Africa
Treatments
When Nelson Mandela spoke of the "personal renewal" gained
from touching South African soil, the former President was
probably not referring to full-face laser resurfacing. But
participants on Surgeon and Safari tours could be forgiven
for taking his comment literally. The packages combine cosmetic
surgery at private clinics in Johannesburg or Cape Town, a
recuperative stay at a five-star Orient-Express hotel, and
the thrill of "tantalizing your wild side" on a Botswana
bush safari. Packages cost from $1,400 for a three-day break
to about $7,000 for fortnight-long trips with two procedures
(options include breast lifts, tummy tucks and liposuction).
Accommodation and some meals are included, but not flights
or safaris. See www.surgeon-and-safari.co.za.
Europe
Druskininkai
During the Soviet era, some 300,000
Lithuanians were deported to Siberian labor camps; many never
returned. So a theme park featuring the architects of Soviet
terror is in poor taste, say local priests and politicians.
But mushroom tycoon Viliumas Malinauskas says "Stalin World,"
on his estate near the spa town of Druskininkai, is intended
as a permanent reminder of the "brutality and absurdity of
the Soviet system." Surrounded by mock electric fences and
watch towers, the park holds dozens of statues of Soviet-era
heroes-including Lenin, Stalin and kgb founder Felix Dzerzinsky-that
were toppled when Lithuania declared independence in 1990.
Malinauskas plans to add a museum, a cinema screening propaganda
films, loudspeakers playing tape-recorded screams, and cattle
trucks to "deport" visitors to the information center.
England
England's rich architectural heritage
includes 200 palaces, 400 castles, 14,000 churches and 3,000
country houses. But telephone boxes, pig sties and a racing-pigeon
loft are also registered as sites of historic importance.
By 2002, Internet users will be able to view all 360,000 heritage-listed
buildings via Images of England, a free online picture library
being compiled by the heritage body National Monuments Record.
A selection of the first 50,000 "defining images" can
be seen at www.imagesofengland.org.uk.
Globe
Tours
Seniors who want to spend more time with their
grandchildren can choose from 17 intergenerational trips offered
by Maryland-based tour company Grandtravel. Developed by a
team of teachers, psychologists and "leisure counselors,"
itineraries are designed to appeal to both old and young-in
France, options include a tour of the Louvre and a hot-air
balloon flight; in Alaska, participants can pan for gold and
ride with the huskies. For more details and to book, see www.grandtrvl.com.
