New Seven Wonders of the world chosen
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Today’s Top Story
New Seven Wonders of the world chosen
Monuments in three Latin American countries were named among the new seven wonders of the world Saturday. Brazil’s Statue of Christ Redeemer, Peru’s Machu Picchu, and Mexico’s Chichen Itza pyramid were chosen alongside the Great Wall of China, Jordan’s Petra, the Colosseum in Rome and India’s Taj Mahal. (MSNBC)
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What’s New On Tripso
I want my port tax back!
You’ve paid all your government port fees in advance, but then your port call is canceled. Should you get your money back? Absolutely! But what if you don’t? Find out what happened when one passenger didn’t take “No!” for an answer. (Anita Dunham-Potter)
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More travel news
Two gored, seven crushed in Spanish bull run
Spain’s largest fighting bulls lived up to their fearsome reputation, goring two and crushing at least seven people as thousands of daredevils sprinted down narrow streets Sunday in Pamplona’s annual running of the bulls. (MSNBC) Editor’s note: We have not heard otherwise, so we are assuming our own Charlie Leocha managed to avert the horns yet again!
Clay Aiken involved in spat on Continental flight
Singer Clay Aiken apparently got into a dispute with a woman during a flight to Tulsa, drawing some scrutiny from FBI agents but no charges, a newspaper reported.The 2003 “American Idol” runner-up was on the Saturday morning Continental Airlines flight for a evening show, and concertgoers said afterward that Aiken joked on-stage about being beaten up by a girl earlier in the day (USA Today)
How to bid online for the best hotel and car rental deals
We worry a lot about the cost of airfare, but travelers often don’t pay enough attention to hotel and car rental rates, which can add up to quite a bit more than your passage from Point A to Point B.That’s why I book my hotels and car rentals online with the opaque sites Hotwire.com and Priceline.com.I have used both sites successfully and frequently, Hotwire more often for rental cars and Priceline for both. I arrive at my travel destination with more cash in my pocket by paying as much as half off a hotel room rate and at least 25% less for rental cars. (LA Times)
Want more vacation? Move to Finland
Which country has the most generous vacation policy? According to a report from the Washington, D.C., Center for Economic and Policy Research, which canvassed the 21 richest nations in the world, that distinction falls to Finland. The Baltic nation allots a minimum of 30 paid vacation days a year to all employees after their first year of work, plus 14 paid statutory holidays. (Toronto Star)
Mount Everest ravaged by warming?
Global warming is radically changing the face of Mount Everest, the sons of the men who first reached its summit 54 years ago said in an interview published Friday. The sons of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay told British newspaper The Independent that their fathers would no longer recognize the world’s highest mountain, saying the base camp is now 132 feet lower than it was 53 years ago. “Climate change is happening. This is a fact,” Hillary’s son Peter said. (Discovery News)
Canyons and geysers are still within reach
It is not too late to find a room at a national park this season. While swarms of camera-toting tourists and caravans of RVs fill up popular park lodges each summer, the number of people visiting the parks has been on a slow decline for the last several years — down about 5 percent to 273 million visitors last year, from the peak in 1999. Procrastinators can still find space if they’re willing to be flexible. (New York Times)
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Today’s Travel Blogs
Man sticks jet engine in kayak, somehow survives
While it’s not quite as high on the insanity meter as a jet-powered shopping cart, wheelchair, or port-a-potty, we still wouldn’t want to go anywhere near Shaun Baker’s self-made jet kayak, which he apparently decided to build after deeming the sport not dangerous enough. (Engadget)
Has the travel industry stopped listening to its customers?
Here’s an intriguing question raised by readers of my weekly newsletter: Has the travel industry stopped listening to ts its customers? The answer, many believe, is “yes.” (Elliott)
Commercial fliers paying for corporate jet travel in more ways than one
Mind sparing a few dollars for a CEO in need of a little corporate jet travel? How about spending an extra few minutes on the tarmac while the air space clears a bit? After all, the Yankees need to take off and get to their next game in Oakland on time. (Smartertravel)
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