8 <strong>Seren</strong> - End of Year Issue <strong>2007</strong>Traveltravel@seren.bangor.ac.ukBackpackers Guide to the WorldAs much as I love the summer, I canstart to suffer from cabin fever.Living in a small town and workingnearly everyday can start to take its toll onmy natural inclination to wander, so eachsummer I like to see where I can go andrekindle my exploring desire.Personally I think backpacking is by farthe best way to travel if you want a flexible,affordable holiday. It allows you to immerseyourself in the culture of a country, you cango wherever you want, you don’t have tobe tied into holiday company days out orhotel day trips. Backpacking is synonymouswith students; this is mainly because it isaffordable and can be done with minimaleffort in planning or commitment once youare at your destination. It allows you to getto remote places that other tourists will notsee. The simple act of wandering from placeto place with everything you need slung onyour back is a very liberating experience,but it can turn into a nightmare for theunprepared and the naive. A few simple dosand don’ts can make the difference betweena memorable trip and an unforgettable trip.Don’t travel alone. There is a greatallure to travelling alone and meeting newpeople and going with the flow, but beingon your own makes you an obvious targetfor criminals. Plus you will rarely be able toleave your stuff and have the peace of mindthat it is safe. This should be taken moreseriously by females wishing to travel. A lonewoman is a much more attractive targetthan a lone man. In some cultures womenare not equal to men and female travellerscan become objects of leering or banter asmany cultures perceive western women aseasy. A simple ring worn on your weddingfinger will discourage men from pesteringyou, and women should not go out intotowns alone or unaccompanied by a male.Respect the local culture. Western idealsabout how we dress can come into conflictwith other cultures. If it is the custom forwomen to cover up then it is consideredgood manners to follow these customs.This also goes for behaviour. While in Indiaa guy I was travelling with put a few nosesout of joint by standing in front of a loadof Buddhist monks, drunk as a sailor, tellingthem how much of a f*****g great time hewas having.Preparation is key. Research of yourdestination is one of the most importantthings you can do before you go offgallivanting. Finding out everything abouta place before you leave can give you amassive head start. History, currency,political situation, economic problems,national holidays and events; all of thesegive you a greater insight into the cultureof the place you’re visiting. For instance, Idid some research before I went to Indiaand found out the Taj Mahal is best at fivein the morningas soon as itopens as thereare no people inthe back of yourphotos. Howyou pack yourbag can make adifference to thecomfort of a trip.Weight shouldbe packed closeto the bottomof the bag andup against yourback; anythingthat is bulkycan then beput around theheavy itemsand towards thetop. Travelling light is what backpackingis all about. Things such as toiletries neednot be taken from the UK either as nearlyeverything you would want can be boughtin most countries, and generally for cheaper.Sharing things can also reduce your bulk.Shower gel, shaving cream, shampoo, suncream, etc can be shared between a fewpeople to stop you carrying useless weight.Joining the international youth hostellingmovement means that you can get discountat all youth hostels world wide. The cardcan also gets you into historic or culturalsites for a discount. www.hostelworld.com,w w w . h o s t e l b o o k e r s . c o m ,www.hosteltraveller.com, are all good siteswhen researching a hostel. Some hostelswon’t have the luxury of separate roomsand you can find yourself sharing with otherpeople. Some places will provide lockers foryour belongings but they normally comewithout a lock, so a small padlock is anadvised purchase for peace of mind.Getting sick can be part of travelling.A well stocked travel first aid kit will makeyou more comfortable. Some countries willrequire vaccinations before you travel sowhile you’re there ask the nurse about whatdrugs and things to take with you. Drugs tostop diarrhoea should be stocked piled! Evenjust the heavy mineral contents of water offoreign countries can cause stomach upsets.Water purification tablets are another