My wife, Barbara, and I traveled from Sacramento, California, to Quito for two weeks in January ’06. Our trip in the Ecuadorean highlands started with a 4-hour flight to Houston followed by a 5-hour flight to Quito, landing at midnight. Flights in and out of Quito are scheduled early and late because of its elevation at 9,000 feet.
We stepped outside the terminal and hired a taxi to our hotel for $5. Ecuador conveniently uses the U.S. dollar.
The Holy Island of Lindisfarne lies three miles from the mainland of Northumberland, England, not far from the Scottish border. It’s not only a picturesque site but a religious and historical place well worth a visit if one is traveling in northern England.
A little history
Since the island is connected to the mainland by a causeway at low tide, visitors must check the tide timetables located at the entrance to the causeway so as not to be stranded on the island for a much longer time than planned.
We asked readers the following at the suggestion of Greg Stathakis of Santa Barbara, California.
by Julie Skurdenis
Whether walking the road to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain as a pilgrim or visiting the city as a day-tripper, you may want to add an additional day or two to experience some of Santiago de Compostela’s highlights.
For breathtaking views of Santiago de Compostela, climb the narrow staircase and enjoy the bird’s-eye view of the city from atop the Cathedral. The entrance and ticket office for this adventure is located in the Pazo de Xelmírez, to the left of the main staircase on the city’s main plaza. The entrance fee is about €6.
by Marilyn Lutzker, Sunnyside, NY
On Peter the Great Cruises’ “Russian Waterways” cruise, I spent four days in St. Petersburg and three in Moscow and traveled 633 miles on three rivers, three lakes, a reservoir and a canal.
I encourage ITN readers to visit Sri Lanka, as tourism is their biggest revenue earner and will go a long way to helping the people recover from the December 2004 tsunami.
My husband, Maurice, and I had a remarkable trip to Honduras, Dec. 31, ’05-Jan. 10, ’06, thanks to Maya Temple Tours (Lobby Hotel & Suites Copantl, Residential Los Arcos, San Pedro Sula, Honduras; phone [504] 509 0555 or visit www.mayatempletours.com).
by Julie Skurdenis
by Marisue Pickering, Orono, ME