Robyn's Wanderings

Scud missiles in a minefield

Mayne ast!! Mayne ast!!!

And Bermudian Robert Zuill found himself swamped in the minefields of Afghanistan.

He got himself out of the minefield, obviously, and managed to sit down with me for a Q& A.

Why was he there? Good question. He’s not in the military and he’s not a journalist.

He wasn’t a tourist and he didn’t sneak in. Nope this intrepid Bermudian managed to join a team of solar-powered engineers trying to help. He took some time to recount stories of his six weeks in the visitor, closed country and explain how he’s trying to help (hint: it includes water for kids). Here is the extended Q&A with Robert Zuill.

Q:Why were you in Afghanistan?

A: I was working in New Zealand doing environmental videos for a client in the USA. A newspaper article I read covered a Timaru, New Zealand firm called Sustainable Energy Services Afghanistan. The firm was building renewable energy systems in Afghanistan. I contacted them to see if they had any video of their projects that I could use for a story. They said, “Sure. And if you want to go to Afghanistan, we can arrange that too.” One month later I landed at the Kabul airport.

Q: You said you had to visit various sites. How did you travel and with whom?

A: Mostly I traveled with my driver and interpreter, Shuja. Shuja was born the day the Russians invaded back in 1980 and has survived many a close shave with bombs and bullets. He is also one of the craziest drivers in Kabul. He thought nothing of going the wrong way around the roundabouts if it would save time. Pedestrians he treated with contempt and always seemed to try to run them over. But he was a skillful driver and spoke very good English. He didn’t seem to be afraid of anything and we were soon good friends.

His car was an old Toyota with no armour. Not having armour seemed better because we attracted little attention outside yelled curses and threats from pedestrians and other drivers.

Q: What was the security like there and were you ever worried about your safety besides the run-in with a minefield?

A: In Afghanistan, any failure to respect local sensitivities can get you in serious trouble very quickly. But the image of the Afghan as a bloodthirsty warrior is entirely wrong. For the most part, Afghans are a calm and friendly people. They are tremendously proud to be Afghans, very open to visitors, and love a good joke.

One night I was awakened by thunder at about an hour before the call to prayer. It seemed strange because there had been no rain for weeks. What it really was slowly dawned on me. The Taliban were indiscriminately rocketing Kabul from some of the high hills around the city. The firing went on for a while then all was quiet again. A man and his small daughter died that night. The attack made no sense at all.

[slideshow]Other times we would be driving along a highway at about 5:00 AM in the dark. There was little traffic at this time. But the Taliban liked to operate at night in that region. There had been no Taliban activity there for a long time. But you just never knew. That was the scariest thing about Afghanistan. You always knew something could go disastrously wrong and there would be almost nothing you could do about it.

Yet nothing ever happened. There were parties and restaurants and a pretty good social life with lots of people of both sexes, all ages, and several nationalities. You could order a pizza to be delivered, go to a Mexican or Thai restaurant, or order from KFC (Kabul Fried Chicken).

The only difference was that when you went out you rode through dark, dusty streets with lots of men carrying AK-47′s. The entrance to the restaurant was surrounded by sand bags and more men with AK-47′s. You greeted them with a friendly, “Salaam Alaykum”. They always responded with “Alaykum Salaam”.

But some regarded you with suspicion because they knew you were going to have a drink. A small window was opened in a steel door and two eyes checked you out. You went into a small room where two men with AK-47′s frisked you. If you had a weapon it had to be checked. The check boxes were always nearly full. Often a man was kneeling and praying facing the corner. Then another window opened in another door, you were checked again and then you stepped into a bar very similar to the Swizzle Inn.

Q: What was the situation like for women?
A: Most women in Kabul wore burkas whenever they were outside their houses. But up in the mountains, the women seemed to scorn the burka. Instead they preferred flowing robes of bright, pastel colours. High in the mountains the men were the drab ones. They wore the usual baggy shirt and trousers in either black, brown, white or grey.

In most countries, cities are usually more progressive than rural areas. So the absence of burkas in remote villages seemed odd until you considered the security situation. Abduction is a huge problem in Afghanistan. It was the chief fear in the heart of any westerner in the country. To get abducted meant a very bleak outlook. You would be chained to a radiator somewhere until someone ponied up a million bucks or so. If nobody wrote a cheque, you would probably get sold to the Taliban. They would be happy to pay for you.

Afghans also get abducted even more than westerners even though they command a lower ransom. Women get abducted far more than men and are either forced to marry or worse.

Up in the mountain villages women have far less to fear. If anyone tried to grab one of them the alarm would be raised instantly and the kidnapper would be dead before he covered a quarter mile.

Many westerners may not realize it, but burkas are also a way of avoiding trouble by hiding in public. City women don’t have as effective a network of armed men to fall back on. Which partly explains the burkas.

As a stranger in the mountains, I did not dare to even look at any women who were close by. Since I carried a camera the men often shot me dark looks if they thought I might consider taking a picture of their women.

