The Eternal--or Infernal?--City

Last spring, Latvia joined both the European Union and NATO, turning its back on its giant eastern neighbor, Russia. But don't be fooled. The small country on the Baltic Sea--275 miles from Stockholm and just 300 miles from St. Petersburg--is still full of the kind of shopping and lodging bargains that can't be found anymore in Western Europe. Riga, Latvia's 800-year-old capital, is the largest and most lively of the cities in the breakaway Baltic republics. For $11 A double room with a private bath in Riga's RPRA Hostel is perhaps the city's best lodging deal. In the 13 years since the break from the Soviet Union, as tourists from northern Europe began visiting, hotel options have ballooned. Prices are only likely to increase with Latvia's new E.U. membership. 26 Nicgales, 011-371/754-9012. For 35¢ Riga's frequent trolleybuses ply the streets from dawn till about midnight. Even though most of the attractions are in and around the Old Town, the No. 23 goes to the newer Purvciems neighborhood, dominated by block after block of Soviet-built high-rise apartment buildings. It's like commuting to the Brezhnev era. For $10 At the Staburags theme restaurant, a miniature waterfall gurgles as waitstaff in frilly native costumes serve up traditional Latvian dishes, including smoke-fried pork with bacon and forest berry juice. Latvian cuisine reflects both regional elements and the influences of the Germans, Swedes, and Russians who successively occupied and shaped the country. 55 Caka, 011-371/729-9787. For $3.25 Kiploku Krogs, a pub in the Old Town, slips heavy doses of garlic into every dish--even the ice cream. Shots of garlic-infused vodka are $1.45. Explore the historic neighborhood's pedestrian-only alleys and courtyards for similarly priced food and drink. 3/5 Jekaba St., 011-371/721-1451. For free The Occupation Museum, open daily, with English-speaking tour guides, is deeply informative but can be harrowing. One exhibit re-creates a Soviet labor camp, complete with an iron vat used as a common indoor toilet. Curators keep alive the memories of what Latvia endured--mass arrests, deportations to Siberia--during Moscow's half-century rule. Strelnieku laukums 1, 011-371/721-2715, occupationmuseum.lv. For $12 Amber (fossilized tree resin), collected from the shores of the nearby Baltic Sea, is sold as jewelry by street vendors on Livu Square and throughout the Old Town. Laipa handicrafts store has a good variety and fair prices; it also sells handsome, locally made wool sweaters starting at $60. 2/4 Laipu St., 011-371/722-9962. For $25.50 Latvia is the size of West Virginia and can be traversed in less than a day by car. Rent one from Car4rent. The 20 miles of clean, white-sand beach near Jurmala, a 30-minute drive west from Riga, is an excellent place to start exploring. 52-14 A. Caka, 011-371/731-6185, car4rent.lv. For $10 Once an exclusive resort for the Soviet elite, Jurmala has a network of pedestrian paths lined with boutiques and restaurants--like the Orient-Sultan, serving traditional meals with Latvian beers, such as Zelta (33 Jomas St., 011-371/776-2082). After dinner, stroll the waterfront promenade for local handicrafts, especially leather goods and jewelry. For $27 Jurmala's Zvaigzne Hotel is located just 150 feet from the Baltic Sea, right next to the Latvian president's summer residence. 23/4 Meierovica Prospect, 011-371/776-4681, jurmalainfo@mail.bkc.lv

Just admit it. When you think "Spain," you probably conjure up sultry flamenco dancers clackety-clacking in swirly polka-dot dresses and darkly handsome matadors in tight sequin-spangled outfits sparring with big, black, ticked-off bulls, no? Thought so. For various reasons (including accounts like gringo Washington Irving's 1832 The Alhambra), these are high on the list of outsiders' cliches of Espana. There's muchisimo more to this diverse 40-million-person collection of nationalities, of course, but it's true that its arid south (just a tad bigger than South Carolina) has helped define Spain's identity in the outside world in part because of its remarkable history and monuments. And because it's poorer than other parts of the country, with a lower cost of living, it also yields some unforgettable travel bargains, from a tasty, less-than-$10 repast based on millennium-old Mozarabic recipes and served in a twelfth-century Moorish bathhouse, to $40/night lodgings in a comfily converted gypsy cave. And fall is a wonderful time to visit, after the heat and the tourist hordes of summer have ebbed. Ruled by Moorish caliphs and sultans (Muslim conquerors from North Africa) between 712 and 1492, the region they called Al-Andalus nurtured a sophisticated civilization generally more tolerant of different religions and