Report Cards

On GREECE, December ’04. . .
• Hotel Sakellaridi (Trikalon Street, 422 00 Kalambaka, Greece; phone +30 2432 022716 or fax +30 2432 075910) — in the town nearest to Meteora.
Very nice, clean, friendly hotel. Inexpensive at €45 (near $60) including breakfast. (The cost is for drop-in guests; our tour from Athens stayed here.) I do not recommend eating here except for breakfast.
— Phyllis Jackson, Oro Valley, AZ

From Lima, PERU, Nov. 27, ’04…
• Our 3-course dinner at India-Feliz (Calle Lloque Yupanqui, Lote 4M, Machu Picchu) included fresh grilled trout. It was outstanding. In 25 years of travel, this was one of the best. 18 to 30 sol (about $6-$10).
• The Sonesta Posada del Inca (Yucay, Urubamba, Peru) is a comfortable hotel with an excellent dining room. 150 to 240 sol ($50-$80).
• In Cusco we ate at the Tunupa Restaurant (Portal Confitunia 233, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Peru). Excellent buffet with folklore show. 24 sol ($8).
• The Ricota Café (Boulevard Jarata Miraflores #148, Lima; phone 445-2947) had quick service and good food. We paid 24 to 30 sol ($8-$10).
— Gene & Helen Olson, St. Charles, MO

From Istanbul, TURKEY, Oct. 17, ’04. . .
• Round trip from New York to Istanbul in economy class on Turkish Airlines. Served dinner and breakfast eastbound and two lunches on the westbound flight. Food was tasty, with service attentive. Seat pitch, width and recline all were acceptable, but the seats were hard and not deep enough to support the thighs of this 6-footer.
• The restaurant Havuzbasi Tea Garden is located just below the southern end of the Hippodrome on the right side of the road leading down to the left. All the seating was open-air. Had three delicious meals; the entrées cost $4-$8. I particularly recommend baked beyti (marinated beef, cheese, mushroom and tomato).
• Café-Restaurant Sokollu (Sehit Mehmet Pasa Yokusu, No. 9, in Sultanahmet) — located near the Sokollu Mehmet Pasa Mosque. The à la carte menu has entrées for $4-$8, but we ate a prix fixe meal served right after sundown during Ramazan. We had the best yogurt soup we’d had in two weeks, a half chicken stewed with potatoes (extremely tasty), rice, couscous, dessert, tea and a split of red wine for $21 for two.
— Peter Calingaert, Chapel Hill, NC

From Lake Te Anau, NEW ZEALAND, Oct. 15, ’04. . .
• We stayed at the Campbell AutoLodge (42 Lakefront Dr., P.O. Box, 48, Te Anau, New Zealand; phone ++64 3 249 7546 or visit www.cal.co.nz) — directly across the street from the lake. Beautiful setting with flowers on the grounds. It’s a short walk into town.
Campbell’s is not fancy, but it was the most comfortable and friendly stay we had in all New Zealand! The room (really an apartment) was about 1,000 square feet, with full kitchen, sitting area, comfortable bed and guest barbecue. Our cost was NZ$100 (near US$72) per night.
We would stay there again without question.
— Gary Backlund, Tahuya, WA

On PERU, October ’04. . .
• Hotel Las Americas (Ave. Alcanfores 475, Lima) — in the Miraflores district and across the street from a supermarket! Two-story suites. Rate was $150. Wonderful breakfast.
• Hotel El Pueblo Resort (Alt km 10, Ctra Central, Santa Clara, Lima, 3 Peru; phone 1-356-0042) — in a beautiful setting. Very homey, with a congenial staff. Lots of activities. Weekend special of $198 for two for two nights, including meals, drinks, tax and service.
— Betty Serow, Tallahassee, FL