goes through your head when thinking of india - and how close it is to the real deal. while most of you didn’t fail to mention Britain’s unofficial national dish – curry – here’s what else sprung to your minds, and what our very own madamE irma (right) thinks of it.

Coco, 21, leicestermilla, 19, salisbury victor, 18, norwich

India makes me think of spices, colour and hair

I immediately imagine Bollywood and skin bleaching

Isn’t India famous for hot weather and Slumdog Millionaire?

8/1010/10 2/10

Even ayshwarya rai, the queen of Bollywood, advertises skin whitening products

both answers are accurate. but, milla, did you know they are also related? in india fair skin is considered a sign of good looks, but not everyone is born with it. that is why, in order to look ‘sexy’, many indians put their health at risk by using dan-gerous products to get the desired paler look. as looks mean pretty much everything in

the film industry, actors and actresses are no excep-

tion to the rule. many of bollywood’s a-list stars seem to get paler as they become more

famous. Next time you watch a bollywood dance scene, pay at-tention to the main ac-tors’ skin complexion and how paler it is in comparison to that of actors dancing in the background. coincidence? i think not!

Spot on, coco! Spices are a big thing in india (i wonder which take-away pointed you to this an-swer), and, indeed, they come in many colours. in fact, india produces 86 per cent of all spices in the world, or 1.6 million tonnes a year! but did you know that the world’s must-visit spice market - misir carsisi bazaar - is actually lo-cated in the centre of istanbul, turkey.

Some of the most commonly-used spices in india are chilli pepper, cumin, garam masala and saffron.

as for hair, you are once again on top of your game! Few people associate india with locks, but,

just like pale skin, long hair is considered a sign of beauty and charm. in fact, a friend of mine who wears her hair at shoulder-length was pointed at on her trip to india

and constantly asked why she had ‘a young girl’s haircut’. if you want to see an impressive pic-ture gallery of ‘indian rapunzels’ go to indianra-punzels.com.

oh, victor! let me stop you right there by telling you that it is impossible to make meteorological generalisations about a country as big as india. the country stretches over three million square ki-lometres, which comprise six major climate zones ranging from desert in the west to alpine tundra and glaciers in the north. with its four seasons of summer, winter, monsoon and post-monsoon, india’s temperatures can vary from -6 c to 50 c nationwide. you forgot those tricky Himalayan mountains in the north, didn’t you?

and while we all loved Slumdog Millionaire over here in britain, it was a slightly different story back in india. a lot of critics didn’t ap-preciate the cheesy happy-ending of the story, which didn’t have much to do with the reality in Mumbai’s slums. A lot of Indian filmmakers also didn’t like the fact that indian movies on the same subject have not been as success-ful because they were not produced for Holly-wood. Have a look at Salaam Bombay and The Apu Trilogy if you want to score some points, victor!



We’re in the prime of our youth, and yet we’ve already sold our souls to schedules, fast-food and online-shopping. We’re so

reliant on things working out as planned that when a volcano freezes air traffic for a few days, chaos ensues.

After all, many of us are broke or unwill-ing to spend the bulk of our loans on trans-

port to the places we dream about – but we’re not ready to sit at home and miss out

on all this Big Wide World has to offer. That’s why we should go back to a slower-paced, sponta-

neous and adventure-filled life while we still can, and squeeze the best out of it by hitchhiking.

Hitchhiking is THE cheapest way to travel when you don’t have a deadline. Compare the maintenance of a dirt-free thumbnail with the price of a railcard, plane/coach/train/ferry ticket, car, or even a moped. Lola Moy, 21, is a frequent hitcher and says hitching has its perks: “While hitching I’ve been offered a night in a sauna house, booze, bread, business cards, chips, cof-fee, conversation, free entry to a metal gig, drum sticks and joints. I tend to only accept conversation and food, but my experience shows that hitching is cheaper than free.”

Of course, it’s one thing to hope to arrive in Berlin city centre by next Friday, and quite another to promise you’ll make it to your sister’s wedding in Barcelona by 10.30am tomorrow. You may find yourself waiting for a ride for three hours in the pouring rain, but you must be prepared for a bit of adventure.

Hitchhiking means you immerse yourself in the local culture from the start. When most people go abroad they pretend to soak in the culture of their host country staying in a hotel packed with tourists and visiting the main sights. If you’re a friendly hitcher you will make temporary friendships that will take you to places no

tourists will ever go.Lola says: “On every trip I got to meet a bunch of peo-

ple I’d never dream of talking to in my everyday life. I hitched a ride with the mayor of Villach, Austria, from a German petrol station and spent three days with an English metal band – Djevara - on their European tour.”

Admittedly, hitchhiking isn’t the most flawless mode of transportation. Every now and again, a news story comes out about raped or murdered hitchhikers and frightens us out of trying it. But these incidents are very rare in safe countries and rarer than train and plane crashes.

“Hitchhiking is dangerous” is an axiom repeated by family and friends. But Madeline Heys, 21 claims the fear of hitchhiking goes both ways.

“The people who stop are generally those who used to hitchhike themselves and who feel they can help out one of their kind. All the lovely people who picked us up did so because they’d been there before us,” Maddie says.

Like for anything, it is crucial to do some prior re-search about the countries you are aiming to hitch in. Accept that you can’t hitchhike everywhere: in certain countries like Yemen, just being a foreigner and out after dark is suicidal. But in other places hitching is sometimes a safer option than public transport. Costa Rican city buses are, in fact, yellow school buses from the 60s that have been shipped over because they do not meet health and safety rules in the US.

Hitching makes sense. Students will always be broke, and commuters will always drive half empty cars. So the more drivers who believe in hitchhiking as a logi-cal means of getting from point A to point B, the safer thumbers will be.

Give your wallet a break and your thumb some exer-cise. May the tradition of hitchhiking be continued by the broke and the spirited.

emmanuelle chazarin: Which way?

CoMMeNt - hItChhIKING

Don’t: accept a lift from anyone who is obviously drunk or on drugs, or who makes you feel uncomfortable; tell them to pull over if things don’t feel right and pretend that you are going to be sick if they don’t; hitch after dark; Never hitch alone if you are a woman.TiPs

Would you hitchhike?we all have thumbs, but a few of us are sitting on them. wherever your hands may be, you’ll probably be moving along shortly, so choose your weapon smartly: Easyjet, megabus, roller-skates, water-skis, or your friend’s mini maybe? a frequently ignored method is like time: on your hands. Some people just twiddle away their option to hitchhike. some criticise hitchhiking vehemently. and some just swear by it. we weigh up the pros and cons…


elizaveta young: No way!emmanuelle chazarin: Which way?

Do: hitch in high-visibility areas; find out the correct hitching sign for the country you are in; offer to pay for a lift if this is expected; frequently let someone at home know where you are and; be polite.

Would you hitchhike?

Imagine that you are freezing cold, standing in the pouring rain, on the side of a motorway. Now imag-ine that you have been standing there for six hours. And no one has stopped.

That, my friend, is a typical day in the life of a hitchhik-er. Normally people who stop are ex-hitchers themselves but they are few and far between. The rest of the time, you will be greeted with that overbearing stench of ex-haust fumes as the flickering lights of oncoming vehicles pass you without a moment’s thought.

You can’t blame them for driving past. In our world of sched-ules, working lunches and working overtime, most people just don’t have the time or energy to indulge in idle chit chat with a shabbily-clad stranger who doesn’t even have enough money for a bus.