lifestyles than Christian Europe. During the Inquisition, Spain's holy warriors spared no expense to drive out the cursed heathen, yet six centuries later (a full century less than Islamic rule lasted) their descendants milk the Moorish mystique for all it's worth. Which is a lot; nowhere else in Europe can you take in such wonders, and for as few euros a week (remember, the peseta will be passé as of January 1, 2002). Andalusia ("Andalucia" in Spanish) is made up of eight provinces-Granada, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, Huelva, Cadiz, Jaen, and Almeria - with landscapes ranging from dry, olive-tree-dotted plains to wildlife-rich wetlands, and glorious beaches to green hills and snowy peaks. But here I'll concentrate on the first three, which hold most of the spectacular cultural highlights that visitors flock to see; in a later issue of Budget Travel, we'll be covering Malaga and the resort-heavy Costa del Sol separately. Getting there Andalusia's major cities are served by air from Madrid and dozens of other Spanish gateways (Malaga even gets international service from Europe, as well as direct from the States via Air Europa), and by an extensive rail network (including the marvelous high-speed AVE-Madrid to Seville in about two-and-a-half hours for $81). But if you have the time, the drive down from Madrid makes for an interesting and not overlong cruise - 260 miles to Granada or Cordoba, 340 to Seville - through the fascinating likes of medieval Toledo (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the region of La Mancha (of windmill and Don Quixote fame). Once you finally arrive down south, though, be prepared for some of the most memorable experiences of your life. Granada: Gypsy passion & the awesome Alhambra The last holdout of Muslim rule on the Iberian peninsula (finally ended in 1492 by the minions of those dour royals Ferdinand and Isabella), this city of 265,000 magnificently set at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is a place whose age-old traditions and culture are still very much alive and flavored by the presence of communities like the Roma (a.k.a. gypsies) and Muslims (especially since the 1990s wave of immigration from Morocco, Algeria, and other North African countries). An intriguing maze of cobblestone streets and squares anchored by the Plaza Nueva, the old Moorish Albaicin (or Albayzin) quarter is home to lots of spots for eating, drinking, and souvenir shopping, including exotic teahouses and restaurants where you'd swear you were in the Casbah of Fez, right down to the muezzin's call to prayer. Try the sweet, 250-peseta ($1.30) mint tea and 200-peseta ($1) pastries at Teteria As-Sirat on Calle Caldereria Nueva. Farther up the hill, Sacromonte is a warren of whitewashed caves that has been home to the Roma for hundreds of years; some are open to the public today as eateries, lodgings, and flamenco tablaos (budget for a 3,500-peseta/$18 splurge in one of the more authentic shows, such as Los Tarantos, 22-45-25; tickets include one drink and are sold at hotels and at a booth on Calle Reyes Catolicos, on the east side of Plaza Nueva). Speaking of flamenco, other local options include a two-week beginner's course for 24,000 ptas ($122); contact Escuela Carmen de las Cuevas at 22-10-62, fax 22-04-76, or access its Web site (carmencuevas.com). What Granada's best known for, however, is on the hill across from all this: a pair of palace complexes called the Alhambra and Generalife (admission to both 1,000 ptas/$5; go early). Originally dating from the ninth century, the Alhambra was built for over half a millennium by powerful caliphs into a Thousand and One Nights fantasyland of courtyards, porticos, patios, and fountains, all sumptuously decorated with intricate stone-and-plasterwork vaults, tracery, tilework, and carved inlaid ceilings. Not far off, the Generalife was their summer retreat, heavy on greenery and water. Wander at will - and be utterly awed. There are plenty of other local sights worth making time for, too, including the cathedral's Royal Chapel (carved tomb of monarchs Ferdie and Liz; more) and La Cartuja Monastery, with a uniquely over-the-top baroque interior (both 350 ptas/$1.80). Lodgings If the neo-Moorishly ornate Alhambra Palace (up near the historic palaces) is too rich for your blood at $145 a night, stop in for a sangria with a great view of town, but stay elsewhere. My pick at the bottom of the scale, located just off Plaza Nueva on the street leading up to the Alhambra, is the four-story, 22-room Pension Britz (Cuesta de Gomerez 1, tel./fax 22-36-52), which offers very attractive though fairly amenity-sparse doubles with bath for 5,724 ptas ($30), without for 4,134 ($21). Just one unit, it's not for