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Leshan

Leshan (乐山 Lèshān) is a city in Sichuan Province. Sitting on the confluence of the Dadu, Mín and Qingyi rivers it is most famous for its huge riverside cliff-carving of Buddha and nearby Mount Emei; which together are a World Heritage Site.

By train
The Chengdu - Leshan - Emeishan Intercity High Speed Railway provides service from Chengdu East Railway Station, Chengdu South Station, and Shuangliu Airport Station to Leshan Station (and at the end of the line Emeishan Station). Depending on train, it takes between 52 minutes to about 1 hour, 20 minutes to get between Chengdu East to Leshan (¥54).

In early 2021, a new station, Leshan North (乐山北站), was opened. This is located in the neighbouring Jiajiang area, around 30–40 minutes' drive from the main sites of Leshan.

By bus
Arrivals from Chengdu, Chongqing, Emei, Jiajiang, Kangding, Ya'an, Yibin, Zigong and most other surrounding towns and cities.

History
Leshan city has a history of over 3000 years.

Navigation
Maps of the city are available for ¥4 from street kiosks, printed on every bus stop and online.

Public transport

 * Pedicab - Leshan has many pedicabs that are cheap and convenient for short journeys.
 * Public bus - Buses are regular and uncrowded in Leshan. Most are fairly modern and charge ¥2 per journey which you normally pay to the conductor. You may have to request your stop.
 * Taxi - During the day the first 2 km are charged at ¥3, and after at the rate of ¥0.70/km. A fuel surcharge of ¥0.50 is added at the end of the journey and is explained by a white sticker in front of the front passenger seat.

Do

 * Browse the markets at wùyān jiē (婺嫣街) and xīngfā jiē (兴发街).

Eat
As people from across China visit Chengdu for its culinary delights, every weekend thousands of Chengdu natives take the trip to Leshan to engorge themselves on some of the best food in China. Some popular local dishes include:

Whilst many of the best restaurants are across the city, the majority of food downtown, near the riverside offers great variety of all local and sichuan dishes.
 * Tian Pi Ya / You Tang Ya (甜皮鸭 / 油烫鸭) - roast duck, similar to Beijing Duck, with a crispier, sweeter skin. You can buy this is air-tight bags and is a common treat shared with friends of family within a couple of days of visiting.
 * 乐山豆腐脑.jpgDou Fu Nao (豆腐脑) - Literally 'Tofu Brain', this bean curd mixed with nuts and spices - a delicious option for traditional, local breakfast
 * Ka Bing (卡饼 / 咔饼) - Usually ordered together with Tou Fu Nao, ground beef in bread with a local mix of salt and spice
 * Shao Kao (烧烤) - Barbequed skewers with meat and vegetables. Available all day, but commonly eaten sitting outside with friends and local beers
 * You Zha Chuan Chuan (油炸串串) - Similar to shao kao, but fried in oil
 * Qiao Jiao Niu Rou (翘脚牛肉) - Multiple dishes of beef, varying between boiled, fried and grilled. The dishes can cover everything from slices of traditional beef, to cow's bone marrow or stomach
 * Bo Bo Ji (钵钵鸡) - Chicken and root vegetables marianated in a spicy sesame broth, often on skewersYepopo_Bobo_Chicken.jpg
 * Bing Fen (冰粉) - Popular across China but originating in the region, 'iced jelly' is a slightly sweet dessert
 * Saqima (沙琪玛)- a sweet rice cake, made with bean curd
 * 乐山烧麦.jpgShumai(烧麦)- a snack with rice and meat wrapped in a thin layer of skin
 * Mi Liang Gao (米凉糕)- a kind of cake made from rice or other grains, most of which are served with boiled brown sugar water.

 * Zhanggongqiao Jie (张公桥街)- A fun and busy place to eat and drink at night.

Drink
There are hundreds of teahouses in Leshan. The best are those outdoors; especially those along the banks of the Dadu and Min rivers and in Leshan's parks. All great places to play Majiang or Leshan's unique erqishi card game.

 * 杨家老宅茶馆 (yángjiā lǎozhái cháguǎn) - 52 gǔlóu jiē (鼓楼街52号). 0833-2115000. Open Monday to Sunday. An atmospheric teahouse set within a cluster of old buildings and decorated with old photographs of Leshan and the Grand Buddha.

Go next
Possible destinations after Leshan include the following.

 * Chengdu (成都) - Travel north on the ChengLe Expressway to the capital of Sichuan making stops at Meishan and Huanglongxi.
 * Chongqing (重庆)
 * Dafengding (大风顶)- Dafengding is a China National Nature Preservation Zone.
 * Emei (峨眉) - Make the short journey west to see the famous Emei Shan and then take the train south towards Kunming or north towards Chengdu.
 * Jiajiang (夹江)- Visit the Thousand Buddha Cliff and then take the train south towards Kunming or north towards Chengdu.
 * Kangding - Start your visit to western Sichuan from its capital.
 * Shawan - Former Residence of Guo Morou and Meinufeng Stone Forest.
 * Ya'an (雅安)
 * Yibin (宜宾) - Famous for its distilleries.
 * Zigong (自贡) - Salt mines and a dinosaur museum.

title: Leshan


text:
Lesio Louna Gorilla Reserve

Lesio Louna Gorilla Reserve is in Lefini of Republic of Congo. This park is north of Brazzaville and is dedicated to the protection of local gorillas.

Get in
Contact Project Protection Des Gorilles (PPG) at 668 12 62 or 555 03 62 or 531 37 96.

Do
You can organize a day trip to see the gorillas or spend the night in one of the tourist facilities at the research station.

Go next
You can also schedule a visit to Blue Lake, which is another tourist attraction in the area.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Lesio Louna Gorilla Reserve


text:
Lesotho

Lesotho is a small country totally surrounded by South Africa. It's known as the "Kingdom in the Sky" because the entire country is at a high altitude. Its lowest point is above sea level; no other country in the world has its lowest point above. Lesotho is a fantastic adventure holiday destination because of its smiling and resourceful people and bracing climate.

Cities

 * — the capital
 * — regional market hub, with great craft shopping
 * — fantastic rock art nearby
 * (called 'TY' for short) — the craft centre of Lesotho
 * — fantastic rock art nearby
 * (called 'TY' for short) — the craft centre of Lesotho
 * — fantastic rock art nearby
 * (called 'TY' for short) — the craft centre of Lesotho

Other destinations

 * (Afri-Ski) — ski and mountain resort for skiing in winter (June - September) and mountain adventure sport in summer (October - April). One of the few places in Africa to go skiing.
 * — 4x4 road into Lesotho from Underberg, with places to stay and activities at the top
 * — remote mountain reserve great for hiking with rare wildlife, impressive waterfalls, and ancient rock paintings and stone shelters
 * — sub-alpine national park at the foot of the Holomo Pass. Home to one of the few remaining Che-Che (old wood) forests, with hiking trails and pristine rock pools and rivers
 * — pony-trekking and the impressive Katse Dam
 * — pony-trekking
 * — museum, dinosaur footprints
 * — Maletsunyane Falls, one of the highest single drop waterfalls in the world
 * — the mountain stronghold where King Moeshoeshoe the Great established the Kingdom of Lesotho
 * – a collection of restored, mud-built cave dwellings from the early 19th century
 * – a collection of restored, mud-built cave dwellings from the early 19th century

History
Before European settlement of the area, the Sotho-Tswana people lived in what is now Free State in neighbouring South Africa. They were a farming people, and when the Zulus started attacking villages and the Dutch Voortrekkers started encroaching on their land, they fled up into the Lesotho mountains. Here, continuous attacks from the Zulus forced local tribes to join together for protection, and by 1824, King Moeshoeshoe had established himself as king and Thaba Bosiu as his mountain fortress.

Moeshoeshoe later allied himself with the British Cape Colony government in a bid to protect the Basotho from the Boers' rapidly increasing presence in the area. Much fighting followed, forcing Moeshoeshoe to go to the imperial government of the British, and in 1868, Basotholand (as it was then called, later to be called Basutoland) became a protectorate of the British Empire. It gained independence within the Commonwealth of Nations on 4 October 1966.

People
The Kingdom of Lesotho was formed through the pursuit of peace, and this peaceful nature still exists in the Basotho. They are a friendly and welcoming people and do not have the aggressive history some of the peoples of neighbouring countries have. People are especially grateful to the British, and the older generation will come up to a Briton and tell them how much they thank them for saving them from Apartheid.

Climate
Lesotho has 300 days of sunshine. The rainy season extends from October to April in which Lesotho gets 70 mm of rainfall, mostly during severe thunderstorms. Extensive snow falls are possible in winter but may occur in any month on the high mountains. Night time temperatures go below freezing in winter (May — September), and houses do not feature central heating, so bring a jacket. Because of the high altitude, the air is cold and dry, so bring moisturiser and a chap-stick.

Festivals

 * Independence Day (4 October) celebrates the day that Lesotho achieved independence.
 * Moshoeshoe Day (14 March) celebrates the life of the founding father of the country. In Maseru, the procession goes from the Palace all the way to the Sotho Stadium, and involves many people dressed up in Lesotho's vibrant and colourful traditional dress — usually comprising blankets and sticks and if you're lucky, the cat hat. Women involved in the parade will be carrying huge bundles of sticks, as they traditionally would do, whilst the men will either be doing traditional dances, riding horses, or herding bulls along the road. At the stadium, after the procession has arrived, there are military and police parades, which aren't nearly so enjoyable.

Entry requirements
Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Lesotho visa-free:

For up to 90 days: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, Namibia, Nauru, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe

For up to 14 days: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland

Your passport needs to be valid for another six months and you need at least two blank pages. The proof of a return or onward ticket or your future travel plans might be asked, but this should not be a problem.

