Rundown for the Week of August 18, 2000
History of Cairo
Cairo is one of the most visited cities in human history and two
million tourists continue to flood the city daily. Were Cairo's
historic visitors able to come back and join this throng, would they
recognize the place? This week, we take a look at Cairo through their
eyes and begin our journey with The Savvy Traveler's Tom Verde, just
south of Cairo in Memphis.
Packing Up...For Good
Have you ever wanted to take off and travel around the world
indefinitely? That's what reporter Jeff Tyler is doing. He's cutting
his domestic ties, leaving the security of a steady job and taking
off to travel around the South Pacific and Asia. Over the coming
months, he'll bring us stories from that corner of the globe. But
first, we asked him to focus on himself and consider what it's like
to leave the place you think of as home. He wrote this postcard.
The Eden Project
Great Britain went into this year with a spate of tourist projects
for the Millennium which, to put it kindly, didn't come off very
well. The violently swaying foot bridge across the Thames which is
now closed, the huge Ferris wheel which didn't start on time and the
Dome which, after a disastrous launch, is well, still kind of a dud.
But there is one Millennium development few have heard about yet.
It's out in Cornwall and producer Robert Lyle says this one promises
to be very different.
Clearing the Runway
Aviation officials in London recently concluded that a burst tire was
the "primary cause" of last month's fatal Concorde crash. The tire is
thought to have exploded after hitting a strip of metal on the runway
and pieces from that tire may have punctured one or more of the fuel
tanks. Turns out, debris on the runway isn't all that uncommon. Our
Vagabond Traveler Doug Lansky recently spent some time at Heathrow
airport, hanging out with the guys who clean the runway there. Doug
sent us this postcard.
Airline Identity: An Interview with Keith Lovegrove
Our host Rudy Maxa speaks with Keith Lovegrove, author of Airline:
Identity, Design and Culture, which includes 300 photographs and
illustrations and gives a history of fashion and design in commercial
air travel over the past 75 years. We asked him to explain when and
why commercial airlines started spiffing up the their image.
Deal of the Week
Canada on the Cheap
Question of the Week
Prolonging Your Vacation High
Travelers' Aid
How to Complain Effectively
Rudy's View
Irrational Exuberance in East Hampton
Culture Watch
Beatles Fest vs. Medieval Fest
Next Week
What do you do when your fantasy of leaving the rat race for the easy
life on an exotic island actually comes true?
"The pleasure of doing nothing can only be enjoyed for so long. And
that cut off from the rest of the world feeling that had been
so lovely on holiday seems pretty lousy as a lifestyle."
We hear from one traveler who found that the dream of the
never-ending vacation can actually be something of a nightmare. And
no matter where you are, no matter what kind life you lead, there's
something that everyone for centuries has had in common: the desire
for dripping, cold ice-cream on a hot summer day.
"For instance, as early as 200 B.C., the Chinese mixed snow with milk
and rice. Visitors also learn about the birth of the ice-cream cone
at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904"
It's every child's... and grown-up's... fantasy when we visit the
self-proclaimed Ice-Cream Capital of the World during next week's
edition of The Savvy Traveler.
Cassette Copies
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.
Rudy Maxa's Traveler Newsletter
Check out Rudy's monthly newsletter at www.rudymaxa.com.
