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Crash 1991 12
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CRASH Your guide to travel thru the underground Dec 1991
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GREETINGS
from the Crash Crew
Welcome to The Crash Update, a bimonthly zine exploring alternative
travel and events related to The Crash Network and of interest to its
members. The Crash Network is a database of people who like to visit
people and have visitors in return. The purposes of the network are to
make travel cheaper, more frequent, fun and even educational. With the
help of this network, seeing other parts of the world, befriending
others in different countries, and experiencing multiple cultures
should become second-nature, like eating when you're hungry. We
realize travel is an important part of life, and a much neglected one.
In addition to helping you find free places to sleep (or "crash"), the
network will highlight the fun parts of cities to visit, cheap places
to eat, drink and shop, alternative communities, natural sights to
see, techniques for flying cheaper, eco-tours, and whatever else we
can cram in our pages to expand your ideas of travel.
We'd love to hear about your travels in far-off places and the people
you meet there. Or write about where you live -- perhaps you'll
convince people to visit! Or just write about traveling itself -- why
you do it, where you like to go, how you like to get there.
Suggestions for topics of future research by the Crash Crew will also
be appreciated. Your participation is what will make this network a
success.
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LETTERS * LETTRES * TE GA MI * POSTE * CARTA
Fellow Travelers...
My name is Antje. I am a student at the Heidelberg University,
Germany, and I just love to travel. I like to go to foreign countries,
get to know different cultures and meet new people.
When I was still in school, I spent 1 year in Florida, as an exchange
student. I was a senior in high school and stayed with a typical
American family. The parents both working full time and the 3 kids
always watching or fighting with each other about what program to
watch. After having graduated from school in Germany, I went to Rome,
Italy for 1 year. I worked as an au-pair for a Roman family in the
afternoons and evenings I watched 2 bambini and in the mornings I took
an Italian class.
Rome is my favorite city! It's so fascinating! Rome is so
cosmopolitan, yet so full of ancient history. Imagine yourself trying
to cross Piazza Venezia, the biggest square in downtown Rome: hundreds
of little Fiats have come to a stand still. There are so many drivers
honking that nobody knows who's honking at whom. Two start an argument
and immediately there is a big crowd of people gathering around them.
If you are sick of all the traffic, noise, and the dirty air, you just
have to walk 5 minutes to the Forum Romanum, a remainder from ancient
Rome. You will find yourself in a garden with broken down monuments
and sights. Suddenly it's all peace and quiet, and you will feel 2000
years back in time.
This summer my friend Mahsa invited me to come to visit. She lives in
Berkeley, CA. Since I am not the typical tourist type -- touring
thoughout town, I decided to get myself a job. This way I not only met
people who live and work in the Bay Area, but experienced it myself.
Riding the BART train to downtown San Francisco, along with the other
commuters -- this "being a part of it" is what rounds off my vacation.
I was volunteering at Earth Island Institute, a non-profit
environmental organization, where I worked as the receptionist, did
some database entry on the computer, and translations, and many other
things. I really enjoyed working there, especially because of the
casual atmosphere and the very nice people I worked with. I had a
great time and I hope to see everybody again sometime, maybe in
Heidelberg because I not only like to travel, but also like to have
people come to visit me in Germany.
-- Antje Immken
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DEBRIS
Networking and information
* INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY PROJECT needs your help. Please send us any
photos of holiday events in your country. It could be parades, family
gatherings, decorated trees, buildings, outdoor festivals or anything
we could use for our calendar. Also write down the date your country's
holidays will happen in 1993. All contributors will receive a free
calendar and acknowledgment. Please send stuff as soon as possible. We
want everyday to be a holiday so there's always an excuse to travel.
Scribbe Unlimited Productions, P.O. Box 415, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA.
* YOUNG PEOPLE 10-20 who feel concerned about the environment needed
to share ideas with young East Europeans. Send name, address, ideas,
languages you know and include international reply coupon to pay for
return postage. Green Hope, Chemin de Clodolio, 06780 Aspremont,
France.
* HOME EXCHANGE. Year-round domestic and international travel. Join
The Invented City! 41 Sutter St., Suite 1090E, San Francisco, CA
94104, USA; (800) 788-CITY, (415) 673-0347 (CA).
