Deadly fire sweeps Ecuador club

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Deadly fire sweeps Ecuador club
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 20th April 2008

Much as people ridicule health & safety officers and procedures here in the UK as over-zealous, there is good reason for the vast majority of the rules we have in place and enforcement ensures that as far as is possible we are protected from rogue operators and from those whose ignorance puts us unwittingly in danger. We are educated to follow certain procedures that protect us from harm.

Ask anyone what they will do when sitting in a public premises un the UK in the event of a fire and most will give you the same answer, they point towards the door they came in through as they way they would exit. Ask them what they would do were that exit blocked and most will start to look up and around for the little green ‘running man’ fire exit sign and indicate that they would leave through that exit. But very few would appreciate how effective these simple EU wide measures are in protecting life.

Fire has always been a part of our environment, since the stone age when we first learned to capture it and use it to our advantage, but we have never fully managed to control it. Unfortunately fire still causes thousands of deaths each year in all sorts of different ways; forest fire, brush fire and fires in urban areas and buildings. Nightclub fires are not uncommon and due to the nature of these premises the results can be tragic.

In this case a fire in a club in Ecuador has resulted in the deaths of 15 and serious injuries to a further 35 people and unfortunately it is not an altogether uncommon feature of these venues in developing countries. It is equally worrying that fires are reasonably common in lodgings in developing countries, from hostels to hotels. Often cursory fire safety measures are in place to satisfy local rules and laws, but these procedures are not wholly understood or enforced by staff.

In tragedy after tragedy at nightclubs the same basic mistake is the cause of high fatality rates they build fire exits and then lock them!

Go back to our scenario earlier, we are taught to follow the directions from an early age, we hear a fire alarm and we look for an exit sign and follow it; but if that sign leads us to a locked fire door we are trapped and by the time we realise, it can often already be too late. Not only are fire safety regulations often ignored in some developing countries but buildings may not be built to the same standard with the same fire protection or are built of materials that are highly flammable.

As travellers we need to be aware of these deficiencies, we need to take particular care when choosing accommodation or when visiting venues that may be difficult to get out of in the event of a fire or similar emergency.

Recently in the Philippines, I left my hotel room in Manila, came down 5 stories and into the lobby only to find it full of smoke and several fire engines outside fighting a fire. It was clearly serious, but no one had considered sounding the alarm or calling the rooms. Good fortune rather than best practice saved me and the other guests that day.

Just doing a few simple checks before you start can give you a huge advantage when things go wrong. You will simply not always find places that meet the standards we expect at home, but never be scared or embarrassed to say ‘no’ when those standards slip too far and become risks. When you book a room, take 5 minutes to walk around and have a look at where you are. Check how you would leave if you needed to and importantly how you would leave if your original route is blocked; try and get a room away from the high risk areas like generator and kitchens; and when going out steer clear of venues that are clearly unsafe for the number of people they let in and again check out your exits in advance so that it is second nature how to get out. That often means having a quick look at the outside of a fire door to make sure it is not blocked or locked. Generally if you notice that fire doors or escape routes are blocked or locked it is a good indication that fire safety is a low priority and it may be time to choose a different venue for your night out. There is no need to be paranoid, but there is a need to be safe.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop provides practical safety and cultural awareness advice to those planning to travel. We examine accommodation and personal safety issues in the countries you are visiting. Paranoia can ruin a trip but sensible and easy to follow steps can allow you to enjoy your travels more, with the peace of mind it offers.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

The Gap Year Gamble

To view the original article Click Here

Title – The Gap Year Gamble
Source – The Independent
Date – 15th April 2008

Following the tragic accident during which 4 young British gap year students and their tour leader died in a bus accident, the debate in the press about whether the risk in taking a Gap Year in developing countries is worth the reward has ignited once again.

Many people have a point of view on the risks involved in such travel and volunteering abroad and it is an industry that has grown out of all proportion over the past few years. This means that choosing the good companies amongst the profiteers, is not always straight forward. The key is in the preparation and planning. Don’t rely on information provided by people with a vested interest in profit from your booking.

