Kumuka Venture, July 2007, Adveture tours and small group tours in India

The Great Wall, China
Petra, Jordan
Christ Redeemer, Brazil
Machu Picchu, Peru
Chichen Itza, Mexico
The Roman Colosseum, Italy
The Taj Mahal, India

This month I reveal my craziness, Aikaterini our Greek Goddess writes in from the hot islands, I introduce you to Kumuka Kev and Anna Millqvist day dreams about India.

Happy Travels
Meg Hall

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OK I admit it, I’m crazy! I’ve teamed up with 3 other fanatical friends to join in on the Oxfam 100km trailwalker. Looking at it like that it doesn’t seem too bad but, we have to do this in less than 48 hours through thick Australian bush over rocks, creeks and dust. It is branded as one of the toughest team challenge events in the world.

So why do it? Well there is the charity side of it, I am proud to be raising funds for Oxfam. They work in partnership with local communities to increase the number of people who have a sustainable livelihood, access to social services, an effective voice in decisions, safety from conflict and disaster, and equal rights and status. I have been lucky with generous friends donating for the cause and already I know I am going to make a difference to a few lives around the world.

But let’s face it, I’m not only on a charity crusade, there is more to it than that and this is what makes such events so popular. I, along with 2000 other entrants, am keen to put myself to the test, to stretch out of my comfort zone, to see just how wide my boundaries are.

There is also the preparation, having something exciting and challenging on my radar to prepare for, keeps me enthused about my every day life. When ever there is a dull moment, all I need do is think about my up and coming marathon (or scare myself senseless about it) and I’m immediately jolted from boredom.

I could do this on my own, there’s nothing stopping me, but there is something about being a part of a team on an adventure, raising money for charity, even being a part of history that has me charged and excited about my up and coming craziness. I’m looking forward to the beginning, middle and end. I know it's going to hurt, I know I’m going to yearn for the end and I also know that afterward I am going to look back with my mates and talk about it as if it were the best thing we ever did. I have this feeling that I will never do this event again but I also think it will be a highlight of my already colourful life.

You don’t have to put your body through torture to be a part of a team, on an adventure, raising money for charity. Getting on board a Kumuka overland tour, taking your children to Egypt, white water rafting on the Zambezi River, crossing the continent of South America or walking on the Great Wall of China are just some examples of life changing experiences you can have in a team environment with Kumuka. Every one of these few examples have people pushing their boundaries in different degrees, on every one of these trips, life changing experiences are had with other team members, on every one of these examples GBP20 (or equivalent in local currency) per participant is donated to UNICEF who provide protection, education and health care to children in need around the world.

The wider your boundaries, the bigger your world, the more interesting your life will be. So what can I say – push yourself, venture a little further.

For any of you out there reading this who is also doing the walk, get in contact, I’m on the trail most weekends training and would love to meet up for a bush walk. Otherwise I’ll be the one in Kumuka blue on the day – keep an eye out for the one “venturing a little further!”

All donations are greatly appreciated for this very worthwhile cause.
http://www2.oxfam.org.au/trailwalker/Sydney/team/219


Are you a past Kumuka traveller? Did you know that you automatically qualify for a 5% discount over and above any published discounts! So what are you waiting for, Venture even further…

Kumuka Worldwide in conjunction with GE Creditline, are offering travellers interest free finance on travel arrangements booked through the Kumuka Worldwide Australian office. This means that you won’t need to use your credit card to make your dreams of travel come true, nor spend the next year saving when you could be travelling now! (Available to Australian clients only) Visit www.kumuka.com/interestfree for details

Magical, crazy, beautiful, bustling, ancient India

Dear Kumuka,

I’m back in the office still day-dreaming about our fabulous trip to India... Mum and I sitting on our hotel balcony in a remote village in the middle of Rajasthan, sipping on steaming chai tea, gazing up at the hillside when all of a sudden hundreds of monkeys, disturbed by the barking of a village dog, come galloping over the hill, long tails pointing skyward, screeches echoing over the valley.

Other favorite memories are of driving through villages and seeing the women working the fields in their beautifully coloured saris, all colours of the rainbow, slung over their head and shoulders as they worked, protecting them from the midday sun, the men are herding their livestock in white dhobis and colourful turbans. Families stand in their doorways smiling and welcoming our arrival to their villages, groups of children flock around us begging for their photos to be taken so they can see themselves in a digital image, raucous innocent laughter, how enchanting.

The hustle and bustle of the cities full of traffic and people going about their daily business, hilarious edge-of-your-seat tuk-tuk rides, the drivers artfully steering through narrow alleyways and tight spaces, always ever so close to colliding, what a riot! We were taken back in time by the rustic authentic accommodation in ancient forts and mansions once owned by the Royal families, such an unexpected treat. And what about the Taj Mahal - serene and elegant in the pre-dawn light, glistening as slowly the sun rises and bounces off the white marble surface. All these memories and so many more from 15 days. Magical, crazy, beautiful, bustling, ancient India... how I long to be back there exploring.