handyaddition to your medical kit. Iodine basedpurification tablets are the best but shouldnot be taken for more than a month due tothe risk of poisoning; they also taste horrid.Travel wash is handy for when you arenot in civilization and you get fed up withsmelling like a farm. Some people prefer tohave one set of clothes to travel in which willnot be washed and have their other clothesfor best once they’ve arrived and freshenedup. Be careful not to wash in a river thatmight have a village up stream, and don’twash in stagnate water as it will make yourclothes even more dirty. Laundry servicescan usually be found everywhere though.Safety. Travellers’ cheques are essentialif you need to carry large amounts of cashwith you, but be careful as some placescharge commission to change them. Banksare normally safe bets when changingmoney. Don’t take credit or debit cards,as if stolen they will be hard to cancel fromabroad and you’ll be stranded withoutmoney. A money belt should be takenwith you, and in it you should carry allyour lifeline valuables: passport, travellers’cheques, large amounts of money, andmedical papers. Your money belt should gounder your trousers on your front, not wornas a bum bag as I’ve seen people do before.It should never, ever be accessed in the viewof people, if you need to then you shouldgo into a shop changing room or toiletsomewhere. You should carry all the moneyyou will need for each day in your pockets insmall notes spread around your person. Anold wallet with a small amount of money inand a few old plastic cards should be in onepocket as a mugging wallet. If cornered givethe mugger this without hesitation as youknow there is hardly any money in it and nocards or documents of importance.When you arrive at your destination youshould go to the British embassy and reportyourself to them telling them how long youwill be in the country for and what you willbe doing there. You should give them copiesof your passport, travellers’ cheques, medicalforms, and itinerary. If any of these are lostthen you need not fear. A European HealthInsurance Card, www.ehicard.org, give youfree or reduced medical costs in Europe.Pick-pocketing is a real problem fortravellers, especially around tourist sitesor street theatres. Have your eyes peeled atall time and make sure you not only watchyour own stuff but all your companionstoo. Another way is to have your hand inyour pocket at all times but this can be a bitimpractical. Stay on the look out for groupof homeless children, they slash the bottomsof bags and pockets, also don’t let anyonepush your or crowd you as they maybetrying to pick your pocket. Common senseshould prevail when stopping a pickpocket.Backpacking is the best way of gettingout into the wilderness and seeing things offthe beaten trail. You need to be on your toesthough, more so than when on a normalholiday as you will have to be self-sufficientin your trip. Preparation is a big part of yourtrip and vital if you want a smooth trip. Thebeauty of backpacking is that it can be doneat the last minute and need not be a tripacross the Amazon or Gobi desert, it can bea trip to one of Britain’s national parks, orinter-railing around Europe.Whatever your plans or goals, I wish youluck and safe travels.Luke WilsherTravel EditorFrom <strong>Bangor</strong> to<strong>Bangor</strong>Well this is my last installmentfrom the now gloriously sunnyMaine. Last week the <strong>University</strong>celebrated ‘Maine Day’. We were given theday off lectures in the hope that studentswould turn out at 8am…..yes 8am, to docommunity service. Although surprisinglynot too many students are up at 8am andeager to go on a Wednesday morningwhen they have no classes; but do notfear - a handy parade, comprising of amarching band, and bizarrely, tractors anda fire engine, swooped round campus towake everyone up! The <strong>University</strong> put ona free BBQ at midday, which was fantastic.It was accompanied by live bands andoutdoor games: ‘ooozeball’, paintballingand tug of war over jelly. ‘Ooozeball’ isbasically mud volleyball, a foot deep pitchis dug out and filled with mud- well I’m abig kid at heart and I just couldn’t resist, itwas absolutely freezing but so much fun.After our unsuccessful and extremely messygame (when coated in mud it is an effort tokeep your shorts pulled up at a respectablelevel let alone hit the volleyball), a few of usjumped into the river next to the