* MONTHLY TRIPS TO STUDY CUBAN CULTURE AND ECONOMY. Contact Global
Exchange for information: 2141 Mission St. #202, San Francisco, CA
94110, USA. (415) 255-7295. Building people-to-people ties.
* LIKE TO TRAVEL? Support your spiritual and professional goals --
work for yourself full-time anywhere. $100/day and up. Environmentally
compatible. Some lifting, local travel necessary, some statewide.
(800) 443-5523.
* ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITIES across North America welcome
visitors/potential members. Live in the country with others who value
equality, ecology, and nonviolence. For our booklet, write: Federation
of Egalitarian Communities -- East Wind, URI, Tecumseh, MO 65760, USA.
Free ($2 appreciated).
* SPANISH IN QUETZALTENANGO, GUATEMALA: Individualized instruction,
family living. Daily social, cultural, political activities. CASA, Box
40148, Albuquerque, NM 87196, USA; (505) 242-3194.
* DIRECTORY OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES. Descriptions of 375 North
American communities. 55 international; 250 alternative resources.
Maps, reference charts, index. 40 feature articles. $18.00 ppd.
Directory, Box U, Deadwood, OR 97430, USA.
* PLANNING TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND? The nation's Green Party members are
offering home-stays to Greens from other countries at reasonable rates
-- NZ$20 (US$11.49) for bed and breakfast, NZ$30 (US$17.24) for
dinner, bed and breakfast. This is not only eco-touring at its best,
it also helps raise funds for local Greens. For a booklet describing
hosts and their homes, send US$10 to Greenstay, Rex Verity, The
Settlement, Waimate, South Canterbury, New Zealand.
* TEACH ENGLISH IN USSR. 1-12 month program. Individual
USSR/Czechoslovakia homestay travel program too. 721 Montecillo Rd.,
San Rafael, CA 94903, USA. (415) 491-1532.
* WORLD-WIDE NETWORKER CONGRESS 1992. If you are a mail-artist and
would like to set up meetings with other mail-artists, contact one of
these people for more information: Ruggero Maggi, C.so Sempione 67,
Milano 20I49, Italy / Netlink Dallas: John Held, Jr., 7919 Goforth,
Dallas, TX 75238, USA.
* OBSCURE PUBLICATIONS AND VIDEO. Reviews underground videos, zines.
Classifieds of videos for sale/trade. Jim Romeneske, Editor, POB 1334,
Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.
* NO NATION BULLETIN. Small magazine of international friendship &
peace. PPFA c/o S. Groth, Industrig. 9:1, 15300, Jarna, Sweden.
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MILES TO GO
A Traveling 20-Something
by Miles Poindexter
About 3 months ago I met an old friend whom I hardly recognized. He
seemed changed in spirit, more sure of himself, more energetic and,
this may seem a strange word but, lighter. As we sat in a coffee shop
he answered my query as to what had caused the change.
"I quit my job because I found out I was only allowed one week paid
vacation. Then I realized how crazy it was to work 5 out of seven days
a week for 8 hrs. per day. I realized not only my boss but many of my
'friends' took me for granted. It was such a shock to them that I
didn't have a job anymore. So I decided to really shock them, and move
to the coast of another ocean. I moved to a new city where no one
pretended that they knew everything about me. And now I realize that
together with shocking my friends, I shocked myself. I jolted my soul
out from the depths of boredom into which it had descended. I was
filled with a spiritual adrenalin as I met new people. Unable to even
consider getting another full-time job I set a budget to last me a few
months and set my mind to finding a way to help other people shed any
belief or fear that held them back from doing what I had done.
"Maybe the thrill of travel has hit me harder than other people
because I've never been attached to anything before. I've never
embraced a religion, a nationality, gender role, family ties,
political party, social class, cult, drinking club, gang, etc. This
always made me feel indecisive, empty, lonely, stubborn and other
negative feelings. But when I was on my own, seeing a much bigger
spectrum of possibilities, I realized my lack of attachment left my
mind clear and open to new experiences. For once I felt good about
myself. Maybe I didn't join the religion of my parents because it
wasn't the right one for me, not because I was 'just trying to rebel
against the system.' Maybe no religion will be right for me. Maybe I
just don't give a shit about religion at all.