If you require a visa to enter Lesotho, you might be able to apply for one at a British embassy, high commission or consulate in the country where you legally reside if there is no foreign mission of Lesotho. For example, the British embassies/consulates in Al Khobar, Almaty, Belgrade, Budapest, Geneva, Guatemala City, Jeddah, Prague, Pristina, Riyadh, Rome, Sofia, Vienna and Zurich accept Lesotho visa applications (this list is not exhaustive). British diplomatic posts charge £50 to process a Lesotho visa application and an extra £70 if the authorities in Lesotho require the visa application to be referred to them. The authorities in Lesotho can also decide to charge an additional fee if they correspond with you directly.

By plane
Moshoeshoe Airport is located 18km from Maseru. South African Airways and Airlink operate daily flights between Maseru and Johannesburg, typically costing around 1,400 South African rand (R). Luggage is lost very regularly and there is no lost luggage reporting system. You should arrange taxi pick-up in advance as often there are no taxis at the airport. Taxis charge around R50-80.

By train
There is no train line within Lesotho, but the South African railway line Bloemfontein Bohlokong (freight only) runs along the northwestern Lesotho border, with a stop in Meqheleng.

By car
You will be coming from South Africa when entering by car. The major border posts are Caledonspoort, Ficksburg Bridge, Makhaleng Bridge, Maseru Bridge, Ngoangoma Gate, Peka Bridge, Qacha's Nek, Ramatseliso's Gate, Sani Pass, Sephaphos Gate, Tele Bridge and Van Rooyen's Gate. Please note that some of the border posts can only be accessed by four-wheel driven cars, and only Maseru Bridge and Ficksburg Bridge are open 24 hours; other borders can close as early as 16:00.

The Maseru Bridge can be crowded due to traffic, but the border guards are rather quick. There is a R30 road toll when driving in to Maseru.

The Sani Pass Road (P318) from north of Himesville to the South African Border control point 7 km from the border is fine for normal cars. From there, it's 4WD, high clearance vehicles only from the South African border post. The South African border guards may prevent you continuing if your car is unsuitable. The road then becomes a narrow, winding and incredibly steep, rocky track that feels like you are climbing into a mist shrouded, lost world. Once you have started the final climb you are committed, since there is no room to turn around if you find the challenge too great for you or your vehicle. At the top, going on into Lesotho, the road has been sealed and is in very good condition all the way to Maseru (May 2019).

The main roads in Lesotho are similar to minor roads in Europe — they are sealed, and free of potholes. The A1 road (aka 'Main North') is tarred from Maseru to Mokhotlong, and the A2 (aka 'Main South') is tarred from Maseru to Qacha's Nek. The roads to Roma, Mohale Dam, Semonkong and Katse Dam are also tarred. For the visitor, the only unsealed road you are likely to use is the last 20km to Malealea, which is easy in a saloon (sedan). Note that the road running east-west to Thaba Tseka is now sealed and in good condition.

If setting off in to the mountains, check your car over before the trip (top up the oil, pump the spare tyre, etc.) There are some steep climbs which require 2nd or even 1st gear to get up, so don't attempt to drive to Qacha's Nek with 5 people squeezed into a hired 1.3 litre CitiGolf.

If in doubt, please ask locals if the road you are going to take is okay, especially during wintertime. The truth is that if you keep to the main roads you are likely to drive on a road smoother than Eastern Free State (RSA) roads. However the stretch from Oxbow to Mokhotlong is not tarred (regardless of some maps that claim it is) and very potholed.

When taking a rented car, be sure to get permission from the rental company to take the car into Lesotho. You will need to show written permission from the rental company at border control. Be clear with your rental agency about what's covered and what's not in order to avoid unpleasant surprises. Full coverage doesn't necessarily mean full coverage.

As of September 2018, the price of the border letter varies greatly among rental agencies: Bidvest (free), Avis (R550), Thrifty (R1,513), Hertz (R1,614.03).

Finally, petrol can be a problem if you wish to go to the mountains, it is best to fill up in Butha-Buthe if you wish to go to Mokhotlong as there are no fillings stations all the way to the district's camptown which goes by the same name, If you wish to go to Thaba-Tseka you can fill up at Maseru or Hlotse, or any of the towns you will come across such as Lejone, Seshote and 'Mamohau depending on which route you took. You will find both leaded and unleaded petrol (gasoline) including diesel in most filling stations, there are multiple filling stations in most towns. Diesel fuel dispensers are usually remote normally behind the filling stations.

By bus
Vaal-Maseru runs a coach service between Johannesburg and Maseru. Maluti Tours, based in Clarens, offers tours to Lesotho.

Minibuses run pretty much anywhere from the Maseru Bridge border, but you must get there early in the morning (07:00) as there may be only 1 bus a day.

By hitchhiking
If travelling in from Bloemfontein you could hitch-hike easily enough (look out for Lesotho number plates). If going from Maseru to Bloemfontein, hanging around the border (especially on a Saturday morning) should get you a lift (offer some money).

By regular taxi
Regular taxis (you phone, they pick you up) and 4+1s have a yellow stripe down the side and squeeze in 4 passengers. Always check the cost of a taxi before you get in.

By minibus taxi
As with most of Africa the minibus 'taxi' (aka combi or Toyota Hiace) is the transport of the people.

Ensure you are clear on where the minibus is going (there should be a sign in the front windscreen), you'll be asked for money after a minute or two, with money then passed down the minibus. Try to get the front seat by the driver for more leg room. Prices are fixed by the government. There is a risk of overcharging foreigners so ask the other passengers if you’re unsure of the price. Be warned, Minibus taxis are so cheap because they squeeze in so many people. Don't be surprised to see children sitting on laps four or five high, or to be told to have large amounts of luggage on your lap or wedged in around you. The Minibus taxis tend to be poorly maintained and are not insured. However, very few accidents involving taxis occur.

Intercity travel by taxi will cost no more than M50 (maloti) for a single way ticket, and inner city minibus taxi rides will cost you around M2.50 (4+1s will cost you M20 for the whole car, no matter how many are with you, provided its within a city.)

Always check the cost of a taxi before you get in.

Finding a taxi
Upon arrival in one of the main towns, you will notice that all the minibuses are hooting their horns, which is to signal that they have space for more passengers. To flag one down, just wave to a taxi as it approaches, the conductor (who will be leaning out of the window on the kerbside of the van) will usually be shouting the destination of the taxi. If you are not sure it will be going where you want to go, ask before you get in.

In Maseru, there is a place called Setopong on Moeshoeshoe Road, near to the Shoprite by The Circle / Cathedral. This is where all the minibus taxis leave from, and if you want a taxi out of town, you should head here. However, it is a very busy and bustling place, heaving with people. It is easiest to take a 4+1 taxi toward Setopong and ask the driver to drop you off near the taxis that travel to the part of the country you are going.

By car
It is also possible to hire a car and travel around. The Sun hotels in Maseru both have hire car places, as does the airport. If you hire your car in South Africa (probably cheaper than hiring in Lesotho) be sure to get permission to take the car across into Lesotho (the hire car insurance may not cover Lesotho).

But it's nowhere near as fun as getting up close to the locals and chatting with them.

You don't need a 4x4 to see the main sights in Lesotho, for the average visitor only the road to Semonkong will need a 4x4. The road is tarred to Mokhotlong (via Leribe) and is now tarred all the way to Qacha's Nek going south from Maseru. In the towns some side roads are unsealed but you can bump along in a saloon easily sufficient. If heading to the mountains on unsealed roads (e.g. to the Kao diamond mine) then a 4x4 is a must. The same goes for Thaba Tseka and going up or down the Sani pass.

When driving it's not advisable to stop at junctions or traffic lights at night as there is a very small possibility of something nasty happening, such as being carjacked.

Talk
The official languages are Sesotho and English.

Most people in the larger towns or tourist attractions speak English to a reasonable standard and a few words of Afrikaans; however, outside these areas, these languages will not be understood.

See

 * Semonkong Falls — these falls near Semonkong drop 200 m in single plunge! In summer, you can swim in the pond below while in winter the pond freezes over and an ice enclosure develops around the falls.
 * Katse Dam — an impressive dam towering 185 m in a narrow valley
 * Dinosaur footprints — well-preserved footprints of these terrible lizards exist around the country; the most accessible are near Moyeni & Morija
 * Rock art — found in many places throughout the country, the most impressive found within Liphofung Cave.

Do

 * Pony-Trekking especially at either Malealea, Semonkong, or at the Basotho Pony-Trekking Centre — whether you are a seasoned pro at horse riding or a complete novice, pony-trekking is an extremely enjoyable way to see the Lesotho countryside. These organized tours give you access to parts of the country which you wouldn't see from your car. The exceptionally sure-footed Basotho Pony can take you through far-off villages and atop daunting mountains.
 * Skiing — at Afriski, Oxbow during the winter.
 * Skiing — at Afriski, Oxbow during the winter.

Money
Lesotho's currency is the loti (plural maloti), denoted by the symbol "L" (for one loti) "M" (for more than one loti) (ISO code: LSL). It is fixed at a 1:1 ratio with the South African rand (ZAR), as are the Namibian dollar, the Swazi emalilangeni and the Botswana pula. South African currency is accepted everywhere and so there is no need to change money. However you will get maloti in change (unless you ask), which is very difficult to unload in South Africa and pretty well impossible elsewhere.

Coins of Lesotho come in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 lisente, 1, 2 and 5 maloti. Banknotes of Lesotho are issued in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 maloti.

There are ATMs at banks in most towns, although you will not find them elsewhere. Most banks will change travellers cheques for you, but it can be a very, very lengthy process if they are in any other currency apart from South African rand.

Shopping
There are several Western-style supermarkets in Maseru, which are good for stocking up on supplies in before heading elsewhere in the country.

If you're after locally made goods and crafts, your best bet is to give Maseru a miss, and head to Teyateyaneng (TY) or Hlotse, where the markets are far better and cheaper. You can buy traditional Basotho hats (Mokorotlo), sticks (molamo), rugs and various other curiosities. In particular, the Basotho blanket is a hallmark of Basotho culture. Equally popular in South Africa, they were brought by the British for trading purposes, but overtime became ingrained in Basotho culture and are worn as casual and formal attire. They are sold in shops and markets all over Lesotho but best prices are most likely to be found in Maseru, TY or Mafekeng.