Robert Zuill (fourth from the left) breaking bread in Afghanistan

Q: What are some of your experiences in Afghanistan?

A: Late one night in a dark village we were trying to find a place to eat. We saw a man grilling lamb kabobs over a small coal burner.

We entered the building behind him and found a long, low room full of men sitting cross legged across from each other in rows on two raised platforms. Between the rows were long, plastic table cloths with bread and meat on them. Everyone looked like a mujahedeen.

Everyone turned to stare at us. I had a full beard and a Palestinian style head scarf, just like everyone else in our group. But the locals knew I was different. They were just not sure why. A rough looking character, stared at me with particular malevolence.

We removed our shoes and sat down cross-legged next to everyone else on top of one of the platforms.  Naan bread was plopped onto the plastic tablecloth. Then came kabobs. No plates. No cutlery. You ate with your right hand, always using the bread to pick up the lamb. The meat was pretty good. But I wanted to get out of there fast.

Then my group decided to argue over the bill. The argument grew until one half of the room noisily supported us and the other half noisily supported the hotelier.  I tried to pretend to be following the fun but I do not speak much Dari.

By this time some of the men were stretching out on the platforms to sleep. The place seemed to be a truck stop where the dining table also served as a communal bed.

Finally it was time to go. But I could not find my shoes. I had to look everywhere while everyone stared at me. Finally an old man tapped me on the shoulder and gave me my shoes back. Then the whole room erupted into laughter. The rough character who was staring at me earlier laughed the loudest and immediately shook my hand. It was so ridiculous I had to laugh too. Then our group shook hands with everyone in the room and we all said goodnight.

Q: You spoke a bit about the Embassies. What is the situation with foreigners in Afghanistan?

A: Kabul is a large, crowded city without the infrastructure to support the population. Despite the billions of dollars that have gone into Afghanistan, few of Kabul’s streets are paved. In fact, only about 10% of the country has electricity. Every afternoon as the wind picks up, the city is shrouded in dust storms. Many of the buildings are shattered by artillery and small arms fire. Some appear ready to collapse, but no one pays any attention.

Former Presidential Palace

The embassies are entirely different. We were invited to the US Embassy’s July 4′th party. To get in you went past check points, tanks, and gun emplacements. But the party was great. There was a big pool, plenty of western food, stacks of refrigerated shipping containers, a variety of the good US beers (Sam Adams, Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada, etc.). Fireworks were tastefully avoided. The band played Jimi Hendrix’s “The Star Spangled Banner”. The ambassador and his wife were extremely friendly and congenial. Every international worker in Kabul attended.

Another great party was thrown by a French NGO. At that party, all the food and booze was free, the music was loud, and there was a packed crowd of about 500 westerners there continuously for about 8 hours getting blind drunk and doing everything the Taliban dislike. Anybody could have tossed five or six grenades over the wall and there would have been a massacre. Several people I knew had been forbidden by their employers from attending the party for precisely this reason. But they all went anyway. The whole thing must have been paid for with donor money. Parties like that are not cheap in Afghanistan, or anywhere else, and that party gets thrown annually.

Meanwhile out in Kabul, all the streets around the embassies and important government buildings have been closed to traffic. Colossal traffic jams are the result as everyone gets diverted. One question I kept hearing was, “Why don’t they just move the embassies outside the city? Security will be easier and traffic will be better.”
Once I met a man on the streets of Kabul who seemed to be severely retarded. Some guards at a house nearby knew who he was and seemed to support him with enough money so he could survive as a homeless person in Kabul. The guards said the man was actually an Iraqi who had been brought there as a sort of mascot by some of the international forces when they transferred from Baghdad. The people he arrived with had left for home years before.

Biking through the streets of Kabul

A: On my last night in Kabul we had a big party in a bar named after the famous battle of Gandamak where the Afghans wiped out a very large British force. After the party, Shuja and I walked home through the dark streets of Kabul. This is the kind of thing you are warned never to do for obvious reasons. But we saw no one. The streets were wonderfully quiet. The greatest danger seemed to be falling down one of the many holes in Kabul’s roads. Occasionally an attack helicopter would clatter fast overhead with all lights out. It was like something out of the Arabian Nights with minarets outlined against the blue, star-filled Afghan sky.

One day in the Panjshir Valley the Afghan SESA engineers had to talk to some people in a Forward Operating Base. The entire solar crew was with us but only one person was allowed into the base which was only a few hundred yards by a few hundred yards and very heavily defended. After a while a woman from the US military came out and spoke to us through an interpreter explaining what village needed solar panels and some other technical points. None of us had had a shower or a change of clothes in five days and we were all dressed like Afghans. She had come out with no backup and was understandably a bit nervous. Then she started handing out bottled water and was completely amazed when three of us said “Thank you” in perfect English.