everybody - but a hands-down winner for unique ambience - is the Cueva de los Canasteros (Vereda del Enmedio, tel./fax 22-90-90, canastera@granadainfo.com), a former gypsy cave in Sacromonte converted into a three-roomer sleeping up to four; no TV or phone, but there is a kitchen and CD player; for two, it's 8,560 ptas (about $40) daily. Just below the old town, on a lovely square with the Renaissance cathedral tower looming above, the five-story Los Tilos (Plaza Bib-Rambla 4, 26-67-12, fax 26-68-01) has 34 slightly dated but comfortable rooms with bath, color TV, phone, and A/C; doubles run 8,132 ptas ($42). A little fresher, and certainly impeccably central, the Hotel Macia (Pl. Nueva 4, 22-75-36, fax 22-75-33), on Plaza Nueva right across from the street leading up to the Alhambra, is a modest jewel, with 44 stylish, fully decked-out rooms; doubles go for 10,700 ptas ($55); BT readers are offered another 10 percent off. For very designer-mod and upscale, the marble-clad, 85-room Gran Via (Gran Via de Colon 25, 28-54-64, fax 28-55-91), just outside the old town, is an impressive value at 13,268 ptas ($68) per double. Dining Thanks not just to backpackers but also the considerable student population, Granada (including the old town) is full of budget options, including multicourse menus for as little as 749 ptas ($3.80). That's what you'll pay, for example, for pasta, salad, a wedge of potato omelette, bread, and flan at Boabdil (Calle Hospital de Peregrinos at Calle Elvira); named after Granada's last Muslim ruler and awash in Moorish-motif tiles, it's located in the lower Albaicin. For simple but ample and good-quality platters for 950 ptas ($4.80) and a front-row seat to the action on Plaza Nueva, check out La Boqueria (Pl. Nueva 2). Farther up the hill, the very homey Cuevas del Albayzin (Placeta de San Gregorio at Caldereria Nueva), is a hangout for students and locals next to a sixteenth-century church; entrees with a side dish start at 650 ptas ($3.30) and a house specialty is roscas, bagel-like (but crustier) rolls ten inches in diameter and loaded up sandwich-style, from 425 ptas ($2.15). For real-deal Moorish ambience, at Arrayanes (Cuesta Maranas 4, just above Caldereria Nueva), Mustafa Bougrine from Casablanca serves up classic Moroccan fare (entrees from 400 ptas/$2) amid richly ornamented arches and banquettes. Finally, up near where the Albaicin becomes Sacromonte, a splurge at Mirador de Morayma (Calle Pianista Garcia Carillo 2) yields not just local treats such as fish-and-lamb stew for 1,400 ptas ($7), but the run of an exquisite seventeenth-century Granadine villa with a heartstopping view of the Alhambra. Seville: Carmen, toros, & fragrant orange trees Seville, Andalusia's capital (pop. 714,000), is one of the great cities of Europe - and was when Madrid was still a cow town - with more than enough to keep you hopping for at least a week: Europe's third largest cathedral (adults 800 ptas/$4, students/seniors 250 ptas/$1.25), with its climbable twelfth-century Giralda bell tower (formerly a mosque minaret); the Alcazar (700 ptas/$3.50, students free), a huge Muslim-Christian complex that echoes the Alhambra; the eighteenth-century Real Fabrica de Tabacos, the world's first tobacco factory (now part of the university; free) and setting for Bizet's opera Carmen; La Cartuja island in the Guadalquivir River, site of the 1992 Universal Exposition and a famous fifteenth-century monastery; the ornate 1929 Expo grounds; and Spain's oldest and most famous bullring, the Real Maestranza (season: Easter through October, tickets from about 1,500 ptas/$7.60). Then, of course, just wander the superb Barrio de Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter of cobblestone lanes and orange-tree-shaded plazas. Easter week and April's Feria de Abril are the high points of the year - when rates rocket up and room availability plummets. Even in normal times Seville's considered pricey by Andalusian standards - but read on, and save. Lodgings Of low-end nonhostel options, an excellent choice at 6,400 ptas ($33) per double from September to April (7,500 ptas/$38 at other times) is the 16-room Hostal Paris (Calle San Pedro Martir 14, 422-98-61, fax 421-96-45), not far north of the Maestranza bullring and near the Fine Arts Museum, with very fresh, whitewashed rooms including baths, A/C, TV, and phone. Right in the Barrio Santa Cruz, for 7,000 ptas ($36) per double, the Almagro-family-run Hostal Cordoba (Calle Farnesio 12, 421-53-35, franalmagro@inicia.es) has 12 immaculate rooms (amenities limited to bath and cable TV) set up around a classily simple jewel of an eighteenth-century courtyard. (One drawback of being family-run: a 3 a.m. curfew!) Close to the river, the Maestranza, and a ten-minute stroll