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The World Snail Racing Championships have been held for more than 25 years in Congham, England, 50 miles north of Cambridge. About 300 snails compete for the title “fastest in the world.” In 2010, the contest will be held July 17 at 2 p.m.
In Japan, Kawagoe, or Little Edo, is an old castle town with a river running through it. Full of pre-WWII architecture, the streets still show traditional merchants’ warehouses and temples.
It’s a 24-minute train ride from Tokyo to Ikebukuro Station by JR Yamanote Line plus another 33 minutes to Kawagoe Station by Tobu-Tojo Line (regular express), for a total cost of ¥640 ($7).
In Rome, a cooperative of cab owners has set up a book-ahead system for travelers to assure them of reliable drivers and fixed rates.
Using a phone or a computer (or a “smart” cell phone), a traveler can book and prepay for a taxi with the co-op Radiotaxi 3570 (in Rome, dial 06 3570; visit www.3570.it/en.servizi.htm).
It’s possible to request a driver who speaks English, French, Spanish or German and to make other requests (for a van, for example, or to take extra luggage). Other cities with the service in Italy are listed on the website.
As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 29 destinations: Saudi Arabia, Haiti, Pakistan, Sudan, Somalia, Mauritania, Chad, Mali, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Algeria, Colombia, Guinea, Lebanon, Côte d’Ivoire, Philippines, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Kenya, Afghanistan, Burundi, Nigeria, Iran, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Georgia.
For details, call the State Department at 202/647-5225 or visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html.
The first cholera outbreak in Papua New Guinea in over 50 years started last July and has spread in three provinces: northern Morobe, Madang and East Sepik. The World Health Organization confirmed in February that there have been more than 2,000 cases, including almost 50 deaths. The disease is spreading due to poor water supplies and sanitation and the movement of infected people.
The US Consulate in Hermosillo, Mexico, issued an alert about robberies at night on toll roads and free roads around Sinaloa, cautioning people to drive only in daytime.
Robbers used cars with flashing lights to impersonate police, motioning drivers to pull over or down a side road where another car was waiting. They held victims at gunpoint and took valuables, usually leaving the car behind. In one case a passenger was raped and in another the driver was hit on the head.
While on a shore excursion near Pigeon Point, Antigua, a 29-year-old San Francisco woman, a passenger of the Star Clippers ship Royal Clipper, was stabbed to death on Jan. 19 after she wandered from a beach barbecue. Ten days later, Antiguan police arrested a 24-year-old man, who then confessed to the killing.
In January 2009, an Australian man was shot near a bar in the English Harbour Town area of Antigua, and in July 2008 a British couple was shot in their hotel room.
Although crime rates have been declining in Colombia, a series of assassinations by rival drug gangs in January and an armed robbery of a tourist hostel in February prompted the government to add 270 police officers to the Cartagena force. They will patrol neighborhoods and work with the investigation departments.
The last major terrorist attack directed against the civilian population in Saudia Arabia was one against French nationals in 2007. At the US Embassy in Riyadh, family members now have been authorized to return. Improvements made by Saudi security and intelligence forces have greatly advanced the security environment.
Still, due to the continued presence of terrorist groups, the Department of State warns of an ongoing security threat in areas and other facilities where Westerners congregate.
The US government continues to receive information that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in India. Terrorists and their sympathizers have demonstrated their willingness to attack targets where Westerners are known to congregate or visit.