August 2012

The airline Iberia (800/772-4642) and the bus line ALSA, in Spain, have announced a partnership in which passengers on Iberia can book connections by bus from Madrid-Barajas International Airport to the cities of Albacete, Burgos, Lorca, Soria and Valladolid directly through the airline’s ticketing system.

Not only is it cheaper than booking the tickets separately, but if the plane is delayed, the airline and bus line are responsible for getting passengers to their destinations; the bus connections are guaranteed.

The completion of the interior of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, in 2010 increased the number of people visiting the church by over 40% to more than 3.2 million in 2011. After a review of the traffic congestion, the city council set up an exclusion zone for group-tour buses around the church. Except for school buses and buses for mobility-impaired groups with reservations made at the Sagrada Familia ticket office, all tour buses must park at least five blocks away.

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong in eastern Bhutan was destroyed by a fire on June 24. Perched on a cliff above the confluence of two rivers, the location of the temple-fortress, which was built in 1639, made it difficult for the 14 fire engines to get enough water up to it to put out the fire.

Most of the artifacts were saved. Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley promised that the temple would be rebuilt.

As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 32 destinations: Afghanistan, Algeria, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Kenya, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

For details, call the State Department at 202/647-5225 or visit www.travel.state.gov.

Egypt held its first-ever presidential elections in June, and there remains a struggle for power between the military, the president, parliament and the courts. Demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and in other cities are expected to continue as crucial issues are negotiated and decided.

In Tanzania on June 20, armed bandits invaded Moivaro Camp in the Ikona Wildlife Management Area in the far west of Serengeti National Park. They killed one Dutch tourist and a Tanzanian camp manager, robbed 40 other tourists of property and passports and took camp equipment.

Concerned park personnel, safari camp owners, tour operators and tourism officials met with park wardens and police to strengthen security measures at tourist sites. An extensive manhunt was undertaken and cooperation from local village elders sought.

In recent months, some travelers arriving in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on flights from the US were attacked and robbed shortly after departing the airport. At least two US citizens were shot and killed in these incidents.

US citizens have been victims of violent crime, including murder and kidnapping, predominantly in the Port-au-Prince area. No one is safe from kidnapping, regardless of nationality, race, gender or age.

Forest fires in Nepal in May and June seared thousands of acres of land in several national parks.

Heavy rains and glacial melt contributed to a “super-flood” in the Amazon Basin in May and June.

In Uganda, flash floods triggered landslides on June 25 that buried two villages in mud, killing at least 30 people and leaving more than 100 missing. Heavy rains throughout June left more than 400,000 in need of emergency aid.