It was rumored that Chase was going to release a new version of their Hyatt Credit Card on Monday, February 27.   Today I got this email:

“TRAVEL THE WORLD WITH SMART CHIP TECHNOLOGY

You are one of the first Cardmembers who will receive a new Hyatt Credit Card with Smart Chip technology. This new feature will provide additional convenience and security when traveling abroad.

What you need to know:
Your new card will arrive within 30 days.
Your account number and expiration date will remain the same.
You can continue to use your current card until you receive your new one.

Explore your favorite corner of the world with the perfect travel companion, your Hyatt Credit Card.”

This is great since Smart Chip is used extensively throughout Europe and Asia and we occasionally got puzzled looks from merchants when we presented our “ancient technology” magnetic strip cards from the USA.  To our bemusement, some merchants didn’t even know how to operate the magnetic stripe feature on their terminals.

We’re glad Chase is introducing Smart Chip cards in the US as this feature is useful when traveling abroad!

—

Did you like this post? Subscribe via email or RSS so you don’t miss an update!

We just heard the samba school “Unidos de Tijuca” won the 2012 Rio Canvival Championship! Congratulations to them! We’re not surprised they won since we felt they had a very artistic and creative presentation.

Monday had the two top schools so we’re very happy our analysis on which day to go to Sambadrome Carnival turned out correct! Second place went to Salguiero which also paraded on Monday.

In case you weren’t there, here are a few highlights of the floats and dancers of “Unidos da Tijuca”, the championship school. Enjoy the photos!

Were you there too? Which school was your favorite?

Did you like this post? Subscribe via email or RSS so you don’t miss an update!

[Show as slideshow]

Wondering why it’s been so quiet here at On the Ground Travel?   We’ve been exploring parts of Chile, Argentina, and Brazil since January!   In the mean time we’ve been tweeting photos taken with our blackberry whenever we happened to have a wi-fi signal.

Check them out at our OntheGroundTrvl Twitter photo gallery!