Independent travellers go to travel agents seeking out cheap flights and helpful information, they take these ‘fellow travellers’ at their word rather than doing their research first so that they can challenge the assertions of people who ultimately have a job to do which is to sell you those flights and maximise profit for their company. I am not suggesting that travel agents are all crooks or comparing them to ‘second-hand car salesmen’, but they are working in commercial companies and much as they might offer useful information they are limited by their circumstance. Often specific travel agents are linked to specific airlines, even if they don’t have exclusivity contracts; they usually have preferred suppliers that generate better commissions then others. At the worst end of the scale I have heard them provide recommendations that are wholly wrong and which potentially place the customer in harm’s way and at the best end of the spectrum I have seen them offer excellent value for money and great advice. But if you go in without having done your research, don’t expect to come out with the best deal.

Taking advice from the right people is important and the best place to start is to use your own instincts, but to have instincts you must first either have some knowledge and to gain that knowledge you must do your research or seek out impartial advice from people who do not have a vested interest in selling you their product.

The same can be said for almost every element of independent travel or gap years, research is everything and being prepared for the experiences you will face does not detract from the experiences you will have, it will add too them. Too many trips are ruined by the feeling of isolation and being out of your depth when you arrive, many ‘gappers’ return home before the end of their trip because they were simply not emotionally of physically prepared. They had heard or read stories of adventure and excitement and assumed it was that easy, buy a ticket and everything else falls into place. The most streetwise, fall by the wayside when their world is turned upside down and everything they take for granted at home is alien to them on their arrival. But for those who prepare properly the experience can be one that changes them completely for the better and one they will never forget.

As Charlotte Hindle author of the Lonely Planet’s ‘The Gap Year Book’ is quoted as saying in this article “every gap year student should have some skills training to help them travel in a more sensible and informed way. There are very few things in life that we expect to go off and do with no training, why do we assume that travelling in the developing world can be achieved without preparation”

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop sets those attending on the right path, no one can do the research for you, that is not effective, our workshop is not an alternative to your own research, but we provide you with the essential building blocks and knowledge to ensure that you planning is comprehensive and effective.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Families pay tribute to Britons killed in Ecuador bus crash

To view the original article please Click Here

Title – Families pay tribute to Britons killed in Ecuador bus crash
Source – The Independent
Date – 15th April 2008

This incident that left 5 girls dead and five families devastated was a tragic accident and no amount of training, research or preparation would have made any difference; the circumstances that led up to the crash are not yet known, but it does seem to be a road accident that could happen anywhere in the world including outside the very homes we live in here in the UK. That it took place so far from the homes of those involved makes the tragedy that much more pronounced and that those involved were young adults starting out on their own for the first time and at the beginning of the adventure of a life time which they were so brave to embark on, makes this story sadder than any words can express.

But it is to the families and friends of those involved that our thoughts go. No family should have to go through such pain and their loss is something that no words or actions can heal.

The reaction of the family and friends of those involved in this accident has been inspirational, that they can be so strong and so positive in their grief is the greatest attribute to their children and the strength of their families. Often the snap judgement in such cases is to regret allowing people to start out on these adventures and some press articles and web blogs have questioned the merits of Gap Years; but the families have not once questioned the merits of their children setting out on these adventures. They believed in the spirit of their children and they admired their courage and it is in this confidence that they celebrate their lives and want to share with others the exceptional character of their children.

Setting off on a Gap Year is not ever going to be risk free, but going into any town in the UK is not risk free. What we have to do is minimise this risk and be sensible about what we do and where we go. In this case they had done their planning and had chosen to go with a company they had researched thoroughly. Many of those who have survived and friends have mentioned that this type of travel is not without risk and they are right, they have also said that life without risk is life without reward and this too is right. But risk for the sake of it is wrong. Reducing risk to a minimum to claim the reward is the right balance providing the risk is within acceptable levels.

Travel by road is dangerous in the UK and it generally just gets more dangerous in other countries, sometimes this is to the point of making the risk almost unacceptable. Often the way of reducing that risk is by using local drivers, who understand the road conditions and the ‘rules’ of the road in the country you are visiting. Even local drivers come with different standards and it is certainly worth reducing the risk further by using reputable companies. Something which seems to have been the case here.