"I'm 26, and now I'm seeing literature grouping people like me into
the '20-something generation.' And sure, I fit into many of the
'negative' attributes described in these studies: 'Can't hold down a
job' (maybe because most of them suck?). 'Finds it difficult to join
in positive social movements because of what happened to "The
Sixties"' (most of them just took a lot of drugs, let's face it). But
I remember two positive attributes that I can also relate to: 'Cares
deeply about the natural environment' (it's in BAD shape), and 'Likes
to travel.' I know now that I like to travel, more than I can humanly
describe. I'd like to live in a different city every 3 years, and
travel. And why not? Lack of roots is looked upon as a bad thing by
many people. But what would happen if modern nomadness became popular?
We would lose our territorial instincts that are put into our heads by
governments. If just half the world population suddenly woke up and
decided to move to another country, then national borders and the
prejudices that accompanies them would disappear. If 50,000 Americans
flew to Iraq in the months leading up to the recent USA/Iraq war,
instead of absorbing the fascist hype of the media, then the US
government wouldn't have mercilessly bombed Iraq like it did. Love of
travel and the refusal to identify with any territory smaller than the
earth and any group smaller than all earth's life (plant or animal) is
not an immature 'rebellion against the status quo,' it's a reality
worth working for. And this knowledge is responsible for my positive
change."
I considered the words of my old friend and I realized that I was
talking to myself.
-----
"The cult of sovereignty has become mankind's major religion. Its god
demands human sacrifice."
-- Arnold J. Toynbee
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INTO THE DISTANCE
Remarks on the theme "Why Travel?"
by Jon Seidenfeld
Have you ever wanted to break out of your current situation? Have you
ever acted on those flashes of personal anarchy that tell you to move,
to get in motion, to burn the bridges that tie you to your post and
just cruise? Just what is this wanderlust, this spark of energy that
commands a body to get up and take off to points unknown?
For some of us travel is more than just visiting a destination and
buying postcards. For some of us travel itself is its own goal. It is
the disorientation that comes with freedom and the self awareness that
results from meeting new people. Travel pushes the body to its limit
of endurance and the mind to its blissful outer edge, where awareness
becomes mechanical and conscious thought is replaced by primitive
instinct. Plans and itineraries become meaningless in the whirlpool
face of surging chaotic emotion. Travel destinations are but mere
checkpoints along the convoluted road to our ultimate destiny.
We live on the edge, walking a tightrope surrounded by dreams on one
side, history on the other, and always the abyss staring up, waiting
for the one misstep that will force harmony. The ultimate M&A if you
will. Life and living become meaningless without the ever present
awareness of our certain annihilation, out mortality. This is the
true, and perhaps only, common thread that unites all humanity.
Desires, emotions, and our occasional feelings of sharp exhilaration
are overt manifestations of the struggle against an eventual fate that
will somehow overtake us all. Intensity of experience, whether in the
form of a beautiful sunset or the love of another person, is one of
the joys of life derived from an unfettered and open mind; and the
development of an open mind is the strongest impetus to travel.
So heed the call of your impulse, and go for it!
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SPACE BETWEEN ROADS
by John Labovitz
I travel when I'm happy
I travel when I'm sad
Ain't got nothin' better
To satisfy my head
I remember the Pacific Ocean, breaking its boundaries on the huge
rocks off the Santa Cruz coast. I remember the early morning sun
slowly coating the rock formations bright orange in Bryce Canyon. I
remember two ancient men in blue overalls fixing my wrecked jeep in a
small, mosquito-infested town named Bluff, as the sheriff told me
tales of the Anasazi indians and their mysterious disappearance. I
remember foggy, flat, green plains of Quebec, with French-language
signs at the gas station.
I've traveled since I was very young. My family and I would go on long
journeys, through Nova Scotia, across the Northeastern United States,
climbing the Rocky Mountains, perusing the forsaken desert floor of
Nevada, going from grain elevator to grain elevator on the gridded
farm roads of Nebraska.
