On July 22, 2009, a total eclipse of the sun will be visible on a path from west to east across central India, continuing over SE Asia, central China and the Pacific Ocean, ending in Polynesia. Viewing times will be as high as 6.39 minutes (a time length which won’t occur again until 2132).
Eclipse of the Century is offering an 8-night cruise from Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan, that will put the ship at an optimum viewing point, near Yakushima Island, Japan.
The new Flexible 4-Day Hokkaido Pass from Japan Rail Hokkaido allows travel on any JR Hokkaido train on any four days within a 10-day period. The railpass costs ¥18,000 (near $171) for an ordinary car and ¥25,000 ($238) for a first-class car.
With exhibitions from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, Holland’s new Hermitage Amsterdam will reopen in spring 2009 with ten times the space of the current Hermitage Amsterdam. Visit www.hollandartcities.com.
Shortening the trip from Moscow’s city center to Sheremetyevo International Airport, new Aeroexpress trains began service June 11. What was at least a 2-hour bus trip now takes 35 minutes.
The trains depart from Savolovsky station downtown and debark at the airport’s Terminal 2; shuttle service is available to Terminals 1 and the new Terminal C.
A train ticket costs RU250 (about $11) or, for first class, RU350 ($15). (Cab fare could cost $35 to $100, depending on the driver.) For the schedule, visit www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru.
The company Military Cruise Deals (Walker, MN; 866/964-5482 or visit www.militarycruisedeals.com) offers a search engine for finding and booking cruises, guaranteeing military discounts for the cruises found on their website. The offers are good for military personnel, active, retired or honorably discharged.
If you want to book a cruise on a line that does not allow discounted fares (Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity), then Military Cruise Deals applies the discount toward your trip insurance, shore excursions or onboard credit.
For travel until March 31, 2009, Great Southern Railway (422 King William St., Adelaide, S.A. 5000, Australia; phone reservations 13 21 47, www.gsr.com.au) has an Oz Tracks Pass for AU$690 (near $663) that allows users 14 city-to-city trips in six months of travel on the Ghan, Indian Pacific and Overland rail routes, which cover Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Darwin, Melbourne and other stops.
In Australia, travelers with an International Student Identity Card, International Youth Travel Card, YHA Membership or Nomads membership may purchase a Backpacker Pass from Rex Airlines (P.O. Box 807, Mascot, NSW 1460, Australia; phone +61 2 6393 5550, www.rex.com.au) that allows unlimited flights on the regional airline for one month (AU$499, or near US$442) or two months (AU$949, or US$841).
The price includes all taxes and charges. The first flight must be confirmed at time of booking, and other flights must be confirmed 48 hours before departure.
The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989, will be celebrated in 2009. A number of museums commemorate the event: GDR Museum, Wall Museum, Allied Museum, German National History Museum, Stasi Museum, Plattenbau Museum. For info on biking or walking tours along the wall’s former route, visit www.visitberlin.de.
In Berlin, the new U.S. Embassy (Pariser Platz 2, 10117 Berlin, Germany; phone 030 2385 174 or visit http://germany.usembassy.gov) opened July 4, 2008.
The lot for the $130-million building, near the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, has been owned by the U.S since 1931; the original diplomatic mission was destroyed in World War II. The embassy is closed on American and German holidays.
Four years of minimal rain has prompted the government of Cyprus on the southern, Greek-supported part of the divided island to contract with Greece to send tanker ships of drinking water. The ships dock near Limassol and pump the water through an undersea pipeline to the island.
Even with two tankers daily, the region will have only half the normal water supply, which is at its lowest level since 1908. Travelers should be aware of possible water cuts and conservation measures at hotels and tourist areas.