But to dwell on the reasons for this accident is not beneficial here as this does seem to be a tragic accident. What is important is to ensure that we heed the advice of the families involved who have been so brave and talked about their loss, that this accident does not put other off going on Gap Years. Travel is as they have explained, an experience that broadens the mind and the spirit, there is risk in everything we do. Risk itself should not prevent people from the wonderful adventures that lie out there to be discovered.

The world is undoubtedly a sadder place for the loss of those involved in this accident, but I hope their spirit of adventure lives on to encourage others to follow their path that although ultimately cut short provides such a positive influence on all who read about their lives

To their family and friends we send our condolences and our admiration for their courage in them encouraging others to follow the example set by their children.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Ready To Travel

To view the original article please Click Here

Title – Ready To Travel
Source – The Times
Date – 15th April 2008

Read the statistics in this article and it might put you off travel completely, a total of 394 deaths between Thailand, India and Australia each year. But these countries received nearly 2 million visitors and in total across the world only 230,000 people took gap years. So how do these figures add up? Most of the deaths in these statistics were from natural causes, older travellers visiting relatives or ‘retiring’ to these popular destinations. It is true that some statistics put ‘serious incidents’ happening to gap year students as high as 1 in 4, but don’t be scared of statistics like these thrown in without context. The vast majority of gap years pass off without incident and those taking gap years come back with experiences, skills and confidence that enhance the rest of their lives.

Travelling is ‘never’ without risk; but a better description is that travel is ‘not without increased risk’ as our lives already involve risk every day. But in our everyday lives we manage risk effectively. When we cross the road, we look left and we look right, we manage the risk. The same should be the case when we travel, if we are visiting countries where standards are very different we have to learn quickly and prepare well to manage the additional risk that these differences may present.

A good example of this is road transport. In the UK it is heavily regulated. Speed limits are strictly controlled as are all other rules of the road, the roads are ‘well’ maintained, people have to pass a strict test to qualify for a licence to drive and our vehicles are maintained through MOTs. This is certainly not always the case in other countries; especially developing countries where there is simply not the investment available to enforce these strict standards; in some countries there seem to be no rules at all. Here local knowledge is essential and choosing your driver, vehicle carefully reduces the risk considerably, but you have to know what to look for in the first place, where does that knowledge come from?

Risks have to always be put into context, they are undoubtedly greater when travelling, but managed correctly they are easily outweighed by the rewards. Gap Year and Independent Travel is undoubtedly an experience that helps individuals to ‘grow’ to ‘mature’ to change the direction of their lives and to enhance their future opportunities. It is an opportunity that when presented should not be missed. Certainly it should not be missed because of fear of the risks, maybe changes need to be made to original plans if they were unsuitable for any reason, but change and not cancellation is the key. Don’t cancel a trip, prepare for it and manage the risks so they are reduced to ‘acceptable’ levels.

Travel is not meant to always be easy, but it is also not meant to be so difficult it takes away the fun. Ultimately it has to be fun, ultimately you have to have amazing experiences and ultimately there have to be some challenges. The ultimate goal is that your time passes off without incident and a substantial part of that is down to you. It is always surprising the number of incidents that happen to independent travellers that are wholly avoidable by taking precautions that would not take anything away from the experience itself.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop can help you to gain the essential skills and knowledge to set you on your way to a safer more fulfilling travel experience. Our travel specialists have two things in common they love talking about travel and they love travelling. People setting off on a gap year or independent travel experience need to prepare before they leave and not assume that general life experience in the UK prepares them in any way for the day they find themselves lost in northern Sumatra in a small town where no one speaks any English in the middle of the monsoon season; I guarantee there is nothing you have experienced in the UK or that your parents may have taught you that will prepare you for that; and I should know, it has happened to me!

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Malaria be Aware

To view this article please Click Here

Title – Malaria be Aware
Source – The Travel Magazine
Date – 31st March 2008

I have travelled to many of the parts of the world where the blight of Malaria has a crippling grip on local populations. That 300 million people a year are affected by this debilitating disease and well over a million die, can not leave anyone in any doubt that it is one of the world’s most disgraceful truths, that a curable and preventable disease still has such a grip over so many.

On my travels to these countries I still (and increasingly) come across travellers who ignore the readily available facts about this disease and most annoyingly not only put their own health in severe danger, but preach to others with bravado that travel without the use of Malaria prophylactics is somehow a sign of a hardened traveller.

