Celebrating haggis and Robert Burns

By Laura MacNeil
October 3, 2012
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Courtesy Ruthie Rosenstock

Scotland wants you to taste its quintessential dish in the land where the idea of cooking liver, oatmeal, and onions inside a sheep's belly was first dreamed up.

Really, it's not so bad—and just because my name is MacNeil doesn't mean you can't trust me. I'm not the only fan. In fact, the country's national poet, Robert Burns, loved the stuff so much he dedicated an entire ode to it. Each year, on his January 25th birthday, every self-respecting Scot holds a Burns Dinner in honor of the man and recites the Address to the Haggis before serving it with a lot of whisky.

If you think you have to be there in order to get what all the fuss is about, well, you're in luck: Last-minute discount packages to experience Burns Night in Scotland were just announced. The three-night deals to Edinburgh or Glasgow start at $499 and include a traditional Burns Night Supper, a city tour, transfers, breakfast daily, and either an evening at a local pub or a ghost tour.

This January is even more special because it's the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns’s birthday, and Scotland is using the occasion to launch Homecoming 2009, a yearlong series of events celebrating Burns and other Scottish favorites such as whisky and golf. As for the "neeps and tatties" usually served alongside haggis? Don't look at me—you're on your own there!

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This weekend: Puerto Rico's annual holiday mask festival

Our online trip coaches always have inside information and tips for us. Stephen Keeling, author of the first-edition "Rough Guide to Puerto Rico," recently told us about a nifty festival happening this weekend on the island. Here it is, in his words: The Hatillo mask festival (Festival de las Máscaras) is one of Puerto Rico's most exuberant celebrations, so you are in for a real treat! Held on December 28, the festival actually commemorates King Herod's attempt to kill baby Jesus by ordering the murder of all first born sons. These days it's a big party; the men of the town wear florid masks and costumes to collect money for local churches or charities (with as many pranks as possible), there's a big parade with floats, lots of mouth-watering food and plenty of music and dancing. Given the thousands that turn up to celebrate, visiting the festival can be tricky! The best way would be stay near the town: the Parador El Buen Café is a decent three-star hotel on the main highway just outside Hatillo. Once there, the hotel should be able to help with local taxis. Failing that, you can drive to Hatillo from San Juan in around one hour, but I'd leave really early! PREVIOUSLY In time for the holidays, "Scared of Santa" photos Exclusive: New York's holiday windows as festive as ever

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White Noise for No Noise: Bliss on the Plane White noise on your MP3 player helps make a nightmare flight more bearable. [Travelocity] Shine a light on it An ultraviolet light to see how clean your hotel surfaces are [Boston Globe] A walk in the park For the holiday season, many amusement parks dress up, slow down, and attract a milder crowd than usual. [New York Times] 8 ways to tell if your travel pro is crooked Demanding that payment be made only in cash is not a good sign. [Elliott.org] 10 Seriously Unusual & Outlandishly Weird Asian Hotels The one shaped like a toilet is my favorite. [ProTraveller] Versace Mansion in South Beach begins tours The $65 tour includes a stop to admire the pool, "made of more than a million Italian mosaic tiles and 24-karat gold pieces." [AP]

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A rare peek at Homeland Security's files on travelers

