29 Comments
Apr 9, 2022Liked by Christopher Elliott

Yes, I had seen street dogs, in Argentina more than any other country I ever visited. I'm positive the dogs on the streets of Buenos Aires or Córdoba or any other big/small city in Argentina are abandoned or let live on the streets for different reasons ( biggest reason, on the streets they get fed more and more often than some households could afford the necessary provisions of food or vet care. I even seen dogs waiting for the green light before safely crossing the street.

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Apr 9, 2022Liked by Christopher Elliott

I just returned from a Mediterranean cruise, and was impressed by the treatment of cats on Malta, Santorini, Rhodes and Mykonos. There are active TNR programs and the animals are well fed and healthy looking. On the Greek islands, they’re called neighborhood cats and lots of residents leave food for them. Dogs are also ear tagged when they’ve had their rabies shots.

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Apr 9, 2022Liked by Christopher Elliott

I have seen many cats on the street during my travels. Italy, Portugal, Greece come to mind, but most of all Morocco. I took several photos of the street cats I saw during my February 2020 trip there. Some were adorable, but many were very mangy and forlorn looking. I’m always fascinated by the cats I see as we have cats at home. I usually see few dogs when I travel, but in Mexico I remember seeing many sleeping in the middle of the road

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Apr 10, 2022Liked by Christopher Elliott

Love listening to the podcasts (and reading your travel articles) with your sons! They sound like terrific young men! What a blessing they’re able to experience the world traveling with their Dad! Way to go, Elliot!

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Please note: Podcasts without transcripts are *not* accessible to the deaf/hearing impaired.

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Apr 9, 2022Liked by Christopher Elliott

I like Turkish Delights, especially the rose flavored ones. I was first introduced to them when I saw The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Hope you and the boys enjoy Turkey however long you stay.

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Apr 9, 2022Liked by Christopher Elliott

Yes, I've taken photos of cats in cat-friendly populations like Rome, Athens, San Juan.

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Apr 9, 2022Liked by Christopher Elliott

Not about csts sorry! I’m leaving SA on the 14th and way too long. And the boys are right, Vodacom is evil! They are the most expensive carrier in SA with outrageous prices. We usually go to PEP stores and get either MTM or CellC. Much cheaper and PEP charges only a few rand for a SIM card. Like airline math, cell companies in SA have a funny way of determining Gigs. Four gigs in Canada will last for ages. In SA they disappear like lightning. Fortunately wifi is available everywhere.

So one gig in North America equals 100 mg in SA. Strange math! I avoid data charges like the plague.

Enjoy Istanbul! So much to do around Turkey if you have the time. Probably a whole less crime unless you consider getting scratched by a feral cat a crime.

After coming here yearly since 2010, this will be out last time to SA.

Take care!

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Apr 9, 2022Liked by Christopher Elliott

I visited India on a few occasions, but as an animal lover, I can no longer visit. There are what the Indians call “wild dogs” or “street dogs” every place you look. Homeless. These dogs, through no fault of their own, are chased and often beaten. Or, just as bad, are so profuse that they’re almost invisible. I’ve never heard of them attacking or biting. I believe the locals are afraid of diseases. These appear to be sweet animals just looking for a handout. There are also homeless cats and kittens, as well as any breed of animal you can think of. But the cries of dogs getting chased, beaten and maimed by traffic, just breaks my heart. I cannot, will not return. I want to point out that Indians are sweet people and I know they think they are protecting their families. Don’t mean to make them look bad as there are reasons for everything.

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Apr 9, 2022Liked by Christopher Elliott

Love love your website! I rarely pay for subscriptions but I paid for yours because it has saved me so much money. Two suggestions for you. First charge people for access to your website or have them make a donation if they are a continuous user

Second let’s do an online protest for Airlines, hotels, VRBO for their outrageous fees. I Understand their costs are going up however they should just put this in the price. All this is is false advertising. Airline say luggage cost money to check but cleaning Restrooms. paying to sit next to your family on a flight is outrageous. I would be happy to help in this effort. It would take a while to get everybody to boycott flying or using hotels but eventually I believe it could work. Please let me know your thoughts

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Being plant-based eaters for years, before each trip my husband, Art, does lots of research on where to find vegan restaurants in the various cities on our itinerary, whether it's the USA, Europe, Asia, South America, Iceland, etc. Happy Cow is a nice internet resource to find vegan places and you might try that while you are in Turkey and wherever you go next. Hope you can get to Cappadocia and Ephesus- two must-sees in Turkey. Enjoying your podcasts!

Marianne Ellis

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When I traveled to Turkey in 2012, the hotel in Istanbul where we stayed had a large patio, where every morning at breakfast, we would see at least 14 cats.

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I noticed a lot of them in Israel, Jerusalem in particular. They didn't come to greet us. Most hid away.

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I go to Europe pretty often and Rome is the only place I see many stray cats. The people of Istanbul are renowned for how well they treat the local cats and there was a documentary movie on this subject entitled “Kedi”.

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this was an incredibly whiny podcast, your children act very entitled

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