July 2005

From Beijing, CHINA, May 24, ’05. . .

(Second of two parts)

La Paz

The Kingdom of Jordan may not have the oil wealth of its Middle East neighbors to its east. It does, however, have wonderful art and historical riches available now for ordinary travelers to view in this troubled area. Petra is certainly Jordan’s crown jewel and a must for every tourist, but, having gone that far, travelers shouldn’t bypass Jerash, Madaba (July ’99, pg. 146) and Jordan’s capital, Amman. To these treasures, we’d add another site.

According to tour operators and tour wholesalers serving Latin America, there has been an increase in leisure travel to this area. The demand for alternative foreign destinations has whet the traveler’s appetite for soft adventure and indigenous cultures. The availability of upscale travel products in the sector of country inns, jungle lodges and expedition cruises has made the area more appealing to the less adventurous traveler.

The purpose of this column will be to keep our readers abreast of recent news from this corner of the world.

I spent a week in September ’04 self-cruising up Ireland’s Shannon River, stopping each day to wander about and enjoy some of the ruins, great scenery and picturesque towns.The Shannon empties into Lough Derg, a huge recreational lake. With many marinas and small villages around the lake and along the river, it is a popular place for Irish families and travelers alike to putter about on pleasure craft.

(First of three parts)

The common medical ailment associated with travel to developing countries is, as travelers to Mexico refer to it, “Montezuma’s Revenge.”

Here are a couple of the latest travel-book reviews written by an ITN reader.

by Lew Toulmin

(First of two parts)

Cruise ships are wonderful, but there is one thing that is better: sailing a real tall ship.