Hello and welcome to the Informed Traveler Podcast Newsletter, our monthly newsletter designed to compliment our weekly travel podcast, offer additional travel tidbits and tips. As always, your feedback is welcome.

Quotes from last month's podcast:

If you haven’t heard this month’s podcast episodes yet you can find the full interviews HERE. Some notable quotes include:

“You've hit on the two top attractions in the great state of Texas, the Alamo and the Riverwalk. And what's so cool, I always tell people that you know the story of San Antonio is simple. The Spanish built a church by a river, and those have become the Alamo and the Riverwalk, and they are literally just steps away from each other.”

“once your new passport arrives, don't tuck it away until your next trip. Sign it, um, make a secure digital copy of the identification page, and consider leaving another copy with a trusted family member or friend.”

“We enjoyed walking around the city. Some of the highlights were their old town with traditional white wooden houses and an old fish quay with restaurants and a waterfront atmosphere.“

^{3 Things I Learnt this Month}

Tulum firemen were called to a hotel last month after reports of a sea turtle in a swimming pool. The incident happened when a green sea turtle weighing approximately 220 kilos (505 pounds) appeared in the pool. It was carefully restrained and moved to minimize the risk of injury where it was guided onto a board and then to the beach. Once on the sand, it was released and photographed heading back into the sea.

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If you’ve seen the Netflix series “The Bombing of Pam Am 103” you’ll get an idea of one of the reason’s why Pan Am ultimately filed for bankruptcy in January 1991 and ceased operations on December 4, 1991. Now the Pan Am name is being developed across private aviation, hospitality and, potentially, scheduled commercial air services. The current Pan Am organization is pursuing a broader strategy than simply recreating the former airline. Pan Am Global Holdings is developing a proposed return of Pan American World Airways as a scheduled US carrier. Pan Am is already developing relationships across aviation and travel, but a future scheduled operation would require considerably more infrastructure than the private journeys currently being offered. The organization is currently building the brand across several areas of the travel industry while separately pursuing certification for scheduled air services. The most important qualification surrounding Pan Am’s proposed return is that scheduled commercial operations have not yet been authorized. The certification process has been initiated, but the proposed carrier remains subject to FAA and US Department of Transportation approvals. Something to keep an eye on.

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A Porter Airline flight was cancelled due to child refusing to fasten its seatbelt. An airline spokesman said in an email that its plane left the terminal in Victoria and was headed to the runway for departure to Toronto, but a young child was standing in their seat and would not secure their seatbelt despite attempts by the accompanying parent and cabin crew. All attempts by a parent and crew to address the situation were unsuccessful.
The aircraft could not take off in what Porter called an unsafe situation, so the crew elected to return to the terminal and have the two passengers disembark.
It says the time needed to bridge the aircraft, deplane the duo, retrieve their baggage, and submit new flight plans and other paperwork meant it was too late to depart, since Victoria’s runway closes at 12:30 a.m. Porter Airlines says the other passengers had to wait for another flight the next day. How would you feel if your flight was delayed or cancelled because of an unruly child?

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Looking at the Month Ahead 

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, USA
Oct. 3–11: For nine days in October, the Albuquerque skies are colorfully painted as more than 500 balloons lift off from Balloon Fiesta Park.

Singapore Grand Prix - Singapore Oct. 9–11: The Singapore Grand Prix has become one of the most anticipated events on the global sporting calendar. Taking place at night in the heart of the city, the race at Marina Bay Street Circuit features close on-track battles and an incredible lineup of A-list concerts on each night of the race weekend.

Día de los Muertos - throughout Mexico Oct. 31–Nov. 2 - Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it is a national holiday, and all banks are closed.

Travel Tip of the Month

Before you leave home, take a clear photo of the photo page of your passport and save it somewhere secure, such as your email or cloud storage. If your passport is lost or stolen while traveling, having a copy can make it much easier to prove your identity and work with the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate. But don't just keep the photo on your phone—if your phone is lost too, you could lose your backup. Keep a secure digital copy somewhere you can access from another device..