After leading two expeditions in the footsteps of African explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley, Jim Owens of Falls Church, Va., has announced he’ll lead a third–the Livingstone Death March–in a tribute to Dr. David Livingstone and his faithful African companions, Chuma and Susi. The expedition will trace the route taken by Chuma and Susi, who carried the doctor’s body from the African interior to the Indian Ocean where it was shipped home for burial.
The expedition will begin in at the Livingstone Memorial in Zambia and will march approximately 1,300 miles during the next three and a half months to the port of Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Expedition members will have to be in Lusaka, Zambia, by May 15, and Owens promises to have completed the expedition by Sept. 1.
Owens says anyone interested in joining the Livingstone Death March should be a flexible, mature volunteer with knowledge of Stanley and Livingstone, someone who is sensitive to the cultural and political concerns of central and east Africa, and, perhaps most importantly, someone prepared for the physical rigors of the lengthy expedition. Team members, who will be accompanied by a physician and two wildlife officers, will carry a full pack and hike approximately 15 miles each day. Team members will share in carrying a litter similar in size and shape to the one that carried Livingstone’s body.
The Livingstone Death March is rough–but cheap. It will cost approximately $3,000 per person, says Owens, who based the price on air fare to Lusaka and from Dar es Salaam at about $2,000 and the participant’s contribution to the general expedition fund at $1,000. The price includes all meals as well as the services of the physician and wildlife officers. For information on the Livingstone Death March, call Owens at 703-507-1945 or check out the expedition site on the World Wide Web (www.livingstonedeathmarch.com)
Brazilian friends
The Friendship Force, an international organization dedicated to better understanding between people and countries, is leading a two-week study holiday April 15-30 to the cities of Salvador and Curitiba in Brazil. Participants will enjoy home hospitality and club friendship, see local sites, shop and enjoy night life as well as meet with government and community leaders in an effort to deepen understanding of urban issues in Brazil.
The Friendship Force tour to Brazil will cost approximately $2,000 per person double occupancy (no single supplement) and include round-trip air fare from Chicago and hosting fees for the one-week visits to each city. Most meals and group activities are provided by hosting clubs. The group is limited to 20 people.
There will be a meeting for anyone interested in the trip on at 3 p.m. Nov. 16 in Lecture Hall No. 1 at the Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive.
For more information on the tour to Brazil or Friendship Force membership, call Catherine Cameron, 773-334-1869.
Triton trip
Triton College’s Undergraduate Center is offering a nine-day excursion to Italy for fun–and one hour of college credit. The March 13-22 trip will be led by Triton instructor Allen Salzman. You’ll make stops in Milan, Verona, Bologna and Assisi, and take guided tours of Venice, Florence and Rome. Optional tours to Siena and Pompeii also are available.
The Triton trip costs $1,428 per person double (single supplement $210) for travelers 24 and younger and $1,625 (single supplement $210) for those 25 and older. The price includes round-trip air fare from Chicago, daily breakfast and dinner, in-district tuition and fees for the course “Travel in Italy.” The course includes two informal meetings prior to the trip and one after. Call 708-456-0300, ext. 3449.
Down under
Flat broke but still looking to get away this winter? You can’t do much better than Australia and New Zealand, especially because it’ll be summer down there. And now it’s affordable. STA Travel, Oz/Kiwi Experience and Air New Zealand have teamed up to create affordable winter air and land packages for students and budget travelers.
The budget packages includes air fare from the United States that allows you to fly into one city and return from another plus a bus pass for unlimited travel. For example, a “Reef and Rain Forest” package to Australia starts at $1,035 per person. The price includes round-trip air fare on Air New Zealand from Los Angeles to Cairns, an Oz Experience bus pass for travel from Cairns to Sydney and return air fare from Sydney to Los Angeles. Other packages are available. Call 800-777-0112.
Tower news
Britain’s Historic Royal Palaces has a new toll-free number that provides a brief recorded historical background plus the latest news on events and exhibits at the Tower of London and four other properties: Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House in Whitehall, the State Apartments and Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Kensington Palace and Kew Palace with Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. Call 800-806-7187.