Yes, hitchhiking is economically viable – it costs very little. It’s not free though, nothing ever is. The price you pay for a ride is often a slow and exhausting journey that doesn’t always get you where you want to go.

Ben James, hitch-hiking to Tallinn two years ago, dealt with this on a daily basis.

“There was a time that we were standing at a service station outside Berlin. It was really grey and miserable. My backpack weighed a ton and I was freezing.

“When we finally did get a lift, the driver only took us as far as he could go and dropped us off at a deserted road. It took us ages to flag down another ride from there,” said Ben.

It is widely acknowledged that hitching brings adventure and uncertainty - it can bring people together and forge friendships. But it can also go wrong.

Ben explains: “After a while I started to get sick of peo-ple in my group, we were always in each other’s pockets, it was really stifling. I had to bite my tongue so many times.”

Hitchhiking can also be very dangerous. Not cliché, but fact. It is often forgotten that by entering someone else’s vehicle, the hitcher cedes control of their journey.

A driver that at first glance seems harmless might sometimes turn out to be quite the opposite.

When Ben and his friends got a lift with a holistic doctor, they chose to overlook the bottles of pills scattered all over his car. They even overlooked the fact that the he didn’t speak a word of English. What they couldn’t overlook, though, was his weak grasp of road safety.

“He was driving so fast I felt sick. He kept looking at me and taking his eyes off the road. I tried to tell him that he was going too fast, so I pointed at his speed dial. But he thought I wanted to go faster and put his foot down. There weren’t even any seatbelts in the back,” said Ben.

Danger looms at every junction and behind every steer-ing wheel. Once you have climbed into the back of a car, you have effectively put your trust into a complete stranger. It’s impossible to render someone harmless when you have shared a five-second conversation with them as they rolled down their window. Would you trust them with your bank details? No. So why would you trust them with your life?

When Ben hitched a ride from a couple of young guys who were on their way back from a house party, little did he know that the driver held a bottle of Vodka at his feet and would persist in swigging from it as he drove.

If you stop romanticising hitchhiking and actually see it for what it really is: an exhausting journey that could easily go wrong, then you might think twice before embarking on such a makeshift adventure. When you add up all hitchhiking can really cost you, the bus suddenly doesn’t seem so bad.

lola moy, toby Hamand and

madeline Heys heading to Slovenia.

we all have thumbs, but a few of us are sitting on them. wherever your hands may be, you’ll probably be moving along shortly, so choose your weapon smartly: Easyjet, megabus, roller-skates, water-skis, or your friend’s mini maybe? a frequently ignored method is like time: on your hands. Some people just twiddle away their option to hitchhike. some criticise hitchhiking vehemently. and some just swear by it. we weigh up the pros and cons…

CoMMeNt - hItChhIKING


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PlaGE dE l’hErmiTaGE la SalinE - la réunion


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Think of a year abroad in france.Think being crammed onto the Paris métro like a sardine

as audrey Tautou beams sardonically back at you from the billboard?

Think being stranded at the gare du nord or Charles de gaulle airport as strikes bring your life to a standstill?

Think cold winters and even colder shoulders from rude, resentful residents? Think again.

Think: réunion island. david limB speaks to Ben harvey.

dise‘The reason I decided to go there,” says Ben Harvey, a

warm nostalgia already creeping into his voice, “was because of the cultural aspects - the fact that, histori-cally, it has always been a place which brings cultures

together.”Ben, a 24-year-old French and Economics student at the Univer-

sity of Sheffield, is referring to the Indian Ocean island of Réunion: a land where cockroaches fly, lizards sing, and Christmas dinner is served beneath the sweltering glare of the equatorial sun. The French-owned island, a mere crumb falling from the geo-

graphical malt loaf that is Africa, serves nonetheless as a real cauldron of cultures – a métissage of European, Indian, Chinese and insular traditions.

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Speaking of cauldrons, the industrial-sized pan of homemade rougail de saucisses – a na-tive dish consisting of spicy sausage and wild rice which has been simmering on the stove since my arrival - is just about done.

A self-confessed food fanatic, cuisine was al-ways going to be a key criterion for Ben when it came to choosing a suitable year abroad destination. As he soon found out, the arche-typal Gallic gastronomy is given something of a multicultural makeover by the Réunionese, with coffee and croissants giving way to rum and rougail (although, as he noticed in the novel concoction of cheese and ham samosas, the two are often quite experimentally blend-ed together).

“The funniest thing about being out there,” he tells me, pouring himself a m u c h - needed glass of wa-ter, “is the fact that they speak not just French, b u t also Creole. When t h e y talk, it sounds al-m o s t as if they are sing-

ing.” Getting to grips with what he calls a ‘bi-

zarre and full-on’ language was admittedly one of the biggest challenges Ben faced dur-ing his stay on the volcanic island, yet, with little prompt, he erupts into his own melodic rendition. After being subsequently shown a random Creole video-blog on YouTube, I’m forced to concede that his impression is pret-ty much spot-on.

Ben’s first taste of Creole was at the Ecole Henri Morange primary school where he spent the year as a teaching assistant. He quickly found that the ‘laziness’ of the lan-guage permeates very much into the work ethic of a people he claims ‘are in no rush’.

“I was lucky anyway because I only did 12 hours a week,” he says between mouthfuls of his beloved rougail. “It’s such a relaxed life-style. The island pretty much shuts up shop at 5pm.”

An extended winter break essentially left Ben with six weeks to play with; he managed

to shoehorn several sight-seeing sojourns around the south of the island into his hectic schedule of, as he eloquently puts it, ‘getting smashed’.

“We basically got the whole of January off, so we managed to get a fair bit of travelling done.

“The beaches in the south are more or less unspoiled since the tourists tend to go to Mauritius, which is only an hour away by plane. A couple of times we literally had the beach to ourselves,” he says.

Visits to towns like Saint-Pierre, Grands Bois and the unfortunately-named Tampon during the winter break gave Ben an appe-tite for adventure, and he managed to save enough money to spend the last month of his year abroad exploring other nearby islands.

“We spent a week in Mauritius. Getting around was unbelievably pricey, so we decid-ed to tour the island on a scooter,” he says.

“We also went to Rodrigues, which was by far the most chilled-out place I’ve ever been to.”

Asked what the biggest highlight of life on the island was, he ranks having his own swimming pool – obviously – quite highly.

“We used to have a lot of parties down by the pool and we knew a band who used to come over and play this really cool music called Maloya” - tones of which hum fittingly

“the beaches in the south are more or less unspoiled, since tourists tend to go elsewhere. a couple of times we literally had the beach to ourselves.”

ClOCKwisE frOm aBOvE: the swimming pool in the back garden of ben’s student digs; La margouillat à la Réunion - or ‘réunion house gecko’ - which, ben says, ‘sing’ through the night;ben halfway up the Piton des Neiges - or ‘Snow Peak’. at over 3,069 metres, the shield volcano is the highest point in the indian ocean

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ised clubs and bars on the west side of the is-land and in the capital of Saint-Denis.

Were there any significant downsides to staying in Réunion over a more conventional location in mainland France? Like any year abroad experience, life on the paradise island was not without some trouble:

“The average cost of living was 33 per cent more expensive in Réunion than in France,” he informs me, his laptop’s battery running down and his glass of red wine running dry. “I got €1,200 a month from teaching, with additional Erasmus grants on top of that, but rent and bills would easily account for over half of my income.”

