This presentation will trace the route of the Society’s Study Tour of Central America which was organised and led by Colin in January 2004 following his exploration of the region 12 months earlier. We will travel through the 5 largest countries lying along the narrow strip of land between Colombia in South America and Mexico in North America. Each country is unique in its own way, but all share the same location on one of the most unstable parts of the earth with many large active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Panama (population: 4.4 million) is famous for its great engineering marvel and towering skyscrapers, but it also has tribes of indigenous people living in tropical forests and still following their traditional culture. Costa Rica (population: 4.3 million) is famous for its enlightened views on conservation, preserving 27% of its area in National Parks where there is an incredibly rich diversity of species in the zone where flora and fauna from both North and South America overlap. Nicaragua (population: 5.8 million), the largest country in the region, is very poor mainly because of its painful 20th century history of revolution and civil wars, but it delights travellers with its spectacular volcanoes and gems of Spanish colonial architecture, eg in Granada and Leon. Honduras(population: 7.6 million) is famous for its bananas, its impressive Mayan ruins (eg Copan) and its habitats for migrating birds. Guatemala, the most populous country (13.6 million), has some of the most beautiful landscapes of volcanic mountains and lakes, more impressive Mayan ruins, outstanding Spanish colonial cities, and magnificent colourful markets.

Despite being an amateur in all aspects of Antarctic expeditioning- whether geologist, glaciologist, ornithologist, mariner or geographer - Lindsay found a 23 day voyage to Antarctica in February/ March 2007 to be the “most fascinating experience of the lifetime" without doubt. She intends to describe several aspects of the time spent sailing from Ushuaia in Patagonia to the Antarctic Peninsula with 18 shore landings in different parts of the islands and landmass of the Peninsula. On leaving the Antarctica proper the ship visited South Georgia taking time to visit the site of Shackleton's renown arrival in that island and exploring the remains of the old whaling settlements and the new scientific research stations there.  Leaving South Georgia there was two day's travel through a wonderland of icebergs and encroaching autumn ice before reaching the Falkland Islands where two days were spent observing the fabulous and unique bird life as well as learning of the history of British settlement there (in war and peace) and the sensitive relationship to Argentina.

This talk will open up a remnant of old China that still exists in the remote Himalayan alpine regions on the edge of China's Yunnan province, an isolated world of old cobblestone streets, deep canyons and gorges, wooden courtyard homes, traditional lifestyles, leper colonies and minority nationality people. The speaker has visited the area 5 times over the past four years, and is still amazed by its stunning beauty.

Stephen has travelled to China - the subject of this talk - about 60 times. Stephen’s earlier talks to the Traveller’s Club have looked at Eastern Europe in 1989, Irian Jaya in 1990, the former Soviet Union in 1992, Bolivia in 1994, Burma in 1996, Mali in 2005, North Korea in 2006 and Iceland in 2007. Like all Stephen’s talks, this address on China’s Ancient Tea Horse Route will present richly illustrated and fascinating insights.