Newsletter Issue 13 - 20th September 2002

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Karibuni newsletter!

Coming up below you can find out who the competition winners were from the last edition, along with all the usual articles and features from the world of travel…including details of our special October giveaway for skiing trips- great savings to be had!

For those of you who are reading our newsletter for the first time, we hope you enjoy it and if you have any comments, feedback or amusing stories or travel articles to share, then please send them through to info@karibuni.co.uk

Coming up in this exciting issue: -
Karibuni News
- Beef Jerky Competition winners
- Calling all teachers - ski at half term without kids!
- Featured Trip - Lake District 3-days
- October Skiing Special Discount
Travel News
- The Science of James Bond
- Bore-riding…a new surf experience
- Windy times mean ferry savings!
Travel Feature
- Malaga - more than you may think!
Global Quickies
- Humorous news from around the world

Karibuni News

Beef Jerky Winners
The winners of our last newsletter competition have been enjoying their Beef Jerky - that great outdoor/trail food which is now available in the UK from Wild West Jerky.
The lucky winners were - Tania Cadogan, Wendy Barbe, Paul Montador, Ross Kennedy and Sherina Lim so congratulations to them all.
If you want to get your hands on some bags of jerky, then visit www.wildwestjerky.co.uk

Calling all teachers - ski without kids!
Just back to school after the long summer break and thoughts must be switching to the next holiday already… And what better than a half term skiing week in February…in our very cosy chalet which is guaranteed kid free!
Yes, enjoy eating your breakfast without the sound of screaming children…dinner won't be affected by any unruly kids, and the sofas are ideal for chatting or watching a video without any juvenile interruptions!

We have availability on 8th Feb and 22nd Feb but are already full for the w/c 15th Feb…so hurry now to book your half-term ski holiday. And see below for details of our "October Ski Special"
Details can be found at www.karibuni.co.uk/snowhome.htm

Featured Trip - Lakes 3 day Adventure Weekend
Are you in need of a break from work and the city?
Summer holiday seem a long time ago?

Then ask your boss for a Friday off work and come and join us for a 3-day break in the beautiful Lake District. We leave on Friday morning for this trip in order to make the most of our time in the Lakes…first enjoying a boat ride on Lake Windermere in a traditional steamer. Saturday features canoeing, and a climbing lesson as well as exploring Keswick and Derwent Water. On Sunday enjoy a spectacular walk in the fells with great views across the lakes and mountain scenery…before we return to London in the evening.
For just £140 we include all transport, accommodation, activities and most meals.

Full details on this weekend can be found at www.karibuni.co.uk/lakesweekend_spring.htm

October Ski Special - save £20 per person!
Summer is slipping by, and from time to time our thoughts have been looking forward to snow capped mountains and the sheer buzz of skiing and snowboarding on fresh, crisp snow!

And its with this in mind that we are pleased to announce our "October Ski Special" where we are giving everyone the chance to save £20 off any week long ski trip to our chalet in France this coming winter. All you have to do is book your holiday and pay the deposit before the end of October…and we will automatically drop the price by £20 as well as throwing in a bottle of bubbly waiting for you on arrival for your welcome drinks! It really is that simple…

Our chalet provides a fantastic relaxing atmosphere and the skiing and snowboarding is really quite impressive in the Aravis region… With our small groups of just 10 maximum the atmosphere in the chalet is special, and with our high level of service we aim to give you ultimate convenience…which is probably why some of last years guests are already coming back for more this year!
Full details of the resort, chalet, skiing etc can be found at www.karibuni.co.uk/snowhome.htm

Short breaks and weekend trips are also available - please contact us at info@karibuni.co.uk for more details or see www.karibuni.co.uk/snowweekends.htm

Travel News

Bond, James Bond
The Science Museum in London is hosting a special James Bond exhibition which will be full of objects, costume designs, storyboards and images from the films. As well as being able to see items such as Oddjob's killer bowler hat and Roas Klebb's flick-knife shoe, visitors will be looking behind the scenes at the technical and creative sides of making James Bond films…
You can get a feel of what it must be like to be our hero James, and try for secret agent status by completing some stunts and challenges.
The exhibition runs from 16 October 2002 - March 2003 at the Science Museum. Full details at
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/exhibitions/bond/

Far from boring…
October 7th has the chance to set a new record for one of the UK's most spectacular natural phenomena. Did you know that the West Country is home to the second largest tidal wave in the world, and the Severn Bore is set for great things in a couple of weeks time?