Credit cards will be accepted in Shoprite and the main hotels, but not elsewhere. Your cashcard from home may work in some Maseru cash machines (FNB or Standard Bank) but best to get cash out in South Africa beforehand.

Restaurants outside of Maseru (and most in Maseru) will probably not accept credit card as a means of payment.

Eat
There are many Western style restaurants in Maseru. For a more traditional meal, why not befriend some locals and see what they cook you?

Drink
Maluti beer is superb.

Sleep
Lesotho hosts dozens of hotels, lodges and guesthouses.

Learn
For current happenings in Lesotho the weekly Public Eye newspaper is a good source of info.

Stay safe
It is risky to walk in Maseru alone at night. During the day, at least the main roads of Maseru are safe to walk alone.

As with pretty much everywhere else in the world, you may find friendly chats with locals turn in to veiled requests for money — stick to your principles and only give to registered charities.

At night time, it is the norm to drive through red lights. This is more just to hasten your journey (the police won't care) but as a precaution against carjackings.

Stay healthy
The HIV/AIDS incidence rate in Lesotho is the 3rd highest in the world at around 25% or 1 in 4 people infected. Even more worrying is the prevalence rate of around 50% for women under 40 in urban areas.

Consult a doctor as to which vaccinations you will require, but they will most likely include Hep A, Hep B, and Typhoid. If you are staying in rural areas for a long time then a rabies shot would be a good idea. Tropical diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and bilharzia are not present in Lesotho.

It is a very good idea to carry some sterile needles and dressing in your first aid kit: the hospitals throughout Lesotho are not of a very high standard.

If you do have any serious health problems while in Lesotho, get in contact with your country's embassy either in Maseru, or in most cases, in Pretoria in South Africa, as there are very good hospitals across the border in SA for those who can afford to use them.

Lesotho is a high, mountainous plateau, and in the remote Highlands a few people may suffer from altitude sickness when they first arrive. Drink a lot of water and keep covered up, skin burns quickly in the thin mountain air. It gets hot in the sun in the summer.

The water in Lesotho is not clean and should not be drunk untreated. Be warned about street vendors who sell fizzy drinks as these are usually in unclean reused glass bottles.

Pack moisturizer! Lesotho's air is dry and some people will suffer from dry skin.

Respect
Try and learn a few Sesotho words before travelling to Lesotho. The locals appreciate a foreigner who has made the effort to learn their language. Always refer to an elder person, or a person of higher social standing as "Ntate" (male) or " 'Me " (female).

 * Dumela (pronounced due-mela) is hello. So you would say Dumela Ntate or Dumela 'Me.
 * Kea leboha (sounds like kia-lebh-oha) — thank you
 * U phela joang (O-phela-joang) — how are you
 * Respond with either hantle (well) or Ke phela hantle (I am well)
 * Sala hantle (as it is written) is "stay well" if they are staying and you are going. Equivalent to goodbye.
 * Tsamaea hantle is "go well" if they are going and you are staying

Always respond to people: It is very offensive to ignore someone who greets you. As a foreigner, locals will be keen to say hello and ask you what you're up to in their country.

Never get angry at anyone; in the Basotho culture, people never show frustration towards others, and if you do, then you can easily offend someone. You will almost certainly get frustrated when dealing with Lesotho officialdom, always keep your cool no matter how much buffoonery you are subjected to. To show respect when giving and receiving items, use both hands. Also show a respect for food: don't throw it around, or eat whilst walking. Overall, Basotho people are humble and down to earth.

Connect
In Maseru, there are several internet cafes, although fairly cheap (usually LSL0.20-0.50 per min) they are pretty slow at best.

The mobile hone network is OK in the towns, but fair out in the countryside. The only British mobile phone network that has a roaming agreement is Vodafone. There are two mobile operators in Lesotho, Vodacom and Econet Telecom Lesoth. Vodacom has the widest coverage outside the towns, but is the (more) oversubscribed, and hence the less reliable. You can buy a Vodacom or Ezicel Buddie pay as you go sim card for under M50 in Maseru: worthwhile if you are staying for a while. Mobile phones are available for hire in Maseru. Lesotho uses GSM900. The networks are good, and both have 4G options.

If you have a South African Vodacom SIM Card, you can use it in Lesotho only on the Vodacom network. Be sure to enable roaming.

Go next

 * Ukhahlamba Drakensberg — mountainous region in South Africa, close to Lesotho

title: Lesotho


text:
Les Sables d'Olonne

Les Sables d'Olonnes is a subprefecture in Vendee, a department of the Pays de la Loire region of west central France.

By plane
The nearest airports are in Nantes and La Rochelle.

See

 * Musée de l'Abbye Sainte-Croix

Eat
Seafood is a specialty of the region.

title: Les Sables d'Olonne


text:
Lesser Antilles

The Lesser Antilles are an archipelago in the southeastern Caribbean, forming a boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

These islands were the first part of the New World to be settled and colonised by Europeans. While some islands are independent nations (and among the world's smallest by land area and population), others are associated with European or American countries, usually through choice in referendum and some are completely integrated with their mainland as integral parts.

Leeward Islands

 * Not to be confused with Leeward Antilles in the southern Caribbean.
 * Working north to south:

 * , an organized territory of the United States. Saint Thomas is the main island and city.
 * , a dependency of the United Kingdom, separated by only a mile of channel from the USVI.
 * , a dependency of the United Kingdom.
 * northern half is French. The south is Dutch, who call it Sint Maarten, capital Philipsburg.
 * , an overseas department of France, capital Gustavia.
 * , a municipality of the Netherlands.
 * , a municipality of the Netherlands.
 * are a sovereign nation.
 * , a sovereign nation, capital Saint John's.
 * , a dependency of the United Kingdom.
 * , an overseas department of France, capital Basse-Terre.

Windward Islands
These are all sovereign nations except Martinique, a department of France.

 * , capital Bridgetown, is east of the archipelago and not part of the Windward Islands proper.
 * has its capital at Roseau.
 * , a French department with its capital at Fort-de-France.
 * has its capital at Castries.
 * have their capital at Kingstown.
 * has its capital at St Georges.
 * , capital Port-of-Spain, is southeast of the archipelago, and not part of the Windward Islands proper.

Understand
"Windward" means upwind and "leeward" means downwind, crucial for a sailing vessel, but what is up- or downwind depends entirely on your reference point. Europeans reached this chain of islands sailing downwind across the Atlantic under the "trade winds", the prevailing easterlies. That helped them get here before too many of their African slave cargo had perished or become too ill to be saleable. The main traders in the 17th and 18th century were British, plying from the Gold Coast and Gulf of Guinea, so they would first encounter Dominica then make a turn. Guadeloupe and points north and east thus lay downwind, leeward, while to Dominica and points south were cross- or upwind, thus windward. These terms became the names of colonial jurisdictions and remain embedded in English usage. Other nations had different trading routes and reference points for what was up- or downwind, likewise reflected in their colonial place names and language. Spanish Barlovento / Sotavento, Dutch Bovenwindse Eilanden and French Îles du Vent don't match the terms used on this page.

Get in
Entry requirements: see individual island jurisdictions for the rules. For most destinations, western passport holders simply arrive and are granted a stay of 30 to 90 days for leisure or business, but may not take up employment. The US territory of US Virgin Islands as of 2022 is a "free zone" where an ESTA is not required, but you often have to transit through an airport such as Miami, which does require one.

By plane is the usual way to arrive. All the principal islands have airports capable of handling long-distance flights, while the smaller ones have inter-island flights. Flight patterns reflect traditional colonial trading links, only without the bicorn hats in First Class, tricorns in Club Class and shackles in Economy. Many leisure visitors are on package tours, on either tour operator or flag-carrier airlines, and this is a good choice even for independent-minded travellers as flight + hotel deals are far cheaper than separate bookings. Whether you can get a direct flight depends on passenger volume rather than airport facilities. For instance Martinique draws a French mass market and has non-stop flights from Paris, while Guadeloupe involves a change.

By boat: there are no long-distances ferries, though short-haul ferries link neighbouring islands. Cruise liners visit islands with major sights, bussing their passengers from the dock to the attractions.

Get around
All but the smallest green dots on the map have inter-island fights. These are timed for essential business by residents, so they generally have two flights a day from their capital. But these may not be timed to connect with long-distance flights, necessitating an overnight stopover.

Ferries only ply short routes, such as between the US and British Virgin Islands, or between Grenada and Carriacou which is occasionally enlivened by sailing over an active undersea volcano. Barbados for example has no ferry service, but fortunately you can wade out to its islets. Buses and minibuses radiate from each capital, so anything on a radial route is straightforward. Other connections are poor, and bear in mind that resort hotels are some way out from their capitals, with buses attuned to staff not tourists. You might hire a car but may do better to negotiate a taxi for a few hours tour. The driver knows the potholes, police traps and the unsigned turnoff to Crater Lake Forest Reserve, where the sign blew down in a hurricane 20 years ago and has yet to be replaced.

These islands are frankly hostile to cycling or walking for all but the shortest distances. Most roads are narrow and twisty with no sidewalk and are thronged with impatient traffic.

See

 * Guadeloupe National Park is filled with lush rainforests.
 * Morne Trois Pitons National Park on Dominica is a with impressive landscapes.
 * Virgin Islands National Park contains a great trace of civilisation.