pitch towash off…not one of the wisest ideas I’veever had as it had only recently thawed fromwinter but it cleaned us up a bit!If anyone is planning on going abroadnext year and especially to Maine here aresome tips: Do not forget your thermals,do not underestimate how cold it will get.Bring as much chocolate and British snacksas you can carry…trust me you will neverlike Hershey Bars. Do not panic when youdiscover the delights of the Bat Bus….makefriends with a car owner and if you have totake the bus at least find the origami dudewho gives you free stuff. Girls, don’t bringgorgeous shoes. I brought a truckload andI have ditched them for snow boots or flipflops as the weather requires…… Mainerswill wear flip flops in -24 and 3ft of snow!Make sure you have a good contact in yourdepartment as the International Office athome seem to be rather busy and oftenvery late at communication. Do not expectany quick solutions from them if any at all.Remember you will probably never see mostof these people again so try all the crazystuff they have to offer and get involved. Theinternational community here is fantasticand as long as you go to ‘Oronoka’ you willbe fine!If you want any questions answered aboutgoing on exchange feel freeto send me an email atelu267@bangor.ac.ukGood luck with finals,have a brilliant summerand I’ll see you inWales………..Lucy x xAdventures fromacross the PondSadly this is my last article from theGood ‘Ole US of A (yeehaw!) as Iam now starting my final monthhere at Oregon State. Spring fever has nowofficially gripped the campus, which bringsboth rampant stupidity (drunken midnightrugby with glowsticks anyone?) and theexcessive consumption of beer.With long, hot weekends stretchingbefore me, sightseeing is one of my toppriorities. With the end in sight, I want to seeeverything Oregon has to offer. So, a bravegroup of British students and I decided toventure on a trip to Oregon’s premier themepark, the Enchanted Forest.Unfortunately no one told the EnchantedForest that they were a theme park. ‘Shabfest’was the most effective description we couldcome up with. There were three main rideson offer. One was the thrilling ‘Mountainof Mordor’ which involves sitting in a slowmoving kart, with a gun, shooting at bluelights. The highlight was the tinfoil cave,which looked like someone had been leftalone with a large role a tin foil and staplesand had made the best of a bad job. I thoughtI had stepped into a bad Sci-Fi movie.The log flume was surprisingly decent,with a fair drop and some scream inducingparts. However, all four of us piled into onelog, and almost sank it on the first drop. Ithen spent the rest of the ride sitting in agood six inches of brown water, praying Ididn’t get dysentery.The winner though, for both theshoddy construction and potential deathtrap award, had to be the ‘Ice MountainRollercoaster’. We were sat in somethingthat can only be described as a Perspexcoffin, before being hurtled around a trackthat looked like something a class of fiveyear olds had put together out of Lego. Thecorners were brutal, with the kart lurchinghorrifically, and I think I gave myself a mildconcussion when my head slammed againstthe coffin lid.Upon exit of this ride I felt the urge torun to the nearest church and say a few HailMaries to repent for whatever sins I haddone to deserve that horror. Thankfully Iwill soon be back in <strong>Bangor</strong>, where the mostexciting ride is the walk down Bitch Hill.Bring it on!Amy Garrett15 Peak Challenge for CharityAlong with three friends from <strong>Bangor</strong> <strong>University</strong>, I am going to attempt to walk allfifteen mountains over 3000ft in Snowdonia National Park in one day. We will bewalking for approximately 14 hours over a distance of 52km, and 3635m of incline.By doing this walk we hope to raise money for North West Cancer Research Fund. The NorthWest Cancer Research fund provides grants for cancer research, and has a research unit at<strong>Bangor</strong> <strong>University</strong>. If you would like to sponsor us and help raise money for this worthwhilecharity then go to http://www.justgiving.com/welsh15peaks, to donate.Paul Seymour