Anna Millqvist travelled on Kumuka Worldwide’s Magical Rajasthan tour >

Do you have a Postcard you wish to send us? Email Meg

Choose Kumuka Kev’s fate!

The reader's section where you choose the destiny for our valiant traveller.

Step one - Who should Kev share a tent with?

Landing in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Kev from Brisbane, Australia, a fun loving guy with an infectious laugh and a good sense of humour, met up with his Kumuka travel mates at the pre departure meeting before leaving on the Southern Star tour. This tour would take him to Johannesburg through Botswana and Namibia, he had a lot to look forward to, first he had to find a tent buddy for the next three weeks. Looking around the room were 20 travellers, they came from all walks of life, some were couples (they had their tenting buddies pre arranged) the majority were singles. Some were females; they were out for now as Kev was told to buddy up with someone of the same sex so his selection wasn’t too overwhelming.

After the meeting, the group all went out to for a traditional African meal at one of the local lodges, then to a bar where they started to get to know each other.

Kev started to gel with a few of the lads and by the end of the night had narrowed his selection down to a few.

Iain from Ireland, is well travelled and enjoys the great outdoors.
Charlie from Canada, has a passion for photography and loves his gadgets, his pack is filled with them.
Neil from New Zealand, is a good looking lad who likes a few beers.
Eric from England is a culture buff and passionate about history, he’s very excited about being in Africa.

Who should Kev share a tent with? Click on the name of your choice and send me an email, feel free to tell me why?

The most popular vote will determine Kev’s tenting arrangements and set the scene for the next edition of Venture Online where we will see what happens on Kumuka Kev’s adventure?

Visit www.kumuka.com to choose your own adventure.

Meet Aikaterini Pappoulis Operations Manager

Currently in Greece working on new itineraries for Kumuka, Kathy, as she is known, is constantly called upon for her extensive experience. Having worked with Kumuka for 8 years, Kathy has found herself leading tours and improving products in Europe, Greece, the Middle East and South America. Now working on the enormous task that is putting new itineraries together, she has a new appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes.

In her own words

What is your favorite country? Hmm, I cant pick one favorite, my life would not have been the same without seeing ‘Adam & Eve’ by Klimt in Vienna, walking on the salt planes of the Altiplano in Bolivia, drinking Mojitos and smoking cigars at 10 am in Cuba or sitting under the shadow of the Taj Mahal to name a few.

Can you pick a favorite meal from your travels? We were in Rome, in Plaza St Ignacio’s. A beautiful undiscovered square, dining alfresco, under the stars, and in the embrace of beautiful buildings delicately lit with 19th century street lamps. The meal was superb, but the desert was the piece de resistance. We had strawberries flambé and a tiramisu for dessert. Little did we know, that this dessert was to blow our socks off. Every spoonful was like some something out of a slow motion black and white Fellini movie. Truly memorable.

What was the best sunset you have seen? Sunsets in the white desert in Egypt were always a highlight. I would get the group organized to set up camp, and then we would all climb those weirdly shaped limestone hills and face the sunset, the cream colored desert turned all shades from soft pinks, to Arabian purples. Then the stars would appear; billions of sparkles on a blanket of endless deep blue, just magic.

If you could jump on a Kumuka trip tomorrow, what one would it be and why? Who would you take with you? Africa, Africa, Africa because Kumuka offer it all, from hot air ballooning over the Serengeti, flying over the Okavango delta, climbing Kilimanjaro, to seeing the Gorillas, diving in Zanzibar, collecting my own tea leaves in Tanzania, seeing all the furry animals in real life as opposed to in a zoo or on documentaries, walking across perfect red sand dunes in Namibia, meeting African people from tribes to cities. Who I would take? A special Scotsman.

Do you have any quirky habits? Of course not, I am perfectly normal.

What was your last belly laugh about? The real answer to the last question.

• An iceberg contains more heat than a lit match.

• Many people in parts of China eat insects. Some common insects are bean worms, scorpions, and locusts.

• The ancient Egyptians bought jewellery for their pet crocodiles.

Waltzing around Europe

Hi there,

My name is Kat, I just returned home from the European Waltz tour, our tour leaders where Susan and Kevin. They were so wonderful and made the trip so much fun. Susan was very good with giving us information about each city we were heading too, history and general information – I loved this. I made a heap of friends on the tour that, I hope, will be my friends for many years to come.

While away I decided that I would juggle around the world. I thought Kumuka would enjoy the attached picture. Thank you again for a wonderful tour with such wonderful people.

Kat
From New Zealand

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