Do

 * Discover Scuba Diving -- St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.jpgScuba diving and snorkelling are on the reefs of each island's sheltered west coast. Most islands have dive shacks, offering training and equipment hire. A few snorkelling spots are close enough to reach from shore, but usually there's a short boat ride to the coral reefs and wrecks a mile out.
 * Surfing and wind-surfing need more wind and waves, so these areas tend to be on the southern coasts. North and east coasts are exposed to the Atlantic and may be hazardous.
 * Cricket: the West Indies play as a combined international team. The major islands take turns to host these "Test matches" and also play against each other in the drier months. They also have national soccer teams.
 * Get married: you're best to involve a specialist overseas wedding company, that knows exactly what documentation and period of island residence is required, and can arrange the whole show. These requirements are not onerous, and the islands are vying to attract "wedding tourism". But they're not quickie-divorce centres, so if you have to dissolve an existing marriage to be free to re-marry, you should do so before arrival and have the documents to prove it.

title: Lesser Antilles


text:
Małopolskie

Małopolskie Province is in the south of Poland, on the border with Slovakia. Its name is often rendered in English as "Lesser Poland", but there's nothing lesser about it, and that term isn't used here. Geographically it has the heights of the Tatras Mountains, rolling countryside of woodlands and farms, and the strange depths of its salt mines. Culturally its span is even more extreme: from the fascinating old city of Kraków, and the village wooden churches and dwellings, to the 20th-century hell that was Auschwitz.

Cities

 * is the magnificent centre of this region, with its well-preserved Old Town, and countless museums, galleries, hotels, restaurants and other attractions. It's the regional transport hub, with many budget flights to its airport.

The valley of the River Vistula is a gently rolling lowland, followed by the roads and railways, and with the main towns. The river rises in the mountains of Silesia. Following its course eastwards across Malopolskie:
 * is better known by its infamous German name of Auschwitz.
 * Kraków itself is the next major lowland centre.
 * has famous salt mines.
 * has a fine hunting castle, virgin forests, and a conservation centre for European bison.
 * has a large salt mine containing a church.
 * has a preserved old town and cathedral, though the rest is industrial.

The Jura are the uplands northwest of Kraków - they're karst scenery resembling the Jura mountains of France. Most of this area lies in neighbouring Silesia. The area of most interest within Małopolskie is, only 20 km north of the city. There's also the oddity, on the border with Silesia, of Błędów Desert.

The Beskids are the range of mountains south of the valley, and part of the Carpathian range. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is at the edge of this area and other towns in their western part include:
 * , birthplace of Pope John-Paul II, has a baroque centre and has become a pilgrimage destination.
 * has a large monastery.
 * has a castle and church, and trails leading into the hills.
 * is a straggling mountain community with many old wooden buildings. It's a good base for exploring Babia Góra National Park.
 * and are old spa towns, and good bases for exploring Gorce National Park.
 * is a village of wooden houses on the border with Slovakia.
 * has a remarkable wooden church.
 * is at the foot of Pieniński National Park along the river gorge of the Dunajec.
 * is a small spa town.

In the eastern Beskids are:
 * is a spa town.
 * was rebuilt in the 18th C when the old wooden town burned down.
 * : most of the old town is no more but many historic buildings remain.
 * has several old buildings and part of its medieval walls.
 * See Podkarpackie province for the Bieszczady mountains and Magura National Park further east.

The Tatras are the main range of Carpathian mountains dividing Poland from Slovakia.
 * is a large mountain resort, busy in both winter and summer. Above it is Tatrzański National Park, with bears, wolves and other hairy beasts.

Understand

Poland was created in the 10th century when Mieszko I brought together several Slavic tribes but particularly the Polans (which meant people of the plains or fields). That early state was centred on Poznan, grew to include other lowland areas, and became known as Wielkopolska or Greater Poland. Later in his reign it grew further to take in Silesia and the area of Małopolska or Lesser Poland around the cities of Kraków, Sandomierz and Lublin. By the end of the 11th century Poland had attained roughly its present-day boundaries, had converted to Christianity, and had Kraków as its capital. That city and its surrounds were set for a long period of wealth and dominance, reflected in their cultural achievements.

Poland grew greater still through the 14th century union with Lithuania, coming to rule a vast tract of central Europe all the way to the Black Sea. But other nations began to grow and to roll back Polish control, notably Russia, Prussia and Austria. Małopolska lost some of its importance in the 17th century when the capital was moved to Warsaw, but the big decline set in when those three rival nations carved up Poland between them. This area was mostly under Austria but all three at various times held Kraków.

Małopolska suffered terribly along with the rest of the country under two World Wars, Nazism and Communism. Only in the late 20th century was Poland rid of its shackles, advancing economically, joining NATO and the European Union, and becoming a major destination for tourism. In 1999 the country's administration was reorganised into 16 województw, "voivodes" or provinces. Małopolskie Province (say "mawo-POL-skuh") comprised the western half of the historic Małopolska region, with the rest of that territory in other provinces. Małopolskie is divided into 22 powiaty or counties (and, since you were wondering, into 182 gminy or communes) but these aren't relevant to the visitor.

People in the cities and in the service sector are often multilingual and keen to show off their English. Out in the small country places you might need a bit of point-and-gesture.

Get in
By plane: The province's only commercial airport Kraków has a good range of flights across Europe. You could also fly in to Warsaw or Katowice and travel on by road or rail but there's seldom reason to do so.

By train: there are good railway services along the lowland river corridor. Kraków is a major hub and has direct trains to Warsaw (2 hr 30). From Berlin and the west, change in Wrocław or Warsaw.

By car: A4 toll motorway runs from the German border near Cottbus south of Berlin, traversing southern Poland via Wrocław and Katowice to Kraków. The highway from Warsaw is a good road but has not been upgraded to motorway.

Get around
There is good railway and bus transport along the lowland corridor, so from Kraków you can easily day-trip to Oświęcim / Auschwitz and to Wieliczka. There are also trains and frequent buses to Zakopane in the mountains. Other towns in the hills can be reached by bus but services have withered: these spa resorts still have vacationers and second-home owners arriving by car but are no longer mass resorts. You'll need a car to explore the national parks and little villages of this area.

See

 * Kraków Old Town is a well-preserved medieval city with an impressive market place. The ancient walls have been pulled down except for the northern bastions, but the area they enclosed retains its unity and is traffic-free. It culminates in the redoubt of Wawel, with a cathedral, royal castle, and dyspeptic dragon that burps fire.
 * Auschwitz comprises two extermination camps, in use 1940-45, at the edge of the town of Oświęcim. The first camp was an army barracks converted to kill people in batches of several hundreds, which accumulated into tens of thousands. This wasn't enough for the Nazi project so they built a new facility 3 km away at the village of Brzezinka - "Birkenau" in German. Here over a million would die.
 * Wieliczka salt mine: the medieval world depended upon salt, as it was one of the few ways to prevent food stores rotting. The kings controlled the salt mines and pocketed the proceeds. There are several salt mines in the province but Wieliczka is the largest, with 4.5 km of tunnels (from a network of 400 km) that can be visited. Elaborate halls and artwork were hewn out of the salt by the miners.
 * Medieval wooden churches are found in the province's eastern hills, eg at Dębno. There are more further east in Podkarpackie Province and continuing into Ukraine.
 * Other historic wooden buildings are dotted all over the province, for instance at Chochołów near Zakopane.

Do

 * Summer hiking and winter sports in the mountains: the highest are the Tatras above Zakopane.
 * The National Parks have horse-riding, canoeing and other outdoor activities.

Eat
Małopolskie is a delight to the palate - while the local cuisine may be simple, it is held to an art and eating well is a part of the local way of life. The mountains are home to traditional cheesemaking, in particular famous for the smoked cheese (oscypek). Other parts of Małopolskie may not have as famous hallmarks and share the general culinary heritage with the rest of Poland, but you can always bet on a rich supply of organic regional produce and find many restaurants where you can enjoy traditional Polish food prepared in the best of ways.

Drink
Kraków became an infamous target of British stag night excursions, but the region's nightlife is by far much more than that. Kraków is arguably Poland's cultural capital, with many venues blending cultural performances with social activities. One shall also find lively nightlife in Zakopane, the most popular mountain resort town.

Stay safe
While incidents of racist and antisemitic behaviour do happen, especially in Kraków, tourists should not feel any less safe than in any other region of Poland, or Europe for that matter. Much of Małopolskie thrives on tourist trade and therefore visitors are well looked after. Thanks to a large academic population, you should be able to find English-speaking support of all sorts reasonably easily.

Go next

 * West is Silesia Province. The central corridor around Katowice is post-industrial brownfield, but to the south are attractive mountains, while north is Częstochowa with its baroque shrine.
 * North is Świętokrzyskie or Holy Cross Province, with rolling hills, spa towns, and medieval Sandomierz.
 * East is Podkarpackie or Subcarpathian Province. There are spas and old wooden churches up in the hills, and a plutocrat's palace at Łańcut. This province borders Ukraine, where Lviv is a charming old city.
 * South is Slovakia. Roads hairpin over the Tatras mountains, with Tatras National Park straddling the two countries. Go west (usually via Silesia) to reach Slovakia's lowlands and main cities such as Bratislava on the Danube.

title: Małopolskie


text:
Lester

There is more than one place called Lester:

United States of America

 * Lester (Alabama) - a town in the state of Alabama.
 * Lester (Iowa) - a town in the state of Iowa.
 * Lester (Pennsylvania) - a town in the state of Pennsylvania.
 * Lester (West Virginia) - a town in the state of West Virginia.
 * Lester (Washington) - a town in the state of Washington.

title: Lester


text:
Les Trois Vallées

Les Trois Vallées is in Savoie and is one of the large interlinked Alpine skiing areas of the French Alps. It claims to be the largest ski area in the world with 600 km of interconnected slopes and 180 ski lifts, offering unparalleled skiing opportunities for all levels of skiers or boarders.

Three Valleys Resorts
The resorts that comprise Les Trois Vallées are:

Get in
Courchevel Altiport

Get around
There is an excellent free bus service operating within each of the resorts, offering bus transport between each of the villages.

Do
Ski of course! Or board. With 600km of interconnected pistes and much more off piste terrain there is something for every level of skier or boarder. And if you're looking to make the most of your holiday it's highly recommended to get some tuition. Ski lessons or guiding help you improve technique, build confidence and find the best snow in resort. You can also tap into their local knowledge and insider tips.

There are loads of schools and instructors across the Three Valleys which offer a wide range of opportunities from group lessons to performance clinics and private coaching or guiding.