The tide comes in from the Atlantic, and pushes a large volume of water up the funnel shaped Bristol channel…creating a wave of water which flows faster and stronger than the water in the river. In places the channel (which starts off at miles across) narrows to just 50 metres so intensifying the funnel effect and building the wave.

The record height for the River Severn bore is 9 feet and the wave runs for 20 miles upstream and onto Gloucester until a weir stops it in its tracks. The wave pushes upstream at over 13 miles per hour and creates a whole new sporting challenge - up-river surfing or bore-riding!

Surfers and kayakers will undoubtedly be out in force just before 9pm on the 7th October hoping to catch the wave and enjoy a ride on the bore. The world record stands at an impressive 5.7 miles, a ride that took local surfer David Lawson an astonishing 35 minutes back in 1996.

Full details of how to ride a bore can be found at http://www.boreriders.com/brc/club.html

Ferry users look forward to windy days…
If the wind gets up, the price of a ferry crossing goes down.
That is the new deal to attract windsurfers, kitesurfers and other extreme sports enthusiasts to the Isle of Wight.
The cost will drop by more than 60% when the wind speed rises above force 6 - between 25 and 30mph. This means a car and 2 passengers can cost just £23.20 return.
Customers register on the website (www.wightlink.com) and then will be notified of when the winds are going to be above Force 6 and will be sent details of the special deals.

This deals from Wight Link Ferries is also tied in with an extreme sports festival White Air Extreme Sports which is taking place in October - the largest of its kind in Europe.
Some of the worlds best will be there from a diverse range of sports such as mountain biking, windsurfing, kite surfing, mountain boarding and surfing.
Full details of the special offers and the festival can be found at www.wightlink.com

Malaga - more than you may think?

Malaga…I think its fair to say has a reputation up there with Majorca, Ibiza, Kos, the Canaries.

The British tourist industry has well and truly steam-rollered its way into town, and there is no escaping that these places are all highly geared towards the Brit package tourist - but as in so many places there are good reasons why these towns and villages first attracted the eye of travellers and tourists many years ago.

In Malaga (as with so many of these places) these compelling reasons still exist and are simply found by turning away from the rat-runs and tourist trappings. In fact, many visitors to the Costa del Sol may fly into Malaga, but the vast majority miss the city and head for the coastal resort towns. Which is even better news for the autumn visitor who will find a warm and pleasant climate, deserted beaches, fabulous autumnal colours and best of all - very few people!

Malaga city centre is the traditional mix of cobbled streets, sun-baked ochre-coloured buildings and the pleasant leafy squares which you would expect from a Mediterranean town of its size and importance.
The impressive cathedral is a good place to get your bearings, and start a day of exploration in Malaga. The cathedral took 200 years to build, but is still missing one of its towers - explaining why it is often referred to as "La Manquita" (The One-Armed Lady). Apparently, the money set aside for the east tower was given to the new U.S.A to fight the British.

Definitely one of the "must see" attractions is the Gibralfaro castle which presents fabulous views across to the Sierra Nevada mountains, city rooftops and the beach resorts to the west. Buses do run up to the top of the mountain ridge which sits just outside the city centre, or you can wind your way up the hill on footpaths and narrow streets. On reaching the top the impressive buildings (which have at various times been a mosque, Christian church and military garrison) are worth a good look as well as just taking in the view of the city.
Below you will be the Alcazaba, a recently restored Muslim palace-fortress, and also the ruins of a Roman theatre which should be visited on your way down.