to Santa Cruz, La R bida (Calle Castelar 24, 422-09-60, fax 422-43-75) is a gracious and distinguished old building with loads of antique touches-marble, paintings, tapestries, fountains, rich tilework, and carved wood-and 100 rooms that are slightly dated but fully decked out, amenities-wise. Doubles run 9,300 ptas ($48) November through February, 10,379 ptas ($50) the rest of the year (except Easter and Feria de Abril). Back in Santa Cruz, on the lovely little Plaza de los Venerables, is an atmospheric but slightly expensive eatery whose attached Hosteria del Laurel (422-02-95, fax 421-04-50, eintec.es/hostlaurel) is an inn-as charming yet modestly priced-that supposedly inspired the story of Don Juan back in 1844. Its 21 white-stucco rooms are clean, cheerful, modern, and well equipped; doubles run 8,025 ptas ($41) in January-February and July-August, 10,165 ptas ($52) in November-December, and 13,375 ptas ($68) otherwise. Dining Those yummy little tapas are quite the thing here, and good deals in countless bars and eateries; one of the more popular is the Cervecer¡a Giralda (Calle Mateos Gago 1), in the shadow of the cathedral, where under white vaulted ceilings or at outside tables locals chow down on a huge selection of tapas from 300 ptas ($1.55) apiece or their entree-size analogues from 1,200 ptas ($6.10). Nearby, Seville's single most atmospheric budget-priced don't-miss has to be the San Marco (Calle Meson del Moro 6/10, san-marco.net) in Santa Cruz, set amid the twelfth-century stone arches of an Arab bathhouse and tasteful "updated Moorish" decor; among the pizzas, pastas, and other Italian staples you'll find resurrected recipes of Al-Andalus such as lamb in honey sauce with scalloped potatoes (1,500 ptas/$7.60). Less dramatic but awash in country-flavored charm is El Rincon de Pepe (Calle Gloria 6, between Plazas Elvira and Los Venerables), where the four-course, 975-peseta ($5) formulas (set menus) are the way to go. At 850 ptas ($4.30), the set menus are also the star at Meson Serranito, a chain whose service is gruff but whose Calle Antonia Diaz 4 location is in total tune with the Maestranza bullring around the corner: full of stuffed bulls' heads and taurine tchotchkes. Finally, for a touch of something different, Hang Zhou (Calle Mateos Gago 5, next to Cerveceria Giralda) is a nicely decorated spot with a selection of pretty creditable-tasting 825-peseta ($4.20) Chinese f¢rmulas. Nightlife Andalusia's hottest partying apart from the Costa del Sol kicks off low-key, with a 600-peseta ($3) agua de Sevilla (champagne, pineapple juice, egg liqueur) at Cafe Bar Abades, a classy eighteenth-century covered courtyard in Santa Cruz (Calle Abades 13, sol.com/abades). Continue to the high-quality, twice-nightly flamenco at Los Gallos (Pl. de Santa Cruz 11, 421-69-81, tablaolosgallos.com; 3,500 ptas/$18, including one drink). Then head across the river to the Triana district, where along the riverfront Calle Betis sevillanos party in clubs like Div n, Alambique, Rejoneo, and El Descansillo. A top choice for young 'uns: Mo d'Aqui (No. 55), with 200-peseta ($1) beers, 600-peseta ($3) cocktails, and occasional live music; for a more mixed-age crowd, try Lo Nuestro (No. 31A), with just slightly higher prices. Cordoba: Narrow cobbled lanes & a magical mosque Usually relegated to a two-hour tour-bus stopover or a day trip from Seville - two hours west by road, 41 minutes/round-trip 4,500 ptas ($23) via AVE train - the most important city in Al-Andalus (home to legendary figures like Maimonides and Averroas) is one of my favorite spots in Spain, an undersung UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Guadalquivir where folks are even friendlier than in Seville and the atmosphere even more magical. Now home to a little over 300,000 souls, Cordoba has a Juderia (old Jewish quarter) with a still-existing section of twelfth-century crenellated walls and a mini-universe of the Moorish, Jewish, and Christian Middle Ages-cobblestone lanes like Calleja del Pa¤uelo ("Hankie Lane," dubbed in honor of its width); courtyards (in early May, the Concurso de Patios Cordobeses judges the fairest of them all); and sumptuous little moments even better savored in the calm of the evening, when the day-trippers are gone. There are synagogues, fascinating museums, even Roman ruins - but the old town's crowning glory is the Mezquita (1,000 ptas/$5), an eighth-century mosque partly deformed into a cathedral by the kill-a-Muslim-for-Christ crowd, yet still preserving its fairy-tale interior-six acres of splendid striped arches and gorgeously adorned prayer corners. Five miles out of town is another showstopper: the grandiose three-acre Moorish palace complex of Medina Azahara (600 ptas/$3); more ruined than, say, the