Eat
The Three Valleys isn't just known for its skiing. It's also an amazing destination for foodies with a wide range of restaurants and snack bars for every taste and budget. With 12 Michelin-starred restaurants and 21 Michelin stars to its credit it can be heralded as a foodies paradise. But also has a great selection of more affordable places to suit all groups.

Sleep
The Three Valleys has a wide selection of accommodation options from self-catered apartments to hotels and luxury boutique chalets. Each differ in the quality of accommodation offered as well as the level of service. For service, value for money and convenience one popular option is staying with a catered chalet operator. These offer accommodation, breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner. As well the associated service of a chalet host, chef and sometimes also a driver.

title: Les Trois Vallées


text:
Lesvos

Lesbos (Λέσβος), or Lesvos, is the northernmost of the East Aegean Islands of Greece, projecting out of the Asia Minor mainland.

It is a birthplace of numerous poets and writers since the Greek antiquity. The island of Lesbos continues to inspire, through this cultural heritage, its natural beauty, and its easygoing lifestyle expressed by its people as a familiarity towards all its visitors.

Understand
Even though they inaccurately say it is due to the erotic element in some poems by the famous Sappho, instead of Lesbos (Λέσβος) it is popular to refer to the island by the name of its capital town of Mytilene (Μυτιλήνη). Spellings of Lesvos and Mitilini are widespread transliterations, reflecting the actual Greek pronunciation.

Of all the islands of Greece, Lesbos is only preceded in area by Crete (South) and Evvia (Centre). However, in terms of administration, the prefecture of Lesvos comprises three major islands, Lesbos, Lemnos at the northwest, and the tiny Agios Efstratios in the middle between the first two islands.

Geographically, Lesbos includes two seawater gulfs, with narrow openings both to the south, that elongate the coastline and shaping the island characteristically like a fig tree or plane tree leaf, as described by the native nobelist poet Odysseas Elytis. The landscape is different in the various regions; most striking is the contrast of the far west region, rocky with low vegetation, to the east and central parts, where olive and pine tree forests dominate. Its elevation reaches almost 1000 m at both points: the north at mount Lepetymnos and the south at mount Olympos, a name identical to the original Olympus in Thessaly.

Cultural information
People of Lesbos have admired culture since the ancient times, and throughout the centuries many poets, writers, philologists, painters emerged.

Two of the famous ancient classics were the poet Sappho (whose erotic poems gave rise to the word lesbian), born in Eressos and the lyric poet Alcaeus of Mytilene, an older contemporary. A glimpse of the ancient life in Lesbos is exhibited in the new Archeological Museum of Mytilene building. Bypassing some notable people before the 19th century, the naïve painter Theofilos would depict not only the lifestyle of his time, but also the ancient myths survived in the tradition; Teriade, an art critic, preserved Theofilos' work among his collection of Picasso and Matisse in his own gallery, the Teriade Museum in Varia, a suburb of Mytilene on the way south to the airport. Both museums are worth visiting.

The town of Mytilene shows architectural variety. Its expansion to the southwest suburbs is mostly of simple modern buildings; on the south way to the airport one can find a neighbourhood of old mansions, called Sourada, extended to the airport road, impossible not to be noticed; the north part called Epano Skala (meaning upper port) is the oldest, hosting one of the largest castles of the archipelago and some villas; a careful eye can notice some temples for the Muslim population that used to live in the Ottoman times. The heart of the town is the market street, Ermou street, just behind the quai. While walking on this busy street, pay a visit to the baroque-style temple of Agios Therapon, a "trademark" site of Mytilene. This variety in styles is not bounded only in Mytilene; one can notice small mansions and villas (serving as public buildings usually) scattered in the villages of the whole island.

Tradition
Lesvos is quite well known for the great number of its local, traditional products. As mentioned before, Lesvos is very famous for Ouzo, as it is considered one of the places it originates from. Also, Lesvos is quite famous for its pottery. Agiasos and Mandamados are the two villages that have the biggest tradition in ceramic art. Many ceramists live and work in these villages. Some of the ceramists there are Antonia Gavve (and Demetrios Hadjigiannis. Except for ceramics, woodcraft is also very developed in Lesvos.

Towns and villages
- (Μυτιλήνη) The capital of Lesvos at the east end. A busy town as it concentrates the hospital, the university, the port, the airport, the court, the prefecture and other administrative headquarters.

, the picturesque village while ascending onto Olympos.

is a small dale town at southwest paving the way to the sandy beach, or, thus being mostly a summer resort. Its fame as the birthplace of Sappho attracts some lesbian (homosexual) couples, but they consist a part of the whole number of Eressos' visitors, as it is a place too beautiful to become isolated.

is the second-largest town, in the centre of the island, at the north of the greater of the two gulfs (thus called "Gulf of Kalloni").

, at the northeast, for the ceramic art tradition and the locally produced dairy products, as well as its monastery.

is a village at the southwest which keeps alive traditions and is famous for the "koudounatoi" men who wear sheep-bells in a springtime fest called "apokria" (Carnival).

, the ancient Mithymna (Μήθυμνα spelled also as Methymna), the most important destination for a visitor, because of its attractions: the Gattilusi Castle and the whole preserved traditional architecture. It is one of the two lungs of tourism in Lesvos, the other one being Eressos.

(Πλωμάρι) at the south coast in the middle of the two gulfs' openings, is the homeland of ouzo, the well-known Greek alcoholic beverage.

Other destinations

 * and the beach at, almost unavoidable if you visit Molivos. The beach is facing to the north but it is crowded even when affected by the prevailing north winds. The church of Mary on a 27-metre steep volcanic hill dominates the village.
 * (Πύργοι Θερμής, lit. Towers at Therme), a few kilometres north of Mytilene, for the all-day bar restaurants and the beach. The name is similar with Pyrgi (Πυργί), another village near Mytilene. A prehistoric settlement has been excavated at the area.
 * , between Molivos and Mandamados, renowned for its fish tavernae and the landscape. Greeks know the place because of the chapel of Panagia Gorgona (transl. Mermaid Madonna) that became famous after the popular story of the Greek writer Stratis Myrivilis in his book.
 * , the village at the west end of the island, hosting the Natural History Museum of the Petrified Forest. The area is located between Sigri and Erissos.
 * one of the longest beaches in Greece, at the south coast.

Talk
Greek is the main language but many, especially younger people, know English as a second language. Most signs are bilingual or even English-only, but usually spelling follows a transliteration of the place is pronounced in Modern Greek, so it can be a little hard to recognize.

By plane
The island is served by Odysseas Elytis (Οδυσσέας Ελύτης) airport, named after the 20th century poet, and located in the far South-East of the island, around 8 km South of Mytilene. Flights run regularly to/from Athens, Thessaloniki, Chios, Lemnos and Crete. Internationally, the island is a popular holiday destination so is served by regular charter flights.

Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines provide daily scheduled services from Athens.

Local bus that serves airport from Mytilene: Astiko KTEL, timetable, approximately hourly departing from Sappho square (Plateia Sapfous, Πλατεία Σαπφούς)

By boat

 * See also Ferries in the Mediterranean

Ferries sail from Piraeus, the port for Athens on the Greek mainland, taking 8-9 hours to Mytilini via the island of Chios. Nothing much to see on the way except the sea, so you might prefer an overnight sailing. Operators are Hellenic Seaways and Blue Star Ferries.

Car ferries from Ayvalık on the Turkish mainland take 90 min. Turyol is the ferry line: in 2022 a one way adult ticket was €20, return €30. Ferries no longer sail from Dikili.

Get around
Local buses run on the island to the bigger villages on the island. You can buy tickets in the bus. The major bus stop and information station is in Mitilini.

Taxis are cheap and the taxi drivers are obliged to use the meter. Taxis based in Mitilini are yellow. Taxis not based in Mitilini are grey-coloured. Taxis can be used for local transportation, transfers and excursions, but also for emergencies.

A good way to see the island is to rent a car or a scooter.

A local, good quality and affordable car rental place, Auto Moto, can be found at the airport, and many more car rental places at and around Kountouriotou Street at Mitilini's harbourfront. Recommended if you are a confident driver!

The locals drive pretty fast, but usually obey the traffic rules. The roads are generally quite good, and even the mountain roads not too challenging.

The island offers nice hiking routes between the villages. The hiking maps are available in tourist offices.

See

 * The big beach of Vatera at the south part of the island.
 * The medieval (Genovese) castle at Mytilene.
 * The picturesque village of Agiasos, situated on the north-east slope of Mount Olympos.
 * Pyrgi Thermis.
 * The small picturesque fishing village of Skala Sykamineas at the north side of the island.
 * Molyvos, a traditional, touristic village with a medieval fort on the top of a hill overlooking the area.
 * The petrified forest on the Western part of the island.
 * The Geological Museum in Sigri, one of the best museums in Greece.

Do

 * See the small village of Pyrgi Thermis on the east side of the island. Very friendly people, Small beach, war ruins near the beach. And also foreign university students during the whole of summer. There is also a 4-star hotel, Lesvos Inn, on the sandy beach close to the thermal baths of Pyrgi, that offers rooms from €50-100 a night and excellent service. The hotel offers Internet access and spa facilities. They speak English.
 * Visit the thermal baths at Eftalou beach on the north side of the island, about 5 km from Molyvos. You can cool off from the hot water by going in the sea, and go back and forth as often as you want.
 * Molyvos Visit Molivos (or Molyvos) a protected settlement, crowned by a fortress. Molyvos has the privilege to be a place - the village leads to Aegean Sea - that combines a very long and rich history among the centuries, with natural beauty.

Eat
The island offers a variety of seafood with reasonable prices.

Also the sweets of the island and the local spirit "Ouzo" are quite an experience.

Drink
Coffee is the most available drink on the island, even more than water. Prices from €1-5.

Alcohol is sold at every Coffee shop in every village or bars in the capital Mitilini near the wharf where the ferry will drop you off. Almost all major hotels serve alcohol as well. Price: €3-12.