These people are not just ignorant and a danger to themselves, but irresponsible and arrogant beyond belief. The very fact that they question the cost of the pills while still being able to travel round the world is both selfish and naïve. Malaria is not necessarily a life threatening disease if you are lucky enough to have access to first class medical care and UK travellers might know they have the protection of the NHS should they contract Malaria. But be in no doubt, Malaria is no fun to have, while it rarely kills UK citizens, it can; it will ruin your trip and your year, you will be more ill then at almost any other time in your life; some strains of the disease can also reoccur, so while you may think that a few months off work at this point in your life is an acceptable risk, after the second or third occurrence, you will start to regret the relatively low expense and ‘inconvenience’ of taking a few pills on your trip.

I seem to have the same argument with the people I meet on my travels who tell everyone they meet what a hero they are for not taking prophylactic drugs. I present the facts and dispel the myths; that they don’t get bitten; that they have a josstick that protects them against bites; that they drink lots of G&T or eat marmite sandwiches. I thought that the internet and better education had stopped this uneducated approach to medical myth, but apparently not.

Can you tell how much these ignorant people grate on me yet? It’s not them, but those they try and influence that concern me, in my less tolerant moods I wish the NHS would charge them the thousands of pounds of tax payers money that is ‘wasted’ on the large proportion of the 2000 British citizens that contract Malaria while abroad each year because they don’t take adequate and wholly available preventative measures.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop presents the real facts. Not just how to protect yourself from Malaria by visiting your doctor or travel clinic before you travel, but the equally important measures you should be taking to prevent yourself being bitten in the first place. We are in the business of presenting the facts and dispelling all those myths that do the rounds of hostels and guest houses, throughout the Malaria belt and beyond.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Mystery of lad, 20 who vanished on gap year in Africa

Title – Mystery of lad, 20 who vanished on gap year in Africa
Source – London Lite
Date – 27th March 2008

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, their son or daughter travels to a part of the world they only ever learned about in geography lessons alongside stories of great explorers and then out of the blue their child falls off the radar. This case of Ayden Savaskan is about as frightening as they come, away in a country that many people have never even heard of, on a continent that is well known for political unrest, lawlessness and violence, including kidnappings. With today’s access to mass media and the horror stories that seem to appear on a daily basis, many people will assume the worst.

The world is truly open these days and very few countries are totally out of bounds to the intrepid traveller, but that doesn’t mean that they are all safe or that the things we take for granted are available in these countries. Travellers regularly change plans, they meet fellow travellers in a hostel, meet local people who offer them an opportunity to do something a little different or recommend a different way to the one they had planned and they follow that course. This in itself is one of the exciting things about travel and often leads to experiences otherwise missed, that often end up being the most memorable. But they can also lead to travellers getting wrapped up in the moment and forgetting basic safety measures and the concerns of those that they leave behind at home.

Communication with home and making others aware of your plans even when they change at the last moment, provides a vital safety line when something goes wrong. It gives others who want to help you a starting point to work from, but possibly even more importantly it gives your friends and family peace of mind.

Travelling 15 years ago, before the internet and before widespread use of the mobile phones, communication was much more difficult and people were expected to be out of contact often for long periods of time. Letters would be sent to deposits at predefined post offices and travellers would make every effort to get there within the specified time frames to receive news from home. This didn’t mean that people worried less, but just that they understood when a month went by without word; these days that is no longer the case. Here in the UK, if you are due to meet someone and you are running a little late, it is expected of you to send a text update; the pace of life today is truly much faster.

But many countries have vast areas without access to the internet or mobile phone signal. Wrapped up in the moment, travellers jump at opportunities presented to them and only later consider the implications when they find themselves without a means of communication. If they feel completely safe in what they are doing somehow they feel that others should not be worried, younger adults may simply not appreciate that their parent have been worrying about them all their lives and when they are so far away from home the level of concern is vastly exaggerated.

