Travel News You Can Use
By Judy Newell

New record set by Eurostar bullet train

International Travel News

Valid US Passport Needed by October 1

Important: The Department of Homeland Security reminds you that, once again, you will need a valid passport in order to travel between the US, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico, starting October 1. A temporary rule permitted travelers who had applied, but not received a US passport, to proceed with trips within the Western Hemisphere as long as they had a government-issued photo ID and proof that their passport application was pending.

New Construction on Panama Canal

Construction has been started on the Panama Canal to double the canal’s capacity. It will be the waterway’s largest expansion since it opened 93 years ago. Two wider locks will be added to both sides of the canal. The waterway moves four percent of the world’s cargo. Two-thirds of the cargo passing through the canal is headed to or from the US.

The new locks are expected to be ready for use between 2014 and 2015. The largest ships that now use the canal can carry up to 5,000 containers but, in the future, supertankers and cargo ships will be able to carry up to 12,000 containers.

Record Time for Eurostar

A Eurostar train has set a new record for travel between London and Paris, making the journey in two hours and three minutes. The train was the first to travel on a new 5.8-billion pound route which runs for 68 miles from the Channel Tunnel near Folkestone in Kent to Central London. Eurostar’s CEO said it was a great achievement for rail travel as it tries to compete against low-cost airlines. Scheduled service will begin on November 14 and take 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Croatia Opens Archeology Museum in Zadar

A new national Institute and Museum of Underwater Archeology and a restoration center have opened in the north Dalmatian city of Zadar. The museum holds a large collection of Roman and antique glass art objects collected by underwater archeologists.

The Adriatic Sea has around 4,000 potential underwater excavation sites, dating back to Illyrian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine times. UNESCO is supporting the project of underwater excavations in the Adriatic. The ancient city of Zadar dates back to the ninth century BC and is one of two cities in the world that never changed its historical core or location (the other is Damascus). The entire city was built on bedrock.

Security Warning for Haiti

The Department of State has issued a Warden Message regarding ongoing security in Haiti. “This Travel Warning is being issued to remind American citizens of ongoing security concerns in Haiti, including frequent kidnappings of Americans for ransom. Travelers are strongly advised to thoroughly consider the risks before traveling to Haiti, and to take adequate precautions to ensure their safety if traveling to Haiti.” This Travel Warning updates the one issued January 10, 2007.

Nepalese Airline Sacrifices Goats to Please Gods

Nepal’s state-run airline sacrificed two goats earlier this week, hoping it would please the gods and resolve technical problems with a troubled jet, officials said on September 6.

One of the airline’s two Boeing 757 aircraft has been grounded for maintenance since last month. The other jet has suffered technical problems that forced the airline to cancel several flights, stranding passengers. Hoping to end these problems, the airline sacrificed the goats, according to an airline official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

It is common in predominantly Hindu Nepal to sacrifice animals hoping for good luck and blessings. A photograph published in the Kantipur newspaper earlier this week showed the two goats sacrificed in front of the plane. The photographer was detained for hours for taking photographs in a restricted area.

Montreal Remembers Holocaust

“To learn, to feel, and to remember,” the words are found in the foyer of the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Museum, a stirring message carved in four languages and back-lit against a backdrop of broken glass. The words are an introduction to the museum’s moving collection of photographs, video recordings and exhibits that focus on educating visitors about the Holocaust.

Sixty years on, this museum adds a simple but powerful human dimension so visitors do not become paralyzed by the enormity of the tragedy. While a bit off the beaten track of the old port area and Montreal’s other famous sites, the museum is nevertheless a world-class facility.

After the Second World War, Montreal became home to 30,000 Holocaust survivors, the third largest Jewish contingent after New York and Israel. Not forgotten in the museum’s stories are the millions of non-Jews who suffered and were murdered under the Nazi regime.

Scholar Ship Departs on Maiden Voyage

The Scholar Ship, the first ocean-going program developed specifically for an international student body was scheduled to depart on its maiden voyage from Athens on September 4. More than 200 undergraduate and postgraduate students from 35 countries will travel to four continents over 16 weeks.

The Scholar Ship, backed by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and supported by seven international universities, will immerse students and faculty in an intercultural living and learning environment aboard an ocean liner specially equipped for the academic program. Students and staff will embark on The Scholar Ship in Piraeus on a westward course to Lisbon, Portugal; Panama City, Panama; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Papeete, Tahiti; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney, Australia; and Shanghai, Macau and Hong Kong in China.

Port programs allow students to participate in academic field study, community service and independent travel. Seven international universities collaborated in the curricula development, including the University of California-Berkeley and Macquarie University in Sydney, which has been designated to award academic credit to students. Other participating “Academic Stewards” include Fudan University, China; Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico; Cardiff University, U.K.; Al Akhawayn University, Morocco; and the University of Ghana. Multinational corporations such as IBM, Microsoft and HSBC Bank also have been engaged to ensure the program’s learning outcomes are relevant and practical for students.

“The Scholar Ship promises to be a microcosm of our global age, a laboratory for global democracy,” said John Lie, dean of international and area studies at the University of California-Berkeley. In creating a truly transnational learning community, with its stress on experiential learning, The Scholar Ship represents a bold experiment in international and global education.”

Program fees are approximately US$20,000 per semester. A US$2 million fund has been established for the 2007–(N)08 academic year to broaden the availability of the program to students from diverse backgrounds. Grants are awarded based on academic merit and economic need.

Sources: ARTA, Modern Agent, The Associated Press

Judy Newell, a writer and travel industry executive, heads the custom tour company Perfect Journeys that specializes in luxury and adventure travel. Contact her with comments or suggestions at JudyNewell_03@msn.com  or go to her website www.PerfectJourneys.net.