On a cruise around India, we stopped at Tuticorin and took a day trip to Madurai to see the remarkable 17th-century Meenakshi Sundaram Temple. It was well worth the trip (more than three hours each way). The temple, dedicated to Shiva, is adorned with thousands of gaily colored sculptures of gods, goddesses and mythical beasts. Most impressive! — BETTY SILANDER, Ludington, MI
I spent 10 nights traveling in Peru with two friends in October ’03. We started with two nights at the Puno Hotel at Lake Titicaca and ended the trip staying at the Sanctuary Hotel at the entrance to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was fantastic and the Sanctuary Hotel was great. I would go again.
In May 2000 my wife, Josie, and I had a good walk around Geneva, Switzerland, which I think is quite impressive but which Josie thinks deteriorates as you leave the lakefront. In this city, one of the world’s tallest fountains jets nearly 500 feet into the air from the lake. I have some concept of the power and equipment needed to send that volume of water into the sky and it continues to totally awe me.
We took a river cruise in France in summer ’02. In Paris, don’t miss a “Pieta” by Morales in the Spanish section of the Louvre. Cabourg, Normandy, was our base for viewing WWII landing beaches and graves. In the war museum in Caen, a display showing film of the landings from both the Allied and German sides — in a split-screen video — was extremely dramatic and moving.
We lost a driver’s license, credit cards and other documents to pickpockets in Athens in fall ’03. (Be wary on the metro!) Fortunately, we had taken with us color photocopies of both sides of each document for use in contacting credit card companies and to permit both of us to drive the rental car. Make copies to take with you; many cards will fit on a single sheet of paper.
We returned in January ’03 from a trip to North India with Bestway Tours (Burnaby, B.C.; phone 800/663-0844). In Madhya Pradesh state we took the train from Agra and visited Gwalior, a place I had not heard of. It proved to be one of the best. We found the contents of the museum there in itself worth the trip, although the museum itself is in need of attention. Another highlight, for me, was visiting Gandhi’s museum. I was very moved by his worldly possessions in a showcase: eyeglasses, cane, sandals, a bit of clothing. . .
When packing, I include a bag with a few items of office supplies: a small magnifier, extra pens, paper clips, yellow sticky pads, a small stapler, scissors (for cutting hair) and a few safety pins.
Because of its curious location, Maastricht makes an ideal homebase for those who want to see something of this area of the Netherlands, as we found on our trip to Europe in 2000. We visited a specially placed stone monument that marks the spot where three countries meet: the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Most everyone walks around this marker so they can claim to have visited three countries in under 10 seconds! Never one to miss a unique experience, I did it — amusing even in the rain.