We never went to a place; we were always passing through. A day here,
a day there, then on to the next place. We rarely visited the
congested cities, preferring the desert and its glorious subtlety.
We chose back roads, through mountains, forests, deserts, plains --
roads that were out of the way, roads that didn't go straight through.
Freeways were avoided, with their grim and set drivers, trying to get
to There. Because being There means we're halfway done, means we'll be
leaving soon to come back from where we started.
When I drove alone from San Francisco to Washington, DC, the summer
after I graduated from high school, the travel agency gave me maps
that showed me the exact route to take, all the way across the
country. The maps showed the great I-40 interstate, and the roads and
towns precisely ten miles to each side of the interstate. I survived
the tunnel of these skinny, distorted maps for a day, then saw a sign
to Old Route 66, and left the freeway forever.
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UNLEARNING
by Miles Poindexter
Visiting people in other cultures helps one to "unlearn." One does not
learn a new culture in the brief amount of time usually allowed to
visit other places. But hopefully one can unlearn a few prejudices one
may have picked up from one's parents. One can unlearn a custom from
one's own culture which may seem especially silly after seeing another
culture's alternative to it. Hopefully one can unlearn historical
teachings that were presented from one point of view when faced with
another view. It's not that one should totally give up one's culture
when visiting another, but rather one could get rid of a few harmful
aspects of it.
-------------------
THE JEWEL OF RUSSIA
by Gary A. Cook, Program Director, Baikal Watch
[Ecotours and other kinds of visits to the Soviet Union and Eastern
European countries are very popular now. It is invigorating to
meet people that have taken their future into their own hands and
are starting whole countries anew. There will be much information
to exchange on both sides. Many people in countries formerly ruled
by dictatorship need help with their environmental problems. And
many of us in "democratic" countries need a refresher course in
how to deal with corrupt government.
A good destination for an ecological vacation is Lake Baikal.
Here's a report from Baikal Watch, a non-profit group associated
with Earth Island Institute, that is trying to help Russians
protect this natural area.
-- Miles Poindexter]
Siberia's Lake Baikal is breathtakingly beautiful. Containing one-
fifth of the world's fresh water, it is the largest freshwater lake in
the world, and the world's deepest lake.
Perhaps most important, with more than 20 million years of unbroken
evolutionary history, it is one of the biologically richest lakes on
Earth. Within its watershed there are more than 1,200 endemic species
of plants and animals, including the world's only freshwater seals.
The mysteries held by this unique spot have led scientists from all
over the world to seek an understanding of the life of this unique
lake.
As remote as Siberia seems, Lake Baikal is far from being free of
pollution. A pulp mill pours into the lake at its southern shore, and
industrial and agricultural discharges from the Selenga River
contribute additional wastes. Coal-fired plants upwind from Baikal
spew pollution into the air and have already caused widespread
degradation to the lake's environment. But the real threat to Baikal
comes from the myriad types of development that Siberia now faces.
The transition to a market economy poses enormous questions about the
development of the area's natural resources, which include great
forest as well as copper, lead and other deposits of useful minerals
and metals. Industrial projects are now being sponsored by multi-
national corporations. Large-scale tourist developments are being
promoted by some in the region. Baikal's extensive watershed
encompasses two different political jurisdictions within the Russian
Republic, plus a large area in Mongolia. Currently there are only the
rudimentary beginnings for region-wide collaboration to protect
Baikal.
Despite these threats, there are compelling reasons for optimism about
Lake Baikal's fate and our ability to make a difference in it. The
lake has been a symbol of the Soviet Union's environmental movement
since before the espousal of environmental protection was safe for
Soviets. Many years ago, Siberian citizens demonstrated in the streets
to close down the pulp plant and to stop industrial expansion. Now, in
the post-Soviet, more democratic society, unprecedented opportunities
have opened for empowering those who have taken to heart the
environmental interests of the lake and of Siberia as a whole.
Baikal's importance transcends the lake itself, because of the
symbolic value attached to Baikal as a jewel in the Russian natural
heritage. The closest analogy might be the US relationship to national
parks such as Yosemite, and the role that struggles to save such areas
of natural beauty have played in United States environmental history.
In this respect, the demonstration that a large area can be preserved
through regional cooperation will have a positive effect throughout
Russia and the other republics.
