A Little Brain Work, a Lot of Fun

Interhostel is a travel organization for seniors that bills its trips as “an international educational travel experience for adults over 50.” Now in its 18th year, it is offering a wide range of educational travel programs around the world for 1997.

Food and lodgings vary with the locations; some are in hotels and guests eat at restaurants. On other trips, participants will stay in dormitories and dine in cafeterias. Participants should be prepared to experience the culture of the host country and not expect to live as they do at home.

The 1997 Interhostel catalog devotes several pages to general information about how to register, deposit requirements, flight reservation instructions, ground transportation, insurance, cancellation policy, what the price includes and other factors. These should be studied carefully to avoid misunderstandings and disappointments.

Interhostel offers more than 20 trips to choose from. A few for 1997 are listed here:

* Colonial Mexico--March 13 to 26. Three nights each in Guanajuato, Patzcuaro, Tula and Morelia, plus one night in Mexico City. The focus is on colonial history, art and architecture, regional folk arts, plus music and dance of Mexico.

This trip offers an overview of our neighboring country, including museums, parks, a butterfly preserve, craft villages, lakes, mountain plateaus, schools and a cooking demonstration. The price is $2,285, including air fare from Houston.

* Costa Rica--March 28 to April 10. Lodgings are in comfortable hotels with private baths. The tour includes a lot of walking on rough terrain.

This Central American country has a large variety of climate, terrain, flora and fauna. The tour includes three nights in the capital, San Jose, two nights in Monteverde, four nights in Puerto Viejo and an additional night in San Jose.

The tour emphasizes the history, ecology, the national park system, arts and agriculture of Costa Rica. It includes 15 field trips and excursions, five lectures, plus three museum visits and presentations. The price from Houston is $2,650, which includes air fare, meals and accommodations.

* April in Paris--April 5 to 13, and April 12 to 20. Seven nights each in Paris. Five lectures and presentations include a history of Paris up to the Middle Ages; the French Revolution and contemporary France.

Seven field trips and excursions include Notre Dame, a bus tour of the sights of Paris, a boat ride on the Seine, the gardens of Claude Monet and Chartres Cathedral. There are also three museum visits and a concert. The price, including air fare from Newark, is $2,125.

Other study and education trips include the following:

China: Shanghai, Hangzhou and Beijing; the Netherlands; Scotland; Turkey; Vienna; and Greece.

For a free catalog, call Interhostel at (800) 733-9753.