One of the best things I did in Afghanistan was to go with a donkey train way up into the mountains for a four day trip. We were carrying solar panels up to a clinic in a large valley with no road. It was a bit odd seeing one of the oldest forms of transport carrying super high-tech solar panels. But the villagers didn’t bat an eyelid. The Afghans seem to be very familiar with the wonders of solar power and they vastly prefer solar panels to diesel generators. Solar panels don’t require fuel which they can’t afford.

A French NGO installed thousands of diesel generators all over Afghanistan shortly after the invasion. They now sit idle. I spoke with a mullah in a small village and he showed me a brand new Perkins diesel covered with dust. “It worked for a month. Then we ran out of gas. That was years ago.” He said.

The Afghan mountains are beautiful, mysterious, and very dangerous. Massive water falls seem to cascade from the tops of high mountains far above you. The only explanation is that there is an even larger mountain out of sight above the first one.

But don’t even consider going hiking. During the war with the Russians, the Afghans ruled the hills and their enemy ruled the valley floors. So Afghan commanders like the famed Shah Ahmed Massoud shelled the Russians at will from the higher ground.

The Russian response was to fly over the mountains with hundreds of helicopters throwing thousands of land mines out the windows. No one has any idea how many mines are up there or where they might be. But there are a lot of them. The Afghans check for mine fields by driving herds of goats or sheep across unfamiliar ground. Often the result is mutton for dinner. But every year hundreds of shepherd men, women, and children are killed or get maimed by land mines.

Q: With a security situation that sounds unhinged why is water so important?

A: Kabul is spread out around several large, steep hills. Over thirty years of war, thousands of refugees have settled on the hills where nobody else wants to live. Unfortunately there are no municipal services on the hills. So while parents work, their children have to carry water uphill to their houses every day. This means the children miss school or don’t go to school at all. Cars have hit many children as they cross busy highways carrying loads of water.

But there is a simple solution to this problem. Water tanks can be installed on the tops of the hills with pipe systems to distribute the water downhill. Solar power can be used to pump the water up to the tanks. Solar power is a good choice because the refugees cannot afford diesel. So the project is more expensive at first, but it sustains itself.

While in Afghanistan I was working for a New Zealand firm called Sustainable Energy Services Afghanistan. Tony Woods who owns SESA said that they could install the tanks, pipes, and solar pumps for about $30,000 per system. One system could help about 200 people.

My proposal is to do a pilot project of one water system and use it as an example to raise money for more systems.

Q: How can people help?

A: Anyone who is interested in donating should visit his website for more information or email him at kwp@northrock.bm.

Guy with Goats in Hanoi

Why do I have to honk for Jesus? Let’s just say that I did believe in Jesus and I took my eyes away from the road to read your sign. And lets say the car in front of me came to a screeching halt.

Would I be honking for Jesus or visiting him?

Why am I on this rant? And what has it got to do with my Friday Photo of the week?

If you haven’t been following my daily blogs I’ll let you know that I have been working in an office for the past two weeks. I’ve made lots of friends. The fax machine hates me. The computer won’t turn on. I constantly forget the mail.

But the worst part? The commute in the morning. And that is even after I recognize that I live on a 21-square-mile island.

But recognize this: I ride a motorbike. It’s hot. It’s even worse with the car exhaust belting out behind the line of vehicles desperate to drop-off their passengers.

To top it off I now have to face a group of religious zealots standing on the entrance to the capital of Bermuda telling me to honk for Jesus. Somehow mixing religion and exhaust doesn’t really work for me.

And what is the point? What is the point of honking for Jesus? Are you trying to “OUT” the religious? Is Jesus really going to feel chuffed that he’s being honked at?

Do girls walking by construction sites enjoy being heckled?

To all these questions the answer is NO. (Ok maybe some girls do, but you get my point).

So why the photo? Well as I rant and rave and try to expel fumes from my lungs I try to remember that other places in the world (i.e. Vietnam) have worse traffic issues than Bermuda. Visit my photo pages for more views of Vietnam than just the traffic.

I have to remember almost a year ago I was taking overnight bus rides where I would get an hour of sleep. Then I was expelled onto a street in the middle of nowhere Hanoi, Vietnam.

Vietnam Traffic Cops

My only choice? Accept the lift of a hotel tout on his motorbike during their rush hour. This entailed meandering through guys with goats, police officers who looked ready to shoot, noodle sellers scrounging-up breakfast and coating myself in black exhaust.

I finally arrived at the hotel and immediately got a shower. Now I arrive in the office and try to recover with a cup of coffee.

And when I look at these photos I remember the difficulty last year. And I calm-down. Maybe Bermuda’s rush hour’s not so bad. Maybe I could get through it….if I wasn’t told to honk for Jesus!

Palolem Beach India/Robyn Skinner

Worried that it would mean bedding-down in a bug-ridden mattress and caravanning with the dirty backpacker? No worries there is a trip arriving in February for you.

I wish I had heard of this when I went to India. There is a seventeen day vaca/cruise around India and Sri Lanka with Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions. It sounds amazing. From Chennai you would board your boat and go to the likes of Sri Lanka and the West coast of India.