Beach tripStudying abroadI am an exchange student from Italy at the <strong>University</strong> of <strong>Bangor</strong>, Wales. I havebeen in <strong>Bangor</strong> since last September and I am so excited to say that I had a wonderfulexperience. Going to study in another country gives you many opportunities, allowingyou to improve your skills and leaving you with astonishing memories. Spendingone year far away from my country in a different cultural and social environment hasenriched my personality in a special way. My English is much better today than whenI arrived here and I am more outgoing and confident. I had the chance to get involvedin many activities with other English students, who were friendly and helped me withmy language difficulties. As I am studying Drama and Media I found it useful to jointhe <strong>Bangor</strong> drama clubs, in fact I acted in Macbeth for Rostra and in The Tempest forBEDS and other plays for my drama modules. I also have my own show on Storm FM‘The Big Mix Up’. I tried several sports and at the moment I am enjoying the lovelyweather and landscape by cycling and running around <strong>Bangor</strong>. I have learnt aboutother cultures, because I made a lotof good friends from all over theworld, who are exchange studentslike me and it has been amazing toshare this extraordinary adventurewith them. Unfortunately the timeis over and I have to leave in June. Iam very sad to leave everything andall my new friends but I am sure Iwill keep in touch with them. I willbe taking home with me a hugesuitcase of remarkable knowledgeand skills.Valentina D’ErricoFirst dayTenerifeIt was simple enough to ask other people to write their fondest memories but when itcame to writing my own it’s only then I realised how hard it is! I’ve had many great nightsout in <strong>Bangor</strong> but I think the memory I’ll never forget is a biological science field trip toTenerife in November 2006. On the last full day we were taken by bus tothe Barranco de Masca, a beautiful rocky valley. After a horrifying experience of the buslosing control and hitting the cliff barriers we arrived at the start point of the walk. Thesun bounced off the tall cliffs and the views were just spectacular. At the end of the walkthe valley opened out to the ocean. We jumped off the rocks into the water to cool down,and then we weretaken back to alocal town byboat. We even gotto see bottlenosedolphins huntinga shoal of fish onthe way, it couldn’thave asked for abetter day!ClaireMann<strong>Seren</strong> - End of Year Issue <strong>2007</strong>Memories of a leaverI have many favourite memories of <strong>Bangor</strong>, but one that sticks out is the very firstsummer beach trip to Rhosneigr in the first year. All of my friends, beers, food anda great campfire in the sand dunes made out of an old door we found. I spent allday in the sun, playing frisbee and football with friends. What better way to spend asummer’s day!Dave MoretonMy fondest memory of <strong>Bangor</strong> has to be the first ever day we got here. My parentshad just left and was feeling a bit daunted about the coming weeks. A few of us gottogether and after introductions we went for a wonder ending up in the Ffridd bar. Itfelt nice knowing that I wasn’t the only one in that position and I knew I would alwayshave people there. It was such a nice feeling, I felt so welcome from the very first day.I will miss <strong>Bangor</strong> greatly.Felicity SnowPound a pintMy favourite memory would have tobe the pound-a-pint nights in Ffridd Barin our first year when they were still good.There was nothing like getting there earlyto claim the huge tables and then slowlyeveryone you knew turned up and drankthe night away. The Ffridd had some goodnights, JK and Joel, Scott Mills and theHalloween parties were the best!!Joe ChapmanThree blindmice…andStevie WonderFilm-making on a budgetI thought it would be easy choosingmy fondest memory from my three yearsin <strong>Bangor</strong>. However, when racking mybrains and sifting through the plethora oflaugh-out-loud moments I have had here,it became glaringly obvious that it was notsuch and easy task. Despite this, there is onememory that stands out above all others, andthis was when I, along with several of myfriends, made a film in our second year. Aspart of our course we were required to writeand produce a film of about fifteen minutesin length. On a shoestring budget of preciselyzero, we had to beg, borrow and steal all thatwas needed to construct our masterpiecethat told a tale of love, obsession and murder.Spooky! Although the equipment we usedcan best be described as prehistoric, everyaspect of making the film was an absoluteriot, from