March 19th, 2013
Brazil: Rio’s Main Lagoon Overflows With Dead Fish
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed |
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Heavy rains and rotting algae depleted the water-oxygen levels in Rio de Janeiro’s Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, filling the 2016 Olympic rowing venue—and site of countless postcard pictures—with thousands of dead, decomposing fish. During a two-day emergency cleanup process, workers hauled more than 71 tons of dead fish out of the lagoon, which is located directly beneath Rio’s most famous monument, a statue of Christ the Redeemer, and between the legendary Ipanema and Leblon beaches. A similar phenomenon occurred there in 2009, killing more than 100 tons of fish.
March 19th, 2013
Cayman Islands: Wild Stingrays are Adapting to Tourists’ Handouts
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Add a Comment »
Feeding the wild sting rays has become a popular attraction on Grand Cayman, and not just with tourists. A recent study of the free-swimming rays at “Stingray City,” a cluster of shallow sandbars on the island’s north side, showed that most of the rays in the area had reversed their natural, nocturnal feeding behaviors to take advantage of the regular tour boat offerings of packaged squid. Also, the animals have become so accustomed to human contact that visitors can touch and interact with them. Since feeding or “baiting” sea animals such as rays and whale sharks has become a tourism trend worldwide, the ray study prompts questions about the effect on the animals’ natural behavior and long-term health.
March 19th, 2013
India: Anti-Sri Lanka Protests May Disrupt Travel in Tamil Nadu
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Add a Comment »
A wave of ongoing, anti-Sri Lanka protests has disrupted travel in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu. More than 200 students gathered at Chennai International Airport March 18, impeding traffic to and from the terminal. In a related demonstration, 400 people marched through central Chennai, breaking down a police barricade, while another 500 picketed the governor’s house. The protestors are demanding that the Indian government back an upcoming U.N. resolution regarding Sri Lanka’s human rights violations during the country’s 26-year civil war, which ended in 2009. No violence has been reported to date, but demonstrations around this issue are expected to continue.
March 19th, 2013
Laos: Government Considering Single-Entry Visa With Neighbors
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Add a Comment »
In hope of promoting tourism and other business, the government is considering a single-visa arrangement, similar to the Schengen visa available in parts of the European Union, which would allow tourists to combine a trip to neighboring Southeast Asian countries on one visa. Thailand and Cambodia struck a single-visa deal late last year, and Laos officials anticipate that a combined visa would help potential visitors to the smaller nation overcome such obstacles as unfamiliarity and lack of direct flights from other countries. Laos welcomed more than 3 million tourists in 2012, but Thailand and Cambodia both saw several times that number.
March 19th, 2013
Netherlands: The Hague Rates Terrorism Risk as “Substantial”
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Add a Comment »
Due to an increase in the number of violent extremists traveling to Syria, and signs of increased radicalization among youth, the threat of terrorism has increased from “limited” to “substantial,” Dutch authorities reported March 14. The U.S. Dept. of State has not issued any travel warnings for the country, but notes that, as with other countries in the Schengen region, the Netherlands’ open borders with its neighbors allow for the possibility of terrorist groups to enter and exit the country with anonymity. Visitors to the Netherlands are encouraged to exercise caution, monitor local media for the latest news reports, and avoid demonstrations and large public gatherings when possible.
March 13th, 2013
China: Thousands of Dead Pigs Dumped in Shanghai’s Water Source
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Add a Comment »
Water pollution is a major concern throughout China, but for many of Shanghai’s 23 million residents, a surge in the dumping of dead pigs has heightened their worries. Over a two-day period in early March, authorities retrieved 2,813 dead pigs from the Huangpu River—a primary source of city drinking water. Official reports stated that the drinking water supply tested “normal,” though additional chlorine was being added as a precaution. Most of the pig carcasses were found in the Songjiang District, where thousands of pigs have died in recent months due to disease and poor living conditions. The government’s subsequent crackdown on selling diseased pig parts may have prompted the dumping—which is also illegal.
March 13th, 2013
Haiti: Embassy Warns of Volatile Demonstrations in Port-au-Prince
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Add a Comment »
Ongoing demonstrations in downtown Port-au-Prince have turned violent, prompting the U.S. Embassy to issue a warning to travelers to avoid the area around Rue Capois. Protestors at the scene have clashed with national police and have been seen throwing rocks at passing vehicles. Visitors to Port-au-Prince should remain alert to their surroundings at all times and avoid demonstrations or large gatherings, which could become confrontational at any time.
March 13th, 2013
Italy:
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Add a Comment »
A high degree of crime occurs in and around the tourist areas of Naples. While most crime in Italy’s third-largest city is not violent, purse and camera snatching, pickpocketing and break-ins are commonplace. Criminal gangs operate efficiently in the areas that tourists tend to frequent, such as the Centro Historico, Piazza Garibaldi (the central train station), Quartieri Spagnoli and other busy hubs. While Naples is generally safer than most large American cities, visitors are advised to remain aware of their surroundings and avoid wearing or carrying anything valuable on their person. Additional information can be obtained from the U.S. Consulate in Naples.
March 13th, 2013
Peru: Embassy Revises Travel Warning for Cuzco, Machu Picchu
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Add a Comment »
The U.S. Embassy in Lima has lifted its travel restriction for Cuzco and the region of Machu Picchu after a thorough review of information regarding a potential kidnapping threat to U.S. citizens. The Embassy continues to recommend that its citizens proceed with caution if traveling in or around the Peruvian “VRAEM” Emergency Zone, which includes parts of Apurimac, Ayacucho, Cuzco, Huancavelica and Junin. Travelers should implement good personal security measures in these areas, remain aware of their surroundings at all times and monitor local media for updates.
March 13th, 2013
Zimbabwe: Man-Eating Lions Haunt Kariba
By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Add a Comment »
The northern resort town of Kariba has been on “man-eater watch” since two people were killed by lions in the same week. Kariba is a tourist destination known for safari camps and water-based activities such as houseboating and fishing excursions. All of the lion sightings occurred in the poorer and more populated suburbs of Mahombekombe, where frightened residents are “seeing lions in every shadow,” officials said. Authorities hunted down and killed three rogue lions that had mauled and partially eaten an elderly man and a woman from the same neighborhood, and two more lions have been reported roaming in the area. Local wildlife experts say that once a lion has killed a human being, it becomes a serious threat to other humans and must be put down.
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