When I was young, one of the things I wanted to do more than anything was space travel. A teacher in grade school used to read to us every day from a book about these 3 kids that built their own space ship and flew out of this world to a planet in the Alpha Centauri system. It sounded like so much fun!
Of course, even then I realized that kids couldn’t build their own space ships that would actually FLY somewhere, and I knew that Star Trek was science fiction – although I do believe that thinking about space travel and the possibilities out there is good for your brain!
These people in Italy, however, somehow missed the fiction part..
More than 600 people in Italy wanted to ride in a spaceship badly enough to pay $10,000 a piece for the first tourist flight to Mars. According to the Italian police, the would-be space travelers were told to spend their “next vacation on Mars, amid the splendors of ruined temples and painted deserts. Ride a Martian camel from oasis to oasis and enjoy the incredible Martian sunsets. Explore mysterious canals and marvel at the views. Trips to the moon also available.”
Authorities believe that the con men running this scam made off with over six million dollars.
Six Million Dollars?
I don’t think I ever saw the episode where they found ruined temples and camels on Mars, although the deserts and sunsets could be more accurate…
Important Travel Tip: Make sure you book your travel with reputable travel agencies or websites.