Features

by Joyce Bruck, Ocean Ridge, FL

Ecuador is a fascinating country of varied topography and climates. In the space of two hours, one can go from high volcanic mountains to lush jungle vegetation with winding rivers. And then, of course, there is the famous bird habitat of the Galápagos Islands.

I had been to Ecuador twice before, but when Nova Southeastern University professor Barry Barker, representing the Wild Spots Foundation (Fort Lauderdale, FL; 954/816-1974, www.wildspotsfoundation.org), proposed an inexpensive March ’08 trip that included an opportunity to interact with...

by Inga Aksamit, San Rafael, CA

Many travelers to Asia find themselves with a layover in Hong Kong, a thriving metropolis of seven million people where East collides with West. Reclaimed by China in 1997 but still a melting pot of international commerce, Hong Kong is awash in gleaming highrises and blinking neon signs touting some of the biggest names in business.

If you arrive in Hong Kong after a long flight en route to another Asian destination, there are worse places to sleep off jet lag and begin acclimating to the time zone and culture changes. Hong Kong has a...

by Cesar Beltran, Contributing Author

I traveled to the state of San Luis Potosí in central Mexico in mid-June ’09 for a tour billed as a mix of nature, culture and adventure. In 1984 I had traveled independently through the southern part of the state, so I was looking forward to seeing how the area had changed and to making new discoveries.

Getting there

Our group of 25 people, from both the US and Mexico, was interested in Mexican culture, and we were able to choose the level of adventure we wished to experience during the trip. The US members of the group arrived...