Citizens from the United States and other countries have much to give
in helping the Soviets protect Baikal. Earth Island has now
participated in three expeditions to the lake. Dozens of groups of US
citizens and researchers have visited the lake and in turn have hosted
Soviet visitors from the region. Despite the differences in our
systems, the North American experience in protecting unique ecosystems
provides valuable case studies for our Soviet counterparts. Even more,
the experience in environmental advocacy that has been developed in
this country can be enormously useful as citizens of all nations shape
their democracies.
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CRASHING IN TOKYO
by Severin Head
As the world's most expensive city, Tokyo can be a very difficult
place to find reasonably priced accomodations and food. Until The
Crash Network is up and operating to it's full potential, here are
some suggestions about how to overcome those difficulties.
First of all, you absolutely must not arrive in Tokyo completely
broke. Just to get to the city from the airport, which is 40 miles
away, costs $20. Also, the immigration authorities at the airport
require that you have $500 on you before they let you enter the
country. In actual fact however, they only ask to see your money about
a quarter of the time. Upon arrival at Narita you will probably get a
standard "temporary visitor" stamp in your passport which is good for
90 days. The real trick is finding out how to make your limited funds
last the entire 3 months.
The cheapest and most horrible place to stay in Tokyo is Okubo House,
located in an alley by the Yamanote line train tracks one stop North
of Shinjuku. A typical room is shared by 8 people on 4 bunkbeds. The
guests are roughly half foreign travelers and half Japanese day
laborers, who I refer to as towelheads because of the ubiquitous
towels they wear that never seem to unravel. Maybe they're just stuck
or somehow surgically implanted. These people are very friendly, love
drinking (a trait shared by most Japanese males), and generally don't
speak any English. If you hang out with them in the evenings when
they're watching baseball on TV and drinking sake or beer you'll have
the chance to pick up your first Japanese words and phrases, although
I wouldn't advise using them on members of other social strata you
meet. But then again as a foreigner you aren't expected to understand
the complexities of Japanese language or etiquette, and can pretty
much get away with murder.
Since this is the cheapest place in town the other foreigners you meet
will be a pretty mixed lot. No matter what your brand of personal
deviance, the staff has seen it a hundred times before and will
generally leave you alone so long as you don't do anything illegal.
The price is $10 per night with discounts given if you pay in advance
by the week or by the month.
The other option for cheap accomodation is living in a so-called
"gaijin house." These places are usually old run down Japanese houses
owned by a (frequently absentee) Japanese landlord with a foreigner
running the day-to-day operations. Monthly rates for a small room
shared by one or two others range from $300 to $500 with slightly
higher rates for private rooms. Most houses have a shared kitchen,
bath, and living room. You are responsible for your own food, but not
the utility bills. Sometimes these houses offer a weekly rate.
Sometimes there is a security deposit. The foreigners is these houses
generally work as English teachers or bar hostesses. Many also study
some aspect of Japanese culture such such as martial arts, Buddhism,
or language. Gaijin houses are located all over Tokyo. New ones are
constantly opening and old fold so the best way to find one is to
check the classified ads in the Monday edition of the English language
*Japan Times,* as well as the *Tokyo Journal* magazine, and the other
English dailies. I've heard of cases of people crashing for the night
on couches in the living room of a house at no charge but this is only
recommended as a desperation tactic since, after all, no one really
likes living with a stranger camped out in the living room, and taking
advantage of other people's generosity creates bad karma that will
come back to haunt you in the future.
Cheap food options in Tokyo include sushi, which comes around to your
seat at the bar on a conveyor belt. You simply take the plate you want
off the belt, sprinkle on some soy sauce and pickled ginger, and
enjoy. A plate in one of these style restaurants usually contains 2
pieces and costs $1. 4 or 5 plates will fill you up. The green tea is
complimentary.
If you don't like sushi or get tired of it you can choose from any of
the thousands of cheap Chinese restaurants that dot the city. You can
get filled up for $5-10. In the same price range are all the American
fast food outlets.
