Swine Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest

What a week. The emergence of the swine flu from Mexico is having major impact on the travel business, most notably in the number of calls and emails we're receiving with questions. Rather than give anyone wrong information, we are directing them to the CDC website and others for general questions, while still attending to our existing clients on a case-by-case basis. Some clients traveling in the next 7-10 days have been affected, and in many cases the airlines and certain hotels are working with the clients to allow them to alter their dates, or in some cases locations, with little or no penalty. People who booked with some of the large internet sellers report difficulty in getting help, since they never really had an "agent" or go-to person. With our Company, that's not the case. Each individual who books with us gets personalized service from his or her agent, and we're here to help. Just yesterday I had some clients booked to Cancun leaving in 3 days, and was able to re-route them to another island. The panic brought on by all the media attention has certainly made some people go a little crazy. We're fielding dozens of calls from people who aren't scheduled to leave for months. I even had a call from someone who is going to Aruba in August, concerned that the flu might spread by then and affect their travel. That's possible, but it is an influenza strain after all, and these things come and go, tending to burn out in a few weeks' time for the most part. Still, we understand the concerns and it's our pleasure to not only keep our clients informed, but to remind them they have us in their corner should things take a downturn. That gives a lot more peace of mind, than to someone who booked anonymously on the internet, who doesn't know where to turn or who to call.

Further to the piggy-flu situation, cruise lines have also had to adjust itineraries to skip Mexican ports, after severe passenger pressure. This is a double-edged sword, to be sure. Booked passengers screamed they didn't want to go to Mexico, so cruise lines complied and are switching. But they've already paid Mexico for docking fees, customs and immigration officials and so on, none of which they'll be able to re-coup. If they add Belize, Key West or another location, who is going to eat the new fees? The cruise lines - so we'll have to see if any of them are willing to absorb the loss, or if they'll be treating passengers to another Fun Day At Sea. That always brings howls and hoots as well, with a handful of people yelling "The only reason we BOOKED this cruise was for Mexico!" Talk about your no-win situation. Whew. Plus as I've mentioned in earlier blogs, the Jones Act prevents cruise lines from just making stops in the USA so there is that to contend with as well.

Deals still abound to Las Vegas over the next 90 days. There are signs the economy is picking up, and the stock market has rebounded pretty well recently, but Vegas hotels are still running low rates, and airfare is anywhere from 30-50% less than a year ago. So if you're all wound up and suddenly find yourself with the urge to throw something, make it dice! Call me and I'll get you rolling. Literally.

Last year, a group of doctors in Riga, Latvia opened a new, highly unusual restaurant. It's name is Hospitalis and as you might suspect, it's a medical-themed restaurant. The main dining room area is set up to resemble an Operating Room. The "nurses" (waitresses) dress in scrubs, and bring food to guests on gurneys, accessorized with syringes and forceps in addition to knives and forks. You can also try your favorite aperitif or cocktail, served in beakers and test tubes. Hospitalis has a signature dessert dish, a cake with edible toppings that resemble fingers, noses and tongues. As strange as it sounds, the place has been a big hit and it's only a matter of time before someone on this side of the Atlantic picks up the idea. George Clooney - are you listening?

The Burlington Vermont Free Press reports a recent incident, where a Dick Cheney-style hunter ran into some problems with the local game officials. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department reported its first documented case of a deer hunter attempting to avoid detection, after shooting a doe. (Doe, a deer, a female deer - in case you forgot). Hunters are all told that only bucks (males) are available to hunt, but Marcel Fournier, age19, apparently forgot. After realizing he had shot a doe, he made an attempt to cover up his crime. He used Epoxy glue and lag bolts, said the Game Warden, to try to glue a set of antlers he had in his car to the head of the dead doe. However, the "finished product" looked awkward because of the angle of placement and mismatched size of the antlers. Apparently, they weren't even a pair. Fournier was jailed for 10 days and fined an undisclosed amount, and had his license revoked. Vive Le Lousie Eyesight, Monsieur Marcel Fournier! There you have it. A French toast.

Who's your Daddy?

Ah yes. I live and work in North Carolina, and sometimes an item concerning North Carolina law is just too good to pass up. Under state law, you have to place a pre-adoption notice in the newspaper, if you are giving a child up for adoption. Theoretically, it's so the other parent can read about it, and decide if they want to step in to take the child, or allow the little one to enter the Child Services System. Well, anyone who has ever driven to the beach has probably passed through the small town of Whiteville, N.C. A pre-adoption notice was placed by attorney C. Greg Williamson on Jan. 5, 2009 in the Whiteville News Reporter. The mother's memory apparently wasn't all it could have been, so the notice (in part) read: "The unknown father of the girl was about 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a light brown complexion and 'funny' shaped eyes." The date and place of conception were listed as "during December 2002 at a house in Bolton, N.C., thought to be the second house on the left, after turning left on the street just past Bubba's Club, as you head East from Lake Waccamaw." The lucky father had 40 days from the placement of the ad to challenge the adoption of the child, now age 5, but amazingly no one stepped forward to claim the sweet package....