October 2004 Travel Newsletter

How To Buy New Luggage
Buying new luggage can sometimes be a challenge with the multitude of styles and choices available on the market.  We want to help make choosing it easier by outlining some of the things you should be considering.

One of the reasons for the large number of luggage styles is that there is no single bag that is right for everyone.  The type of traveling that you generally do determines the proper luggage for you.  If you take shorter trips and/or tours that keep you moving every few days, one or two lighter mid-size bags (22” – 24”) are a great choice.  They will be more manageable for getting in and out of hotels and lifting on and off tour buses and trains by yourself.  If you like to take cruises or take longer vacations in a single location, a larger bag (26” – 30”) will work since you won’t be moving or lifting it very often.

As you are looking around at luggage, you will see that it has changed a great deal since the days of the hard, “clamshell-style” Samsonite bag that your parents once used.  Be open to these new styles and materials that accommodate today’s travel.  Take advantage of the various new features, lighter weights, new functionality and durability that they offer.  Keep in mind that luggage is not just bags; it is a “travel system” that should enhance your trip.  A few brands now offer multiple bags and accessories that work together to make packing easier, to get your belongings there safe and to keep you organized throughout your trip.

Be willing to spend a little extra for luggage made with high quality parts and materials, which are backed by a lifetime guarantee.  Cheaply made luggage will not stand up to frequent use, weather, and airport baggage handlers and will need to be replaced frequently.  Good luggage is an investment in your travel enjoyment and will last you for years.

In next month’s newsletter, we will complete this topic by reviewing some of the physical features to look for when buying a new piece of luggage.
Upcoming Travel Programs
Tuesday, October 5th (7:30pm) - IRAN, An Independent Adventure!
If you imagine Iran as a country of chador-clad women, of third-world conditions, and inhospitable to travelers, you are in for a big surprise!  Sheryl Shapiro spent one month traveling around Iran this past spring and found it to be a friendly, easy to get around and quite modern country.  Join us for a slide show of spectacular images and listen to Sheryl as she gives us a unique perspective of travel in Iran.
Tuesday, October 12th (7:30pm) - Bicycle Expedition Across Africa & Ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro
In March 2004, a group from Boulder dipped their back wheels into the Atlantic Ocean off the shores of Capetown, South Africa.  Nearly two months and 3000 miles later, they dipped their front wheels into the Indian Ocean near Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.  They rode through the remote regions of South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Tanzania.  Then they climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro!  Join us as Stan Havlick shares his tales and slides of this extraordinary adventure.  A $5 DONATION will be collected at this show for the Colorado Cancer Foundation.  Please join us!
Tuesday, October 19th (7:30pm) - Packing Light For Easy Travel
Make travel easier by avoiding the hassles of over-packing!  Whether you are traveling for a week or for several months, learn the secrets of traveling light with everything you need in one convenient bag.  Learn all about the latest fabrics, packing methods, and travel accessories that allow you to travel light without giving up any conveniences and get you through airport security a little easier.
Tuesday, October 26th (7:30pm) - Travel Medical Clinic
Getting sick while traveling abroad can turn an exciting adventure into a painful ordeal.  Dr. Cory Sperry, a travel medicine specialist, will discuss common health problems, what medical supplies to take on your trip, as well as what immunizations are required.  He will cover such topics as safe eating and drinking habits while traveling, West Nile Virus and related mosquito diseases, and answer general questions about travel medicine for an international trip.  Join us!  This will be an informative and helpful clinic for all travelers!
Suggested Reading
“Meeting The Invisible Man: Travels & Magic In West Africa” by Toby Green, 2001, published by Orion Books.  Exploring the extraordinarily vibrant spiritual world that underlies the surface of West Africa, this book examines the conflict between the traditional and the modern in a region whose culture is a melting pot of local, Islamic and European influences.  The author tells of his mysterious, first hand experiences with invisibility and invulnerability as he traveled through West Africa in 1995, along with histories of the slave trade and the kingdoms of West Africa.  This imaginative travel writer confronts the dogmas of magic and modernity in a book that is by turns mysterious, hilarious, and beautiful.
Just For Fun
Murphy’s Laws For Frequent Flyers
      1)  The crying baby on board your flight is always seated next to you.
      2)  Only passengers seated in window seats ever have to get up to go to the lavatory.
      3)  Flights never leave from Gate #1 at any terminal in the world.
      4)  If you are running late for a flight, it will depart from the farthest gate within the terminal.
      5)  If you must work on your flight, you will experience turbulence as soon as you touch pen to paper.
      6)  If you arrive very early for a flight, it inevitably will be delayed.
      7)  No flight ever leaves on time unless you are running late and need the delay to make the flight.
      8)  The less carry-on luggage space available, the more carry-on luggage passengers will have.
Newsletter Subscriptions
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"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,
  we must carry it with us or we find it not.”
    - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Happy Travels!
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e-mail: adventure@cil.com
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