Alhambra, it's still an incredible stroll back into tenth-century Al-Andalus. Lodgings Open to all ages, the three-story, modernized Albergue Juvenil C¢rdoba (Plaza Jud Levi, 29-01-66, fax 29-05-00, inturjoven.com), in the Juder¡a several streets west of the Mezquita, is one of the most attractive hostels of Andalusia's larger cities, with immaculate whitewashed doubles from 2,541 ptas ($13) per person - 2,862 ptas ($15) from April through October - that are simple but clean, and bath- and A/C-equipped. Full meals start at 750 ptas ($3.80). For more in the way of amenities, check out the Bueno-family-run Hotel Los Patios (Calle Cardenal Herrero 14, 47-83-40, fax 48-69-66), opened in September 2000 right near the entrance to the Mezquita. Its 24 rooms sport not only satellite TV, A/C, phones, and private baths, but neat little details such as Mozarabic-style fixtures; doubles run 9,095 ptas ($46) in high season and 7,223 ptas ($37) in low. Or, a short stroll east of the great mosque, maximize your options at the nine-year-old Hostal Maestre (Calle Romero Barros 4/6, at Calle San Fernando, 47-24-10, fax 47-53-95), whose two rambling, homey, but spick-and-span town houses offer 24 plainish hostel rooms (double 5,000 ptas/$25); 26 slightly more elaborate, marble-tiled hotel rooms (6,000 ptas/$31 in low season, 7,000 ptas/$36 in high); and seven kitchen-equipped apartments (7,500 ptas/$39 for two people, 8,500 ptas/$44 for four). Throughout, you generally get TVs, air-conditioning, and private baths, but no phones. Overall, the Maestre's a sweet find-truly close to staying in a local's home. Dining For a down-home round of tapas (from 225 ptas/$1.15 or entree-size portions from 650 ptas/$3.35), start at the 144-year-old Taberna Séneca (Calle San Eulogio 4, behind the fascinating archeological museum), currently run by José and Salva, a young gay couple (yep, smack in conservative ol' Cordoba). Amid its battered white walls, ancient wood sherry barrels, old black-and-white photos of the city, and intensely local crowd, try local specialties like salmorejo cordobes (a delectable mix of bread crumbs, garlic, tomato, and olive oil, topped with hard-boiled egg slices and Serrano ham). At Los Patios, attached to the eponymous hotel, with seating in a plant-bedecked courtyard or inside under centuries-old arches, breakfast starts at 345 ptas ($1.75) with multicourse lunchtime or dinner menus, including drink and dessert, costing upwards of 1,275 ptas ($6.50). Even more atmospheric: the Meson de la Luna (Calleja de la Luna), a former cockfighting ring inside the old city walls, with menus from 1,600 ptas ($8.15), and the Meson Muralla right across "Moon Street" (menus 900 ptas/$4.60). East of the Mezquita, the rather more upscale Bodegas Campos (Calle de los Lineros 32) nonetheless offers reasonably priced tapas (775 ptas/$4) and a bargain lunchtime menu for 1,000 ptas ($5.15) weekdays and 1,500 ptas ($7.75) weekends; it might feature the house specialty, patatas guisadas, a savory potato stew. Finally, the Caballo Rojo (Calle Cardenal Herrero 28), across from the Mezquita, is considered another of the best eateries in town, with lots of local specialties - including resurrections from Moorish times - and a simpatico selection of entree choices under $10. More information Info: The Spanish National Tourist Office has branches in Chicago (312/642-1992), Los Angeles (323/658-7188), Miami (305/358-1992), and New York (212/265-8822), which provide helpful advice and literature; visit online at okspain.org. Other good Web sites devoted to the region: andalucia.org/enghomepage.jsp, andalucia.com/home.htm, and altur.com/eng. Individual city sites worth checking out include sevilla.org, sevilla5.com, http://granada.spain.trip tool.com, aboutgranada.com, and http://cordoba.travelnow-spain.com. Packages: For an alternative to doing it on your own, consider the pack of possibilities - escorted and not, in all price ranges - from tour operators such as Abreu (800/223-1580, abreu-tours.com), Central Holidays (800/935-5000, centralholidays.com), Gate1 (800/682-3333, gate1travel.com), the Internet-only go-today.com, seniors-oriented Grand Circle Travel (800/248-3737, gct.com), and Petrabax (800/634-1188, petrabax.com). Also, from May through December, California-based Adventure Center (800/228-8747, adventurecenter.com) sells hiking itineraries (including most meals and all accommodations) through Andalusia; one week from $550, two from $690, land-only. Notes: Dollar amounts based on exchange rate of 197 pesetas/1.18 euros to US$1; prices include 7 percent IVA tax. Phone codes for the numbers in this article: Granada 958, Seville 95, Cordoba 957; to call from U.S., first dial 011-34; from elsewhere in Spain, first dial 0.