Sri Lanka is the only country, island, place I have been too and though the beaches compared with Bermuda (I am Bermudian).

Where do you go? To Candy, which is actually inland, where the dancers perform and the Temple of the Tooth. What is that? A most holy place for Buddhists who believe the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha himself resides here.

Then you would go back to India and explore Cochin with its mix of colonial architecture and amazing fishing skills. And finally Goa!

My god Goa. That is where God may have made this country. Palolem Beach is about the best sunset I have ever seen in my life (see my pic above).

The Route

And I haven’t even started on the food. In Sri Lanka you will be inundated with fish and rice dishes of all sorts.

In India the spices will blow you away. I can’t comment on the cruise, but the CTravel agents can. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed with these countries. They are stunning.

Have you got kids? Have you failed to plan a trip this summer? Looking for something for the end of the year?

What about Disney? I know, I know. It’s the mouse with ears, but it’s also fun. Even for adults. Hell I went there when I was in College and loved it.

So why do I bring this up? Well because luckily Disney Destination, which you can book through CTravel, are offering free dining between August 15 to October 7 and October 22 to October 28, etc for every night of your stay in a Walt Disney World Resort…. Just check it out with CTravel.

What does this mean? You have to book by August 14 to take advantage. Why would you go? I mean besides the rides, the inevitable stuffed characters? Well how about 40% off staying in a Disneyland Resort through October 2.

Do you need anymore? Didn’t think so. Oh wait their website: www.ctravel.bm: Book it

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul/Robyn Skinner

For the traveler sans kids? And you’re not sure you’re ready for India? Don’t worry there’s plenty. Fancy some Gladiators? Or  Echoes from the minarets while shopping in the Grand Bazaar? Remember my trip if you do…there are only certain ways to negotiate.

Now back to what I was talking about. Well I did it alone, but couples, yes any two people friends etc.. can book a trip with Insight Vacations and Alitalia (the two have teamed-up) and save…wait for it wait for it – $500 for an organised trip of some of the most amazing cities in Europe or quasi-Europe (Istanbul).

Even better it’s for October so things won’t be busy in Europe and hings will be cheaper i.e. flights and there will be less people there. Where am I talking about? Fly to Florence, Rome, Istanbul, and Athens and go up the Parthenon or visit the Turkish bazaars. These tours are varied and can suit the laid-back to the intense. But to get the discount you need to visit – CTravel.

Brought to you by CTravel Thursdays! Check out the Travel Deals' page for more information.

Ok it's not quac, but it easily could have taken me down!

What the hell am I talking about? Well it is Wednesday so I was struggling with a post when I saw this news item.

Guacamole poses health threat!

As if we need anymore warnings over things to be wary of. And by the way – way to take the fun out of Mexican food. I literally only go to Mexican restaurants for the Guacamole.

The best I’ve found? Dos Caminos in New York. These guys are a chain, but don’t let that fool you. They make spicy guac right next to your table. I can honestly say I have never been sick from it.

Which is about the only thing I haven’t been sick from. But why Robyn are you choosing to write about this today?

Yes I thought you would ask. The reason is I haven’t been feeling well recently. Ended-up spending four hours in the hospital Sunday morning to figure it out. Thought it was the kidneys – it wasn’t. Don’t fret it was nothing life-threatening and I’m fine.

But thank goodness I’m not on the road. So many people have asked how I survived 24 months on the road and I can honestly say: surprisingly well. It wasn’t always easy mind you.

With my rice saviours!

I mean in Egypt a salad attacked my stomach and I paid the price. What is it you ask?

Two days on the floor of my hostel bathroom. Then another two recovering with plain rice from the guys on the left! Scary in Cairo a city of 6.8 million people I can be a regular, but there you have it.

Any other food attacks? Only in Bali, but sadly on my birthday. Dehydration coupled with eating a wheat-infused Mars Bar did me in. Instead of surfing the tide on 30 I was sitting in an over-priced foreigners clinic.

Luckily I had my friend Lee’s house to recover in and lots of mint tea, rice and bananas and some of these yoghurt drink things I bounced back!

I survived the rest of the trip unscathed. Even through Patagonia. But that brings me to my point. Yes I have one.

It’s not easy being green. Ok, no that’s Kermit’s point. It’s not easy being celiac and on the road. I remember my first travel buddy telling me to write wheat down in multiple languages before I left.

Ha! Not going to happen. And good thing I didn’t try. I found a lot of languages don’t really have a translation for wheat. It’s simply flour. Or so I found out in Thailand as I tried with little success to get to the bottom of it all.

That’s all right. Thailand has rice noodles! Enjoy. What is my number one tip for those traveling with food allergies?

- Obviously depending on the severity (I mean shellfish you should be carrying an epi pen) pack snacks. In Europe I could find gluten-free stuff almost everywhere. In the middle East not so easy. I would go to the markets and get nuts, dried fruit and any other easy-to-carry snack.

It will save you when you need it the most.

- Eat simple. Street food was the best for me. I could see what they put in it and tell them what I didn’t (shaking head works best). You can use the word for egg if that is a problem (it is for me). I found every country understood. Though it’s incredibly difficult to say in Thai just FYI.

Eating street food - sticky rice!

- Drink plenty of water. No matter what happened (i.e. the Egyptian toilet bowl experience) water was the saving grace. Often I would feel worse when traveling because I had forgotten to drink water.

Which brings me back to Bermuda. DRINK WATER.

I think I was feeling rough last week because I went for a run. It’s too hot out there to be frivolous with your H2O intake.

- which brings me to my final point. If you are traveling to Bermuda and are celiac enjoy. Buzz Cafe, which has six locations, has gluten-free bread!!! I can’t even tell you how happy that makes me. Imagine toasted brie and sun-dried tomatoes on bread you can eat?!?! (only a celiac will understand).

And…..apparently and…I haven’t tested this out, but Hickory Stick (another sandwich place well-visited by the locals on the hunt for a good lunch) will make a sandwich with your gluten-free bread if you bring it!

This is my quick guide for Wednesday on food allergies. I promise. I promise I will sit down and write a column on it… but I need your help.

Have you got food allergies? How did you cope traveling? email me at skinnerrobyn@gmail.com or join my group on Facebook.

But luckily, Sheilagh Robertson’s is the traveling kind! That’s because Mrs. Robertson is the owner of what was Bermuda’s first specialty luggage and leather goods store.

Her 35-years of business have produced, everything from the wacky – a student with 14 bags to go to college – to the informative – travel tips such as travel with an extra, empty duffel bag for additional shopping.

But while her opening was a first for Bermuda, her 35-years have made her almost one of the last – one of the last original shops in the Island’s capital – Hamilton.

How has this little, leather and luggage mecca survive? Mrs. Robertson says it is based on what she provides.

Mrs. Robertson said: “My aim at The Harbourmaster was to provide a selection of high-quality luggage and leather goods that were durable, well-designed and at a more moderate price than the high-end designer brands that are featured in all the fashion magazines.

The Harbourmaster in the Washington Mall

“The Harbourmaster was the first specialty luggage and leather goods store in Bermuda and even now there are very few stores anywhere that offer the same degree of quality and choice that we do.

“Over the years our merchandise mix has evolved. When we opened we carried luggage and leather goods manufactured in Canada, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, Colombia, and the USA . Many of the manufacturers that we did business with were small family owned companies.

“Many of these companies no longer exist as they were sold as owners have retired and the younger generation have sold out. In recent years most of the manufacturing side of the industry has moved to China and many of the smaller brands are now owned by large conglomerates.

“It is much harder for a new small business to compete in today’s world which is dominated by Wal-Mart, “big box” stores, and large chains  in the USA. Today everything is accessible from everywhere on the internet,provided the customer is willing to pay the price.

“We have stayed in business by continuing to focus on  high quality merchandise and good customer service. We want our customers to enjoy their shopping experience and be able to buy items that will suit their needs.”

Inside The Harbourmaster - bags for all your travels!

What has impacted her business? What else…the airlines. These traveling tons of tin have limited the space and size of luggage much to the chagrin of the avid luggage expert.

While Mrs. Robertson still finds her line of leather goods from Colombia (not the college; the country) flying-off her shelves, Kipling has also crept into the limelight.

Land line from Colombia

She said: “Our best-selling leather goods line is from Land, a company based in Colombia South America. We have sold their products for 34 of our 35 years and many of our customers still use items that they purchased from us years ago.

“Our best-selling luggage line is Kipling-especially now that the airlines have severely restricted baggage weight allowances.  It is light-weight, well-made and features lots of fashion colours and styles in addition to the core colours.

“The reduction in weight limit from 70 lbs to 50 lbs means that most customers are looking for lighter luggage  so that they can pack more weight but avoid paying overweight fees.

“Most of the top quality luggage brands suitcases tend to be heavier because the component parts and fabrics are heavier, stronger and more durable.  Now all the top manufacturers are looking for new materials and ways of manufacturing that will reduce weight without compromising the quality.”

Sheilagh’s tip: “For frequent travelers it is still better to buy a well-made suitcase and to pack smarter.”

Want more tips? Well check-in here every Tuesday for the best way to get to college, cruise or generally pack for Cup Match.

So what are you waiting for? Oh directions….sure well: Drive to Hamilton, Bermuda. Walk into the Washington Mall (on the first floor) via the alley. The Harbourmaster is there on your right! Enjoy!!!

Adios Amigos and Bon Voyage with your new gear!

CTravel CEO Carl Paiva talks about the travel industry in Bermuda

It’s the day and age of the independent travel. For most that also means independent travel planning.

Visiting the internet rather than a travel agency is becoming far more common than when Mr. Paiva started in the industry in 1972, but the CEO of CTravel, a Bermuda-based travel agency, believes there is still a place for his industry.

What have almost 40 years in the island’s travel industry taught him? Mr. Paiva explained in his short Q&A in my Royal Gazette column – Rock Fever – today.

And here is the extended version with links to help you with your travel needs!

What got you into the travel business?

“I have been in the travel agency business since 1972. I had just graduated from college in 1971 with a degree in English and Art history.

“I got into the industry by default because I was really planning to go to graduate school for law. I joined Watlington and Conyers (a travel agency in Bermuda) where I started as a shipping agent for the summer. But I became a travel agent in the winter when there were no boats visiting Bermuda.

“In 1975 I joined Meyer-Franklin and stayed there until 2000 and I started CTravel in November, 2000.”

So where did the name for CTravel come from? I mean, besides the obvious travel portion?

“The ‘C’ in CTravel was born out of a marketing seminar that we attended that claimed ‘C’ was the strongest letter in the alphabet for marketing. Most people however believe it stands for Carl. This works for us too!!”

You have been in Bermuda’s travel business for almost 40 years and CTravel is stepping into the next arena by downsizing the physical office. How have you seen the travel industry evolve?

“It has changed absolutely. It used to all be done over the phone, calling airline reservation counters and everything was done on a personal level. We would have to wait for the confirmation from the airline. The airfares were much higher then and to book a hotel or car reservation was done through writing letters and we waited for a response. Everyone was patient. We were doing everything.”

And then there were the social … issues?

“Couples travelling to hotels or on a cruise ship, well we couldn’t book a couple unless they were married. They would have to be married and travelling in the same room.”

So what is a day in the life of a CEO of a travel agency?

“In my particular case it’s dealing with administration, coming up with new ideas, moving with the times, meeting with suppliers, meeting with everyone from a tour operator to a cruise company or speaking to them on the phone.

“Because I am in marketing I am also always trying to come up with new ideas to get on the radio and TV and the Internet (CTravel has its websitectravel.bm, cruises.bm and quickertix.com). I also meet with the staff to discuss new opportunities.

“A lot of the job is personal contact with staff and clients. Suppliers sometimes come down here and they meet with me to explain their vision moving forward and they do training with the staff. Relationships are absolutely critical and in our industry that means meeting face to face or getting to know them over the phone. I also encourage the travel advisors (because that is what the industry calls them) to embrace what they love because the travel industry is so diversified.”

I book most of my trips online and when I organised the trip around the world I did it myself. What are incentives for the public to use travel agents these days when everything is online?

“I compare our jobs to that of an interior designer. They need to meet with the clients, understand what they want and introduce the opportunities they have (just like a travel advisor does). And it doesn’t cost anymore (money) to sit with a travel agent. We get commissions from the suppliers. We only charge for airline tickets.

“We also have 130 affiliated offices worldwide. If someone said: ‘I want to go to Poland’ we could call our on-site and they would come back with a suggested itinerary.

Italia!

“This will mean going to sites the average traveller will not see. For example when I was in Venice I consulted our on-site, but I had them plan one day in particular. It was called ‘The little known Venice’. We literally went to parts of Venice where we saw no tourists. We went to the Ghetto where Jewish people were kept during the World War. We met with the Rabbi there and not being Jewish it was a history for lesson for us.”

And it provides more security?

“Yes. For example there was a group going to Africa and they were on tickets that were booked online. They arrived in London and some had tickets that had been stolen and they were supposed to meet a travel agent with the tickets onwards to Africa, but there was no travel agent there.

“Then a church group thought they were booking through a Minister in Florida. They booked 20 cabins. It was false and all that money was gone.

“Every year we go to the travel meeting in Vegas and meet with the various suppliers there which means we recognise names and faces and don’t need to worry.”

And the additional perks to booking through a travel agency?

“Because CTravel has a relationship with Virtuoso the largest travel consortium in the world, we get the Virtuoso rates and the amenities. That could also mean a bottle of champagne (in the visitor’s hotel room) or early check-in and other add-ons.

Another example? Mr. Paiva had a client who wanted to go to Mt. Kilimanjaro, but didn’t want to do it with a group. He called their Virtuoso on-site and were able to custom-tailor a trip with trekking, spa recovery and as many creature comforts as his client wanted.

That’s because, Mr Paiva said: “I am more an advisor to the agents. I do have some clients (for years). It’s such a personal business they call me and I want to go to China for two weeks and I know what they want to do.

“Many people find they like a particular agent and they like the way she/he does things. Relationship is one of the keys to success.

“And if the agents doesn’t know the particular place where you want to go they can call on Virtuoso. That’s where our affiliates are so important.”

So many people book their flights online. Does your travel agency still book flights?

“We don’t focus on airlines (anymore), but because we are on an island we do an enormous amount. We are the number one agency for airlines and cruises.

“We have 75% of the industry according to suppliers. That’s for air, cruises, tours and customized itineraries. We do a lot of groups – family reunions, weddings, senior citizens, etc…”

Bermuda!

It seems like a lot of the business you do are cruises. How has that area of the travel industry changed?

“Cruising, by the early 80s was up, cruising exploded. What’s wonderful about filling cruises in Bermuda is that Bermudians like premier and deluxe cabins.

“Because we live here (Bermuda), they want a cabin with a view. So when we cruise the cabins to first fill up are the balconies.

“We also book a lot of groups and nine times out of 10 they know where they want to stay because Bermudians are great travelers.

“This means suppliers love to come here. Bermudians have a real sense of worldliness. They have traveled a lot and they know what they want and the suppliers know that.”

And is all of your travel planning simply leisure?

No. “We do a lot of corporate travel and that’s a different kind of agent. That’s one that know the best days for fares, seat preferences (the best for sleep on the way to London), limo rentals, car rentals and convenient hotels.

“The other thing we do with corporate accounts is incentive travel. If they want to take 20 people they can rent a private house (for example).

“Necker Island (in the British Virgin Islands), we have used  not just for corporate, but also family groups. I do a lot of that.

“We do about 60% leisure and 40 percent corporate.”

So how has the economy influenced Bermuda’s travel industry?

“It’s the first recession I have seen in my career affect Bermuda. In the third quarter of 2008 we noticed corporate accounts pull back.

“We don’t see leisure affected or cruises affected. Those have still continued. The recession has, however, caused the airlines to go with lower prices which means less commission (for the travel advisor).

“The cruise fares are lower too. It’s great for the consumer, but we were hurt by the recession.”

Too book your next trip and for more information about the cruises and fares you can visit their website: www.ctravel.bm.

Where do you book your trips? Do you visit a travel agent? Do you have any nightmare stories from booking online? Email them to skinnerrobyn@gmail.com.

Netherlands. Because the Netherlands and NOT Holland are playing in the final of the World Cup this afternoon. Who are they against? Well if you have been living under a rock and not the one that the famous octopus has chosen, you know that it’s the finals today!

Spain vs. no, not Holland – The Netherlands. I didn’t know the difference either till yesterday. So I thought I would share a few facts to “excite” you with while you wait for the finals to start.

So why not Holland? Because there are twelve provinces in the Netherlands (Holland – North and South – are two of them).

2. The capital? Amsterdam.

But 3. the seat of government is actually in The Hague.

Of course those from the Netherlands have another terminology for themselves – Dutch. Actually it’s also for the language and anything pertaining to the Netherlands.

5. The adjective ‘Dutch’ is derived from the language that was spoken in the area, called ‘Diets’, which equals Middle Dutch.

But where is it? It borders the North Sea to, where else, the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and water borders with Denmark, Norway and United Kingdom.

This country also has a number of firsts for its seventh point- it was one of the first The parliamentary democracies.

8. It helped found the European Union (EU), NATO, OECD and WTO.

9. With its neighbours, Belgium and Luxembourg it forms the Benelux economic union.

There are no villains getting away with anything here, 10. The country is host to five international courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

BUT!!!! You say, what about their opponents? What about Spain? What don’t we know about this European neighbour?

Did you know it is the second largest country in Europe? Yep it is. After France. It is more than 500,000 square km!

2. Soccer (football) is the most popular spectator sport in Spain.

Which is surprising since sports, apparently, when three:  team sports are not part of school programs, so people join private clubs.

But 4. Bullfighting, considered an art and a popular attaction, is the biggest and most controversial sport in Spain and is an integral part of Spanish history, art and culture with bull rings in all major cities and quite a few minor ones.

5. In June 2005, despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church, Spain legalized gay marriage.

6. An incredible feat when 94 percent of the population is Roman Catholic.

7. Spain has 40,217,413 inhabitants.

And it joined 8. the Euro in 2002.

9. Castilian Spanish is the official language nationwide and is spoken by 74% of the population. Catalan is spoken by 17%, Galician is spoken by 7%, Basque is spoken by 2%. These languages are official regionally.

10. Spain did not participate in either the First or Second World War.

So let’s hope they can step-up to the plate today and offer a decent game against….you got it The Netherlands!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxqWXWJgRsE]

No, I know it’s the third and fourth place game for the World Cup today, but who is really watching? Not me. So I went nude.

Well not really, but I enjoy the fact that across North America today more than 13,000 people will be disrobing!

Now I’m not advocating nudists running along Bermuda’s beaches and neither are the American Association of Nude Recreation.

Nope! what they are hoping for, according to their website is to break their World Record for participants in a skinny dip by 3,0000!

I know what you’re thinking: “I’m naked at home in the shower. That will count.”

You’d be wrong. According to AOL news there has to be at least two people witness the dip and produce a notarized statement attesting to their lack of clothes.

Sounds like a lot of paperwork to me! But if you are interested the AANR is coordinating the skinny-dipping events at participating clubs and nude beaches today! at 3 p.m. Eastern Nudist Time (whatever that means).

But this isn’t lewd, rude or obscene….no! According to the AANR website this is all about promoting the healthy skinny-dipping.

It states: “This event will focus the attention of the world on the joys of wholesome, happy skinny-dipping as an American tradition proudly supported by AANR and recognized by the Guinness World Records™ Company.”

Are you somewhere in North America and desperate to strip-off today?!? Well no worries their website also offers locations of their clubs.

Check it out. But be warned….there are a lot of butts!

Other weird world records? How about a man who clung onto a power drill hanging from the ceiling and turned 41 times?

Yeah well Guy Hiang did it in Germany on September 1, 2007. Have you got long legs? Not as long as Svetlana Pankratova whose legs alone are 4’4”. The Telegraph of course pictured her with the shortest man: He Pingping at 2’5” in London.

Fancy eating metal? No, me neither, but Michel Lotito did from the time he was nine-years-old until his death. By 1997 he had eaten nine tons of metal according to The Telegraph.

On that note….I’m going to enjoy gluten-free sandwiches and some swizzle whilst swaggering around Bermuda on a catamaran.

Don’t think any amount of this rum-infused drink will bring me to add my name to the skinny-dipping records though….I hope.

Repairing before the Rain

Ok so now it’s after the rain, but when I took Friday’s Photo of the Day (because I’m my best judge:) it was pre-yesterday’s downpour. I should have known the weather was coming.

The crab spider (or Bermuda spider if I had my way) were everywhere! This one in particular along the Southampton Railway trail was chillin’ like a villin watching the sunset.

It was the perfect wander for a Wednesday and Thursday provide the much-needed liquid for my home. We’ve already ordered four trucks of water!

What does this mean, Robyn? Well if you do not live on my 21-square-mile home of Bermuda, you might not know.

We catch all the water we drink, bath, and clean with off the roofs of our houses. When there’s no rain…..there’s well…we get stinky. No I kid. We have to take five-minute showers, flush toilets when necessary and worse case scenario – buy water!

So watch where the spider spins its web, check the shark oil for cloudiness, see if there’s a ring around the moon and if it’s all clear, Bermuda may be out of water, but ready for the beach!

Want something to keep you busy? Take some pics! Maybe next Friday it will be your pic seen here! Send them to skinnerrobyn@gmail.com

Because today iss….well because it is, it’s about random wanderings. A few years ago (by that I mean ages) a local boy who lives in Canada now, landed on Bermuda’s shores and discovered ….a mystery man!

Where was Oscar (better known as Ozzie) Carrasquillo? He was in…. “Sight de Rock”

Ozzie....Sight the Rock

As Ozzie tells the tale: “It was dusk in the olde towne of St Georges in the fall of 1968. The sun was setting earlier and earlier. Some friends and me were behind St Peter’s Church on one of those little 17th century quaint streets, very narrow.

“We were just talking there enjoying the evening when a rather distinguished looking workman, was passing-by leading a work horse. He seemed to be coming in from the fields from a hard days work.

“I say distinguished because he was wearing one of those striped shirts one would wear with a Buster Brown collar around the turn of the century. We said: ‘Good Evening’ to him and he replied likewise.

“It was a surreal moment because as we were having the conversation amongst ourselves he was included in our’s as he and the horse passed by. As I said the street was very narrow.

“As he turned the corner he said to us “Sight de Rock” and was gone. So we all went to The White Horse Tavern for a bite and a brew and discussed “our friend” from the back of the Church with the bartender.

“He  told us there is nobody around like that these days however, there used to be, quite awhile ago. So who did we see? I don’t know, but I will always remember’ Sight de Rock” ..People Present: Ozzie Carrasquillo, Rudy Fox, Gary Anderson, Kevin Close & Jack Blackwell.”

Queen's Pit Stop

And my random wandering? A pit-stop for the Queen of England . But not recently. Nope. When? 1953. Why? She was tired and as it says: “paused briefly” before she continued a tour.

Where was she? Where is this? Well it’s in Bermuda. That’s your first hint. The second? It’s in Southampton….and probably one of the most random spots I have noticed in a while.

So where Robyn, where? Well let me start by saying I don’t know why she stopped here and did not get run down by cars. Why was I there? No it was not a Royal appreciation tour.

More Bermudian than that. I was….wandering up to Henry the VIII’s for a drink on a lovely evening overlooking South shore. Mounting the hill from the railway trail to Lighthouse Road, I was out of breath!

Boot camp at 7 a.m. had caught up with me. And I decided to stop. There on my left was this random plaque with a gorgeous view of Hamilton Harbour. Now if you’re from Bermuda you have every idea – I was below our Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse on Lighthouse Road (hence the run-over comment for the Queen).

Don’t worry I managed to get over the “shock” and continued to Henry’s for the real purpose of the wander.

Have you had any random wanderings? Home or abroad? Is there somewhere you walk everyday, but suddenly you realized you were walking-by the Queen’s resting place? Or for that matter did you: “Sight the Rock?”