I visited South Africa, as Secretary of the FIDE Commission on South Africa, in January 1992, and found the Cape Town physical environment -- except for how it had been affected by apartheid -- positively delightful. Ten years after liberation, I have been told, the environs of Cape Town make an ideal vacation site.

The hostel at which players will be housed is on the campus of the University of Cape Town, which is the venue of the tournament. The rate seems most reasonable to me: R160 (about U.S. $23 and Canada $32), including a FULL breakfast, daily, per person.

I have been in touch with a travel agency -- which does much work for Elderhostel -- concerning the possibility of getting a group rate for air fare from New York City to Cape Town. At the moment, I know that British Airways has a round trip flight plan for such a trip (with a change of planes at Johnnesburg) for US$1,705, but I hope we will get a less expensive group rate. (Note: Read this update!)

I plan to leave New York on 25 June and to return on 15 July, but I have
suggested to the travel agent that a 25 June-10 July group trip might be a good idea. (I chose 10 July, because that is a Saturday and I thought people would like to get back to work on Monday, 12 July.)

At the moment, there is NO group trip scheduled. However, I would like those interested to send me email (chessphoto@aol.com) or to call me on my wireless telephone (917-349-9844). This request goes also for persons who do not plan to come, but who may wish to suggest helpful ways to promote attendance by chess players and their families. (I believe that Canadian and, possibly, other North American and Caribbean players may "profit" from a group fare from New York, as well as those from the United States.)

Many of the addressees have FIDE ratings above 2000. I send you a copy of this message, because I hope you will recommend it to your students who do not have a FIDE rating or one that is not higher than 2000.

Fraternally,


Jerome Bibuld
gens una sumus