Kyrgyzstan quake
A magnitude-6.6 earthquake struck in the province of Osh, Kyrgyzstan, on Oct. 6, leveling about 100 buildings and killing over 70 people. The mountain village of Nura, near the China border, suffered greatly.
December 2008
12
Pakistan quake
A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck in southwest Pakistan on Oct. 29. Hundreds of people died in several villages and an estimated 12,000 people were left homeless as 1,500 homes and buildings collapsed. The epicenter was near the Valley of Ziarat, one of the main tourist spots in Baluchistan province.
More bombings in India
In the troubled far-northeastern region of India, nine explosions shook Guwahati and three towns in western Assam on Oct. 31, leaving 75 dead and over 300 injured in the worst bombings in the militancy-hit state’s history.
Guwahati bore the brunt, with 41 killed and 167 wounded in three blasts (in a market, a city area and the chief judicial magistrate’s compound). Twenty were killed and 60 injured in the three blasts in Kokrajhar, while two Barpeta Road bombs killed 14 and injured 70.
Report Cards
From BALLYCASTLE, Ireland, Oct. 21, 2008. . .
Nepal excursion
(4 of 4 on India plus Nepal)
Lothal: remnant of ancient India
Its name means “mound of the dead,” but in its time Lothal was anything but moribund. It was a thriving seaport, part of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.
Railpass Q&A
Q:
Hi, Jay! We are planning a 30-day trip to Europe and plan to use a Eurail pass. We have a few questions.
Exploring Easter Island
by Nancy Tardy, Henderson, NV
Forget the stories you may have heard about the difficulties of traveling to Easter Island. Though one of the most remote inhabited spots in the world, it is neither hard to reach nor outrageously expensive to visit.
Keep numbers at hand
Returning from a trip to England in May ’08, my husband and I were in Philadelphia trying to get home to Las Vegas; however, Delta had delayed all their flights due to inclement weather in Philadelphia. People were camped out in long lines everywhere, and no one knew what the weather would be like in the morning.