Buy your adventure tour directly from a local outfitter, a person on the spot who actually organizes and supervises the activity, and you can save big bucks, sometimes a thousand or more. That was the message I advanced in a recent issue of Budget Travel, citing examples that ranged from diving in Fiji to mountain biking in Thailand. But it isn't only overseas that small outfitters actually operate the tour and yet receive only a small fraction of the fee charged for it. Here at home, the overwhelming majority of domestic adventure tours are also operated by modest, local outfitters charging reasonable rates. But far too often, their prices are marked up by big national tour companies whose strength is in marketing, advertising, and sales. Innocent adventure travelers buy their tours from national companies when they could have gotten them straight from the local source, and hence pay far more than necessary. Here are 12 outstanding American adventures that you can buy directly from distinguished local outfitters for a fraction of the cost charged by nationwide concerns. Each is available in 2002 (and most will also be available in 2003), and all but one are priced below $150 per day, sometimes for considerably less, but only when purchased directly from the outfitters mentioned in the text. Fishing and canoeing in the boundary waters of Minnesota Maybe it's the one-million-plus acres of seemingly endless wilderness--a whopping 1,300 miles of canoeable waters through countless lakes, rivers, and ponds--that gets paddlers all dreamy-eyed over Minnesota's northern frontier, the Boundary Waters. You can go days without seeing another person, intent instead on moose, whitetail deer, black bears, beavers, otters, and those laughing loons. Wilderness Outfitters in the border town of Ely has been taking people away from civilization since 1921 (800/777-8572, wildernessoutfitters.com). In 2002, they're offering five 6-to-10-day guided trips through the Boundary Waters and neighboring Quetico Park in Canada. This area is truly an angler's paradise, to name just one of its attractions. Crystal-clear waters hold trout, walleye, bass, and northern pike in abundance. Since there is almost no motor access to the Boundary Waters and Quetico, fish are plentiful. The cost of most six-day trips is $895 per person, including canoes, guides, food, and tents. Of course, Wilderness Outfitters also offers food, canoes, and maps for alternative self-guided trips, which reduce the price for the latter to $55 per person, per day. Backpacking Yosemite National Park It began more than a century ago in the rugged wilderness of the Sierra Nevada. Deep among the towering sequoias and cascading waterfalls, John Muir and other leading conservationists founded an enduring group dedicated to preserving this awesome mountain range. Today, the Sierra Club has more than half a million members and offers guided trips throughout northern California and around the world (415/977-5522, sierraclub.org/). One of the best of the bunch is a seven-day backpacking trip through Yosemite. Called "Majestic Yosemite," this 65-mile, on-trail trip leads you to unforgettable vistas at heights of well over 10,000 feet and past deep-in-the-woods waterfalls that few people besides Muir have seen. The trip begins and ends in Tuolumne Meadows, where the wildflowers are at their peak during the dates of the trek, July 9-16. Cost of the backpack adventure is $485, including all food. Biking Vermont There are many reasons for bikers to cherish Vermont. The numerous back-country roads connect picturesque hamlets, all with very little traffic. The rolling hills challenge the novice, but also allow the experts to feel a sense of accomplishment. Yet it's the scenery that makes a bike trip in Vermont so appealing. Around every bend there's another meadow greener than the last, another freshly painted white steeple piercing the clouds overhead, and another Green Mountain standing tall in the distance. Strict environmental statutes prohibit roadside billboards and other eyesores. In their place stand small signs advertising pure maple syrup or identifying the types of cows found on a farm-Holstein, Hereford, or Jersey. This state was meant to be seen at a slow pace. Depending on your ability, budget, and length of stay, Vermont Outdoor Guide Association (800/425-8747, voga.org/) will develop a detailed itinerary that includes accommodations (B&Bs, youth hostels, or campgrounds), bike routes (including a map and a description of the terrain), even a bike. This is a self-guided tour of the state, so luggage will be transported by the lodging properties and each night's accommodation will keep track of your route in case of an emergency. Take a weeklong tour in the affordable and majestic northeast kingdom of Vermont, and your total cost, including bike rental, inns, and food, will