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Travel Advisor
In other words
The scoop on finding a translator in Egypt, getting a cheap seat on a half-empty plane and planning a cross-country train trek.
By Donald D. Groff
[04/13/00]

Travel by the book
Guidebooks ridiculously chart out a trip's every moment. And on some dark evenings, that's not so bad.
By Megan McNamer
[04/12/00]

Daily Planet
Saudi Arabia welcomes travelers -- sort of
The conservative Muslim kingdom says it will issue tourist visas for the first time.
By J.A. Getzlaff
[04/12/00]

Daily Planet
Japanese firm developing tool to track stray grannies
If all goes as planned at Mitsui & Co., satellites and cellular technology will soon be locating wandering seniors.
By J.A. Getzlaff
[04/11/00]

Vagabonding
The baksheesh diaries
In Egypt, our correspondent discovers that even the simplest experiences sometimes carry a price tag.
By Rolf Potts
[04/11/00]

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Daily Planet is a collection of short news items -- one each weekday -- that evoke and illuminate the far corners of the world. To read previous items, visit the Daily Planet archive. Send all tips to DailyPlanet @salon.com.

666 is the "number of the beast" -- the number that the Bible's Book of Revelation attributes to Satan. According to a recent Reuters report, this reference to the antichrist was not appreciated by some residents of Cyprus, who were issued identity cards that bore the devilish number.

The Greek Orthodox Church spoke out against the use of 666, prompting the government to announce that it will no longer issue its citizens identity cards that bear the creepy code. In fact, it went so far as to promise that the I.D.s will now feature six instead of three digits.

This should take care of any and all numeric disputes until a devout churchgoer ends up with 696969.
salon.com | April 13, 2000

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