Throughout the day today folks arrived into Prague. Now that we’re almost 40 strong, the heart of the tour is about to beginThe program began with a welcome reception and orientation followed by Shabbat Service at one of Prague’s beautiful Synagogues. Shabbat dinner tonight was at the lovely Louvre Restaurant a historic establishment where the likes of . Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka dined. Prague is the most beautiful city in all of Europe. On the walk home from dinner our guests were treated to an illuminated spectacle; a special and meaningful conclusion to the first day.
Here at Amazing Journeys, we’re lucky have the best jobs in the world—and we think our good fortune is worth sharing. So, when your next journey seems like a distant dream, take a few minutes to explore our WANDERLUST blog—it’s chock full of engaging tales and helpful tips from our travels around the world. Check out the most recent entry (at the top) or search by your preferred criteria. Consider it motivation for your next embarkation.
Prague-Day 1
Friday, October 8th, 2010Poland – Day 3
Thursday, October 7th, 2010
Today the group departed Krakow on a 9am train bound for Warsaw.
Upon arrival, we had lunch with a guest from the Taube Foundation, an organization supporting the ongoing revival of Jewish culture in Poland and to furthering awareness of this resurgence.
After lunch we embarked on a sightseeing tour of Warsaw that included the former Jewish Ghetto with many inspiring monuments of World War II Nazi period, and the site of the bunker on Mila St., Mila 18 – headquarters of Warsaw Ghetto defenders and Umschlag Platz, where 300,000 Jews were deported.
After checking into the hotel for an evening at leisure, all eyes are on the main part of our Central Europe tour beginning tomorrow, with 25 additional group members arriving into Prague.
Poland – Day 2
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
Today has been a meaningful and powerful day for our group in Poland as they embarked on a tour of Jewish Krakow. The day began with an introductory talk by Robert Gadek, the director of the Jewish Cultural Center. His talk on history of the Jews in Poland before and after World War II would prepare the group for the important touring that followed.
Today’s tour included a visit to Schindler’s Factory- recently opened as a museum to rave reviews, Kazimierz (Historic Ghetto) and a guided tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau (see photo of the entrance to Auschwitz)
After an emotional afternoon, we lightened things up a bit to enjoy the music of our ancestors during dinner with Klezmer Music in Kasimierz.
Poland – Day 1
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010Our Poland pre-tour group has arrived! Today everyone is getting acquainted with a Walking Tour of Krakow that includes the famous Market Square (The Rynek) which has been a hub of Poland’s urban existence since 1257. Some of the great dramas of Poland’s history were played out here and Market Square remains one of the most vibrant and inspiring places in the country.
Tonight, everyone will join in a special dinner at 
The Wentzl, one of Krakow’s most prestigious restaurants located in a house built in the 14th century. Special guest speaker Rabbi Tanya Segel, will provide an interesting prospective to Jewish life in Poland.
Living Vicariously with Amazing Journeys in Central Europe
Monday, October 4th, 2010
Even if you can’t be with us as we tour this historical, meaningful and stunningly gorgeous region, why not live a little vicariously? Amazing Journeys heads to Central Europe tonight to embark on a journey of re-birth and renewal. After an optional 3 night pre-trip to Poland with thirteen passengers, 40 travelers will head to Prague and Budapest for an experience that will enrich their lives forever.Sit back and enjoy a literary and photographic armchair tour of our Amazing Journey to Central Europe, beginning October 5th.
Random Fun Facts About the World
Thursday, September 30th, 2010Alaska – More than half the coastline of the entire US is in Alaska
The Amazon – The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that hundreds of miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water in the Amazon River is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined.
Antarctica – 90% of the world’s ice covers Antarctica, despite the fact that the continent is a desert receiving an average of just 2″ of precipitation a year. Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with absolute humidity lower than the Gobi Desert.
Brazil – The country of Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around
Canada – Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined.