The very cheapest way to eat in Tokyo if you are desperate is free
from the department stores. Most Japanese department stores sell
groceries and food in their basements. They usually offer free samples
to entice customers. For you it can be a giant smorgasbord. Although
this might be frowned upon by the Japanese, who would never do it
themselves, foreigners are not expected to even understand, much less
live by the same rules.
Most foreigners living in Tokyo for a year or less teach English.
Salaries are high, starting at $20 per hour, and going on up to the
astronomical range. It is beyond the scope of this article to explain
the ins and outs of teaching in Japan. Suffice it to say that whoever
you are, whatever your educational background or English ability is,
you are well qualified to teach. A working visa requires a lot of red
tape and takes a long time to process so unless you plan to live in
Japan for a year or more it probably isn't worth your while to get
one. Find out from the other foreigners you meet how to get private
students. Three or four students a week will generate enough income to
pay for your living expenses.
Tokyo is a very expensive city in which to live but if you are careful
with your money, avoid going over budget, and supplement your funds by
teaching a few hours a week it's possible to live there in reasonable
comfort for several months at a time. Good luck and happy traveling.
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SEA TURTLES IN MEXICO
by Frank Galea, Sea Turtle Restoration Project
The complaint I've most often heard from travelers returning from
South of the border is that the "real" Mexico is becoming increasingly
hard to find. One really needs to make an effort to escape the beaten
track of tourist hotels and other overpriced rip-offs. Mexico's recent
moves towards opening itself up to foreign capital are a bad omen for
any hope of cultural identity in the future: it'll just wind-up
another international-capital-dominated-hospitality-industry-mega-
resort for lawyers in love. This may be a bummer for travelers trying
to broaden their horizons but for the Mexican people it's tantamount
to alienation and cultural extinction. So, you want to go to Mexico,
the "real" Mexico, and you're also mindful enough to want to protect
its cultural and natural heritage rather than help turn it into a
cheap replica of what you're trying to get away from...so, what do you
do? Well the following blurb hopes to provide the "thinking traveler"
some information on places to stay and things to do in the coastal
areas of the Oaxaca province of Southern Mexico.
The Oaxaca region remains fairly undeveloped and therefore, relative
to other parts of Mexico, has avoided most of the ravages of the
tourist industry or any industry for that matter. I recently had the
opportunity to travel to the region working with an environmental
project to protect endangered sea turtles. Our "base of operations"
was La Posada Canon Devata in Puerto Angel, about thirty-five miles
West of Huatulco (airport). It is a series of cabins spread throughout
a canyon rising around a small central hotel-like structure. Posada is
run by Mateo and Susannah Lopez (both of whom speak English and are
very hospitable and helpful). What they have attempted to do at Posada
is preserve the forest of the canyon in as close to its original state
as possible: the bungalows are surrounded by jungle where during the
day you can check out some of the native birds and lizards. The entire
complex is designed to have little negative impact on the local
ecology: all the waste water is recycled for irrigation and guests are
instructed to be frugal with their use of water and energy. The food,
served in a roofed outdoor dining area (beware of the parrots -- they
bite), is semi-vegetarian and tends to be organically grown.
Occasionally Mateo will catch tuna and barbecue it for dinner -- all
of the meals are delicious! Almost every room at Posada has a painting
or other piece of art, most of which are the work of Mateo. I would
also suggest checking out the tienda that has some of his paintings
and the handiworks of other local artisans displayed for sale. The
attention to detail and unusual aesthetic sense make Posada a great
place to escape to. A typical room for two, including dinner is very
reasonably priced and those with a flair for a bargain can inquire
about sleeping in the hammock area. Oh, one last thing, if Mateo and
Susannah offer to take you out on their boat either sightseeing or
snorkeling make sure you don't miss out.
For current rates and reservations write to: La Posada Canon Devata,
Apartado Postal #74, Pochutla, Oaxaca 70900 Mexico.
About two kilometers to the West is Zipolite -- a breathtaking beach
(literally, if you don't watch out for the undertow when swimming).
Lined with open bungalows, bars, hammock areas and various other low
cost local enterprises taking advantage of the view, Zipolite is where
the counter-culture comes to play. Zipolite is home to many funky
folks. Scoring drugs shouldn't be difficult if that's your scene. Very
cheap lodgings available: as low as $2 a night to pitch a hammock. Be
cautious with your stuff though.