Lesbos is famous for its ouzo. Plomari is particularly well known for it and hosts multiple famous ouzo distilleries.

Stay safe
Never take photos of military compounds/bases.

Lesvos is one of several Greek islands struggling with the arrival of thousands of refugees from nearby Turkey. In September 2015 the capital of Lesbos was hosting 17,000 refugees alone.

Go next

 * Daily ferries in summer connect Lesvos with Ayvalık on the Turkish mainland.
 * Lemnos
 * Kavala
 * Chios

title: Lesvos


text:
Letchworth Garden City

Letchworth Garden City (more commonly Letchworth) is a town of 34,000 people (2021) in Hertfordshire. Letchworth was the first city built under the "Garden City" plan to combine the best elements of city and country living.

Understand
The first Garden City, Letchworth, began life in 1903. Built on 3,818 acres of land, this town was the brainchild of Ebenezer Howard who wrote the book titled To-Morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform in 1898, which was reprinted in 1902 as Garden Cities of To-Morrow. Unimpressed with the cities and towns of the 19th century, his belief was that town and country should and could be married together to provide the very best for inhabitants. More than one hundred years on, Letchworth is a thriving town of 5,300 acres complete with tree-lined suburbs, green spaces and a town centre with ample parking, shopping and restaurants. The retail park on the Baldock fringe of Letchworth's industrial area, however, has sucked much of the life out of the town centre.

The town gained some notable interest, when it was used as the principle set as the fictionalised town "Newton Haven", in the Simon Pegg comic science fiction film The World's End. Many of the town's pubs and the cinema were used as the town's pubs in the film.

By train
From London, use the Great Northern Route service departing London Kings Cross Station. Letchworth or Cambridge are the final stops with the travel time varying between 35 – 50 minutes according to number of scheduled stops en route.

By car
The A1(M) Junction 9 is a Short Drive from the town centre. Alternatively, the A505 can be used if you're not using the motorway.

By bus
It can be traversed by car and is not too large to traverse by walking. However, there are bus services operated mostly by Arriva, that often go to Hitchin and Baldock.

By bike
Cycling is somewhat supported through the existence of half-maintained combined bike-and-pedestrian paths around the town centre and in some of the newer (circa 1950s) developments. In addition to this, many of the original garden city streets are safe for cycling due to their relatively slim width discouraging driving in totality. This is supplemented by the intersection of the (partially incomplete) National Cycle Route 12.

Eat

 * Simmons Hertfordshire-only Bakeries- quite loud, decent selection of breads, snacks and cakes.
 * Miss Green Fingers Vegan Cafe- gets quite busy on weekends.
 * Cherries and Tea Cafe Caribbean-styled cafe- busy a lot of the time.
 * The Grapevine Turkish Authentic Turkish restaurant- quiet ambience, good food.
 * Esquires Coffee Letchworth Trendy Coffee House and Cafe with ample inside and outside seating, reasonably priced.
 * Cultivo Lounge serves meals for all taste, large and a good jack of all trades. Good for families.
 * Fabios Gelato Small Gelato shop with another branch in Hitchin,
 * The Grapevine Turkish Authentic Turkish restaurant- quiet ambience, good food.
 * Esquires Coffee Letchworth Trendy Coffee House and Cafe with ample inside and outside seating, reasonably priced.
 * Cultivo Lounge serves meals for all taste, large and a good jack of all trades. Good for families.
 * Fabios Gelato Small Gelato shop with another branch in Hitchin,

Drink
Letchworth was "dry" until 1958, but now has a few pubs.
 * Hogs Head.
 * Hogs Head.

Go next

 * To the north east is one of England's most famous academic cities Cambridge. Approx 2 trains/hour.
 * To the south-west Hitchin.
 * Country Villages There are numerous attractive local villages. The entry for Stevenage has details of some of these.

title: Letchworth Garden City


text:
Letchworth State Park

A happy confluence of geography and generosity has created Letchworth State Park, a long swath of parkland on the western edge of the Finger Lakes region of New York. The Genesee River has carved a magnificent gorge through this area, including a series of three large waterfalls, earning the park its nickname, The Grand Canyon of the East. It's one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in the entire Northeast.

Understand
A popular destination for day-trips and camping alike, the vistas of Letchworth State Park have entranced since human eyes first sighted them. Today, outdoor enthusiasts use bikes, skis, snowshoes, horses, or just their feet to traverse the trails, while sightseers gape at the three magnificent cascades of the Genesee and the abundant foliage. It's well worth a side trip for anyone visiting nearby, or even as the main destination for travelers from afar.

History
The Seneca Indians called the area Sehgahunda, meaning the "Vale of Three Falls," forming several villages within what are now the park boundaries. Many of the trails in the park today are based on original Seneca trails, which were used for river access.

In the middle of the 19th century, when the Erie Railroad needed to bridge the gorge, they built the world's tallest wooden bridge right above the Upper Falls. The view from above was so spectacular that trains would stop and let passengers off to take in the sight. On one such voyage was Buffalo industrialist William Pryor Letchworth; he so enjoyed the view that he bought over a thousand acres of gorge land and built himself a summer home. He called the estate Glen Iris after the rainbow that often formed in the mist of the Middle Falls. As his death approached, the elderly Letchworth decided to protect the gorge from hydro-power or other commercial development by deeding it to the State for use as a park in 1906.

Landscape
Despite its nickname, the valley carved by the Genesee River doesn't really look like the Grand Canyon; visitors who've seen the real thing won't be very impressed by the comparison. For starters, it's much smaller in scale. At its widest point, the Grand Canyon is 18 miles (29 km) wide; Letchworth Park would just fit inside there—lengthwise! And the Grand Canyon's mile-high depth dwarfs the 300- to 500-foot-plus (100- to 150-meter-plus) walls of the Letchworth gorge. On the other hand, Letchworth has far more vegetation in and around the gorge, and it's fair to say there are few other gorges this side of the Mississippi that approach Letchworth in either size or beauty.

Geologically, the Letchworth gorge is very young, carved when the Genesee was forced to find a new route northward after the last ice age. The preglacial river that flowed through current-day Portageville was a tributary of the preglacial Genesee River, and it took a more easterly course through Nunda. It then joined the main branch of the preglacial Genesee, which flowed northwest to Mount Morris, then north to Rochester. When the two branches of the river were blocked by glacial debris at Dansville and Nunda, the east branch rerouted to the south, becoming part of the Susequehanna watershed, while the west branch was forced into a more direct route between Portageville and Mount Morris.

The new route led the river over the Allegheny Plateau, dropping into the preglacial river valley at Mount Morris. Over the next ten millennia, the cascade carved its way backward, much as the Niagara River did during the same period, eventually forming a series of three waterfalls just north of modern Portageville... and a spectacular gorge in its wake. The course the gorge takes is a bit unusual; it twists and turns rather than taking a straight path; since the river once flowed in a meandering route over a broad plain, the falls cut their way backward along the original course of the river.

The three cascades of the upper Genesee should not be confused with three similar waterfalls farther downstream (to the north) in Rochester. Both locations have a Lower, Middle, and Upper (or High) Falls, and both sets were formed during the same period, but they are more than 50 miles apart.

Flora and fauna
Unlike the Grand Canyon of the West, Letchworth's gorge walls are covered in trees, making for spectacular sightseeing in the autumn, as the leaves change color. Birdwatchers love the rim of the gorge for spotting hawks, eagles, and vultures soaring overhead.

Climate
Like much of the northeastern U.S., the park lies in the humid continental climate zone, with four seasons. Normally summer highs are around 70-80°F (20-27°C), whereas the winter temperatures are generally around freezing or a bit below. There aren't radical differences between the monthly precipitation throughout the year. In the winter you can expect it in the form of snow, in the case of lake-effect snow, quite a lot of it.

Get in
Letchworth is located on the western edge of New York's Finger Lakes region. It's about 50 miles (80 km) east-southeast of Buffalo, and about 40 miles (65 km) south-southwest of Rochester, depending on what part of the 17-mile-long park you're headed to. For example, if you're headed from the Rochester airport to the Mount Morris Dam, at the north end of the park, it'll take about 45 minutes to drive. If you're headed to the Portageville end, to see the waterfalls, on the other hand, you'll tack on an extra twenty minutes—or an extra 45 minutes if you drive through the park.

By car
The most convenient expressway to Letchworth is I-390, which runs south from the Rochester airport and passes near Mount Morris as it travels through the preglacial Genesee Valley. If you're going to the north end of the park, take the Mount Morris exit (Exit 7); if you're going to the south end, you can take Exit 7 and drive through or around the park, or take Exit 4 or 5 in Dansville and follow State Route 436 west to Portageville. The major east-west expressway routes are the New York State Thruway (I-90), about 20 miles (30 km) north of Mount Morris, and I-86 (the Southern Tier Expressway), about the same distance south of Portageville; both connect up with I-390 or any number of state routes that are more direct.

The park has six entrances, but choose wisely, as there's no way to cross the river (by car, at least) once you're in the park. All of the amenities, including the main park road, are on the west side of the river; the east side has a number of trails and a couple of campgrounds, but is largely wild and undeveloped. On the other hand, only the west side carries an admission fee.

On the east side, the is to the south near Portageville, off New York State Route 436; it's closed in winter, but the rest of the year leads to the only cabins on the east side. Its trails provide east-side views of the falls and gorge that many visitors never see. There's also a on the north end, accessible from New York State Route 408 south of Mount Morris, which only provides access to the dam's visitors center (along with a nice gorge overlook).

Most visitors will use a west-side entrance. The is all the way at the top of the park; take New York State Route 36 West (northwest) from Mount Morris and across the river (or eastbound from Leicester, a couple miles to the north) and turn onto the Park Road. There's also access to the Park Road from the and, each farther south. Castile is the southernmost entrance open in the winter; the entrance at the southern tip, the is closed in winter. The Portageville entrance is on New York State Routes 19A and 436; the former comes in from the south, through Portageville, while the latter runs east-west and connects to Nunda and Dansville. The Portageville and Castile entrances provide the best access to the falls, the most popular gorge views, the Glen Iris Inn, and the highest concentration of lodges, cabins, and concessions.