Detroit – Woodward Avenue in Detroit, MI carries the designation M-1, so named because it was the first paved road anywhere.
Istanbul – Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world located on two continents.
Kansas City – The city of Kansas City is the only city in America to be divided by two states. You could be a resident of Kansas City, Kansas and your neighbor across the street could have a different area code, different laws and a different speed limit driving up the other side of the road to their home, living in Kansas City, Missouri.
Pitcairn Island – The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn Island in Polynesia; just 1.75 sq. miles.
Sahara Desert – There is a town in the Sahara Desert named Tidikelt, Algeria where nary a drop of rain fell for more than 10 years.
Pittsburgh, PA – Known as the “city of bridges”, Pittsburgh has more bridges than any other city in the world other than Venice, Italy.
What’s in your wallet??
Monday, September 20th, 2010The state of credit card security is a continuing battle between card issuers and criminals who steal account numbers, with consumers caught in the fray. Whether travelers are more likely to become victims of credit card fraud is debatable, but we’re certainly more likely to get tripped up by efforts to combat fraud, especially overseas.
Here are some things to watch out for if you plan on paying with plastic, which isn’t quite as widely accepted as the ad campaigns for credit cards would have you believe.
Avoiding a Freeze on Your Account – Be sure to call your credit card company before a trip to a foreign country, so your purchases in Bangkok or Barcelona don’t trigger a freeze on your account. Banks rely on antifraud software that monitors customers’ spending patterns, which means that any time you stray from your usual habits — like buying groceries in another state instead of at a store in your home ZIP code — your bank might become concerned. Overseas, it can be a hassle to unfreeze a card, especially if you don’t have a cellphone with international service.
Rejection of Cards Abroad – For globe-trotting travelers, another issue is that many countries in Europe, as well as Japan, Canada, Mexico and other nations, have adopted a type of credit card that has a chip and requires customers to enter a PIN instead of the ones with a magnetic stripe on the back that we still use in the United States. Merchants that accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express are supposed to let customers pay with either type of card, but employees at some retailers outside the United States don’t always know what to do with the magnetic version.
There are also automated kiosks that accept only the “chip and PIN” cards, particularly in European train stations, parking garages, gas stations and some tollbooths. In those cases, Americans with magnetic stripe cards usually have to wait in line to pay with cash or have a clerk swipe their cards. Travelers say those lines can be long, which is especially frustrating if you’re trying to catch a train. And at unattended tollbooths, you may get stuck if you don’t have coins you can pay with instead.
So how common is this problem? Research found that nearly half of American cardholders who have traveled abroad in the past few years have had some problem using a debit or credit card.
Chip Cards in the United States? The cost of issuing new cards is a hurdle, especially given the banking industry’s other financial challenges, so don’t expect to see a lot of movement before the end of 2011.”
There is one financial institution that is moving more quickly, however: the United Nations Federal Credit Union, which plans to offer its members credit cards with both a magnetic stripe and a chip beginning in October. With Canada and Mexico now embracing chip and PIN cards, along with Europe and many other parts of the world, it was time to make the switch. Another motivation is that the chip and PIN cards are more secure because there is a unique key encrypted in every card, whereas magnetic stripe cards are relatively easy to clone — that is, to steal the data and copy it onto another card.
The trend seems to be that more fraud is coming to the U.S. because we’re the one last holdout in magnetic stripe cards, however despite that concern, the major credit card companies do not have imminent plans to offer chip and PIN cards to their American customers, even though they provide them to cardholders abroad.
American Express said that while the company doesn’t plan to add the chip technology to cards issued in the United States customers should be able to use their magnetic stripe cards abroad, even if a clerk tells them they cannot. Your best advice here is that you should insist that they swipe the card.
Of course, communicating with store employees who may not speak English isn’t always easy, which is why carrying plenty of cash is a good backup, especially in rural areas and developing countries.