be $500-$600. If you prefer to camp and want to bring your own bike, the weekly price plummets to about $150, not including meals. Rafting the Yampa River, Colorado Roaring for 72 miles through northwestern Colorado, the Yampa River is the last major free-flowing tributary in the entire Colorado River system. This Class III river, ideal for families, is in its prime in early June, when the snowmelt fills the channel. Large, playful waves run from start to finish through Yampa, Whirlpool, and Split Mountain Canyons in the heart of Dinosaur National Monument. (Butch Cassidy found these slickrock walls and layers of cavernous rock to be the perfect hideaway.) Two-thousand-foot-deep sandstone gorges create a colorful canyon maze that effectively blocks out the world. You'll find golden eagles, bighorn sheep, and one of the largest concentrations of the threatened peregrine falcons in the States. Adrift Adventures (800/824-0150, adrift.com/) features a five-day run on the Yampa. Cost is $769 adults and $679 children. Surfing Oregon Much of Oregon's northern coast is undeveloped and protected as state parks or public beaches. It's an ideal place to camp and wake up in the morning to look for shells on miles-long crescents of sand. If you register for Adventure Surf Unlimited's (781/648-2880, adventuresurf.com/) weeklong camps on the Oregon coast, you roll out of your sleeping bag at sunrise and look out over the bluff at the waters of the Pacific. Minutes later, you're donning a wetsuit and hitting the surf. Far away from the crowded conditions of California beaches, Oregon is a far gentler place to try this sport. In the ocean, guides ride directly alongside novices, even giving them a little push, if necessary, to catch the wave. Although Adventure Surf Unlimited primarily attracts beginners, seasoned riders come to fine-tune skills such as walking the board or setting up for bigger waves. Throughout the session, guides shout instructions like, "This is a good wave, you can catch it," or "Paddle right." Out of the water, instructors discuss tidal conditions, tell you how to read waves, and critique how you did that day. Take it in stride, dude. The seven-day course, including all instruction, food, and camping equipment, costs $799. Mountain biking in Moab, Utah Moab and the Canyonlands are to mountain biking what Hawaii is to surfing. It's home to the legendary Slickrock Trail, a 12-mile pedal through a stunning labyrinth of deep narrow canyons that twist and turn sharply, without reason, like the scribbling of a three-year-old. Adventurebus (888/737-5263, adventurebus.com/) will take you and your favorite mountain bike on a weeklong biking-and-hiking tour of Utah on the Slickrock Express. Starting from Southern California, you drive through Las Vegas, arriving at the red and amber canyon walls of Zion National Park at dawn. Rise and shine on a hike in the Narrows, where you walk in the Virgin River through a 1,000-foot-deep chasm that's a mere 20 feet wide. The next day is spent hiking or biking in Bryce Canyon National Park. Then it's on to Canyonlands for four days of camping under the stars and biking through rolling juniper and burnt-red butte country. You'll try all the renowned routes-Slickrock, Gemini Bridges, and the Porcupine Rim Trail-spending hours slithering through chutes of sandstone. Cost of the trip is $800, including food. Sailing the Keys, Florida There was a time, not long ago, when yachting was an outing only for the affluent. Thankfully, that's no longer true. The Moorings (800/535-7289, moorings.com/), a yacht charter company for the past 33 years, is offering a great deal out of Tortola, the British Virgin Islands. From July 29 through October 24, 2002, you can bareboat charter the Moorings 332, a 33-foot yacht, for a cost of $1,500 for six nights. Since the boat has two spacious staterooms, the yacht is well suited for two couples. The final tally for four people would be $53 per person per day, not including provisions. Rock climbing, Joshua Tree National Park Three hours east of Los Angeles, huge boulder outcroppings bake in the Mojave Desert sun. Joshua trees, yucca, creosote, and other desert shrubs cover the sandy ground, leaving only these mountains of rock uncovered. Welcome to Joshua Tree National Park, home to the Joshua Tree Rock Climbing School (800/890-4745, joshuatreerockclimbing.com/). More than 100 million years ago, these jumbled piles of bedrock cooled, hardened, and then eroded into fantastic shapes. Today, there are over 4,000 rock climbs to choose from, appropriate for any level of expertise. The school offers four-day beginner and intermediate seminars year-round. A typical day starts at Turtle Rock in the north end of the park. During a quick 30-minute talk about the equipment, you'll be outfitted with a harness, helmet, and climbing shoes, whose bottoms are made of