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Rundown
for the Week of March 14, 2003
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to the Whole Show
Opening
Of Show
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Metal Slug by Fritz Burke 
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in RealAudio
The old adage is that you never really know someone until you travel with them. Our true selves come out when we're tethered together, 24-7, away from the rituals of home.
Contributor Fritz Burke, a father, has kids -- meaning, he has searched out video games for them under tin roof shacks in Guatemala, in the hashish alleys of Marrakesh, and in the sweltering cities of Southeast Asia.
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Fix My Trip with Christopher Elliott
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Had a problem with a trip lately? Maybe a snafu with an airline ticket, or a problem with a hotel reservation? Well, you're not alone. We hear stories from listeners all the time about trips that have gone awry. Good thing our Travel Troubleshooter, Christopher Elliott, is here to help. Today's installment: "Rental Car Woes."
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Do you have a trip that needs fixin'?:
If you've exhausted every possible remedy and still can't resolve your travel problem, we might be able to help. Tell us what happened to you and what you've done to resolve it. Include dates, names and your contact numbers.
Due to the volume of mail we receive, we're not able to "fix" every trip submitted, but if we select yours to feature on the show, our Travel Troubleshooter, Christopher Elliott, will give you a ring. E-mail us: fixmytrip@savvytraveler.org.
Other Links:
www.elliott.org: Christopher Elliott's Web site
Planet Feedback: Rental car section
www.alamo.com: Alamo Rent A Car
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Beach Break Gonzo by Lena Lencek
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in RealAudio
College students are heading out on spring break about now. Even this year, when a lot of adults are staying close to home, these kids will not be deterred from their annual pilgrimage. This weekend is the peak for the exodus of about a million broke, carefree twenty-somethings piling into cars and heading to the beach. Most adults would consider spring break to be cruel and unusual punishment -- but our contributor Lena Lencek took the trip last year. She wanted to see if she could hang with Generation Y.
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Cash Challenge with Mark Fearnow
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in RealAudio
Of all the contributors we have on the show, there's only one who consistently generates strongly worded listener feedback: Cash Peters, our "bad taste tour guide." Some say he's a "raving, clever genius," while others call him a "pesky menace." Listener Mark Fearnow falls into the "menace" camp. Let's just say Mark doesn't find Cash funny. So, we challenged Mark to write a travel essay he would find funny. He took us up on the offer and wrote about the humidity-ridden state of Florida.
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Sound Travels: London, England
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in RealAudio
If you've ever been to England, you know it gets a little confusing. You think, "At least I know the language," but then you're looking for a translator when they start talking about "the lift, the loo and the boot and the tele." The food is foreign, too: mincemeat pie, bangers and mash, room-temperature beer. And just when you're ready to go out and explore -- and you've mastered the color-coded tube map -- your whole world gets tweaked around. Here are sounds Jake Warga recorded underneath London.
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Traveler's Aid: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
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in RealAudio
We've been getting a lot of e-mails from listeners asking a fundamental question: "Should I stay or should I go?" With the threat of war looming on the horizon, travelers are wondering if they might be better off just staying home. To get the answer, Savvy Traveler host Diana Nyad talks to Mark Solomon, president of Obsidian Consulting, a safety and security consulting firm.
Now, for some travelers, it's not so much the destination they're worried about -- it's danger they might encounter in transit. Should we be worried? To answer that question, Diana chats with Maria Cohrs, the European regional manager for iJet Travel Intelligence, a travel risk management firm.
So the main point here? Don't stop traveling. But do some research, use some common sense, and have a backup plan in case something goes wrong.
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Deal of the Week: Late Winter Deals in Mexico
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in RealAudio
Our Travel-Expert-in-Residence, Rudy Maxa, has a great deal for travelers who are tired of winter...and looking to go someplace warm. Since we're reaching the end of peak travel season in the Caribbean and Mexico, bargains abound.
For example: A travel wholesaler called Pleasant Holidays is offering 7 nights in Cancun at an all-inclusive resort, which means all your food and drink is included, plus airfare from San Francisco or LA for about $800 per person, based on two people traveling together.
Click here to read all the details.
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