Way at the end of the beach is Shambhala, a groovy place to stay or
drop by for a meal or a soda (no alcohol or drugs, PLEASE!). Shambhala
has an impressive view of the beach from atop the cliffs. It is run by
Gloria, an American expatriate who has built the place up from nothing
over the past twenty years. She was among the first people to set up
shop in Zipolite and has been a community organizer and local
firebrand (she's had her share of run-ins with the powers that be and
is now more low-key about her activism). You can stay at Shambhala for
very cheap if you exercise the hammock option. Food is inexpensive as
well, and the guests are from all over the planet -- good place to
make overseas connections.
I should take this opportunity to plug the sea turtle issue as well.
The beaches of the region are among some of the last nesting sites for
endangered sea turtles. Every year the turtles come ashore to lay
their eggs, sometimes thousands of turtles arrive simultaneously in
what is called an "arribada." It is a natural marvel to observe. Even
the sight of a single turtle nesting or the hatchlings' frenzied run
for the sea is fascinating. I would encourage anyone traveling to the
Oaxacan coast to go see the turtles. We are currently discussing plans
with the village of Mazunte, where our project shut down a turtle
slaughterhouse, to help the local community use the turtles as an
eco-tourism resource. We will be planning excursions to Mexico and
other nesting beaches in Nicaragua and Costa Rica to see the next
arribada. Feel free to contact us for further information or if you're
interested in joining the project.
SEA TURTLE RESTORATION PROJECT, Earth Island Institute, 300 Broadway
St., Suite 28, San Francisco, CA 94133 USA
----------------------
JOIN THE CRASH NETWORK!
Crasher: person who is traveling, guest.
Crashee: person who is allowing Crasher to sleep at residence,
host/hostess.
Joining is free! Send email to johnl@netcom.com for a questionnaire
(or send us an SASE to our mailing address, listed at the end of this
file). Filling it out and returning it gets you listed in our Crash
Directory, which is available only to members. Anytime you're planning
to travel, send $5 for an up-to-the-minute directory and follow the
guidelines below.
*************
HOW TO USE IT
You can use the Crash Directory to contact other members that you would
like to meet. Or if you have a destination or journey in mind, you can
use the directory to find potential crash sites along your planned route
(flexibility helps). Before your departure, contact your potential
crashee by mail, phone, or email and inquire about a visit. When all
your crashes are confirmed, you're ready to hit the proverbial road.
**************
THE CRASH CODE
1. Any Crashee can turn away a Crasher if they do not agree to the
Crash by prior consent.
2. No charge for stay unless agreed upon by both parties beforehand.
3. Toilet and shower facilities should be made available to Crasher
if possible.
4. Don't eat Crashee's food unless offered.
5. Don't use the Crashee's phone, stereo, TV or any other property
without their consent.
6. No stealing.
7. Don't bring friends over without the prior consent of the Crashee.
8. Treat each other with respect.
9. Help each other in every way possible during Crashes.
10. Crasher must obey rules of Crash Pad unless they contradict
above rules.
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CRASH INFORMATION
Editors: Miles Poindexter, John Labovitz.
Crash is published in January, March, May, July, September, and
November of each year.
Subscriptions are $5 for six issues. A sample issue is $1 or three
US 29c stamps. Back issues (text only) are available via anonymous FTP
at netcom.com in directory /pub/johnl/zines/crash. The printed issues
also contain illustrations and advertising; for the full Crash experience,
send for a printed sample.
Crash is happy to hear from you. Send artwork, articles, and aardvarks
to us at:
Crash
519 Castro Street #7
San Francisco, CA 94114 USA
email: johnl@netcom.com
If you are interested in advertising in the print or electronic
version of Crash, please contact us for rates and sizes.
Copyright (C) 1991 Crash. We encourage other zine editors to reprint
or excerpt parts of any articles written by us (Miles Poindexter or
John Labovitz). All we ask is that information about this magazine and
the network be included with it. If you wish to reprint something by
an outside contributor, please contact them beforehand (either by
their contact information listed after the article, or c/o Crash).
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END OF CRASH DEC91