filming in Tesco at two in themorning to drinkingexcessive amounts ofsmoothie whilst doingall-nighters in the editingsuite. So, despite thesoaring stress levels andsleepless nights, makingthat film will stay with meforever, and so I wouldlike to say a big thank youto absolutely everyoneinvolved.ChrisThomsonGlam rockSchizophonic launchDressing up as ‘Kiss’for a friends Glam Rock birthday. There were four of us and we all thought we had slackedoff and produced four very bodged costume/makeup jobs. But when we got to the party, wefound that most people had opted for a bit of neon eye-shadow, or a trendy neck scarf! We allwent to Academi and I’ve never felt so self-conscious of the fact that I looked like a maniac.Still, the photos are great and the perfect souvenir from my days in <strong>Bangor</strong>.Alex FarleyRFeaturesMy favourite <strong>Bangor</strong> memory has to be when I launched the first Schizophonic towardsthe end of second year, getting all my friends dancing in Academi. It was an awesome nightwith a great atmosphere and an after-party till the wee hours at mine. In a way this alsostarted me on my new career path as a DJ/producer and so has completely changed mylife. Id like to give massive thanks to the Academi guys for letting me put those nights onand a big-up to <strong>Bangor</strong> for being the place that it is, I’m sure I’ll be visiting next year!Gary BrownSnow in <strong>Bangor</strong>Freshers’ week9emember the Ffridd Bar? Remember eating a Dodgy Derek’s after anight out? Remember Supergrass at the ball? You do? Chances areyou’re a leaver then. For the last features page this year and formy last features page ever here’s something a little different, a trip downmemory lane with some of your fondest moments at <strong>Bangor</strong> <strong>University</strong>.For the rest of you, here’s to the many more fond memories at <strong>Bangor</strong> tocome.Claire Mann, Features EditorSo many tochoose from but onethat stands out isHalloween this year.Bobby, James andI wanted a famoustrio, so we naturallychose the ThreeBlind Mice. Afterreaching the limits ofour costume makingabilities, we all thought we had done a pretty good job. However, as we entered the pub,I was immediately asked, “Who have you come as? Stevie Wonder?? I think it was thewalking stick that did it. Anyway, much hilarity ensued and I will always think of our threedrunk, blind mice stumbling around <strong>Bangor</strong> with great affection.Shiran DevakumarWalking inSnowdoniaMy fondest memory of <strong>Bangor</strong> is when itsnowed here last year. Only a few inches ofsnow fell, but the whole place ground to ahalt. Lectures where cancelled and everyoneseemed to revile in the winter holiday wehad. I remember everyone having a cheekyglint in their eyes as they made snowballs,and the good atmosphere going around. Ialso remember slipping on some ice andfalling flat on my ass in front of a car loadof people, but I didn’t really care as the snowmade everything seem so much more carefree.Luke WilsherMy favouritememories from<strong>Bangor</strong> are when Ihave been walking inSnowdonia with the<strong>University</strong> MountainWalking Club. Onethat springs to mindis last January whenit snowed heavilythroughout the wholeof the Snowdonia National Park, and we were walking to the top of Moel Siabod. On theway up we had snow ball fights, and had amazing views across Snowdonia covered in snow.Before we started the walk, we all bought plastic bivy pags, so we could sit on them andslide down the other side of the mountain once we had reached the top. I think that wasthe least amount of walking I have had to do when coming off a mountain.Paul SeymourMy favourite memory of uni willhave to be my first Fresher’s Week in04/05. I was last to arrive in Elidir R(top floor) and was a bit behind allmy hallmates who had already settledin and (mostly) started drinking.After our first night together in Timethe rest of the week was a bit of ablur but it was the most fun I haveever had and I was really privilegedto be with a great bunch of people.We struck up friendships with eachother as well as with students in otherhalls and locals very quickly. We werewise enough to make the most of unilife before all the work and inevitablearguments about washing up kicked in! Iwould be very lucky if a time like that evercame round again.Jon Anderson
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