The oversize white envelope bore the blue logo of the Department of Homeland Security. Inside, I found 20 photocopies of the government's records on my international travels. Every overseas trip I've taken since 2001 was noted. I had requested the files after I had heard that the government tracks "passenger activity." Starting in the mid-1990s, many airlines handed over passenger records. Since 2002, the government has mandated that the commercial airlines deliver this information routinely and electronically. A passenger record typically includes the name of the person traveling, the name of the person who submitted the information while arranging the trip, and details about how the ticket was bought, according to documents published by the Department of Homeland Security. Records are made for citizens and non-citizens who cross our borders. An agent from U.S. Customs and Border Protection can generate a travel history for any traveler with a few keystrokes on a computer. Officials use the information to prevent terrorism, acts of organized crime, and other illegal activity. I had been curious about what's in my travel dossier, so I made a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for a copy. I'm posting here a few sample pages of what officials sent me. My biggest surprise was that the Internet Protocol (I.P.) address of the computer used to buy my tickets via a Web agency was noted. On the first document image posted here, I've circled in red the I.P. address of the computer used to buy my pair of airline tickets. [An I.P. address is assigned to every computer on the Internet. Each time that computer sends an e-mail—or is used to make a purchase via a Web browser—it has to reveal its I.P. address, which tells its geographic location.] The rest of my file contained details about my ticketed itineraries, the amount I paid for tickets, and the airports I passed through overseas. My credit card number was not listed, nor were any hotels I've visited. In two cases, the basic identifying information about my traveling companion (whose ticket was part of the same purchase as mine) was included in the file. Perhaps that information was included by mistake. Some sections of my documents were blacked out by an official. Presumably, this information contains material that is classified because it would reveal the inner workings of law enforcement. I have grayed out other parts of the documents because they contain information, such as my passport number, that I'd rather not share. The parts I've blocked out are colored gray to distinguish from the government censor's black marker. Here's the lowdown on the records. The commercial airlines send these passenger records to Customs and Border Protection, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security. Computers match the information with the databases of federal departments, such as Treasury, Agriculture, and Homeland Security. Computers uncover links between known and previously unidentified terrorists or terrorist suspects, as well as suspicious or irregular travel patterns. Some of this information comes from foreign governments and law enforcement agencies. The data is also crosschecked with American state and local law enforcement agencies, which are tracking persons who have warrants out for their arrest or who are under restraining orders. The data is used not only to fight terrorism but also to prevent and combat acts of organized crime and other illegal activity. Officials use the information to help decide if a passenger needs to have additional screening. Case in point: After overseas trips, I've stood in lines at U.S. border checkpoints and had my passport swiped and my electronic file examined. A few times, something in my record has prompted officers to pull me over to a side room, where I have been asked additional questions. Sometimes I've had to clarify a missing middle initial. Other times, I have been referred to a secondary examination. (I've blogged about this before.) When did this electronic data collection start? In 1999, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (then known as the U.S. Customs Service) began receiving passenger identification information electronically from certain air carriers on a voluntary basis, though some paper records were shared prior to that. A mandatory, automated program began about 6 years ago. Congress funds this Automated Targeting System's Passenger Screening Program to the tune of about $30 million a year. How safe is your information? Regulations prohibit officials from sharing the records of any traveler—or the government's risk assessment of any traveler—with airlines or private companies. A record is kept for 15 years—unless it is linked to an investigation, in which case it can be kept indefinitely. Agency computers do not encrypt the data, but officials insist that other measures—both physical and electronic—safeguard our records. I wonder if the government's data collecting is relevant and necessary to accomplish the agency's purpose in protecting our borders. The volume of data collected, and the rate at which the records is growing and being shared with officials nationwide, suggests that the potential for misuse could soar out of hand. Others may wonder if the efforts are effective. For instance, I asked security expert Bruce Schneier Schneider about the Feds' efforts to track passenger activity, and he responded by e-mail: "I think it's a waste of time. There's this myth that we can pick terrorists out of the crowd if we only knew more information." On the other hand, some people may find it reassuring that the government is using technology to keep our borders safe. What do you think? Feel free to post a comment, below. Oh, one more thing: Are your records worth seeing? Maybe not, unless you've been experiencing a problem crossing our nation's borders. For one thing, the records are a bit dull. In my file, for instance, officials had blacked out the (presumably) most fascinating parts, which were about how officials assessed my risk profile. What's more, the records are mainly limited to information that airline and passport control officials have collected, so you probably won't be surprised by anything you read in them. Lastly, there may be a cost. While there was no charge to me when I requested my records, you might charged a fee of up to $50 if there is difficulty in obtaining your records. Of course, there's a cost to taxpayers and to our nation's security resources whenever a request is filed, too. However, if you are being detained at the border or if you suspect a problem with your records, then by all means request a copy. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is required by law to make your records available to you, with some exceptions. Your request must be made in writing on paper and be signed by you. Ask to see the "information relating to me in the Automated Targeting System." Say that your request is "made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552)." Add that you wish to have a copy of your records made and mailed to you without first inspecting them. Your letter should, obviously, give reasonably sufficient detail to enable an official to find your record. So supply your passport number and mailing address. Put a date on your letter and make a copy for your own records. On your envelope, you should conspicuously print the words “FOIA Request." It should be addressed to “Freedom of Information Act Request,” U.S. Customs Service, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20229. Be patient. I had wait for up to a year to receive a copy of my records. Then if you believe there's an error in your record, ask for a correction by writing a letter to the Customer Satisfaction Unit, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Room 5.5C, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20229.

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Readers' Photos: A slide show of our fave shots

We've gotten a huge number of great photos from travelers—over 4,000 have been uploaded to date. Click here to see a slide show of our current favorites, and don't forget to upload your own photos, Travel Journals, and videos to myBudgetTravel. You'll have to register, but you'll only have to do it once, and you'll also be able to comment on and rate articles and other readers' contributions.