Fortunately this concern is often short lived as suddenly travellers come across an internet café or suddenly come into an area with a mobile phone signal in the most unexpected places and manage to send a quick message. However occasionally this ‘black-out’ goes on for weeks and even months; parents, friends and other relatives start to ask questions and alert authorities and unfortunately sometimes their worst fear are realised. Aydan fortunately turned up shortly after this article was published, unusually in the custody of the French police in Paris. Despite this situation in itself that would usually frighten most parents, his parents are relieved that they have the opportunity to help unravel the situation in France where due process can be followed and where they at least understand the processes rather than Benin which is so alien to them..

Staying in touch is easier these days then it has ever been, but this in itself means that those you leave behind are more prone to worry about you if they don’t hear from you then ever. Setting up and outlining the way you are going to communicate and the frequency with which you will stay in touch is more important than ever. When you change your plans, tell someone; it will stop those you love and who love you worrying and will make your journey safer.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop examines the issues surrounding staying in touch while you are away and the effect your travels have on those you leave behind. It is certainly not a sign of weakness to update every one of your plans and to provide yourself with a safety net for when you may be at your most vulnerable.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Finn held over Easter Island ear

To view this article please visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7313878.stm

Title – Finn held over Easter Island ear
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 26th March 2008

When we travel to other countries we have a responsibility to act and behave in a way that shows respect for the people, the culture and the history of that country. Travel can be a way of bringing valuable income to local people, more openness to countries that are isolated and to share cultures between hosts and visitors. But the key is to remember as travellers we are visitors and we are privileged to visit the countries we do. It is in no way our right to visit them and we always have to remember that we should firstly only visit places where we will be welcomed and to not abuse the generosity and friendliness of the communities that do open their doors to us.

Unfortunately there are too many trophy hunters around, people that think it is acceptable to help themselves to artefacts and trinkets that sometimes are hundreds if not thousands of years old. It is a trait that colonising countries like the UK have a history of doing. When we the British first explored the world trophies were currency of exploration, treasures from other kingdoms were stolen and presented to the kings and queens of the day or sold on for profit.

But those days are long behind us, with the advent of the camera and now the even more accessible digital camera on everything from an ipod to mobile phones, we can travel and retain all our memories without the need to plunder. Simple courtesy, politeness and common decency tell us that when we are invited somewhere we don’t help ourselves when we arrive. When you go for dinner at a friend’s house you don’t help yourself to the family silver!
This Finnish tourist acted in a manner so despicable that many will agree he should spend the whole seven years in gaol, but in the end he got away with a fine and a 3 year ban from Easter Island; let’s hope that when he gets home he gets what he really deserves and is vilified by the Finnish press and his friends. We have to send out the strongest message to everyone who travels that this sort of behaviour is not only despicable, but jeopardises not just the historic statues he chose to vandalise, but all our open invitations to visit these fascinating places. It sets a precedent that either others will follow or that will result in the local authorities restricting access to these world heritage sights.

Responsible and Ethical travel is a buzzword in the travel industry at the moment and operators are being expected to take stronger stances on environmental policies and local policies towards local communities. The pressure is starting to have a little effect and some travel operators are taking steps in the right direction, but it is equally, if not more important, that travellers themselves take steps to conduct themselves in a suitable manner. Learning about the local culture, understanding the heritage of the country and learn as much as you can when you are in-country.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop examines the aspects of cultural awareness to allow you to start the process of understanding how your travels can reduce the impact you will have on your host, how your travels can benefit the local communities you visit and how you will benefit from a more responsible and ethical approach.

It should be remembered that as abhorrent the actions of this Finnish man may have been, the courage of the fellow tourist to report him to the local authorities should be applauded as a perfect example of responsible tourism.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

‘Manners Police’ hit Japan metros

To view this article please visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7312672.stm

Title – ‘Manners Police’ hit Japan metros
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 25th March 2008

Let’s set the scene; you are on the London Underground, grappling with one of the free papers thrust upon you as you try and avoid being swept along in the crowd onto the wrong platform. Fighting for a seat does not even cross you mind, after all when was the last time you actually managed to sit down on the tube?

Standing next to you on the platform, on one side is a young lady obviously several months pregnant, on the other is an old man who has braved the underground with the assistance of his trusty walking stick and just in front of you is a city worker, lost in his FT, desperate to get to his destination if only to regain his mobile phone signal. The tube stops in front of all four of you and remarkably there is one free seat. Who do you think is going to get it?