sticky rubber. Then you'll spend the rest of the morning "bouldering" (climbing, low to the ground, up a large boulder) before tackling a sheet of rock. After your guides delve further into the mechanics of the ropes and the belay (the thing that stops you from falling if you slip off the rock), you will spend the afternoon on the rockface, getting comfortable with hand- and footholds as you climb up and rappel down a 75-foot cliff. By the end of four days, you'll look like SpiderMan as you climb a 100-foot cliff. Cost of the program is $315. Most camping is free in the park, but it's first-come, first-served. You may reserve a site in Indian Cove or Black Rock Campgrounds for $10 a night (800/365-2267). Scuba diving the Big Island, Hawaii Scuba divers who head to Hawaii's Kona Coast have more than 70 sites to choose from. After a 15-minute boat ride from the shores you arrive at Turtle Pinnacle. Here, in 35 to 40 feet of water, you'll be eyeball-to-eyeball with large green sea turtles. At Manta Ray Village, the mantas come out at night to feed on plankton. Another favorite location in the area is Long Lava Tube, where you swim in a 70-foot-long cavelike tunnel that was created by lava flowing into the sea. Inside this tunnel, hundreds of tropical fish delight you with their neon patterns. Eco-Adventures (800/949-3483, molokai-hawan.com/), regarded by many as the number one outfitter in Hawaii, offers numerous diving packages. Six nights at the Royal Kona Resort in an oceanview room, plus rental car, full buffet breakfasts, two days of two-tank diving, and a one-night dive with the mantas is priced at $695. Skip the rental car and breakfasts, and they'll put you up at Kona Seaside Hotel for $498. You can probably get a discount if you book through the Internet. Sea kayaking the Barrier Island, Georgia While many islands off the Atlantic coast continue to build resorts and second homes, Georgia has left its barrier islands pretty much alone. Only four of its dozen islands have been developed. The others are still marsh wetlands and dunes, where giant sea turtles come to lay their eggs and the occasional alligator stumbles though brackish swamp. These countless miles of tidal rivers and coastal waters are a sea kayaker's dream. Sea Kayak Georgia (888/529-2542, seakayakgeorgia.com/), based on Savannah's Tybee Island, takes kayakers on a three-day trip to Little Tybee and Wassaw Islands, of which the former is a green expanse of tidal marsh and maritime forests in various stages of succession, from hammocks of live and laurel oak to scrubby forests of palm and slash pine, as well as deserted beaches populated only by mink, sea otters, snowy egrets, blue herons, and ospreys. On the paddle over, you'll most likely be accompanied by bottlenose dolphins and diving pelicans. Wassaw Island is a national wildlife refuge open to the public during daylight hours only. The cost of the trip is $360, including all food and camping equipment. Horseback packing, New Mexico The half-million-acre Gila Wilderness sits in the southwestern part of New Mexico, near the Arizona border. This is desolate country, where 11,000-foot peaks tower over deeply eroded canyons and hundreds of miles of lonely river. Once infamous for Apache raids on early settlers by the likes of Geronimo, Gila is now known for its large herds of elk, bighorn sheep, black bears, and mountain lions. The only way to pierce this vast interior is by foot or on horseback. Tom Klumker, owner of San Francisco River Outfitters (505/539-2517, gilanet.com/sfroutfitters), has been leading pack trips into this region for the past 25 years. In the saddle of a strong quarter horse that he supplies, you'll lope through large stretches of ponderosa pines and tall aspen, some as high as 100 feet. In the nighttime, you can soothe your sore bum in a cool river. Five-day trips cost $750. Horses, camping equipment, and hearty steak dinners that could satiate John Wayne are included in the price. Boston-based writer Stephen Jermanok is a contributing editor at Outdoor Explorer, and author of Frommer's Great Outdoor Guide to New England.

MADRID, Spain - Not again. Not here. Not now. When I began Syracuse University's study abroad program in January, I pictured my semester in Madrid consisting of leisurely days eating tortilla and sipping sangria. This was going to be a way to hide for awhile, to get away from the evils of the world. Then came March 11, and the terrorist bombs that killed at least 192 people also shattered my naïve expectations. Spain was subsequently thrown to the forefront of international news, with an upset election and the withdrawal of its troops from Iraq. So much for getting away from it all. Two months later, the frequent security announcements over the Metro loudspeakers and guards wearing neon orange vests are constant reminders of what Madrid has been through. