The Silk Route Motorcaravan Club.

Bulletin 101.

January 2003.
Translated by Christine O'Brien.
Edited for publication by Bill Peckham.

The Life of the Club.

Rhum Route and Silk Route

It is amazing what enormous sums sponsors* will pay for hulls that disintegrate at the first puff of wind. You may say that there's nothing lovelier than a large sail swelling in the wind, but what an age it lasts. And don't you find the landscape a bit monotonous? Water, and more water. The sea is only extraordinary when it moves, when it is wild, but obviously when the boat is just a hull in the air, the image no longer fits. So?

So, our engines also brave the storms. And, apart from a few exceptions, they stay on track, a track which appears to elude announcers. Why do the media not treat our motorcaravans, and motorcaravanners, as they deserve? Why do the television programmes never show our vans? My letters on this subject have never received a response. The market is constantly expanding. This leisure activity is achieving some success, the subject is appealing, our journeys are into fabulous places and extraordinary landscapes, we meet people from every country of the world... All in total radio silence. It seems as if the manufacturers of leisure vehicles wish to remain in obscurity. Compare the media coverage for car shows and boat shows. Even the big international gatherings of motorcaravans are only ever mentioned in the local papers.

While filing our archives, I found a dozen letters sent to the big manufacturers and a dozen negative replies. With our friend George Martin, an ex-member (whom we remember well for his welcome at Chantilly during the 'balade' in the Ile-de-France), we were nevertheless well received by Citroen, and we left with a splendid brochure about some big race or other of sailing ships round the world. All their budget had gone on that, there was nothing for us. When we left Contrexeville for the 'balade' in Lorraine, I thought I might be able to beg a few cartons of mineral water, a modest enough request. After trying again I finally received a reply. Tennis, yes, golf, yes, sailing, yes, but group policy had not included anything for motorcaravans, presumably because they aren't part of a spectator sport.

Now I am tired of writing and publicizing. I have yet again this year suggested by fax, mail, phone to Camping-car Magazine and Euro-mer that they take on the distribution of the 1 January bulletin, but this is because the club's finances are at rock bottom (normal for the end of the year) and there are no small savings we can make.

From Camping-car Magazine there's been no reply. Radio silence. If only they would say something, whether it is yes or no. As far as I am concerned, not replying to letters is a crime.

There has been slightly more success, after another phone call, with Euro-mer. They have agreed to help us with up to 50% of distribution costs, which explains why you will be receiving their publicity with this bulletin.

As the exception proves the rule, I should point out that some firms have been supportive. Sicli, Ricard, Autostar, Hymer, Imprimerie Nationale, SMCDA Saint-Maur, Groupe Motorpress, NZ-Voyages have helped in the production or distribution of special 1 January editions.

* Christian Hurault (our motorcaravanner on an agricultural tractor) will agree with me. He is desperately seeking help for his next challenge, a world tour via Peking. Tel. 04 74 841 455.

Visas by Internet.

The web site www.action-visas.com is worth knowing about. You can use it to ask for visas for all countries, it gives you information about the necessary documents (though not for vehicles, sadly) and you can organise everything by correspondence. It is obviously worth it.

Admin

Some explanations about how things work (for new members, and old members who have forgotten)

With this bulletin you will find your membership renewal form. The subscriptions covers the year 2003 from 1 January to 31 December. If you have already paid (in late October, November or December) your subscription is valid for 2003 and you don't need to renew, bulletin 100 was a free gift and you should find your 2003 membership card.

This new membership card is for new members only. For existing members there will be a label to stick on to your old card. This, together with the current membership list, will be sent out with the April bulletin. Your number, which you will need, for example, if you wish to consult former bulletins translated into English on the www.silkroute.org.uk site, will not change.

I would remind you that the membership card is also a badge. Wear it and you will be giving me pleasure and making my job easier.

What a shame. It appears that you have never come across any magical spots in which to bivouac, or possibly you have never taken pictures of them. Presumably this is to keep them secret. Either that or you have forgotten my request on this subject in bulletin 95. I still haven't received a single photo for the cover page of this January edition. Too bad. It will have to wait for next year, if you are interested . (and if I think to remind you).

A Fax from Georges Veillet.

Good info for us, travelling towards West Africa (10 vehicles the last we heard). Georges is willing to welcome us to a site in the wild 10km from Agadir as we come through on the evening of 9 or 10 January, and will come with us to the Mauretanian border. As he knows the country like the back of his hand, this can only be good for us.

For Sale.

Chassis-cabin defender 130 + cell 1999 - 68000km, impeccable condition, very autonomous, 350 litres of water, 200 litres petrol, hand winch, AR differential,. Etc.

New price 520,000 francs
For sale at 380,000 francs (negotiable)
Bernard Hespel, tel. 06 10 25 36 38.

The future of the Club.

The following article will, I hope, be the first of a long series about the future of the Club. We are waiting confidently for more to arrive.

In my opinion, the 2003 AGM should consist of three sections.

1. The usual general meeting with its traditional subjects.

2. Showing films and reporting on trips, chiefly China 2002.

3. A far-reaching debate on the future of the club, in response to Jacques Mahaut's request. This is the subject I have been thinking about.

Theoretical Analysis of a Club.

The board consists of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer or others with specific jobs regarded as part of the administration. The president, who is responsible for the internal and external coordination of club activities, is the only person qualified to act as 'arbiter'. He decides the agenda for all meetings of whatever kind.

The general secretary, an administrative secretary, guarantees that statues and rules are respected. This person is only qualified to sign invitations to meetings and AGMs and their minutes. Verbal proceedings must be countersigned by the president.

The treasurer looks after funds and financial matters. But the president holds the bank accounts. The treasurer is also qualified to sign for any financial transactions, through a delegation of the powers accorded by the banks to the president.

The Operation of the Club.

I don't know if I have completely understood all the workings of club operations. It is possible that I may have misinterpreted these. Jacques, who as president is responsible for coordination, should not find it too difficult to to act in this way since he is doing virtually everything himself, on his own.

Not only is he president, but he is also acting as secretary since he is in charge of all the correspondence, uses it and manages all the members. And as treasurer. For the two AGMs and 'balades' I have attended he has been in charge of participation, collects the money, banks it and signs cheques for all the expenses. Furthermore, he has taken upon himself all the work connected with producing our bulletin.

This is too much for one man, as he says himself. And before changing anything, I believe we should look at all these responsibilities so they can be shared among other people, who are competent, skilled and willing to take them on.

The following is a suggestion for ways in which the work could be divided.

1. The role of the president.

This is not open to discussion, as it is so well handled that there is no reason to change anything. To make sure that this person can act as coordinator, the correspondence must pass through their hands even if it is later distributed or passed on to the other officials below.

2. The vice-president.

The essential responsibility of this person is to act for the president when he/she is unable to do so (illness, accidents, long travels, etc.), so that the club can continue to function during those periods. The vice-president can also deputise for the president during large meetings like the AGM and the 'balades'.

3. The responsibilities of the secretary

To summon the participants to meetings of the board or committee (which are not very frequent apparently), invitations to the AGM being made in the bulletin. The secretary will also keep minutes of all these meetings and ensure that the special official register is kept according to the 1901 law.

Also to deal with membership and the correspondence that entails, including

• Requests for information about the club.

• Enrolling new members and keeping the membership list.

• Sending out individual identity badges, a file of club rules and various technical notices which have appeared in past bulletins, with a list of those bulletins. Even if the cost of creating such files - copying, envelopes and postage - has to be covered by raising the amount of the initial subscription.

However, in order to administer and update badges and membership lists, the secretary will have to be able to use IT.

3.1 The associate secretary

The secretariat is responsible for dealing with the stock of past bulletins, as Marcel Milliard does so well now, and of any published works held wholly or partly by the club, or to put authors and those requesting these works in touch with each other by passing on addresses. This could be done by

3.2 The second associate secretary, unless the publications are kept by a treasurer/stock-keeper (see below)

3.3 Other associate secretaries and co-opted secretaries

Other people could find themselves entrusted with specific jobs, such as putting together and publishing technical information (fuel, maritime transport, visas, customs documents, etc.), following travels, future plans. If these secretarial functions were taken on by other people, Jacques would be freed from a whole lot of correspondence. All he would have to do is send on from time to time everything he did not deal with himself.

4.1 Treasurer. The basic work is so well done that there is no reason to change it. But one or two associate treasurers could be accredited on the current account.

4.2 Associate treasurer. This person could be responsible for three things.

1. Looking after the treasurer's job during any absences (illness, accidents, long journeys etc.)

2. Taking care of participation in the AGM and the 'balades' and dealing with necessary payments before sending cheque stubs and so on to the treasurer for the final reckoning at the end.

3. Holding and controlling the stock of merchandise for sale, including t-shirts, postcards, car stickers (and brochures if there is no second associate treasurer) and looking after a sales stall at the AGM and the 'balades'. By making merchandise more easily available to members at AGMs and 'balades', the associate treasurer would relieve Jacques of this job, and in particular of transporting the merchandise. This last task could also be entrusted to a

4.3 Second associate treasurer. To help with organising and welcoming members during the AGM and the 'balades', we can work towards developing, with Jacques, a system like the boarding cards used on planes, to start with future 'balades'. This would mean giving participants a file containing identity badges for vehicles, maps and tickets which would permit entry to all the places visited without having to go to the ticket office. If these were then collected at the end of a visit, it would be possible to see how many people had used them and by recording entries on a grid we would be able to see more easily and quickly and accurately who had used them. If this work was done by an associate treasurer, Jacques would be free to meet more members, as I am sure he would like to do, to get to know the new members, to remember the group photo. If such an associate treasurer was only appointed temporarily for the 'balade' then all Jacques would have to do is sign cheques along the way.

5. The Bulletin.

'When the bulletin arrives, it is like an old friend coming into the house,' said one member. And I absolutely agree, as I am sure many others do. This is the most difficult part of Jacques' jobs to delegate. For my part, I read and re-read my copies and follow accounts of travels with maps and encyclopedias.

To belong to another club which issues a three-monthly bulletin is not in itself a bad idea, and if there was no choice, I'd subscribe. But I'm afraid that we would lose some of our identity that way. Would the accounts of travels all be printed? The accounts we receive are spontaneous, but if they were going out to a more varied readership would they need to be edited to make the style more literary and fill in more details? And there would also be a lot of stuff another organisation wouldn't publish, including reports on the AGM and meetings, small items and technical information, postcards from our travellers, small ads, new members, future plans for travels or 'balades', and invitations to future events. In the last 10 issues, which included 76 pages of text (not counting the covers), these items accounted for 30 pages.

So it would be necessary to continue issuing a specifically internal bulletin, perhaps bimonthly or three-monthly, though the latter seems a rather long delay for broadcasting some kinds of information. Even in reduced form, without accounts of travels, it seems vital that we keep our own bulletin.

The work of putting the bulletin together can be divided into three

1. Editing and putting on the page in order to produce a specimen copy

2. Making the bulletin, running off copies and collating them

3. Putting in envelopes and sending

5.1 Editing.

We could have a system in which all the electronic text continues to reach Jacques by email in order that he can avoid the tedious task of typing everything up. Any other information, whether it arrives by disks he cannot use or by other means could go to a single editor to be put into the right format and then e-mailed to Jacques.

5.2 Putting on the page.

I don't know who, apart from Jacques, has the necessary means to produce such a fine layout as the ones he produces. If he has enough support with the other tasks, both those involving the club and those involving the bulletin, he could continue the editing work up to the stage of producing a specimen copy.

5.3 Making the bulletin.

Making copies of the specimen copy and collating the pages are easy jobs which lots of people could do, thereby relieving Jacques of this work.

5.4 Sending the bulletin.

Putting in envelopes, stamping and sticking on address labels are also simple jobs. But it would be helpful if making and sending the bulletin happened in places that were close to each other to avoid sending stuff and incurring further costs. Address labels should be available or easily made in situ and in liaison with the secretary responsible for the membership list. So, as far as the bulletin is concerned, if we decide we want one, why not keep the current form, probably making it bimonthly and sharing out the work.

Conclusion

If the above suggestions are followed, Jacques would only have to continue two jobs as president and editor in chief, and these could also be split up at some future date. The bulletin wouldn't be as good if it was put together by someone who didn't have the same expertise and such attractive material (I am thinking particularly of the cover).

Everything I have written above may give a strict and rigid impression. Some strictness is necessary to keep the wheels turning, but a club can only work well if several people are helping so that nobody is overburdened and if there is the flexibility of relationships that applies between a group of friends.

I am not particularly wise and everything I have written is open to question. Especially as my comments have not necessarily included the British aspects of the club, such as the transfer of subscriptions, problems of holding a 'balade' in Britain where euros aren't accepted, financial problems arising from exchange and cheques, which are heavily taxed on both sides of the Channel, translation of notices, information about 'balades', etc.

But one thing is clear and that it that we must help Jacques. If we divide and reassign some of his tasks we can surely maintain our identity, our specific interests, our convivial meetings and our bulletin. Finally, a hypocritical comment. If the day comes when Jacques resigns as president, as he has suggested, it will be a lot easier to find someone to succeed him if there are less jobs to do.

We are Happy to Welcome...

KELLY Graham, 66 Chinal lane, Glossop, Derbyshire SK13 6JX, tel 01457 866197, mobile 07740 822230, satellite 8816 3141 5750, email gkelly@landyman.co.uk, converted Land-Rover ambulance

ROUCHUT Claude, 35 rue Pierre Loti, 16340 Isle d'Espagnac, Poitou-Charentes, tel 05 45 685 844, 06 86 659 984, calude.rouchut@worldline.fr, Toyota

VALGALIER Robert and Josette, 18 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jaumes, 34000 Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, 04 67 633 061, j.valgalier@outremeronline.com, Mercedes

New telephone number, MORIOT Jean, 03 83 381 928

France-USA by Road? Not so easy

I have come back from Lithuania where I discovered some information. And my friend who has just come back from the North has given me some more.

In Siberia there are almost no roads, though there are trains. Lorries only transport wood in winter when the rivers are frozen.

The northernmost road is the one to Magadan. The Moscow-Vladivostok connection is open. A lot of Russians deal in cars and come back from the North with Japanese and Korean vehicles. Beyond Magadan, is Eastern Siberia, some Eskimo tribes but no road.

I shall go Paris, Berlin,m Warsaw, Vilnius, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Cita, Haberoush, Vladivostok.

Then I have two possibilities. Either a boat for Yokohama (Japan) then Dutch to Anchorage, then Sitka opposite Prince Albert, then Vancouver. I don't think you can disembark at either Dutch or Sitka, you would have to find out from Canada or Alaska. Journey around 50 hours, or Yokohama/San Francisco 48. I am waiting for fuller information about Russian roads, but to book a place on the boat the only advice I have been given is to buy a ticket in situ.

If everything goes well, I am up for this journey.

Ferdinand Kohn.

London and Paris to Beijing and back, 2002.

For the Anglophones adventures click here.

The French are back in France, in one piece, if a bit shaken up. And they deserve our pity(?). Do you remember the photo of a motorcaravan tied onto a lorry in the last edition? Well, what we didn't know was that Claire and Roger Cortade were inside it. Imagine what it must have felt like up there when the lorry struck a deep pothole. Their only consolation was that while their companions took 10 days to do the 1000 kilometres, they took only 4.

Postcards from...

Jacques and Christiane Dumas, Ushuaia, 7 November. Here is the end of the earth. The roaring 50s have quietened down. We arrived yesterday in splendid sunshine and today it is raining. Oh sun, without you, things would only be what they are!

Christian Hurault, Kebener, 14 November. Hello to everyone. Staying in this Senegalese village where I have been installing computers in the school.

Michele Steger, Bhaktapur, 17 November. Friendly thoughts from Nepal to all the China-2000 group and, of course, the rest of the members. (Michele just missed meeting the China 2002 group)

B. Chung, Sagamihara, Japan, 25 November. Hello. Haven't seen many motorcaravans in Japan. Only some factories. See you soon.

Francis Monmart, Sydney, 21 November. The real travellers, according to Baudelaire, are the people who go for the sake of going... I am getting my Toyota back this week...

Eugene and Madeleine Deshcteaux, Remy and Marie-Jo Chaigneau, Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, 25 November, We are discovering the island of Reunion. Sea, mountain and volcano which have come to life for us... And as it is spring here, there are flowers everywhere, and fruit. The market of Saint-Paul is particularly lively and bright.

Free Place to Park No 6.

New members Jacques and Pierrette Lenoble have kindly offered us a landing-ground behind a hangar they own at the D'Epernay-Plivot aerodrome in Champagne. Get in touch with them for the key, water and electricity.

It is worth knowing that small aerodromes can very often accommodate us. At night it is usually very peaceful. Some of them have restaurants, almost all have a bar where it's nice to get a coffee or something else.

Practical Information.

This information is for people leaving for Africa, but I believe that there are just as many people going to Morocco and it may be useful for everybody.

Using walkie-talkies (or CBs).

Contrary to what you have been told, you can use walkie-talkies.

You must, however, have permission. Apply to the Agence National de Reglementation des Telecommunications in Morocco with the dates you will be there, the kind of equipment used and technical specifications, and the names of the users with their passport numbers. You can fax all this to:

ANRT Centre d'affaires Hay Riad, BD 2939 Rabat, tel 00212 37 718 400, fax 00212 37 718 547.

To check that you have all the information they need and haven't forgotten anything, before sending your application you can email Mr. Naciri at naciri@anrt.net.ma. This very friendly man will help you through the process. The document was returned by fax in under 15 days but that was in April. In theory the document must be shown to customs officers and whenever the police ask to see it. I have not been able to check out what the police do, but going through customs is already quite complicated enough without displaying a walkie-talkie and having to deal with that too.

Fuel.

As our vehicle and our friends' were diesel, this advice does not cover petrol. We found pumps everywhere, and that included Ceuta, where as everyone knows everything is cheaper as is the town is a tax-free zone.

Watch out for the quality of fuel and forecourt tanks. It would seem that the tanks in certain service stations also have water and even impurities in them. There is always a little water in diesel and as water is heavier it sits at the bottom of the tanks. So, if you are hitting the bottom of the tank... So go for the big chains, Total, Mobil, Afriquia, etc. rather than for small forecourts out in the country. This information comes from the Citroen concessionaire in Fez where the editor stayed while waiting for the fuel pumps to be changed on his motorcaravan. Credit card payment is only possible at newly built chain garages and not always in all of them.

No Intolerance!

If you wish to make use of our very reasonable price for the crossing, the instructions given in bulletin 100 are still valid. Note that there is no reduction for Ceuta. So you will need to choose. Either opt for a reduced price for the crossing and 55 km less, or the normal price and tax-free shopping.

Tunisia.

No parking problems in Tunisia. Daniel and Marie-Colette Bros drove around the country from 5 to 26 October. Off-road camping (they were alone), excellent roads. Crossing on the ferry Carthage is cheaper than via Marseille, 3-star cabins, and electrical supply during the crossing. A trip without any problems, made easier by the information read in our bulletins from Peyrin, Fenech and Godard.

Sahara

Our president is in the sand dunes. But don't use his absence as an excuse to disappear. Life goes on.

Your messages will be picked up by Paul Gouwy (via the Internet) and may help him to put together the next bulletin for February.

As it is the present-giving season, we would point out the Euro-Mer offer. At our last AGM we heard some comments about this club and their non-competitive prices and misleading information. Everyone makes mistakes. Reports from the last European meeting in Mallorca are very good and we hope that any of our members who ask to use their services in future will be satisfied.

I believe that after returning from the oh so awful Paris-Beijing 2002 trip, some (of the French) women do not wish to hear the word motorcaravan ever again. A good rest cure in the Balearics might well help reconcile them to houses on wheels. A good opportunity to try out the new Sete/Palma de Mallorca connection, at a very attractive price.

Humour.

Small existential questions (continued.)

• Why does the queue you are not in always move forward faster than the one you are in?

• How can you be sure your reflection is still in the mirror when you close your eyes?

• Why do you say 'thank-you' to the waiter who brings you your restaurant bill?

Notes.

I sent this mail to Kelly, a new member, 'We are happy to find a so young and so friendly member. Here is her reply, translated as well as I am able.

"I may be young and friendly but I am still stuck in the north-west of Thailand with gearbox problems. It isn't serious and can be repaired without removing the gearbox, and I am staying in a small campsite beside a lake under the refreshing shade of banana and palm trees. Some times clouds do have silver linings. If you have some bad luck during a trip, look around. You may find a paradise like the one I'm in today."

Despite no word from Svend Meyzonnier of CC magazine, this information may interest you. I pass it on without comment.

International CC celebration, 7, 8, 9 June 2003 at Lavelanet (Ariege). If anyone wishes to represent our club, he or she can go for free. Otherwise ask for information from 01 41 33 47 03 (specifying a club reduction) or email caroline.gagnerault@motorpresse.fr.

Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro.

Small trip in August and September 2002 (continued from bulletin 100)

Then we went to visit the town of Budva, a little further on, which has a large citadel and where the large free parking lots at the entrance encouraged us to go by foot. After our visit we strolled in the small streets lined with shops where the clothes and shoes on sale are wonderfully original and worthy of the rue de la Paix in Paris. It is quite common to come across fairytale creatures of such elegance and beauty that you can't help dreaming, and who bring a blush to some cheeks. In the harbour there were some large boats, but where from I don't know.

On the road to Cetinj, a lamb was being spit roasted. The smell stopped us and we were sat at a table with a cloth, if you please, and served a generous plate of 400 grams of roast lamb for each person, for just 31 francs, a mixed salad for 5.60, wahsed down with beer for 4 francs. Who could ask for more?

When we reached the sea we followed the coast road, travelling through Baosici, where Pierre Loti stayed, and then the village of Risan, one of the oldest cities founded by the Illyrians. The road was narrow, and bordered by old fishermen's houses. The countryside was very beautiful with high mountains surrounding the Kotor estuary with its lively shores.

At Kotor we parked our wagon in a huge parking lot in front of the citadel, but it cost 20 francs per hour, day and night. Kotor, formerly Kattarum, still has its ancient walls. It was part of the Byzantine Empire then became an independent republic before being attached to Serbia in 1186 and becoming the chief port of the country. It had its own currency until 1640. Sacked by the Venetians in 1378, it was subsequently ruled by Hungary and Bosnia before coming under Venetian rule in 1420. The Turks laid siege to it for more than 118 years, but without success.

The town is built on the margins of the Rijeka at the foot of the mountains of Loveen with sections of wall built into the rocks climbing up to the castle. Inside you will find the 17th century clock tower and the cathedral of Saint-Tryphon, the imposing facade of which stands out against the green of the mountain. Entirely restored, it is a wonder to look at, especially when lit up in the evening. The whole town is full of very lovely renaissance houses.

In the middle of the bay you can see 2 small islands. The first, Saint George is a former Benedictine monastery of which only traces can still be seen. On the second is a 17th century church, our Lady of the Scissors, which is a centre for pilgrimage. Here earthquakes have caused whole settlements to disappear under the sea, and under these waters traces of the ancient town of Rhisinium, a former pirates' retreat, have been found together with coins and precious objects from the Roman era. There are other treasures in the strait of Verige, where sailing ships and galleys belonging to the Turkish, Spanish and Venetians fleets have foundered.

We continued our tour as far as Sveti Stefan, once a fishermen's island, but we were unable to look round as the two small parking lots were unfortunately full.

To complete our trip we went to Cetinje, former capital of Montenegro which was united in 1918 with the kingdom of Serbia. The town was demolished by the bombardments of the last war and is very sad. We did not stay long and came back to Kotor along one of the loveliest mountain roads in the world, which winds round 25 impressive bends and from which you can see majestic views at every turn over the outfall of Kotor and the mountains surrounding it.

As we were doing so well, we decided to go into Bosnia Herzegovina to visit Mostar and the bridge that disappeared during the war. We went through a customs post without any trouble and travelled towards Stolac, which we had seen in 1996. This little village, between three valleys in the shape of a Y crossed by a pretty stream, once had a population of Muslims who constituted about one third of the people and who lived peacefully alongside the rest. But it was seriously damaged during the fighting with the Serbs who even left a burnt out tank at the entrance to the village (it was there in 1996), and the place is slowly returning to normal life under the protection of Afnor. One of the Afnor representatives came to talk to us in English, happy to be able to chat with us for a while. Tourists are rare in these parts, which ought to be idyllic but where the army still maintains a presence. And so we came to Mostar where we found a place to park quite easily.

Mostar, which is built along both banks of the Nerevta, became part of the Roman Empire under Tiberius. The name Mostar supposedly came from the old Moststari bridge and did not appear until 1452. In 1302 Herzegovina was united with Bosnia, then with the Serb Empire to become a Turkish province after the defeat of Kosovo in 1389.

The great attraction of Mostar is its old bridge, known as the Roman bridge although it was actually built by the master-builder and supreme Turkish architect Hajrudin in 1566. Situated in the old Turkish quarter, which has taken on new life, it remains a magnet for many tourists and tour operators, to the delight of the small shops lining the road that leads to it.

Its single arch, 27 metres wide, rises to 20 metres above the water. Each end is flanked by massive towers which were subjected to bombardment in the last war but which survived. The bridge itself, which was once so beautiful, was sadly destroyed and has now been replaced by a footbridge, donated by Luxemburg. Classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO, it is due to be rebuilt soon and all the stones that have been recovered and numbered are waiting to be reassembled alongside the already erected scaffolding.

The rest of the town is in a bad state and a number of buildings, including some beautiful houses, are riddled with bullet holes, ruined and abandoned. It will be some time before all these scars have disappeared.

After visiting the lovely old quarter where we bought some souvenirs, we did not loiter. Having returned just in time to lunch in the van, a violent storm broke over us - the rain has followed us everywhere - and it was time to drive back to meet up with our friends in Venice and Nice, and with our president at Sillons-la-Cascade. Then we drove on to Brantome in Dordogne.

Some practical information.

Austria: interesting, diesel, all the smoked meats and sausages. In July-August folklore and music everywhere.

Slovenia: currency, the tollar. Diesel around 4.30 francs.

Croatia: currency, the kuna (722 kunas=100 francs). Diesel at French prices. Cheaper meat. Expensive campsites, compulsory especially in July and August, varying from 120 to 150 francs. A plethora of German tourists in July and Italians in August (to be avoided). Hard to find water along the shoreline where springs have been blocked and modern petrol stations only have toilets for water, which are not easy to get to.

Montenegro: currency, the euro. Diesel 4.33 francs. Cost of living pleasant and in markets you can find farm-grown produce which tastes nothing like our own industrialised food.

Bosnia: the euro is accepted in Mostar, 2 beers in a bar for 3 euros.

Croatia, Serbia,

Another trip and some more information. [Editor's note: Although I received the text I have no author's name. I hope he or she will recgnise themselves and forgive me for not including their name. Is there more to follow?]

In Croatia, a special mention for the National Park of the Lakes of Plitvice, still as lovely. 16 lakes of turquoise water which flow down waterfalls from one to another. Camping in the park. Avoid the month of August, when the place is crowded.

The centre of Zagreb is pleasant with its many terraced cafes and ice-cream sellers (delicious). Luxury shops. From all the evidence, the transition to capitalism has brought wealth to several people. Old town and lovely streets round the cathedral. Croatia seems to want to get closer to Europe very quickly. Sadly we didn't have time to return to Dubrovnik.

Between Croatia and Serbia, the border crossing is tedious (90 minutes in August). Cost of a visa and compulsory insurance (minimum one month, no anti-theft cover) 98 euros for 4. Motorway the whole way between Zagreb and Belgrade in Serbia. In Serbia petrol is much cheaper than in France.

Belgrade is a very large town, not very attractive except for some buildings, but welcoming and very lively both day and night. One wonders when the Serbs sleep! Pollution and congestion guaranteed. Better to leave vehicles at one of the suburban parking lots and use the bus and tramways, some of which run at night. Much dirtier and less luxurious than Zagreb. The prices are also lower (clothes, restaurants). Many squares and green spaces. Very large park in the centre on the banks of the Danube. In the newest part of town (Novi Beograd) on the banks of the river Sava a huge green space has been laid out with an artificial lake, cycle paths and leisure areas for bathing and cycling. Apart from this very pleasant place it is not worth going there. It is an ugly part of the city with large concrete towers and barriers.

There are not many camp sites in Serbia, but there are 2 in Belgrade. If you're coming from Zagreb the handiest is the one at the Hotel National near the exit from the motorway. Several lovely monasteries and orthodox churches.

Not to be missed is a visit to the Oplenac Mausoleum at Topola, 60 km south of Belgrade. Built in around 1912 by King Peter I, it is in a magnificent park. The exterior is made entirely of white marble and the two-storey interior is completely covered in superb mosaics. The Serb claim they are the most beautiful in the world. Perhaps they are right. A real jewel, in any case.

In Belgrade the traces of NATO bombing are still visible since the ruined buildings have been left as they are. The memory of the bombing is still vivid but even more so if the day of 5 October 2000 when the people forced Milosevic to surrender power after 117 days of daily demonstrations.

We learnt that men, whatever their age and family situation, were subject to forcible conscription, sometimes kidnapped in the open street, to be sent to the front in Bosnia and Kosovo. Many went into hiding for months. After Milosevic had gone the Serbs put all their hope in the new government, but they have been hugely disappointed and they are wondering when they will manage to emerge from the crisis.

In Croatia, as in Serbia, do taste the slivovic (but don't overdo it, as it's strong), a strongly scented plum brandy which you will find it hard to refuse when you visit someone's home. You can also buy locally made versions along the roadside.

Seoul-Paris-Seoul.

Account of the last stage of the Seoul-Paris-Seoul journey undertaken by Choi Mi Ae, Jean-Louis Wolff, their children, their dog and their parrot on a Korean bus. Goa-Seoul (the last chapter was in Bulletin 94) To see the entire story (in French) click here.

When we were in Goa, enjoying the beach while trying to find a way of returning to Seoul, Vogue-Korea decided to publish a book about our journey to be distributed as a supplement in their birthday edition of August 2002. The magazine agreed to pay us royalties in advance so that we could finance the very expensive journey through Tibet and China.

We left our beach and the coconut palms to travel northwards, spent a few pleasant days in Bombay, admired the attractions of the Rajasthani women and met up with the European overlanders we had met in Turkey who were now in a camping site in the middle of Delhi. Their dog Gipsy panicked in the hubbub of the town and suddenly ran away. They put notices everywhere to try and get him back, but without success.

We waited for ten days or so for the Chinese consulate in Delhi to re-open after the holidays. Finally they informed us that 'entry visas for Tibet is not us, go and see in Nepal.' During this long wait we had been preparing the material for Vogue on the bus computer which had gone erratic in the heat. At 43 in the shade the large fan was not cooling anything.

Once we had finished the images and text for Vogue- Korea and sent them to Seoul, we got out of that awful city with its dust, the heat that makes the urine smells worse, and its mosquitoes, and made for Katmandu where other people before us have wrecked their tyres, except that we were driving a Hyundai. Our Korean number plates gave us an easier passage into Nepal than into the countries we had visited before. Once we were there it was difficult for the Nepalese authorities to let us go in the other direction without a transit Carnet. The customs demanded that we pay for a daily transit permit, but when we left the country we got the benefit of the World Cup effect and this demand was forgotten.

After the small border post at Banbassa the road runs through the plain of Terai along the first ranges of the Himalayas. It was very hot but the forests were magnificent and the villages pretty, in contrast to the chaos in India.

Then we turned left towards Pokhara and at last we began to climb out of the furnace. In the hills we were struck by the comprehensive use made of the land. The Nepalese manage to make all sorts of things grow on very narrow strips of sloping land.

We stayed in Nepal for a month waiting for the documents we needed to enter Tibet and for Wong Wai Yim, a student from Hong Kong studying video at the art school in Strasburg, to join us and film the crossing of Tibet. At Katmandu we increased the bus's strength by adding suspension plates. We also went sight-seeing as a family. We even took Igouroum and Lilas to a Korean restaurant ; they were delighted. We decided to cross the Chinese border on 7 June.

The rainy season seemed to arrive early this year. I was anxious about the climb to the border in case the the road, which runs alongside a river in a very steep valley, became impassable because of landslides. Finally I left in advance with the children to get the bus through a week before we crossed to Tibet, and of course the weather improved as if to mock my over cautious attitude.

The wooden huts in the border village of Kodari, stuck on the edge of the ravine alongside the road, overlooking a powerful torrent, are home to border trade of all kinds. Some of them are small booths where smart Sherpa girls serve Chinese alcohol, or ching-ching, a milky rice wine like Korean macoli.

The children of the village became fans of Lilas and this made Igouroum grumpy. A little Sherpa girl was very kind to him, but he only wanted to show off on his bicycle.

We walked a few times in the mountains, looking out for leeches, and with a few cups of ching-ching for me. Then when Mi Ae and Wai Yim joined us we finally crossed the 'bridge of friendship'.

In Tibet a foreign vehicle has to be accompanied by a local guide registered in Lhasa and a national guide registered in Peking. Our two guides were very anxious to get to Lhasa as soon as possible. We later learned that our crossing of Tibet, 3000 km of unasphalted mountain roads and planned to take 26 days, was actually done in 15.

We wanted to stop for two days in Nyalem at the top of the valley, 3800 m above sea level, to acclimatise before climbing any higher. But the guides had all sorts of a reasons, plus some canisters of oxygen, to persuade us to go over the pass at 5200m. The problem was that the road did not go down again immediately afterwards. We had to drive for several days right up in the clouds, in very rarefied air, before reaching Lhasa, a little under 4000m.

After first feeling drunk and then suffering a dreadful migraine, Mi Ae went to bed and didn't move. Igouroum and Lilas had blue lips. The bus belched black smoke and refused to climb. Only Meetoo, the Pakistani parrakeet had no symptoms of mountain sickness.

The countryside was grand. The wind blew thin air over the clumps of pegs and flags marking the passes. And all those blue, yellow, green, red and white flags whispered the same prayer over and over again in the wind. At a crossroads a signpost pointed to the right, Everest 100km. That road was only for 4x4s. We went straight on.

The houses in the villages, apart from the official Chinese buildings, are in Tibetan style, each one like a small fortified castle with the base larger than the top as if to make it difficult to turn over.

Fearing that it would be hard to find fuel I had stockpiled several jerrycans of Nepalese diesel, but it performed badly at high altitude and I had to mix it with local fuel. With thick walls surrounding the metallic domes of the storage tanks, the fuel stations looked like fortresses. We came across them at regular intervals of about 300 to 400km.

At Tingri, a small town, I queued at the pump behind some Dong Feng lorries. A Land Cruiser tried to force its way in, but I stood my ground. Furious, the driver hit the side of the bus with his bumpers. He was a Chinese police officer, and wasn't used to being kept waiting.

Most of Lhasa looks like any other modern Chinese city, with perfectly straight avenues lined with concrete buildings. Of course the Potala still dominates everything else from its mountain position. We made a final selection of photos for the Vogue book which was due to appear in two weeks.

Our local guide, a congenital liar it seemed, hated Tibet, the Tibetans and his job. We managed to replace him but the director of the agency in Lhasa warned us against the disastrous consequences of incorrect political actions on our part and criticised us for filming an accident on the road. A political report? We'd never considered making one, but this warning made us want to shout 'Long live Free Tibet'.

We didn't have permission to take the 'friendship road' to the south between Lhasa and Sichuan. We heard that it had been blocked by a huge landslide. We had to take the north road, reputed to be very difficult and normally open only to short lorries and 4x4s.

It was only once we were on this road that we realised from the urgency of our guides and their impatient smiles every time we stopped to take photos that our schedule had been changed. Despite strong protests from us to the headquarters of China Iron and Steel Travel Company Limited in Peking, the president Shen Ayin, whom we contacted by mobile phone, said that she thought she was helping us by ensuring that we pressed on because our permit to stay in Tibet could not be extended. We were threatened again with trouble from the Chinese authorities in Tibet if we didn't hurry on to Sichuan.

The only way to speed things up on that road was to travel 12 hours a day, covering around 120 to 130km, with no stops to survey the terrain before crossing a stream and ensure that the road was clear on the other side, no stops as we came up to passes when we saw the clouds of dust which might mean a lorry on the mountain side. The road was only just as wide as the bus and it was sometimes impossible to pass anything for hundreds of metres with a deep ravine alongside us.

The bumpers were gradually coming off after scraping the bottoms of streams. There were several very violent scuffles with lorry-drivers at impossible crossings. Tired and stressed, we were squabbling among ourselves as well.

On the other hand, some difficult episodes, like discovering a broken down bridge, brought out a solidarity between us. We managed to get across with a tow from the vehicle in front and once we were over we helped the vehicle following us.

As we could no longer stop for lessons, Igouroum sat beside me and I got him doing mental arithmetic. He was well-behaved and didn't complain too much at not being able to play outside and ride his bike.

On the plateaus we met nomads with black tents and herds of yaks. We managed to get some milk but had to pick the hair out of it. There were also white tents of pilgrims heading for Lhasa. The valleys shelter villages and green fields which contrast strongly with the ochre of the mountains. Each stream has its own colour, one turquoise, another yellow, red or black. Where two streams meet two veins of colour flow side by side before blending into one less bright intermediate colour.

We passed a bridge over the Mekong, a rushing river only 20 or so metres wide at this point but recognisable from its brick red colour.

Frank, a German friend, got married a fortnight later by the same river, but 2000km downstream in Nakhon Phanom in Thailand. As we wouldn't be there, we sent a message of congratulations in a plastic bottle.

It rained scarcely at all, so the road remained good enough for us to leave Tibet in time and to reach Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, in one piece with a bus that was damaged but still going and the impression that we'd rushed through the most beautiful part of the trip.

From Chengdu to Tianjin we just had a few hilly roads to cross before Sian, then motorway across the plain. We changed what was left of our all-terrain tyres for new radials. Wai Yim took the train to Peking.

We were furious with our Chinese agency. We refused to pay the balance of 500 dollars still owing of the 7000 dollar bill for transit in China. Tempers were fraying, Shen Ayin threatened us again, this time with keeping us in China till the end of time. As a protest we threw our guide out on a motorway sliproad. Although it was supposed to be illegal to drive a foreign vehicle without a guide, we were happy to find that we passed through checkpoints without any difficulty. The police were even quite friendly towards us.

After this we were ready to leave for Korea and got back in contact with Iron and Steel Travel in Tianjin to negotiate our exit from China. When we reached Incheon the formalities required to re-import our house-on-wheels were relatively heavy-going and complicated. Nobody had ever arrived in Korea with a vehicle already registered in that country. Cocotte was the last to get through. We found her attached to a pipe in a dark warehouse. She hadn't been able to pee for more than 30 hours.

So there we were. After 11 months and 40,000km, we still had 40 to do from Incheon to Seoul before we were home. We made the most of them and as we came into Seoul we put on loud music, 'We are going to Shanghai', and yelled at the tops of our voices.

A few days later Mee too, whose wings I couldn't bring myself to cut, leapt off the balcony in Itaewon towards the hill of Namsan and other adventures.

The book published by Vogue-Korea was a delightful surprise when we got home, and after it was published there were articles in the press and television interviews. Mi Ae worked on the publication of an account of our travels in Koean. A photo and video exhibition with pictures by Kim Jin Sang, Wong Wai Yim, Shim Min Kyong, Choi Mi Ae and Jean-Louis Wolff was held in the French Institute in Seoul from 18 to 30 November 2002.

[Editor's note. I hope that, like me, you enjoyed this account, that the exhibition was a great success and that one day we will meet our distant friends again. If I understood it correctly, they followed the same route in the Himalayas as our Paris-Beijing-Paris group, but in the opposite direction (This is correct, they used the N317, I asked them Stephen Stewart).. So we can see better how difficult it must have been. And I can see that relations with the China Iron and Steel agency, who supervised our trip in 2000, were not very easy.

Future Plans.

Paul and Francoise Boby, February or March 2004. Leave in a Hymer on Fiat for the Cameroun, where we are expected, travelling via Morocco, Mauretania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nieria. Nothing is definite yet. Nigeria is not certain. We are tempted by the Tunisia, Sahara route, but don't know if it makes sense with a vehicle like ours as we don't know if the Transafrica road is asphalted. If anyone feels strongly about this trip, we'd be happy to share the journey. Call 04 71 62 39 91 or 06 13 83 22 64.

Jacques and Marie-Paule Berlivet are finishing equipping their Land-Rover. In May 2003 they are leaving by cargo boat for Argentina with their vehicle and are looking for an information exchange. Call 02 43 45 82 58, mail berliland@netcourrier.com

We may meet him... At last I am leaving on 10 December for sub-Saharan Africa, travelling via Mauretania. I hope to be in Dakar for the New Year. You can recognise me by my red Nissan Terrano 4x4 with lots of rally-type publicity. Travelling through Choum, Atar, Chinguetti, Tidjikja, Aleg, Kaedi and Senegal. Best wishes. Claude Desaintjean.

The End of a Road in South America.

4 November 2002. The front left suspension of Guy's Traffic has broken, we are on our way back to Rio Gallegos. The repairs are done at a Renault garage. We take the opportunity to buy a bottle of gas which is adaptable thanks to the American connector. It is impossible to get French bottles filled.

4/11. Pass swiftly through the Argentine/Chilean border where we are asked for our Carnet de passage. Crossing the the Magellan Straits (14 to 20$). Cross the border. Route 3 is tarmac all the way. Watch out for your windscreens on the last bit of track.

6/11 Midday, Ushuaia. Against a backdrop of snow covered mountains, the houses with brightly coloured roofs are reflected in the bay. The sun is shining. The winds have calmed. The camping site of Lago Roca 21 km away in the national park is tidy, cheap and the staff are very friendly. There are Internet facilities, for 2 to 3 pesos per hour.

11/11 Arrive at El Calafata on route 5. This charming little town nestles in a green and flowery oasis. At the camp site, which has hot showers, we meet Erwin and Laetitie Munch, club members, who are travelling the world over three years with their two little girls.

12/11 What a sight! The luminous changing blue tones of the famous Perito Morena glacier (247m2) makes the landscape look like a sorbet with whipped cream on top. To go to the glaciers, take route 15, which is asphalted, and not track 11.

13/11 Route 40, the track to the pampa. We pass a brave cyclist who is going from Ushuaia to Canada. On the evening we offer hospitality to Olivier, who is making do with a journey from Ushuaia to Quito... by foot.

15/11 From Chile Chico to Puerto Guadal the track is in good condition. Don't take the track going up to a mine (we did). It is like the unforgettable 317 in Tibet.

16/11 The carretera Austral crosses wonderfully flowery and sunny mountains.

17/11 Route 5, still the carretera Austral. Tar and track. More suspension problems for Guy, who goes back 60 km for repairs.

18/11 Return to Coyhaique in Chile. We have mechanical problems and ask our companions to carry on without us, hoping to meet up with them again in Bariloche of at Machu Pichu.

Christiane Dumas

Email dated 26 November from Christiane Dumas, chrisjacques2001@yahoo.fr

We have met up again with the amigos who were waiting for us around 300km before Bariloche, where we are due to pick up our spare part at the French consulate on Wednesday. Best wishes to everybody.

Australia... Another look?

[Editor's note] When typing out Marcel Lecorre's article for the last bulletin, I decided to cut a long digression about the aborigines. It seemed to me not to be part of a travel piece, and Marcel gave me permission in a way in his text... 'Let us speak of the Aborigines, which may be the worse for you as I shall probably have a great deal to say.' But many, or perhaps I should say several, of you have expressed your appreciation of our friend's writing, so I am here including the rest of what or he wrote, or almost all of it.]

The first inhabitants of this island, they never used writing and their culture is oral and symbolic. A nomadic people, not much attracted to agriculture, the men have remained hunters and the women gatherers. They belong to a specific territory and are responsible for it. The presence (perhaps the soul) of their ancestors is everywhere and especially in the sacred places which may either be for men and women or for separate men's and women's groups, and woe betide anyone who goes near a place reserved for the other sex. Travellers should note that it is strictly forbidden to photograph and sometimes even to go near, these places. 250 languages and 750 dialects make it difficult to understand the traditional ways, and yet they have withstood 300 years of colonisation. Even now the life of Aborigines is controlled by the Dream state of their culture.

Migrants, who were originally convicts, prostitutes or soldiers, decimated the indigenous people who were essentially pacifist but have put up some resistance to persecution. The migrants are now 19 million Australians who have tried to wipe out the original inhabitants entirely. There was even a law authorising young children to be taken away from their families. Physically both men and women differ from 'our' concepts of beauty. Nowadays, the threat to the people comes from alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Numbering around 350,000 they are widely supported by the Australian people. But they do not believe in ownership and need, and do not control the administration of state aid. Though they are tolerated, many Australians who do not wish to recognise the roots of their country, ask for aid to Aborigines to be stopped.

For me, Aboriginal art, in its uniqueness, is an intimate part of our culture and our heritage. It is vital to protect this handing-on of tradition and contemporary works of art are a powerful proof of that.