Chrysalis Airfares

Joe Versus the Volcano June 19, 2008

Absolutely gargantuan mountains scrape the sky of these Andean countries. We’re talking volcanic peaks so tall that you get dizzy spells from just looking at their sheer faces. Many people visit Peru and Ecuador just for this reason, determined to conquer these untamed behemoths. Others are content to enjoy the view from the valley floor. The Andes of Per? and Ecuador not only contain the highest trop-ical peaks in the world but also boast a higher density of summits than just about anywhere on the planet. In the highlands, you can’t look out a bus without spying a silent, snow-capped cone looming high overhead. Many mountains are big enough to warrant their own park, including the highest active volcano in the world, Ecuador’s Volc?n Cotopaxi (5897m). The tallest mountain in Peru, Vol-c?n Huascaran (6768m), and Volcan Chimborazo (6267m) in Ecuador, whose summit, because of the equatorial bulge, is the farthest point from the cen-ter of the earth.

Exploring Swabian Jura June 16, 2008

To the north of Hall, Steinbach, the only suburb of Hall that remained Catholic during the Reformation, appropriately holds the Kloster Grobcomburg (tel. 0791938185)-a former castle and later Benedictine monastery dating from the 11th century. The fully preserved 460 meter long wall that the monks used to pace provides peep holes for gorgeous views of the valley, but you must take a short tour (in German only) to see the museum and the extremely ornate inside of the Baroque church reconstructed in the 18th century. To get to the town, take bus #4B to “Steinbach/Mitte,” cross the street, and head left around and up Bildersteige.

Only a train ride away, in the same beautiful region, lies the town of Schwabisch Gmend. Over Schwabisch Gmend, its people like to joke, the sun laughs, while at the rest of Baden-Warttemberg, the world has a good chuckle. While all the towns around it reformed in the mid-1500s, Schwabisch Gmend persistently stayed loyal to Catholicism. The motivation may have been slightly opportunistic; the town’s main source of income came and still comes from gold and silversmithing of-among other things-Catholic icons. In 1802, when the Dukes of W?rttemberg began ruling the once free imperial city and tried to convert it to Protestantism, the Gm?nders answered with a song on the marketplace crudely pointing out in unison the body part those reforming Dukes could kiss. They promptly kept their lips shut from then on, but the townspeople still sing the humorous lyrics during one of their many boisterous carnivals. In addition to their high spirits, the people of Schw?bisch Gm?nd also have very good luck; their town has never been bombed or destroyed, so most of the Altstadt is composed of those darling 14th C. half-timbered houses or ones that were covered over in a Baroque style.

Bass Priority Club Worldwide June 15, 2008

The Hotel Inter-Continental Los Angeles is no longer part of Priority Club Worldwide. Members can no longer earn miles or points nor redeem points at this hotel.

Come to NZ for the Cup June 5, 2008

For those who simply cannot bear to separate themselves from the Cup fever, the American Express New Zealand Cup village in Viaduct Harbour, where all the racing yachts are moored, also offers food and nightly live entertainment. Part of the village, the Maritime Museum (tel. 358 3010), meticulously charts New Zealand’s love-affair with the sea. During breaks in the racing, there’s still plenty to experience. In the historic Parnell Village, gift boutiques offer all the souvenir essentials of sheepskins, woolen sweaters, kiwi produce, and traditional Maori carvings.

When satiated by the Victorian homes of Parnell, remember that the combination of its own Maori population and a resplendent community of Pacific Islanders makes Auckland the world’s largest Polynesian city. Add to this 150 years of European and more recent Asian immigration, and you should be prepared for a truly multi-cultural experience. Catch a Maori cultural performance (offered twice a day at the Auckland Museum) , pick up a bargain at the Pacific Island Markets, or simply relax with an ice-cream cone. Book cheap flights to NZ to make it in time (and on budget).

Primped and preened in the lead up to the America’s Cup, Auckland promises an extraordinary outdoor, culinary, and cultural experience, even once the Cup has been claimed.