To get from one side of the park to the other, you can cross at the north end on Route 36 or at the south end on Route 436, but either way you'll have to re-enter the park at another entrance.

By bus
Infrequent and limited bus service is provided by RTS. This includes limited Saturday seasonal service on the designated Letchworth route into the park, as well as infrequent service to Mount Morris, where you can then walk into the park. Plan ahead carefully if you're using this option as service is very limited.

By foot
Part of the park's trail system is connected to the Genesee Valley Greenway, a multi-use rail trail that extends 90 miles (140 km) from the Erie Canal in Rochester all the way down to Cuba in the Southern Tier, along I-86. The trail crosses the river on Route 36 in Mount Morris, right at the north end of the park; one of the park's trails picks up just inside the park entrance. From there, the Greenway heads southeast through Mount Morris and Sonyea, then southwest through Tuscarora, Nunda, and Oakland before entering the park north of Portageville; from there you can access the east-side facilities and trails near the Parade Grounds entrance.

By plane
Both Buffalo and Rochester have mid-sized airports with plenty of flights daily from all the major domestic hubs and fully staffed rental car agencies. There are a number of smaller airstrips in the surrounding countryside, but then you're stuck without a car to take you the rest of the way.

Fees and permits
The park is open daily 6AM–11PM. The per-vehicle entrance fee is $10, payable at the four entrances on the west side of the river. (The fee is only collected between 9AM and 5PM, and only during the busy season.) The east-side Dam and Parade Grounds entrances have no fee, but you can't get to the west side, where most of the attractions and amenities are. Alternatively, the Empire Passport costs $65 and gets you access to all New York State Parks; it's valid from the date of purchase through the end of March in the following calendar year (that is, for at least 3 and as many as 15 months, depending on date of purchase).

Some park amenities and attractions cost extra; see individual listings below.

You don't need a permit to do most things in the park; the exceptions are for hunting and nighttime snowmobiling. You'll also need to fill out an application to use certain lodges and shelters. All such forms are available on the web site.

Get around
The park is close to Interstate 390 and served by several state highways of good quality. Roads within the park are all hard-surfaced, with ample parking at major sightseeing points.

It is illegal to leave the marked trails and roads, even on foot or snowmobile. Don't do it; leave the wilds to the animals!

Waterfalls
Located near the south end of the park, these are Letchworth's primary draws. Though the views of the falls and gorge are great year-round, the place really shines in autumn; it's one of the best sites for leaf-peeping in the entire Northeast.

The, whose drop totals 71 feet (a 50-foot main drop and a few rapids just below), cascade over a tight horseshoe bend, making them a little hard to see. But the Portage Bridge just above the crest makes for a dramatic backdrop. The are within easy walking distance of the Upper via a paved trail, and they are both the tallest (107 ft) and the most picturesque. The rainbows of the Middle Falls captured the imagination of both the Seneca Indians (who believed the beauty of the falls made the sun pause at midday) and William Pryor Letchworth, who named his estate Glen Iris after the rainbow-filled valley of the Middle Falls.

The are a bit further downstream, and they have the shortest drop (70 feet). You've got to climb down a substantial set of stairs to get to any decent viewing location, but it's worth it, as the Lower Falls' face is the most interesting of the three. There's a stone footbridge just below the Lower Falls, the only (legal) way to walk across the river within the park.

While the three main waterfalls capture most of the attention—rightfully so—there are a number of other waterfalls in the park, each representing a tributary of the Genesee that now has to drop all the way down into the carved gorge. That makes for some very tall falls, though they tend to be fairly small in width and volume. Some even dry up seasonally. But with total drops approaching 500 feet, the heights some of these falls reach can rival the volume of the Genesee Falls for sheer spectacle.

Other points of interest
Once you're done gazing at the falls, there are a few more attractions to check out.

 * Genesee Arch Bridge - Active Norfolk Southern railroad bridge carrying freight traffic through the park with defect detectors usually giving a readout either before or after the train crosses the bridge.
 * Genesee Arch Bridge - Active Norfolk Southern railroad bridge carrying freight traffic through the park with defect detectors usually giving a readout either before or after the train crosses the bridge.
 * Genesee Arch Bridge - Active Norfolk Southern railroad bridge carrying freight traffic through the park with defect detectors usually giving a readout either before or after the train crosses the bridge.
 * The dam can also be viewed from the west side of the river, just off the main Park Road; there's no access to the dam or to the main Visitors Center from there, but it's close to the main park entrance, so there's a parking lot and concession stand with souvenirs and food.
 * The dam can also be viewed from the west side of the river, just off the main Park Road; there's no access to the dam or to the main Visitors Center from there, but it's close to the main park entrance, so there's a parking lot and concession stand with souvenirs and food.

Do
By far, the most popular activity in Letchworth—not counting sightseeing—is walking the trails, though bicyclists and horseback riders also make extensive use of them. In the winter, bicyclists and hikers are replaced by cross-country skiers and snowshoers. But there are a couple of other ways to traverse the park's spaces. There are playgrounds throughout the park.

There are also a number of playgrounds in the park, usually in close proximity to picnicking areas, as well as a larger recreation area.

Buy
The Basics, Inc. operates gift shops in several locations; they sell items commonly requested by visitors, such as souvenir clothing and camera batteries.

Eat and drink
All food and drink services within the park are seasonal, generally operating from late April to early November. The Glen Iris Inn (see below) is well known for its elegant restaurant serving American and European fare, though the service is sometimes found a bit lacking for the price. It's also the only place within the park where you can get alcohol, with local Finger Lakes wines, among others, popularly served with meals. Main courses run from $21-37.

There are also a number of smaller concession stands operated by The Basics, Inc.

Nearby towns have additional dining options.

Sleep
270 campsites, 82 cabins, a small motel-style facility, and the Glen Iris Bed & Breakfast rooms (upstairs at the mansion). All accommodations, cabins and campsite are seasonally available, generally from late April to early November. The exception to this are the 'C' loop cabins which are available year-round primarily to service hunters in the northern park areas.

Camping
Once you have arrived, check in at one of two places.

Backcountry
The 584-mile main leg of the Finger Lakes Trail runs through the park for approximately 25 miles along the much less visited eastern side of the gorge. There are two lean-tos along this trail, however a permit must be obtained from the New York State Parks Department in order to camp overnight.

Stay safe
Cell phone service is sporadic within the park boundaries depending on carrier; take appropriate precautions. In the off season, it may be difficult to contact emergency services depending on location in the park. The nearest major medical facility is Noyes Hospital, in Dansville, or Noyes Health Services in Geneseo.

As in most other Northeastern forested areas, ticks which may carry Lyme disease and other harmful illnesses are a growing concern. Protect yourself by staying on marked paths, spraying skin and clothing with appropriate insect repellents and checking for any insects that may be on you or your clothes immediately after hiking.

Connect
Payphones are available near most camping areas and places with public facilities.

Go next

 * Letchworth serves as a western gateway to the Finger Lakes, one of the most important wine regions in the eastern United States, with over 100 wineries offering tours and tastings in season.
 * Rochester is the nearest large city to Letchworth, about an hour to the north via I-390. Come in the spring to take in the famous Lilac Festival, in the summer to experience the Rochester Jazz Festival or explore a fine system of parks and green spaces designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, or any time of year to take in a wealth of museums and historical attractions.
 * Buffalo, New York State's second-largest city, is located a little over an hour west of Letchworth via Route 20A. Once a major industrial center and inland port, the "Queen City" hosts a wealth of Gilded Age architectural treasures, cultural attractions, big-league sports, and bustling nightlife — and is the home of the famous Buffalo chicken wing, invented here in 1964.
 * An hour and a half southwest of the park via I-390 and I-86 lies Corning, famous as home of the Corning Glass Works and the attached Corning Museum of Glass.

As well, there are many older villages and towns dotting the countryside around the park itself. The entire area is hilly with pretty vistas.

title: Letchworth State Park


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Lethbridge

Lethbridge is a city in southern Alberta. It is a commercial hub for the many smaller farming and ranching communities in the surrounding area. It is quiet and on the small side, but has a friendly population. Lethbridge has about 102,000 people in its metro area (2016), and that number is growing fast. The natural beauty of the area is in its starkness. The "coulees" are a valley formed by erosion. The Oldman River runs through this interesting landscape. This valley provides some shelter from the wind, which can be quite strong at almost any time of the year.

Understand
Before European settlement of Lethbridge the area was under the control of various Indigenous nations, including most recently the Kainai Nation (called the "Blood Tribe" in older writing) part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. In the late 19th century the main food source and spiritual icon of the Blackfoot peoples, the bison (buffalo), were being wiped out by White American hunters. The Blackfoot turned the Canadian government for help and a signed treaty in 1875 that relinquished control of Southern Alberta in exchange for food rations, medicines, and help to learn farming and ranching. These promises were never fully met by the government, but the Blackfoot were no longer in a position to resist, and the government meanwhile invited thousands of non-indigenous people into the region with the promise of free land and a subsidized railway connection to Eastern Canada. But before the Canadian government could established full control over the area, a booming whiskey trade took root, with Americans illegally importing "whiskey" (poisonous and impure moonshine) to sell to the Blackfoot. One of their main bases was "Fort Whoop-Up" in present-day Lethbridge. The Canadian government created the Mounted Police and famously marched them west in 1878, supposedly to stop the whiskey trade, but also to keep an eye on the Blackfoot.

Soon after this a major coal mining operation started to develop in the coulee regions of Coalbanks. Coalbanks was renamed Lethbridge in 1885. Lethbridge received city status in 1906. During World War II, many Japanese Canadians and German POWs were interned in Lethbridge. After the war many stayed having established a new life. As a result, you'll see some influences of Japanese and German culture blended with the surrounding Ukrainian, Dutch, Mormon, Native and Hutterite cultures.

Today Lethbridge is undergoing a strong economic boom and as a result many new businesses are cropping up. There is also a large population boom but many businesses are still looking for people to work because there are still so few people to work.