Just as Réunion is hours in front of the rest of metropolitan France (due to the time difference, the island actually became the first region in the world where the euro became legal tender), Ben had to ensure he always stayed one step ahead of the game when it came to handling his finances. Then again, it probably came as second nature to the fourth-year Economics student.

The cost of food, he says, wasn’t exactly cheap ei-ther – hardly surprising, then, that violent protests broke out in the months prior to his arrival as the islanders vented their fury at rising prices.

As the Maloya fades to silence a n d the rouge supply dwin-dles, I ask him about his plans to return to his year abroad utopia.

“Well, it all depends on funds,” he tells me resignedly, returning to reality. “But in the mean time, I’m go-ing to meet up with another assistant from Henri Mor-ange in France over Easter,” he says, his face lighting up once more as his laptop screen loses lustre.

All puns intended, it prom-ises to be a memora-ble reun-ion…

enough from his iMac in the background. It’s clear from the outset that Ben, original-

ly from Portishead, Somerset, bears all the hallmarks of what can only be described as a complete immersion in the Réunionese way of life - his return to the drizzle and concrete of Sheffield acting as a sort of ‘culture shock in reverse’. A map of the island adorns his wall, and he points out the tiny town of Cambuston in the northern Saint-André commune where he spent the year.

Following a 6,000 mile flight to the French overseas département, he very much contin-ued to fly solo, well outside the range of the comfort zone offered by fellow English stu-dents who were staying on the remote island. Linguistically-speaking, the decision unques-tionably paid off.

“I stayed with two French guys, both teach-ers, in an old-school colonial villa, which was broken down into smaller flats.

The good thing about staying with proper ‘living’ people was that they showed me around and helped me with paperwork, and we used to cook together,” he says, his mind clearly meandering from his current student digs back to somewhat more idyllic quarters.

His advice, however, couldn’t be any more emphatic: “I would definitely recommend liv-ing with natives to anyone on a year abroad. They’re so helpful, and, in terms of language, you can definitely feel yourself improving within weeks.”

Aside from his housemates, Ben shared an equally warm rapport with his pupils, with the kids practically worshipping the ground he walked on (or, rather, cycled over, until his bike got pinched). Drawings of Monsieur Harvey now hang proudly from the walls of the adopted Réunionnais.

For Ben, classroom life served almost as a microcosm of the wider state of affairs on the island – the pupils representing a window onto a culture of naiveté and a general lack of education.

“The people in the centre of the island are quite cut off from the outside world,” he tells me. “I remember one time I was cycling home and saw sacrificial offerings scattered all over the road. One person even asked me if the sky was the same colour in the West, which just goes to show the differences in cultures, really.”

By a similar token, only a handful of his pu-pils had ever seen snow, and even then they had to climb over 10,000 feet of the Indian Ocean’s highest peak – the aptly-named Pi-ton des Neiges (or ‘Snow Peak’) – to do so.

Compared to his previous jobs, however – which ranged from landscape gardening to working for the RAC – teaching won hands down.

“There was only ever one fight in my class-room, and it was a bit of an effort to break it up. Looking back, it was pretty funny re-ally,” he says, a cheeky smile playing across his lips.

Instances of civil disobedience on the whole were, in fact, few and far between, and you’re probably more likely to fall victim to the is-land’s notorious cyclonic season – which lasts for six months out of the year – than of actual crime per se.

“We only got broken into once,” he says, tell-ing the story of how a visiting friend’s iPod

was stolen as she fell asleep listening to it. “Then again, we didn’t lock our doors that much.”

One act of petty crime which proved par-ticularly problematic was the theft of his bike. Cycling was Ben’s main means of get-ting from A to B as he sought to steer clear of ‘horrendous’ traffic jams and a severely jaundiced public transport system, of which the suitably-entitled ‘Yellow Buses’ were the forlorn markers.

Ever the pragmatist, however, he is quick to point out that it was only stolen during the autumn of his stay.

“It was only a couple of weeks before I had to leave, so it wasn’t such a big deal. That was one of the very few negatives, and the positives far outweighed them, anyway.”

Such sweet memories of Réunion are per-haps unsurprising given that sugar has tradi-tionally been the cornerstone of its economy; only in recent years have tourism and finan-cial aid from Paris replaced it as the primary source of national revenue.

Another import from the Parisians is the

“People in the centre are quite cut off from the out-side world. one person

even asked me if the sky was the same colour in

the west.”

feature - fraNCe

how do i say…hello, how are you? - Bonjour, ça va?Thank you. - merci.Bye bye! - au revoir/Ciao!nice to meet you. - ravi/e de faire votre/ta connaissance.how much is this? - C’est combien?i am a student from Britain. - Je suis à la fac en angleterre.i’m sorry, i don’t speak french. – Pardon, mais je ne parle pas bien français.

BE ThErE

- the essentials

Pint of beer £3



Pound of mangoes 50p

litre of milk 80p

Pack of cigarettes £5.50

bus fare 40p

gETTing ThErElondon Heathrow to Saint

denis airport return £796 with airFrance.

taxes and vat included.check skyscanner.net for real

time prices.

EU - No visa required

£1 = €1.17

quintessentially French ro-mance model, with no small number of ‘sleazy men’ on the prowl in the heavily Western-


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getting hired in lucas mostyn, 25, from reading:two years travelling and working all around the world, including Australia. His first job was working as a surfing instructor in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia.

Australia

“Your bar is on fire” - luke (right) and his boss vicky after she set the bar alight.

Ever fancied a job abroad but didn’t know how to go about it? Worry not. Every issue we profile three jobs in three different countries so that you are always in the loop. This time, we caught up with lucas, Kay and robbie - three students who worked in australia, germany and guatemala respectively.

i woke up in a bar in byron bay. it was midday and the heat hit me like a wave. lifting my head off the table, i was struck with a

number of sensations. i had a dull ache at the back of my head and my temples were throbbing.

the bar overlooked the sea and every time a wave came ashore, i felt a stinging pain running through me. they say the sound of water is relaxing. that wasn’t true for me. what did turn out true was the australians’ reputation for their huge drinking capacities. and if you don’t drink with them, they just don’t trust you. i found that out the hard way.

two months ago, i interrupted my degree in outdoor leadership and education at central lancashire university to work abroad for two years.

and there i was: waking up in a bar by myself, disoriented and with nothing left but a hangover. even my shirt was missing.

i looked down, and a shiver went through me. i had a number scrawled in black marker across my chest. what had happened last night?

the barman, whose respect i must have earned after the tenth shot of Sambuca the previous night, let me use his phone. i pressed the receiver to my ear and waited.

a woman answered the phone. “are you calling about the job?” she asked in her broad australian accent. it was at that moment that

the thick fog clouding the memo-ries of last night’s events began to clear.

i remembered a girl, who said she knew of a job, and could help.

