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“ I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.”
American author, Caskie Stinnett

JSG staffers are welcoming 2006 with the promise to travel more and share our experiences.

JSG podcasts We even have a bit of podcasting coming this month. Podcasting is the radio wave of the future. All our travelers may be taking pictures and talking into a microphone soon. Stay tuned.

We're here, we're traveling, and we're going to tell you all about it.

JSG Fiesta Editor Vivienne Mackie in China

JUSTSAYGO DESTINATIONS Think New Orleans is still down and out? Think again. Catch a few waves and humpback whales too… Memphis and barbeque, there's no joke there. Need to know what time it really is? And what does Barry Manilow know about New England? Read on and learn see the world. Visit JustSayGo.com for more stories. New Orleans is doing well. Shannon Hurst Lane gave us the bad news a few months ago. Now she shares the good news too. Listen to a few good tunes as she talks about the Big Easy at http://podtrippin.libsyn.com.
		Australia's Finest Whale-Watching Location Humpback whales annually migrate from the chilly waters of Antarctica to the tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Dawnelle Salant tells us all about the whales and her journey at... More

		Memphis Takes its Barbecue Seriously—Barbecue Meets the Blues in Memphis Barbecue and the blues meet in the Barbecue pork capital. Phyllis Steinberg's story is just, well, delectable. More

		The Cliffhouse Resort and Spa Barry Manilow takes us to the Cliff House Resort and Spa in New Hampshire. What does Barry Manilow have to do with the story. Let Eddie Applefeld tell you. More

		Everybody Knows What Time It Is at the Watch and Clock Museum Mary Medland travels to Pennsylvania in record time to find the time and learn the various times in history. It's time to let Mary tell you more. More

JUSTSAYGO FIESTA Vivienne Mackie, Fiesta Editor lists holiday, carnivals and parties all over the world. Visit http://justsaygo.com/fiesta/fiesta.html for Vivienne's favorites.
		Running to Save Lives and Celebrate Life: The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure® The Foundation says, “Walk. Get Inspired. Get Involved. Join more than one million participants worldwide, and make a difference.”... More

TROUBLE CONTACTING US?
Having trouble getting through to us at TraveLetter? Please do not reply directly to this email, from now on please contact us at denise@justsaygo.com.

TALK TRAVEL — The New Vilnius by JSG Producer Marina Farrell
"As I strolled across Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania, I watched in amazement as a smiling man whizzed past the knight-and-horse statue of Gediminas the Great — the smiling man aboard a brand new Segway Human Transport, Gediminas in full armor astride a gallant steed. I couldn’t help but smile at the contrast of these two vastly different characters..." More

Is there something you'd like to share with us, write to Talk Travel at denise@justsaygo.com.

TRAVEL EASE — Messenger Bagg by Baggallini
Product review by TraveLetter Editor Denise Dube

This lightweight new messenger bag by Baggallini may be used as a backpack, a purse or carry-on luggage. Always on the lookout for a new Baggallini, I spotted this gem and grabbed it for my next trip. I haven't gone back to my purse yet and have been home for two weeks. With a slanted handle and its compact 13 by 10 by 4 inches, it hangs over the shoulder or neck just like a backpack. It retails for $39.95, is made of ballistic nylon and comes in about a dozen colors. Mine, of course, is basic black. www.baggallini.com

Is there something you'd like reviewed? Let us know before buying a new travel item. We'll let you know if it meets JSG's standards.

PHANTASTIC PHOTOS

"Fisheye", by Naeem Randhawa

Do you have a photo that deserves a spot on this page? Send it to denise@justsaygo.com. We'll post it here and send you a JustSayGo.Com TraveLetter prize.

TRAVEL BOOKS — Review by Alf B. Meier
This Way to Paradise (Dancing on the Tables)
by Willard Manus, published by Lycabettus Press, Athens

The title explains much about the intentions of the author in relating his colorful experiences as an expatriate in the picture-perfect village of Lindos on Rhodes Island, Greece.

What separates Willard Manus' book from others in that genre, such as The Island of the Second Vision, by Albert Vigoleis Thelen, which relates Thelen's sometimes surreal experiences on Mallorca from the early '30s to the days of the Spanish civil war? Manus includes some juicy gossip about people who are in no way unknown, such as the Pink Floyd band, novelist
Richard Hughes and film director Hans Geissendorfer.

The evolution the village, the island, Greece and the world suffered from the early 1960s to the late 1980s may be experienced by reading this book. This atmosphere of change can be felt chapter after chapter. The tone of the book subtly dances from the unencumbered times before the Greek dictatorship of the Junta, to the wild times of flower power to the almost senseless times of the 1980s. Those familiar with Greece will be captivated by the tales of simplicity of rural life, participating in the religious festivals, exchanges with misfits and locals, the laughing and crying about everyday village life.

Personally, I would have liked a less superficial way of dealing with the Greek folk culture and a cover that depicts a little more of the reality of the '90s in Lindos than the almost idyllic image from the late '70s. Small complaints, because this book makes a wonderful read.

Overall, I would say it is two thumbs up. It grabbed my complete attention and is one of those unique books you must read from cover-to-cover in one sitting. You won't be able to put it down, I promise.

Alf B. Meier may be reached at laugh@otenet.gr.

TRAVEL ADVICE
Keep an eye on passport expiration dates. Great plans are delayed and sometimes lost when one of the participants opens that little book to find it expired three weeks before the trip. If, by chance, that does happen visit the State Department website (see link below) and find the nearest federal office. If you are lucky – and you have two-inch photographs of yourself – you may walk away with a passport that day. And remember, if you are American and traveling to the Western Hemisphere you now need a passport.

State Department website: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Remember to check archived stories for more information. You can reach us at denise@justsaygo.com.

TRAVEL Q&A
Have any travel or security questions that need answering? Chances are we've “been there, done that.” Email us with questions and we'll get the answers. Remember to check archived stories too for more information. Email us at denise@justsaygo.com.

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PLEASE DO NOT REPLY DIRECTLY TO THIS EMAIL. To contact us at TraveLetter, email Denise Dube at denise@justsaygo.com.