By car
Highway 3 (the Crowsnest Highway) runs from Medicine Hat to British Columbia border and is the major east-west highway; it's known as Crowsnest Trail and goes through the heart of Lethbridge. Traffic originating from Calgary can follow Highway 2 south to Fort Macleod, then follow Highway 3 and approach Lethbridge from the west.

Traffic coming from the United States (Montana) can use Highway 4, which connects to Interstate 15 at Coutts and is the only 24-hour land border crossing in Alberta. Alternatively, Highway 5 provides connections to other border crossings. Both Highways 4 and 5 converge in southern Lethbridge near the visitor information center (Mayor Magrath Drive & Scenic Drive).

Airport
The only international flights planned are seasonal flights to/from Tucson, Arizona, by Flair Airlines during the winter 2022/23.

Airlines

 * Operates filghts between Calgary and Lethbridge (50 minutes).

By car
A car is probably the easiest way to get around Lethbridge. Every major attraction is easily reachable by car. Car rentals: Watch out for yellow signs that say "30km/hour 7:30-10:30 School Days", you will get dinged by photo-radar in school zones even during the summer holidays.

On foot or bike
You can walk or bike around in some stretches of the city, but trying to walk or bike from south Lethbridge to west Lethbridge is a daunting task as you will have to walk Whoop-Up Drive, which translates walking or biking down a hill, into the coulees and then walkingor biking up a steep hill. However parts of Lethbridge are tailor-made for walking or biking around to explore, such as downtown Lethbridge and the actual coulees themselves. The parks around Henderson Lake and Nicholas Sheran Lake provide pleasant spaces for recreation.

Do
Lethbridge has many things to do, especially in the area of hiking and natural wildlife observation.

Trails
Lethbridge has numerous places for a good hike or leisurely walk. Some recommended walks or hikes include:
 * Coulees (starting at the Helen Schuler Coulee Centre)
 * Popson Park (down 10th Street West, past Paradise Canyon)
 * Alexander Wilderness Park (north of Stafford Drive North, near Hardieville)
 * Henderson Lake (South Parkside Drive, near Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens and the Exhibition Grounds)
 * Nicholas Sheran Park (just off McMaster Blvd. West).

Festivals
Lethbridge annually hosts Whoop-Up Days, a carnival of sorts with rides, live performances, a rodeo, and exhibitions. The late is held in mid-August at the Exhibition Grounds (end of South Parkside Drive and next to Henderson Lake).

Sports
Lethbridge has numerous semi-professional sports teams, including:
 * The Lethbridge Hurricanes (Western Hockey League). They play each year from October to March at the Enmax Centre (2510 Scenic Drive South).
 * The Lethbridge Bulls (Western Major Baseball League). They play from the end of May to the end of July at Henderson Stadium (2425 North Parkside Drive South).

Learn

 * The University of Lethbridge
 * Lethbridge College

Drink
The legal drinking age in Alberta is 18.

Stay safe
Violent crime is extremely rare in Lethbridge, but there are probably a few places you should avoid at night for fear of being hassled for money or robbed. Although safe during the day, several robberies have happened at the Galt Gardens at night. Similarly, you might want to avoid walking downtown near the Coal Banks Inn at night if you are alone. All in all however, Lethbridge is a very safe city and the probability of a crime being committed against you is very low.

Climate
Super windy! Prepare to have your hair messed up.

Connect
Both branches of the Lethbridge Public Library have Internet-access computers - free to use; first come, first served; maximum of 120 minutes per day.
 * Lethbridge Public Library - Main Branch - 810 5th Avenue South, +1 403-380-7310. Open M-F 9:30AM–9PM, Sa 9:30AM–5:30PM, Su 1:30PM–5:30PM.
 * Lethbridge Public Library - The Crossings Branch - 255 Britannia Blvd West, +1 403-320-4037. Open M-Th 9:30AM–9PM, F Sa 9:30AM–5:30PM, Su 1:30PM–5:30PM.

Go next

 * Waterton Lakes National Park - A beautiful national park that is about an hour drive away southwest from Lethbridge. The park is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts tourists from all over the world.
 * Vulcan - the "Official Star Trek Capital of Canada"
 * Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump - A UNESCO World Heritage Site near Fort Macleod, about a 30-45 minute drive west of Lethbridge. Head-Smashed-In displays how First Nations (Indigenous) people lived before and after they came into contact with the European settlers; and it shows how they used buffalo jumps to kill the buffalo for food, protection, and shelter.
 * Calgary - About a 2 hour drive north, Calgary offers world-class attractions and shopping. Calgary is also home to numerous professional sport organizations and is home to over 1,000,000 people.
 * Montana - About 45 minutes south. The nearest American city is Great Falls which is about 2 hours.
 * Edmonton - 5 hours away and is the capital city of Alberta. It is the second largest city with 1.1 million people.  It is popular for its numerous festivals, amazing river valley, West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton Oilers, a growing arts community, and the University of Alberta.

title: Lethbridge


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Lethem

Lethem is a border town of 3,000 in Guyana. It's right across the border from the Brazilian town of Bonfim.

Understand
At 73 m above sea level, Lethem is located in the Guyanese Highlands. The city was named after Sir Gordon James Lethem who was the governor of British Guyana between 1941-47. Next to the town flows the river Takutu, which also is the river to Brazil.

Being located north of the Equator, the rainy season in Lethem is from April to August. The temperature is constant around the year with daytime highs just above +30°C and nighttime lows ten degrees lower.

By car
The dirt road from Georgetown through Linden to Lethem is being kept up despite the frequent need for repairs to bridges and hill slides; it's the only road link between the Brazilian state of Roraima and the sea coast. In particular during the rainy season the driving conditions are poor.

The Brazilian road coming from Boa Vista (125 km) to the south, is paved and in a much better shape. In 2008 the bridge from the Brazilian side of the river was completed, replacing the ferry.

By bus

From Georgetown, overnight minibuses depart every evening around 18:00 and they arrive in Lethem the next day around noon. Minibuses operate around the year, also in the rainy season — service with the full-size buses who could take up to 36 hours in the rainy period has been discontinued. From Linden onwards the road is a dirt road with a lot of potholes so don't expect to sleep well. Tickets are around GYD 9000-10000.

If you're coming from the south, there's at least a daily bus from the state capital Boa Vista to Bonfim, tickets are R$ 13 for the bus or R$ 35 for a minibus. From Bonfim, take a taxi or walk across the border.

By plane
Trans Guyana Airways has two daily flights between Georgetown and Lethem (no flights on Sundays). These flights leave from the small Georgetown-Ogle municipal airport closer to downtown (not the international airport) and are a comparatively comfortable way of getting Lethem from the capital. Luggage space is very limited so be sure to have the amount of allowable luggage clarified before arrival at the airport. Although this is a domestic flight, a passport is required for non-citizens. One-way tickets are GYD 30,000, round trip GYD 55,000.

From some major Brazilian cities, you simply can fly into Boa Vista and travel the last leg by bus.

Get around
Walk or drive. There's left-hand traffic in Guyana — watch out for cars that to you come from the "wrong direction".

See
There are many tourists attractions in Lethem area such as the Kanuku and the Moco Moco mountains and falls.

Do

 * Waterfalls- There are two main waterfalls that people like to visit, Kumu falls, and Mocomoco falls.
 * Waterfalls- There are two main waterfalls that people like to visit, Kumu falls, and Mocomoco falls.

Buy
There are two banks in Lethem — Guyana Bank for trade and Industry Ltd (GBTI) and Republic Bank — but cash is the better way to go. Besides the Guyanese dollar, some places might accept the US dollar. Brazilian currency is readily accepted.

Cash exchange rates in Lethem do not always reflect true exchange rates, so with enough cash in your hands in the right currency you can make some money off scalpers (cambistas in Portuguese). In December 2010, 1 BRL can be traded for 100 GYD (bought back at 110 GYD), and 1 USD can be traded for 195-200 GYD (bought back at 210 GYD), yet 1 USD is traded at 1.83 BRL (and bought back at 1.90 BRL). In Manaus or Boa Vista, buy USD to exchange for GYD in Lethem or Georgetown. If you are going to cross into Brazil from Guyana, make sure you have a lot of Guyanese dollars to buy Brazilian reais (which can be exchanged in Bonfim at the same rate as in Lethem, though there is no shortage of Brazilian reais on the Brazilian side of the border).

Next to the Takutu Hotel is a small establishment that sells Amerindian crafts. It has some unique items but business hours are very random. Other interesting things you may want to look after in the town are bicycles, design shoes, and home electronics.

Eat
Eating options are rather limited in Lethem; you may want to bring your own food. If you'll buy food in town, check the best before dates.

 * Betty's Creole corner- Local creole food and snacks.

Also the hotels have restaurants.

Drink
Bring mineral water. Takutu Hotel has a bar.

Stay safe
Malaria is a concern. Arrive with proper medication and insect repellent. Other diseases prevalent in the area are typhoid fever, cholera (some roadside food stands have bad hygiene) and botulism.

Sleep

Alternatively you can sleep on the Brazilian side in Bonfim — while more expensive, it's a safer town.

Go next

 * The can easily be visited as a day trip.
 * Georgetown is accessible by minibus, as described in Get in, or you can take the plane.
 * To the south, Bonfim in Brazil is just across the river.
 * From Bonfim you can take a bus to the state capital Boa Vista and from there you can continue further into Brazil or up to Venezuela.

When crossing the border into Brazil, travellers will be asked to prove that they have been vaccinated against yellow fever. These shots can be obtained on the Brazilian side of the border. Visas are required before Canadian, US, Australian, Japanese, and Mexican citizens can enter Brazil. A visa cannot be obtained upon arrival so be sure to arrange one before stamping out of Lethem. It is possible to obtain a visa at the Brazilian Embassy in Georgetown, but this will require a few business days. There is a Brazilian consulate in Lethem where the visa can be obtained before crossing the border.

title: Lethem