Travel Scams to Avoid
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010One of the unexpected spinoffs of Michael’s Jackson death was a whole new take on an age-old travel scam: selling counterfeit or nonexistent tickets to unsuspecting people traveling from out of town to attend an event. With 1.6 million people applying for 17,500 seats to a bona fide “once in a lifetime” experience there were bound to be scams, including scalpers hawking free memorial service tickets for thousands of dollars each on Craigslist and eBay-before the online sales sites cracked down on the blatant exploitation.
Entertainment and sports events are a natural attraction for scam artists. Anyone is potential victim, but out-of-towners are especially vulnerable. Each year comes fresh tales of people traveling thousands of miles to attend an event only to discover that their package tour didn’t include tickets or that the tickets they paid for by sending cash or money orders never really existed. Want to avoid becoming a travel scam victim on your next trip? Follow these tips:
Hotel Room ID Theft – Crafty crooks have learned that one of the easiest places to harvest data necessary to steal someone’s identity is a hotel room. Never leave anything lying around that may contain personal information. Just like any other valuable (passport, cash, jewelry, etc) lock those documents in the room safe or your luggage.
Unscrupulous Parking Valets– From pocketing small change to pilfering laptops and jewelry, parking valets at hotels, restaurants and other establishments can have very sticky fingers. They’ve also been known to park cars in red zones and other street areas subject to tickets or towing. Always stash your valuables in the trunk or take them with you. And if it’s not obvious your vehicle is headed straight into a garage, ask where it’s being parked before you hand over the keys.
Knockoffs that knock you off – Counterfeit Gucci bags or Michael Bolton CDs may not be harmful to your health (well, Bolton might be), but a growing number of counterfeit products could be. Among the cheap but dangerous fakes being offered gullible travelers are drugs laced with everything from motor oil to paint, electronics that can explode or catch fire, and phony luxury brand shampoo and perfumes full of bacteria. And that doesn’t even get into the whole topic of the fines that are now being levied on travelers for trying to sneak counterfeit items back into their home countries.
Crafty Money Changers – Money changing scams can range from minor annoyances like inflated airport commissions and lousy hotel rates to more serious troubles like receiving wads of banknotes that are no longer in circulation or money changers who literally take your money and run. The lines might be a little bit longer, but good old-fashioned banks often offer the best rates and the safest ambience….although one could argue that ATM fees and debit card currency exchange fees are yet another twist on this travel scam.
Friends
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
One of the greatest things about Amazing Journeys is, well..the journeys themselves. Traveling to Alaska, Costa Rica, Australia, Europe or South America are destinations that fulfill lifelong dreams and help make us all more worldly and appreciative of other walks of life.
But a journey can be an incomplete experience if you have no one with whom to share it. Like a tree in the forest needs other trees to grow, prosper and evolve…so do we humans need others to share in such landmark experiences as seeing life & history in another land. From here, friends are made. A team of players share the thrills of competition, a couple share the birth of a child, a committee helps steer the future of a community center — these are all examples of the attachments we have to needing and desiring the company of others. These are also examples of how friends are made.
Through Amazing Journeys, friends are made by sharing a common experience together; that of visiting another land. Taking pictures, going on a hike, sitting with a new acqaintance on a bus ride, sharing a meal, sitting in the jacuzzi or just chatting with someone while strolling through the streets are some of the most meaningful shared life experiences, and friend-making opportunities while on a tour. We know this premise very well as we instruct all our tour guides to not be offended if there’s chatter going on while a tour is in progress. Our groups love to chat!
But that’s the process…and the meaning behind traveling with a group. Traveling with others brings a world of perspective, adventure and the unexpected. It brings a potential for new friends that no other venue can offer. The experiences that AJ-made friends share together are life changing and special. And sometimes even matrimonial–over 100 individuals have found their soulmates on a previous Amazing Journey.