Survival of the fittest does sometimes seem to take precedent to respect in our society here in the UK. Anyone who takes the tube on a regular basis in London will be familiar with the feeling of surprise when someone does actually get up and offer their seat to another passenger, most hide behind a free newspaper or laptop and pretend they don’t notice anyone else. Many will have witnessed people who clearly need a seat being left standing and struggling in the crowd. Some will have witnessed the abhorrence of an offered seat being taken by someone else rather than the person it was originally offered to.

But we should never confuse what is ‘acceptable behaviour’ at home with what is acceptable when we visit new countries. What many people in the UK will frown on as rude behaviour other cultures will see as unacceptable, disrespectful and inexcusable.

Japan and the Japanese people have long been known for their respectful culture, by most they have been admired for it and visitors to Japan should familiarise themselves with the culture in order to avoid causing offence in their behaviour. By its very nature the respect they have means that they will often not demonstrate outwardly their displeasure at the actions of short sighted visitors who act in a manner they find distasteful, but at the same time those individuals will be frozen out and will not be afforded the protection that respect carries.

Japan is a very safe country, levels of crime are low and very few visitors face anything more than language problems. Visitors that gain an understanding of the Japanese culture will find the effort made by their hosts to make them feel welcome, easily compensates for the lack of common language and this alone enables a level of communication without the need for a common language.

Sadly even Japan is changing and the ‘Manners Police’ have their work cut out, requiring bodyguards to protect them in extreme cases, but these are unlikely to be what we expect by bodyguards and an outburst of violence against a respected older gentleman in Japan is about as likely as you being offered a seat on a busy tube train in London. Imagine if the Japanese ‘Manners Police’ were deployed on the London Underground…..

Gaining a Cultural Awareness of your destination should be a vital step of your travel planning. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop will help you to gain this knowledge and avoid you being subject to ‘harassment’ from the ‘Manners Police’ on your arrival

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Fire Safety Advice for Travellers

To view this article please Click Here

Title – Fire Safety Advice for Travellers
Source – The Travel Magazine
Date – 23rd March 2008

Fire safety is often overlooked amongst the list of subjects you need to consider when planning your travels; after all you probably have enough on your plate already and may feel a like you are being paranoid, but are you?

We tend to protect ourselves from the risks that we know about and although we are all very aware of the risk of fire, it is something we do have a tendency to take for granted in the UK. The laws on fire safety under the Regulatory Reform Order 2005 (Fire Safety) and associated Building Control laws set strict guidelines for public buildings in the UK, both in the way they are constructed and the way they are operated. Every premises has to perform regular Fire Risk Assessments and Fire Safety Training such as that provided by Beyond The Blue.

But just as this provides a degree of safety for us at home it can lead us to be complacent when we visit countries where regulation is not enforced and the awareness of fire safety is much lower. There have over the years been a number of tragedies including the Hostel fire in Chile in February 2007 and the Arson Hostel Fire in Australia in June 2000; but there are many many more close escapes that go unreported in all corners of the world.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the risks are confined to cheap hostels, those building constructed of combustible materials and to countries we consider to be part of the ‘developing world’; fire can strike anywhere and at any time, it’s your ability to detect it and escape safely that is most important. I was only recently staying in a relatively expensive hotel in Manila when I came down to the lobby to ask for directions, only to find part of the lobby on fire and 3 fire engines tackling the blaze. The alarm was sounding in the lobby but not on the 5th floor where my room was. I have stayed in a ‘hostel’ in Mongolia which was in the upper floors of an old soviet style apartment block, where at night they padlocked the gates in the stairwells for ‘safety’; I dread to think what would have happened had a fire broken out. I have also been in too many bars and nightclubs all round the world, where maximum capacities were ignored and fire escape routes were obscured or locked.