“i am expecting you in two hours,” the woman continued. “you’re late, so get your ass on the bus!’”

the bus took me 330 miles down the coast of New South wales. ten hours later i arrived at a little town called Seal rocks, near bu-lahdelah and headed towards the wooden huts of my new employer: Seal rocks camping reserve.

i started off as a bar tender, but when a surfing instructor called in sick, my boss, vicky, who was 55, told me to take the class. up until then, i had never surfed before.

i somehow managed to convince the students that i was a genuine instructor. Soon, though, i started teaching seriously.

when i wasn’t teaching, i lent a hand behind the bar. one night, Vicky spilled lighter fluid on the bar top. “that’s pretty unsafe,” she said casually, striking a match. “i’ve got to get rid of that.”

then, before i knew it, the whole bar was on fire. People gathered around it and ordered shots and poked their hands through the flames to pick them up.

i stayed at Seal rocks for three months but I came back five times between travelling to other coun-tries during the following year. if my work visa hadn’t run out, i would still be in australia right now.

BE ThErE - the essentials Pint of beer £2.94glass of wine £2.86Portion of chips £2.60Pound of apples £1.50litre of milk £1.14Pack of cigarettes £2.37bus fare (1 mile) 95p

gETTing ThErE

london Heathrow to brisbane

international airport return

£791 with emirates airlines.

taxes and vat included.

visa - to get a working

Holiday visa for 12 months go

to visabureau.com

£1 = auS $1.75


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Getting fired in Kay weston, 21, from Birmingham:worked at a youth magazine in Dresden for seven months, as part as her university year abroad. Her boss was rude and abusive, and finally fired her.

how do i say…hello, how are you? - hallo, wie geht’s?Thank you. - danke schön.Bye bye! - Tschüss! / Tschau!nice to meet you - Schön, dich/Sie kennengelernt zu haben.how much is this? - wieviel kostet das?i am a student from Britain. - ich bin ein/e Student/in aus Grossbritannien. i’m sorry, i don’t speak german. – Es tut mir leid, aber ich spreche kein deutsch.

Germanyrld in 80 trades

Ever fancied a job abroad but didn’t know how to go about it? Worry not. Every issue we profile three jobs in three different countries so that you are always in the loop. This time, we caught up with lucas, Kay and robbie - three students who worked in australia, germany and guatemala respectively.

bosses can be a pain sometimes. but if you think yours is bad, wait until you hear my story.

a Journalism and german stu-dent, i worked at a magazine* dur-ing my year abroad in dresden.

my editor seemed to take an in-stant dislike to me, telling me that i came across as rude and cold because i didn’t make enough eye contact.

i was offended, but thought that i was being too sensitive.

ten days into my time at the magazine, the editor sent me to a press conference at an ice hockey rink. the stadium was enormous. i couldn’t find the conference room, and missed the event.

Back at the office he shouted at me, telling me that i had no per-sonality and was dead behind the eyes. i felt like a little girl being told off while all the other children pointed and laughed.

I found it increasingly difficult to work with him. i know editors can be critical, but his insults were de-moralising and often personal.

my boss took the piss out of me in company emails, criticised my german, and began to text and call me in the early hours of the morning with instructions for the following day.

His requests became more un-reasonable. one time, i was asked to collect a pen that he had left in an office across Dresden, and made to stick thousands of stick-

ers onto magazine covers for 11 hours without a break, all the time fielding calls demanding that I work faster.

i kept an online blog about my experiences, in which i discussed the success of other dresden magazines and suggested that the magazine could benefit from using similar techniques.

Four months before my place-ment was due to end, I was fired.

the reason? my blog. the editor said that it was libellous, and that i had spread lies to ruin his reputa-tion.

although he threatened to take me to court, i didn’t lodge a com-plaint, as i was unfamiliar with german law, and i knew that i was innocent.

the experience left me £2,000 in debt. i had to return the second in-stalment of my erasmus grant and pay the remaining rent for my flat in germany.

Soon after i returned to the uk, the editor emailed me request-ing articles i had worked on at the magazine. i told him that i didn’t owe him anything.

i later discovered that he was fired because of his conduct and the new editor of the magazine has since asked me to return - it seems my german wasn’t that bad after all.

*the name of the magazine has been omitted for legal reasons.

BE ThErE

- the essentials

Pint of beer £2.13



Pound of apples 60p

litre of milk £1.33

Pack of cigarettes £4.50

bus fare 65p

£1 = €1.15gETTing ThErElondon Heathrow to dresden airport return £155 with lufthansa airlines. taxes and vat included.

check skyscanner.net for real time prices.EU - No visa required

£1 = €1.17



Teaching in Guatemala

robbie (second from left on back row) with fellow

teachers at the Liceo

robbie Cowbury, 21, from, london: travelled around Central America for six months, spending the first two in Guatemala City, teaching English to underprivileged secondary school students.

how do i say…hello, how are you? - hola, ¿qué tal? Thank you. - Gracias.Bye bye! - adios/chao!nice to meet you. - Encantado/a.how much is this? - ¿Cuanto cuesta esto?i am a student from Britain. - Soy un/a estudiante de inglaterra.i’m sorry, i don’t speak spanish. – Perdón, pero no hablo español.

gETTing ThErE london Heathrow to

guatemala city airport return

£602 with continental airlines. taxes and vat included.No visa is required for stays of

up to 90 days. one extension

for a further 90 days is possible

through the Immigration Office.

£1 = 12.5 gtq

BE ThErE - the essentials

Pint of beer £1.10glass of wine 90p

Portion of chips 26pPound of apples £1

litre of milk 70pPack of cigarettes 90p

bus fare (1 mile) 4p

Palms sweating, i arrived for my first day at school. “Oh, god. this is it,” i thought.

i had spent weeks gearing up for this, but somehow it had never quite seemed real. only now, facing the door of classroom 4 at El Liceo Britanico Guatemalteco, did i realise what i had let myself in for.

i had tried to brush up on my Span-ish, and researched guatemalan cul-ture, but no one had prepared me for the barrage of anxieties my panicked mind was creating:

“who do i talk to?” “How do i earn the pupils’ respect?” “what if they make fun of me in Spanish slang that i can’t understand?”

El Liceo Britanico Guatemalteco was set up ten years ago by british charity Studyguatemala, chaired by Phil melling, my Spanish teacher in london. thanks to him i didn’t have to pay huge sums of money to inter-mediary volunteering organisations and got straight onto the project, pro-viding disadvantaged children with a free education.

the headmaster, eduardo estrada espel, told me i would be teaching pupils between 16 and 18-years-old. this was a daunting prospect, but when he asked me to coach their foot-ball team, my worries eased. at least we might bond over a mutual love of footie.

my students teased me about my accent and poor Spanish vocabulary. they led hard lives and were highly unmotivated - learning english wasn’t their priority.

one pupil, Nosara urcuyo, 17, told me that most of them believed that, school or no school, they’d end up liv-ing in the slum for the rest of their lives. “it’s where we belong,” she said.

although chatting to the students wasn’t difficult, my A-level Spanish was far from perfect. guatemalan Spanish sounds nothing like castilian Spanish.

the latino verb for ‘to take’, for in-stance, is ‘tomar’. the verb i learnt at school was ‘coger’, which in latin america means ‘to fuck’. thanks to

this discrepancy, not only did i cause many awkward situations, i was also the butt of countless jokes.

what frustrated me even more than being made fun of was the guatema-lan attitude to time.

after coaching the football team for a while, my students told me they’d love to play tournaments against other schools’ teams. amazed at the level of enthusiasm, i was determined to do everything in my power to make some matches happen.

