Rundown for the week of March 20, 1999
Rudy Does the International Tourism Bourse
Every March, Berlin is the site of the world's largest travel
convention, the annual International Tourism Bourse, or ITB. Nearly 7,500
exhibitors from 190 countries -- including cities, hotels, airlines, train
lines, and package-tour companies -- come to hawk themselves at Berlin's giant
convention center. Rudy decided to visit booths of destinations
that aren't on the top of everybody's wish list.
Q&A I: Travel Films: The 2nd Annual Rudy Awards
All the votes are in and it's the moment you've been waiting for...we've
got a ton of e-mails and our phone's been ringing on the hook, so here are
the top 5 vote-getters:
Movie number 5 "A Room With a View" ... Helena Bonham Carter finds love in
Italy and escapes the humdrum life of uppercrust England.
Movie number 4: "Enchanted April" ... Another group of British women head
off to Italy and find romance and liberation.
Movie number 3: "Local Hero" ... an American businessman goes to buy out a
Scottish town and instead falls in love with the town and its people.
Movie number 2: "Out of Africa" ... Meryl Streep plays a baroness in a
loveless marriage who finds passion in Africa with Robert Redford.
And the winner of the Rudy is: "Shirley Valentine" .. a bored Brit houswife
travels to Greece and finds love and renewed passion for life. I think I
detect a trend here - finding love in a distant land seems to be a surefire
way of getting a Rudy Award.
Tips for Woman who Travel
According to the Travel Industry of America, almost half of all business
travelers are women. And these days, if women aren't traveling because of
work, they're far more apt to take a trip on their own than they were ten
years ago. Authors Sheila Swan and Peter Laufer have written a book called
Safety and Security for Women who Travel. They offer some tips to
help keep you, or a woman you love, safe on the road.
Spring Package
Down in Chichen Itza, Mexico, thousands of visitors gather for the vernal
equinox to watch the shadow of the afternoon sun darken the pyramid...
except for a zig-zag strip of light that looks like a serpent slithering
down the north staircase. The same thing happens in the fall, by the way,
during that other equinox.
A bit closer to home, the students at Lake
Superior State University in Michigan hold the annual Snowman Burning to
bid farewell to winter. Events include the sacrificial blazing of a 10- to
12-foot snowman effigy, and a poetry contest.
But if you miss that
poetry reading, you can still hit New York City April 9th through 11th for
the first People's Poetry Gathering. Pros and beginners alike will recite and
discuss poetry at more than 50 different events, including midnight
readings of Edgar Allan Poe. Participants will even write a collaborative
36-stanza poem.
The Savvy Traveler's getting in the feel-good, poetry sprit too. We'd
like to hear your poems in celebration of travel, and we just might do a
little reading of our own. Tap into your travel muse and send your
submissions.
Dead Sea Spa
So in honor of spring we thought we'd bring you the sound of
grackles: they're black birds, but the type you're hearing have red
flashes on their wings. And this particular kind live in only one
place: the Dead Sea, which is also the saltiest body of water on earth.
But it's not just birds who find this area appealing. For thousands of
years the Dead Sea has attracted people seeking health cures and
rejuvenation. Patricia Golan struck out from her home in Jerusalem to
explore the healing properties of the Dead Sea.
Deal of the Week
Travel for Free
Here's an unusual one! Ever wonder how recreational and other speciality
vehicles get delivered from manufacturers to dealers?
Road rats. That's the name of folks who actually get paid to see the
country -- as well as Europe and Australia -- by driving new RVs, limos -- even
fire trucks and UPS vans -- to dealerships. Most anyone 18 or over can be a
roadrat, says Craig Chilton, who coined the term. Twenty years ago, he
began shuttling specialty vehicles around North America. That's when he
figured out he could not only see the country for free, he could actually
make money while doing it.
You can, too. You don't need a special driver's license. You can usually
take your family as well as your time on a trip; go ahead, stop for a few
days to sightsee or visit friends! Your insurance and gas are paid for.
And sometimes even your airfare to return home is covered. Chilton says
you can make between $100 to $250 on a weekend for driving a new RV from a
plant to a dealership. He thinks it's a great way for retired folks,
students, or anyone else with some extra time to travel in style for free.
Check out his website at roadrat.com.
Q&A II: General Questions
Rudy takes listeners' general questions about travel. He mentions:
Jazz Singing in Europe
- The best way to find out about around-the-word jazz venues is to log
onto Jazz Clubs of the
World. There's a "Contacts Page" where you can post info about yourself.
- If you want to arrange to play at any of these clubs you'll need to put
together a demo tape.
- The jazziest places in Europe with the widest variety of clubs are:
France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- If you're interested in catching some jazz festivals (which are very
popular in Europe, especially in Scandinavia during the summer months),
sign on to www.festivals.com and
use the keyword "jazz" to find out what's happening this summer.
Folk Art in Oaxaca, Mexico
- Sanborn Tours offers an occasional motorcoach tour that you can join,
departing from southern Texas. This year's tour date is scheduled for late
March to early April. Call 800-395-8482 for more about this and other
packages they have available. Or visit them on the web at http://www.sanborns.com/.
Jogging in Eastern Europe
- Be wary of cobblestone streets and inclines.
- Consider jogging in a park. For instance, take advantage of the garden
paths of Margaret Island Park in Budapest. You won't have to worry about
the terrain and you'll probably feel less self-conscious.
Next Week on The Savvy Traveler
Next week, we're going on an extended trip to a place that has many
different meanings for people: Hawaii. For some, it's expensive and
crammed with folks wearing tropical prints on pre-packaged tours. For
others, it's about beaches and only beaches. And for our tour guides next
week, Hawaii is a place with a rich and complicated culture that's begging
to be explored.
Clip: "The translation of Hawaii is the breath of life, and the water of
life of Ee. That's the great creator to the Hawaiians."
We go all the way to the end of the road and learn the meanings behind
the usual trappings of Hawaii -- the luaus, hula dances...and the definition
of "Aloha." So join us for this special journey through Hawaii during next
week's edition of The Savvy Traveler.
For tapes of the show
If you want your very own copy of The Savvy Traveler, order an audio
cassette. It's easy. Just call 303-823-8000. The price is $15. As Rudy
says, it's a steal.
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