01
In November, Virunga National Park (phone +243 991715401) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo began offering escorted, overnight trips to observe a newly forming volcano erupting. Travelers hike three to four hours over treacherous, muddy jungle trails to a site (chosen by volcanologists from Goma) within 400 meters of the lava spurting from the black mound. The eruption may continue for months or just weeks.
In Moscow, the main stage at the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia (box office phone +7 [499] 250-73-17) has reopened after six years.
To mark 60 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, the UK is holding the Diamond Jubilee during 2012. Main celebrations, June 2-5 (official holidays). Among events — pageant, Windsor Castle; BBC concert, Buckingham Palace; 1,000-boat flotilla on the Thames; “Big Jubilee Lunch” in many towns, and lighting of beacons (bonfires) in many places.
Other special events during the year — Items from Royal Collections will be exhibited. Ten of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings will tour to five museums. In August and September, diamonds exhibition at Buckingham Palace.
by Randy Keck (First of two parts)
For more than four-and-a-half centuries Macau has occupied a unique position both in its geographical location at the mouth of the Pearl River in the South China Sea and as a link between Europe and China.
Founded by Portuguese in 1557, Macau was the first European colony on Chinese territory. It served not only as Europe’s gateway into China but as China’s “window” on the outside world that it had often shunned in the past.
Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.
This month’s winner is GEORGE R. COHEN of Rancho Mirage, CA:
Rick Steves’ piece on toilets (July ’11, pg. 59) brought to mind the new toilets my husband and I have run across in Asia on trips in 2005, 2009 and 2011.
The new Asian toilet is not a “squat” type but the Washlet, made by Toto®. It’s the “everything toilet.” It comes in various models, but they all have control panels. Some panels are attached to the toilet seat; others are wall mounted.
The most basic model allows the users to choose the temperature of the seat plus various options for the bidet.
A friend and I visited Baucau, Timor-Leste (East Timor), May 27-June 4, 2011. Timor-Leste uses the US dollar as currency.
Whenever my husband, Bernie, and I go to Europe, we enjoy flying Lufthansa, and when we go to Germany, which most recently was in September ’10, we like to arrive in and depart from Munich.
My wife and I parlayed our SkyMiles into a trip to France and would like to recommend a few chambres d’hôtes which provided good accommodation and real contact with the local people.