Returning to the heart of the city centre, many visitors are drawn to the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. Malaga's famous son was born at no 15 in the Plaza de la Merced - which stands at the end of the pedestrianised Calle Granada. For info on Pablo and his links with Malaga visit http://www.malagaturismo.com/picasso/ing/bienve.html

If after this you are ready for a refreshing drink, then you may want to consider a "teteria" and enjoy a cuppa. These Moroccan-style tea-shops are cosily cushioned with low tables, oriental rugs and backgammon boards, and serve dozens of different teas - and will gladly occupy a lazy hour of relaxation in between some sightseeing!

There is a good walking tour to be found on the town's website which covers all of the town's attractions, parks and streets - and is an excellent way to see the city in a day. (Just remember to wear comfy shoes!) http://www.malagaturismo.com/menusb/ing/marco.htm

As in most of Spain, the evening starts late in Malaga and you will find more people on the streets at midnight than at midday. Evenings allow you to sample the food specialities and you can indulge in some "tapear" - which is the action of enjoying your many dishes of tapas. It's a great way to try a selection of dishes and make sure to include some of the local fish dishes.

If you're in Malaga for a couple of days then make sure you allow time to explore the coast and vicinity. Even in October it can still be warm enough for a beach day and Marbella's blue flag beaches are a good place to top up the tan. Then pick up the pace at Puerto Banus, just fifteen minutes south-west where glass-tinted Mercs cruise along a quayside lined with jaw-dropping luxury yachts. The drinks may be expensive in a sea-front cafe, but the poser watching comes free. On a clear day, you can even spy the north coast of Africa far away on the horizon.

It is also worth abandoning the coast (hard though it may be) and heading inland to explore the hills and villages of rural Espana. There are several white villages (pueblos blancos) within easy reach of Marbella. Casares is one of most picturesque, clinging precariously to the side of a cliff below the well-preserved remains of a Muslim castle and overlooking the landscape of gently sloping valleys with almond trees and olive groves.

The low-cost airline Go fly to Malaga www.gofly.com and you can also get good deals on the charter flights from your high street travel agency.

For general information on visiting Spain then visit Lonely Planet at www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/Europe/spain/index.htm

For the tourist information website visit - http://www.malagaturismo.com

Global Quickies

Tommie K to the rescue
A group of South Africans were rescued in the Drakensberg Mountains after using tomato
ketchup to attract the rescue helicopters searching for them.

A party of 31 people were stranded when unseasonably bad weather brought heavy snows making the roads impassable. The party had emergency supplies with them and were trapped for 4 nights in a remote mountain hut, including 2 unsuccessful attempts to drive their way out.
After the second failed attempt (taking them only 10km) they radioed for help but as supplies dwindled they needed to make themselves more visible to the helicopter rescuers in order to speed up the evacuation…and it was John Green who came up with the 'saucy' idea of the message in the snow.

Their 3m x 2m SOS message was spotted by the rescue teams, and all members of the group were successfully airlifted out to safety.

French mayor makes dying illegal
The mayor of a French Mediterranean town, faced with a cemetery "full to bursting," has banned local residents from dying until he can find somewhere else to bury them.

Gil Bernardi, mayor of Le Lavandou on the coast 15 miles west of Saint Tropez, introduced the ban after a court rejected his plans to build a cemetery in a tranquil setting by the sea. Bernardi has appealed against the ruling preventing the seaside cemetery being built, saying it would be the best final resting place for his townsfolk.

Bernardi said most locals had obeyed the edict so far, but he was desperately trying to find a resting place for a homeless man who had recently passed away in the town.

Well, that's all again for this time - and we hope you enjoyed it. The next edition will be out in early December with more snippets of news from around the world and updates from Karibuni.

Many thanks, and happy travels

Paul