Travel Values for 2012

Travel Values for 2012

I love to travel.  And, when I am not travelling, I like to read about travel, look at travel catalogs and web sites, read travelogues, magazines, and blog.  I also subscribe to several travel web sites' newsletters and this week one of them sent me a teriffic email advising me of where I can get the best values for 2012. This was not a satire.

# 1 on their list is Athens:

It is one of those major modern urban cities where cleanliness is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Athens.  And while we all agree it has its charm, it is not – let’s say - Singapore.  Just imagine another strike breaking out as more stringent austerity measures come along.  Don’t imagine, just look at what has already happened. Oopah!

Parthenon anyone?

#4 on the list is Cairo:

(They do mention it might be “more appealing” to wait until after the presidential elections in March or April and that the violence is rarely directed towards tourists…) Hmmm. 

And don't forget to pack your gas mask!!

#10 on the list is Tokyo: 

And we all know how trustworthy governments are when considering the costs of lost tourism versus honesty about anything like nuclear radiation (remember Jaws and the debate on closing the beach for the holiday weekend?)

     Welcome to Tokyo.    

Don't worry the newsletter says, Fukushima is 200 miles north of Tokyo.  (And we all know how well-behaved radiation in the air is and it so promises never to venture that far south. And certainly the air would never carry it into any crops or anything like that.)

Sayonara.

As for me, I think I'll stick to something a little less adventuresome in 2012 - how about Russia and that adorable shirtless Putin?

How's that for Moscow scenery?