Fire safety does not mean being paranoid and it doesn’t need to ruin your trip or your enjoyment, even taking 5 minutes to familiarise yourself with your environment will give you a better idea than most. Most travellers will check a room before agreeing to book into a guest house or hotel, many will object or ask for a new room if cleanliness is not up to standard or the room is unpleasant. During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop (GYITSA) we provide you with the basic knowledge you will need to perform dynamic risk assessments of not just the unexpected everyday risks you face on your travels but also on those that are predictable, such as the fire safety. Before you fret at the mere mention of ‘Risk Assessment’, don’t worry, we are not going to make you fill in any long forms or turn you into a bore; Dynamic Risk Assessment is just about a logical systematic way of evaluating the situations you find yourself in, to allow you to make decisions based on sound judgements.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Dalai Lama attacks ‘cultural genocide’

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Dalai Lama attacks ‘cultural genocide’
Source – The Independent
Date – 17th March 2008

Tibet is closed to the world once again, when it will reopen is anyone’s guess but with the Olympics 5 months away it could be some time and independent travellers should probably not make any plans in the short term. Even if it does reopen before the games extreme caution should be exercised and serious consideration given to changing plans and visiting other parts of the region or the world. However other countries in the region have their own difficulties; Nepal has faced its fair share of problem in the last few years and even the peaceful tiny country of Bhutan is starting to experience small scale disturbances as it transfers from an absolute monarchy to a form of democracy.

It is very likely that even if Tibet reopens its doors, it will remain highly militarised and further violent confrontation will remain a very real possibility, if not a probability. Foreigners should note that the problems in Tibet are very deep-seated and getting involved or joining protest in Tibet itself is very ill-advised. The Chinese crackdown will pay little or no attention to the nationality of those involved, if reports even by the government, of live gunfire being used to quell the protest are as many believe under-reported, then it is a fair assumption that the numbers of dead can already be counted in the hundred plus region; joining a protest in Tibet itself is very different to standing outside the Chinese embassy in London with a free Tibet flag. I am not saying that people should not protest, in fact I urge people to visit sites like www.freetibet.org, but do so here in the UK where you have the freedom to influence in safety and don’t think that the myths of Tibet and the spiritual homeland of the Dalai Lama will give you any immunity, it will not. That spirit is being quashed by the Chinese army and they will crush anything along with it, including those unwelcome visitors.

What the Chinese don’t seem to be able to realise is that their actions are destroying the very fabric of a country. Tibet without the Tibetans, Tibet without the Buddhist monks, Tibet without the Buddhist monasteries and Tibet without their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, is a country (or province if you happen to be in the Chinese government) without a soul. The one thing they can not remove is the Himalayas, the spectacular mountains crowned by Everest itself. But they must soon realise that the mountains alone are not what drives people to save for years to visit Tibet, they alone do not make the experience. The experience is in the history of the people who live on top of the world, who have made it spiritually almost unparalleled on the planet and who draw people from every part of the world just to get a glimpse at this most interesting of cultures, that compliments its environment and can teach us all about the best way to save the rest of the planet.

In 2007 8% of the Chinese economy was as a direct result of the ‘fake’ trade, fake Nike trainers, fake Rolex watches, fake Hot Tuna t-shirts, fake antiques, fake medicines, fake anything… including fake chicken eggs... In fact the Chinese seem to be able to take anything and replicate it more cheaply, of a less good quality and often at great detriment to those who purchase the fakes. Estimates put the death toll from fake medicines in China alone at over 200,000 already; but the trade in all fakes continues unabated and while it accounts for such a large part of the overall economy, don’t expect it to change any time soon.

Travellers love the fakes they can pick up, they love how cheaply they can obtain products in places like China that cost ten times as much or more at home, but be warned, there is a reason they are so cheap and it is not all down to corporate greed. Fakes are always poor quality, they break, shrink and harm users, it the worst case scenario they can be life threatening. Temptation is a terrible thing, but this is one area where avoiding temptation will not only save you money, it may well save you and will certainly help convince governments like the Chinese that they need to rein in this trade and eliminate it.

The one thing they can’t fake in China, despite trying everything within their power; they can’t fake that which makes Tibet so special, they can’t fake the spirituality, they can’t fake the culture and they can’t force the integration they have been seeking for nearly 50 years. Travellers have a duty to ensure that the Tibetan people are supported, that their real culture is supported and that the Chinese (whatever their future role may be in Tibet) are not allowed to ‘fake’ and sell Tibet. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop helps those attending to travel safely and to understand the real culture of their destination and how their visit can be a force of positive change rather than a capitulation in favour of oppressive governments.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.