As Amazing Journeys embarks on our Reunion Weekend this Friday, we relish in the thousands of friendships that have been made over the years along our travels. We’ve made friends, yes, but the essense of our joy is witnessing the endless array of friendship and courtship that comes with being a travel member on an Amazing Journey. As our new friend Arlene stated in an email to us upon returning home from our recent Alaska cruise/tour: “Hopefully this will be only the beginning of our friendship. You said this trip would create wonderful new memories and friendships that would last a lifetime and already I see this coming to fruition.After I returned home, following my incredible two week trip, I felt “Alive”, busting with pure joy, exhilaration and happiness. Thank you for an incredible and outstanding trip and experience!!”
Whatever you garner while traveling, the memories will last a lifetime…but the friendships will change your life, over time.
There’s great meaning to the phrase “that’s what friends are for”
Invasion of the Body Scanners – coming to an airport near you
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010There has been growing opposition to full body scanners at airports including warnings from medical experts that the machines may be more dangerous to passengers’ health than initially thought. A scientist from the center for radiological research at New York’s Columbia University, has been quoted by a number of media outlets questioning whether the machines may pose a skin cancer risk, especially in children.
The European Commission issued a report in June saying scientific assessment of potential health risks is needed before the machines are deployed there, though individual countries are free to decide whether or not to use them. The report also said the machines “bring a serious risk of fragmenting fundamental rights of EU citizens.” In Dubai, security officials said the machines would not be used because of concerns about personal privacy and because health risks are unknown.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has also raised questions about whether the machines can even detect explosives or other dangerous people might hide. At the same time the International Air Transport Association, which represents 250 airlines around the world including most major U.S. carriers, has questioned how body scanners fit into a comprehensive security plan. The machines are in place at 133 U.S. airports and TSA has plans to install more.
Below are answers to some questions with a TSA spokesperson:
Which airports have the full body scanners? There are 133 airports where millimeter wave machines have been deployed. Visit the TSA website to learn more.
Which airports are planning to get the devices? While the exact times and locations where the scanners will be received have not been disclosed at the current time, the U.S. government is working to equip airports around the country with the machines.
Will everybody be scanned, or only certain individuals? This screening option is completely voluntary to all passengers.
Can you decline a full body scan? Yes, for now, but you must submit to a full body pat-down.
Do they save the scanned images? There is no storage capability. No cameras, cellular telephones, or any device capable of capturing an image is permitted in the remotely-located resolution room. Use of such a device is a terminable offense.
Are they harmful for any individuals? Two types of scanners currently exist: the millimeter wave scanner and the backscatter scanner. “Millimeter wave technology” bounces harmless electromagnetic waves off the human body to create a black and white image. The energy emitted by millimeter wave technology is 10,000 times less than what is permitted for a cell phone. “Backscatter technology” projects an ionizing X-ray beam over the body surface at high speed. The reflection, or backscatter, of the beam is detected, digitized and displayed on a monitor. Each scan produces less than 10 microrem of emission, equivalent to the exposure each person receives in about two minutes on an airplane flight at altitude.
Who sees the images? Passenger privacy is ensured through the anonymity of the image. The transportation security officer attending the passenger cannot view the image, and the remotely-located officer who views the image cannot physically see the passenger. Images are not stored, transmitted or printed and are deleted immediately once viewed by the remotely-located officer.
Just how much is revealed in the full body scan? A privacy algorithm blurs facial features.
How long do the scans take? Screening takes approximately 15 seconds, while the scanning time is just a few seconds. The remotely located security officer who interprets the image takes approximately 12 seconds to do so. It takes a passenger with a joint replacement about 15 seconds to go through advanced imaging technology, versus a 2-4 minute pat down.
Will this solve the airport security problem? Advanced imaging technology safely screens passengers for metallic and nonmetallic threats including weapons, explosives and other objects concealed under layers of clothing without physical contact. Threats to aviation continue to evolve. The use of new and innovative technologies helps us stay ahead of those intent on harming our nation.
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