Four weeks of arguing with the Li-ceo’s stubborn headmaster paid off: the american school had sent their team over for a friendly match. ev-erything was in place. the sun was shining, but it wasn’t too hot. all we would have to wait for was the ref-eree’s whistle. i went to look for my team and tell them to hurry up when i realised only four of my students were there. i had to cancel the match. the guest team was furious, and i looked like a fool.

this lack of respect for time pushed my english rigidity to the limit, and made every day a challenge: home-work was left undone, and the stu-dents treated english classes like a social event.

once they realised i would soon be leaving, they started trying harder, learning their vocab and even using those nasty grammatical rules.

on my last day, the group gave me farewell letters. “you teached me to be better,” amelia Soto wrote. “i will remember you 4ever.” yes, they were sometimes lazy, but i felt deeply touched and proud.

my advice for anyone who’d like to do what i did? don’t expect teaching to be wonderful, or easy, or instantly rewarding. It’s tricky and difficult to work and live in a foreign country. but once you stop comparing everything to the way we do things at home, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the culture, make new friends, and have a great time. and once you’ve reached that stage, your language will improve faster than you ever thought possible.

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Whether you’re laid-back or a neat freak, take our quiz to find out the best country for your working style.

destination unknown?

1. what sector would you prefer to work in?

a. technology b. conservation c. Hospitality d. Science e. arts

2. you wake up late and will be late for work. what do you do?

a. call everyone involved in your route to work, to check that everything is running on time. b. turn up as soon as you canc. call your boss to tell him/her that you will be ten minutes late, then run as fast as you can.d. As long as it’s my first ‘late’, then it’s ok. i’d call my boss to warn them, but i’d still rush like crazy.e. it’s okay, my boss will prob-ably be late too.

3. What’s the first thing you do when you get to work?

a. Straight to the roof, for our morning exercise class.b. catch up with my mates.c. Have a cigarette and a coffee to bump up my caffeine reserves.d. rigorously clean my com-puter keyboard and telephone handset with disinfectant.e. Start counting down the hours until my next break.

4. it’s lunchtime, where will you head to eat?

a. lunch? i’ve got targets to reach. i might eat when i get home.b. to the bar – liquid lunch!c. i’ll have two hours to eat, so i’ll go to a stylish bistro for a salad and a glass of red.d. i’ve brought a packed lunch to eat at my desk.e. i’ll go home, for a quick snack and a snooze.

7. it’s the end of your working day, what time do you leave?

a. i’ve just got a few more things to finish…I’d better call home to say i’ll be late.b. as soon as the surf’s up.c. It’s flexible: some days I leave at 3, others i work until 6.d. i must leave work no later than 6:02pm, because din-ner will be on the table at 6:30 sharp.e. about 10pm, before head-ing out to a club with my col-leagues.

6. you’re really busy at work, but your boss asks you to do something out-side of your usual role. what do you say?

a. Say, “absolutely, sir!” you’ll do whatever it takes to advance your career.b. Say, “let me get back to you on that…” you’re never busy, but it depends if what s/he’s asking seems too much like hard work!c. Say, “that’s not in my job de-scription – i’m going on strike,” before going to speak to your union representative.d. Say, “No problem, sir. i’ll just rearrange my schedule,” but worry that your efficiency will suffer.e. Say, “i think that guy over there is interested” before pre-tending to busy yourself with a phone call.

5. whilst away on a business trip abroad. a volcano erupts, spread-ing ash into the airspace. You can’t fly home, even though you have an im-portant meeting the fol-lowing morning. what do you do?

a. No ash will stop you. you will take any kind of transportation that will ensure your presence at the meeting.b. decide you’ll go travelling in the country you’re stuck in…at least until the ash clears.c. Start making angry phone calls to the airline companies - complaining gets you every-where.d. mutter under your breath that the airlines should be prepared for this – if it was your responsi-bility you would Not be caught short.e. morning meetings? they must have you confused with someone else.

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if you’re a native speaker of English we could have

just the job for you!frisky larr & friends is one of germany’s leading translation

companies and constantly searching for proof-readers.

email your cv to Friday [email protected]

mostly Es: spain. you don’t find waking up in the mornings easy, and so a job in spain would be perfect for your nocturnal tendencies.

destination known:if you replied...

mostly Cs: france. you believe that striking is an important part of work. if you don’t tell them they’re wrong, how will they know? Your job isn’t everything – you work to live, not live to work.

mostly as: Japan. your organised approach and love of

timetables means that

you’ll fit right in here.

mostly ds: germany. for you, time is money, and keeping to your routine is of the utmost importance. Your efficiency makes you a valuable asset in any german workplace.

mostly Bs: australia. you’re laid back and

have an easy-going attitude. your passion

for the outdoors makes you the

perfect candidate for the aussie world of work.

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An Urban Girl Converted

‘Just close your eyes and think of neither the past nor the present, just be in this very moment

right now. Calm your mind.” I shut my eyes, and tried to do

as I was told. The smell of incense wafted over me, I could hear the quiet chanting from the monks next door. But my mind was dancing, thoughts raced through my brain, and I became frustrat-ed. I shouldn’t be thinking about my car tax, or whether I had left my GHD hair straighteners on. I was rubbish at this.

It was my first ever meditation lesson. I was sitting in a mag-nificent temple, surrounded by paintings, offerings and statues of Buddha.

Ewan was trying to teach me about the lifestyle of a monk, which included numerous hours of silent meditation - the path to enlightenment - and all I had managed to achieve was a seri-ous case of pins and needles. I didn’t think I would be shaving my head any time soon.

I had come to Samye Ling, a Buddhist monastery in Scotland,

firstly, to escape the infinite pres-sures that came with the final year of university, and, secondly, because the thought of spend-ing my Easter holidays at home with my batty grandparents was more than I could handle. I was completely unprepared - my Bud-dhist knowledge stretched as far as my rare appearances in A-lev-el Religious Studies. But I told myself this was a quest, a voyage of spiritual discovery, and by the end of my week in the monastery I was on my way.

a material girl enters the mystical world

When I first arrived at Samye Ling, I was taken aback. There I was - a city girl in UGG boots, shorts and my favourite Gucci sunglasses – standing in front of a vast temple in the middle of nowhere. I looked ridiculous, and soon became very aware of two robed men silently observing me. I stumbled over to them, drag-ging my pink suitcase across the gravel path and asked where to check in. They smiled at

do you have the will to leave behind your facebook, iPod and clubbing and go on a spiritual retreat? Our writer lEah whiTfiEld proves that a short trip to scotland can help discover what really matters in life.

feature - sCotLaNd


my answer. He smiled, patted my hand

with his and said: “How can you look after your family, when you yourself are not alright?”

This was a man who, within a minute of meeting me, had made me question and change my self-image.

Gendun took me on one of his famous tours. He showed me the stupa - an impressive building with a white and gold steeple, which housed numerous sa-cred and religious relics. He told me that it was also home to three sets of robes from the first Buddha. We walked together around the

Peace Gardens. I was thank-ful for the unusually beautiful

weather. Not as much as Gend-un though, as he told me that having a shaved head made

it almost impossible to be warm in winter. I smiled and said I should call him Gen-dhi, the next Gandhi.

The idea, however, was quickly shot down. There were lakes, stat-

ues, rivers, flowers, peacocks and an unusual-looking tree covered in bright pieces of cloth which fluttered in the wind. It was a Cloutie Tree. An ancient tradi-

tion said that it granted wishes when a piece of cloth was tied on its branches. I looked at the hundreds of prayer cloths, some grey and tattered, others new and colourful.

One read: “My darling Joe, I miss you with all my heart. You were taken too early from me. I wanted to walk down that aisle and spend the rest of my life with you. I pray you are happy up there away from the violence and the suffering. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of you. Yours always, Kate.”

Everything in the monastery had a reason behind it. You could

“coming from a christian fam-ily i was used to cold bare church-es. this was the opposite, and between the two i knew which one i

preferred.”

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m me, and told me that the recep-tion was the building opposite.

My room was small and simple: a single bed, which I had to make up myself. Hardly the Hilton lifestyle. Golden letters, which I presumed were Tibetan, were inscribed above the door. I later found out they spelt out a protection prayer for all who walked beneath them.

The monastery wasn’t big - there were maybe 30 monks and nuns living there at the time. The residents varied from Bud-dhists to those who just wished to live a calm and serene life in a small community.

So there I was: over the Scot-tish border, with no signal on my phone, showers that were cold, and food that looked like something my rabbit would eat. And I couldn’t have been happier.

The temple

The heart of the mon-astery was the temple, a magnificent build-ing boldly coloured in gold, red, blue and green. Smiling dragons peeked at me over the edges of the gutters as I en-tered. Inside I felt as though I had walked into a different world. The temple demanded respect as you immedi-ately knew you were some-where very spiritual. There were tall colourful paintings of smiling Buddhas, spinning gold prayer wheels, each with mantras inscribed upon them. Mats were laid down ready for the day’s meditation groups. Two large gongs glistened as rays of light spilled through the ornate window. The ceiling, the pillars - everything had been lovingly painted in complicated

patterns. A golden Buddha, eas-ily four metres high, sat cross-legged, deep in meditation, at the front of the temple. The warm temple air carried the sweet smell of flowers, which had been left as an offering to Buddha, mixed with the musky smell of sandalwood incense slowly burn-ing in the corner.

I couldn’t believe how beautiful and joyous the temple was. Com-ing from a Christian family I was used to cold, bare churches. This was the opposite, and between the two I knew which one I pre-ferred.

Turning ZenIt was at lunch on my first day

that I met Gendun. He was a loud, outgoing and cheeky Scot-tish monk. I was told that if I wanted a tour or information, he was my guy. I approached him in the dining room, ready to be po-lite and ask if he had any time to show me around. I was caught off-guard as he held his hand up to stop me mid-introduction. He smiled at me and took my hand, examined both sides, looked me straight in the eye and said: “If you had a choice between look-ing after your family or looking

after yourself, which would you choose?”

I looked at him, c o n f u s e d .

Was he try-ing to find

out if I

was a good person, a

compassionate person? “My family,” I replied, unsure of

above: leah in front of a statue in the tara Healing garden in Samye ling.

“there i was - a city girl in ugg boots, shorts and my favorite gucci sunglasses – standing in front of a vast temple in the middle of

nowhere.”

feature - sCotLaNd


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only walk clockwise around the gardens so as not to disturb the energy. The shrine in the river was there to balance the feng shui of the Temple.

It was when I met Ewan that I knew this was going to be a trip I wouldn’t forget. He had been a monk for a year, left to pay off his student debts, and returned ready to be re-ordained. I can’t explain how I felt when I first met him apart from being drawn to the sense of calm I felt in his presence. We spent time together

as often as we could: in the Tibetan tearooms, walking by the river, and doing chores. Be-ing Scottish, he took to calling me Bonnie. He taught me about the Buddhist teachings and answered my questions. He was set to go on a four-year retreat in Sep-tember in order to spend time alone meditating and working towards his spiritual goal.

I spent my mornings meditating and doing the washing up from breakfast. All the food was vegetarian or veg-an and much of it was home-grown, so there was always gardening to do. I would take a walk before lunch and

then attend prayers. The first time I sat in the tem-

ple, I wasn’t ready for what I was about to hear. Ani Lhamo, the head nun, was chanting a bizarre language in an almost trance-like state. I didn’t understand what she was saying and got the giggles half-way through, while everyone else was deep in con-centration. I spoke to Ani Lhamo after the session, and she talked me through the prayers. She

showed me the English transla-tions, so that they finally made sense.

There was no night life in the monastery. Alcohol and any other harmful substances were strictly banned. That left evenings to be spent playing board games, sip-ping green tea and talking to the monks next to a roaring fire.

I expected the monks to be bor-ing, but their individual personali-ties shone through, and they all had a great sense of humour. Ewan was calm, but slightly insecure. Gendun was broad Scottish, a real entertainer and a self -confessed ‘former ladies man’. And James’s awful jokes could challenge those of my drunk uncle on Christmas Day.

Back to the 9-to-5Samye Ling was like a different

world. There was no mad rush

or panic, everything was calm and peaceful. Those living there were always happy, and there was no mindless backstabbing, complaining or negativity. I felt accepted by them. They appreci-ated me listening and trying to understand their lives, and in re-turn they were respectful about mine, whilst gently offering tips about how to live a happier one. All they wanted was to help me. My stay in the monastery did put my life in perspective and made me realise that I’ve been living a whirlwind life of flitting from so-cial scene to social scene, spend-ing money on trivial things and being thoughtless in general.

Leaving Samye Ling was one of the strangest and hardest things I’ve ever had to do. My short stay there had had such a massive impact on me that the idea of returning to the noise, anger and ignorance of society made me consider not leaving at all. The warm goodbye from the monks was moving. Gifts were offered - little trinkets and reminders of my stay. And in no time at all I was back on the motorway, returning to my life of nine-to-five lectures, nightclubs and triviality. As I walked through my front door I found a box addressed to me and filled with tiny origami birds.

A letter inside read: “Bonnie, You’ve found your wings, you just need to learn to fly.”

“the monk smiled, patted my hand with his and said: ‘How can you look after your family, when you yourself are not alright?’”

the Shrine room of the temple - the four-feet-tall golden buddha serves as inspiration to the worshippers

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Take a dive on the side!

As winter melts into spring, some of the UK’s most uncon-ventional swimming pools are once again open for business. Though it may seem like madness to immerse your pale, winter skin into Britain’s icy natural pools, devotees of ‘wild

swimming’ claim that there is nothing more refreshing and invigorat-ing.

Exploring Britain’s outdoor is becoming a popular activity nation-wide – not just in the warmer South.

You don’t even need to take the full plunge to go wild swimming, as there are plenty of clean, beautiful places to just enjoy paddling and sitting in the sunshine (when we get it!).

Wild swimming has enjoyed much publicity in the last year, with a TV series by Robson Green exploring top UK wild swimming des-tinations, and a Radio 4 programme with Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, on what draws people into swimming the open sea and secluded lakes of Britain.

So, for those of you planning a ‘staycation’ this year, or for those who fancy a jaunt with a difference, here are WheninROAM’s top five wild UK summer swims. We’ve included two which are easily accessed by rail or bus, and three more which are ‘off the beaten track’ – so you’ll need to take the car and some sturdy walking boots! Don’t forget to check out wheninroam.co.uk for your print-out direc-tions and maps of each spot.

Fans of Harry Potter may enjoy the train ride even more than the swim – the train station here was used for Hogsmeade Station in the Harry Potter films, and the sta-tion shop was transformed into the Prefects’ room.

the thomason Foss waterfall drops into a deep plunge pool (20m) in a woodland glade. People often come to float lazily on the sunlit pool under the canopy.

Thomasson foss, goathland

By train or busPen-doll rocks, Builth wellsNearest station:builth road, 1kmgrid reference: So 032521Postcode: ld2 3rd (100m S)

Pen-doll rocks is an impressive series of pools and rapids leading downstream to white, sandy bays. a wildlife-watcher’s dream, the river is home to all kinds of fauna, includ-ing herons, kingfishers and otters. Swimmers should note that this area is dangerous in high water.

Fed up of the noise, foam floats and screaming children at your local swimming pool? Then why not give our secret outdoor swimming spots a try? Dive in to find out Emma CrYan’s top five summer splashes.

Nearest station: grosmont, 4kmgrid reference:Nz 826022Postcode:yo22 5le (500m e)

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Take a dive on the side!

Nearest station: beauly, 50kmgrid reference: NH 277238Postcode: iv4 7ly (3km Sw)

Tongue Pot,Eskdale valley

Put on your boots!

Three shires head, flashNearest station: buxton, 10kmgrid reference: Sk 010685Postcode: Sk17 0Sw (2km Nw)

at the place where the three shires of derbyshire, Stafford-shire and cheshire meet, there lies a bub-bling tub high atop axe edge moor - a plunge pool below two medi-eval bridges. Famous as a no-man’s-land, where no county sher-iff could arrest wrong-doers, the townsfolk of nearby Flash exploited their location by mak-ing counterfeit ‘Flash’ money and going to three Shires Head to exchange it for goods.

hOw TO BEwild & safE

- wear footwear if you can;- Never swim alone: go with friends;- keep an eye on weak swimmers;- cover cuts and wounds with waterproof plasters, and;- avoid contact with blue-green algae, sometimes found on lake edges in summer

Plodda falls, Tomich

dive into the deep, black plunge pool which lies at the bottom of Scotland’s second highest waterfall, high up a densely-forested canyon.

Not for the faint-hearted, the hike to the top is a challenge, but once there you will be re-warded with stunning views. the cool water will revive you, but make sure that you go slowly on the way down: stop for a pint and a sarnie at the tomich hotel and pub – you’ll need the rest!

Nearest station: ravenglass, 18kmgrid reference: Ny 227035Postcode: ca19 1tH (5km Ne)

a long, meandering series of pools creates the legend-ary tongue Pot, high up in the mountains.

the pool is quite deep in plac-es (about 5m), so the more ad-venturous among you can jump in from the surrounding rocky outcrops. but if that isn’t really your thing, the smaller pools above and the shallow, sunny kail Pot below ensure that there is something here for everyone – if they can handle the trek!

wild wild swimming (vb.):

1. Swimming in natural waters such as rivers, lakes and waterfalls.2. dipping or plunging in secret or hidden places, sometimes in wilderness areas.3. action of swimming wildly, such as jumping or diving from a height, using swings or slides, or riding the current of a river.


if a HArD mAN is good to find, WHere on earth do i start looking?

Boy meets girl, m eets girl

Men who know what they’re doing in bed are a dying

breed. But, according to the results of a survey re-leased last month, some countries have more than their fair share.

Where? Spain, Brazil and Italy, to name only a few.

OnePoll asked 15,000 women worldwide how satisfied they were with their men’s perfor-mance in bed. Spanish men won, narrowly beating the Brazilian

runners-up. The Italian stallions made it into third spot.

While Spanish women agreed on strong passion as their men’s hottest attribute, women in Bra-zil gave stamina as the reason for their lovers’ top notch sex skills. And the Italians managed to im-press with their presumably me-lodic dirty talk.

So, ladies, if you’re travelling in search of sexual satisfaction, you now know where to go.

And thanks to the poll, you’ll have a clear understanding of which places to avoid, too. Ger-man men have been voted the

world’s worst lovers, narrowly beating English men to the du-bious honour. English women accused their blokes of being too lazy, and German fellas are ap-parently too smelly. Swedish lov-ers were branded ‘too quick to finish’, and were voted third.

Other countries who didn’t fare well in the poll were Scotland (too loud), Turkey (too sweaty) and Wales (too selfish).

It was a close shave, but Rus-sian men came tenth by a whis-ker amid accusations that they are too hairy for the average woman.

once upon a time, a traveller by the name of Hugh Brough-ton met a girl so beautiful that the sun itself had to catch its

breath whenever it had the honour of shining down on her. Kaylee Prince, a fellow explorer, bestowed upon Hugh the impression that she was longing to find her prince.

Within the spellbinding surroundings of the Han-nover Inn, Hugh struck up a rather pleasant con-versation with Kaylee. She gazed into Hugh’s eyes for hours on end, holding his hand, caressing his knee, and whispering a few tender words. It was clear that Miss Prince had taken a shine to this Mr Charming.

With temperatures rising and wine receding, Hugh headed for the bar in a quest to replenish the refreshment reserves.

After retrieving two freshly-filled goblets of the heady brew, he turned around to make headway back to his fine wife-to-be. He was greeted instead, however, by an unexpected and unwanted scene.

Although Kaylee was dancing to the rapturous music, she was not alone in being lost in rhythm. The beautiful Kaylee now had the strapping Hui (pronounced Hugh) Wang Manley for company.

As if this predicament wasn’t trouble enough for our bewildered hero, Hui also happened to be a girl.

Hui was holding Kaylee close and smothering her with kisses, yet Hugh dismissed the incident as a sudden storm of female emotions.

“I am far from losing this battle,” the fearless

knight told himself. Kaylee had not, after all, de-clared that she was looking for a princess and not a prince.

However, she had never stated the opposite ei-ther.

It was now late, or, rather, early. Hui had left, and Kaylee took Hugh by the hand and led him into the garden.

They picked up where they left off, continuing to converse, and eventually agreed to take a carriage home together.

Kaylee held Hugh’s hand firmly during the ride home, the noble paladin still disarmed by fair maiden’s beauty. Overcome by desire, Hugh could think only of escorting Kaylee up the stair, through the opulent halls of the Hannover Youth Hostel, and, finally, to his boudoir.

Hardly had ten minutes passed before the carriage ar-rived at their abode, and Hugh’s longing to fulfil his intentions grew by the second.

Then, from the neighbouring c a r -riage sprang Hui, kindly offering her companionship.

As another lost traveller had taken the liberty of oc-cupying Kaylee’s sleep-ing quarters, Hugh and Hui both offered their hospitality to the now-distressed damsel.

Hardly had Kaylee heard both friends’ proposals when she sprang up and


what’s Chinese for ‘sex’?

if a HArD mAN is good to find, WHere on earth do i start looking?

Boy meets girl, m eets girl

world’s worst lovers, it is time to pull up your sleeves, and start working on those bedroom skills. dr les Parrott’s Crazy Good

Sex might help. nEw from £11.69 on amazon.co.uk

“These results are an eye-open-er for thousands of men around the world and female travellers might judge potential new lovers by looking at these results,’’ said Mark Spencer, of OnePoll.com.

By winniE aGBonlahorThe OnePoll survey to find the

world’s best and worst lovers has left out an entire continent and the biggest country in it – China. But why?

maybe getting people to open up was tricky? “chinese people usually consid-er talking about sex bad taste,” writes Jun Shan, a Shanghai columnist.

the state’s attitude towards sex has been overly prudish for decades. Since being established in 1949, the People’s republic of china has banned porn. anyone who produces, distributes, or purchases lewd magazines, books, or videos can be penalised. usually the punishment is just a fine and a warn-ing, but in 2005 the creator of china’s biggest porn site was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sociologist li yinhe, china’s leading sex expert, said just a generation ago, holding hands and kissing in public was virtually unheard of.

china, however, is undergoing a sexual revolution. “Sex liberation sty-mied by law,” trumpeted a front-page article in the official China Daily. The newspaper ran an in-depth piece that questioned whether china’s laws on sexual behaviour are lagging behind

the times.the issue arose after ma yaohai, a 53-year-old college profes-sor, and 21 others went on trial in the South-eastern city of Nanjing accused of ‘group licentiousness’. by having an orgy, the 22 members of a swinger club broke chinese law and could now face up to five years in jail.

However, ma, the only defendant pleading not guilty, has the public’s backing. according to a survey, 70 per cent of chinese citizens believe he should be acquitted.

despite the government’s attempts to stop an increase of sexual liberty, chi-na has shifted toward a more progres-sive view on sex, partly due to rising prosperity, li says.

So, why did the poll exclude china? with a population busting china’s ca-pacity, making necessary a one-child policy, there’s one aspect about the chinese culture that cannot be disput-ed: they are having sex. lots of it. So, by questioning women from all around the globe except for china, onePoll is retaining interesting information from the public’s eye. this move also sheds a light on the survey’s one-sidedness and shows a lack of professionalism. come on, onePoll - you can do better than that!

want to keep up with the world’s best lovers? read Jay wiseman’s tricks...to Please a Man.nEw from £9.89 on amazon.co.uk

world’S worst loverS 1. germany (too smelly) 2. england (too lazy) 3. Sweden (too quick) 4. Holland (too dominating) 5. america (too rough) 6. greece (too lovey-dovey) 7. Wales (too selfish) 8. Scotland (too loud) 9. turkey (too sweaty) 10. russia (too hairy)

wOrld’s BEsT lOvErs 1. Spain (passionate) 2. brazil (great stamina)3. italy (italian dirty talk)4. France (creative)5. Ireland (selfless)6. South africa (athletic)7. australia (nice shape)8. New zealand (polite)9. denmark (attentive)10. canada (kinky)

hurried towards Hugh’s bed-chamber. Overwhelmed with surprise and lust, Hugh followed.

Kaylee grabbed his hand tightly and refused to re-linquish. Not a word need be uttered. Kaylee scuttled through the door and threw herself on Hugh’s divan. Hugh, hardly able to contain his covetousness, fol-lowed suit, but was met with mild refutation by Kay-lee.

Rather than consummating their union, the two merely shared a mattress, their bodies strongly re-sembling two serving ladles next to each other.

Exhausted from the day’s excitement, Hugh resigned himself to slumber, and was asleep within seconds.

It was at that moment that Kaylee reappeared, sud-denly taken by an unfathomable sense of urgency. With Hugh under a spell, however, she departed.

When Hugh awoke the next morning, his eyes were immediately drawn to a note Kaylee had left by his side.

“Please remind me of the exact location of your dwellings, my dear,” it read. The ink still wet, it would appear as though the message had been delivered mere moments after Kay-lee had left Hugh the previous night.

It was too late. Kaylee had already fled back to the shores of her motherland.

“I have missed my chance forever!” thought Hugh, feeling the urge to introduce his head to a nearby brick wall. He could not believe that he had let pass an opportunity to quench his thirst for a touch of Kaylee’s statuesque curves, her shapely bosom, and her deep-red lips.

He lived miserably ever after.The End

SExiOn


for daily updated travel news, tips and pictures, go to:

wheninroam.co.uk

TaKe a Wander doWn under

Next Issue oN saLe froM WedneSday SepTember 1


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30 travel facts you won’t forget

1. it is impossible to get sun-burnt on the beach of the dead Sea because it lies 400 metres be-low sea level, and has a fog layer that is so thick it won’t even let harmful uv-rays through.

2. Papua New guinea has more than 700 different spoken languages from 14 different language groups.

3. more than half of all women pack more than 50 items of clothing for a two-week holiday.

4. men are able to hold an erec-tion for longer after they are stung by the australian irukandiy Jelly-fish.

5. the average hiker spends about £2 per mile while hiking.

6. amsterdam has a zone especially for open-air sex: in the so-called vondel Park, you are al-lowed to have sex day and night.

7. alaska has almost as many planes as cars.

8. ten pounds of italian olives make about a litre of olive oil.

9. the av-erage human walks about 6,000 steps every day, i.e. walks around the world four times in the

course of his/her life.

10. the american kent Couch flew 310 km hanging from 105 helium balloons. in order to land, he continued popping bal-loon after balloon, until he was fly-ing low enough to jump off.

11. while cats have nine lives in brit-ain, they only get seven in germany.

12. the only plac-es in the world with no speed limits on motor-ways are germany, the isle of man, and two federal states in india.

13. taiwan and luxembourg are the only countries with more mobile phones than citi-zens.

14. the full name of l.a., i.e. los angeles, is el Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la reina de los angeles del rio de Porciuncula.

15. The first ever beer in a can was launched in richmond, virginia in 1935.

16. the words ‘i love you’ in morse code look as follows: ../… … ./. . ..

17. N e w york has more ital-ians than rome, more irishmen than dublin and more black people than any other city in the world.

18. the oceans are ordinar-ily 3990 metres deep.

19. there are 11 different spoken languages in South africa.

20. the word ‘ c a n a d a ’ o r i g i n a l l y meant ‘big village’.

21. g r e e c e ’ s national an-them has 158 verses. ord inar i ly , only the first two are sung.

22. Nelson mandela’s real name is rolihlahla mandela, which literally means “one who causes trouble”.

23. kenya is home to ele-phants so clever they can imitate the sound of a passing lorry.

24. the Spanish word for ‘wives’ is the same as for ‘hand-

cuffs’: las esposas.

25. if you import a plastic bag to zanzibar city, tan-zania, you could face a fine of up to £1,500.

26. The mafia is the biggest commercial enterprise in italy. its annual profits lie at around €100 trillion (£86.8), which is twice as much as Fiat makes.

27. a shark can detect blood in water even if it is diluted on a 1/100 millilitre ratio.

28. the act of sexual inter-course takes chimpanzees a whole seven to eight seconds.

29.there are about 20 mil-lion traffic signs in Germany, one every 30 yards.

30. The flag of the Domini-can republic is the only one in the world that features an illustration of the bible.

Nature’S viagra: Jellyfish

FlyiNg HigH: kent couch’s aerial adventure

well-regulated: German traffic signs

goodFella: an Italian mafioso


for daily updated travel news, tips and pictures, go to:

wheninroam.co.uk

TaKe a Wander doWn under

Next Issue oN saLe froM WedneSday SepTember 1


oz in a campervan

WildBritain

in the eye of

the storm: surviving a

hurricane

Win a trip for 2

to Sydney

ski and easy:the best resorts for

beginners

ROAMwhen in

escape the winter blues

from Melbourne to Brisbane, we barbie, swim and sing the summer away


order your copy now for £22.50 on russiaforbeginners.ru/order/

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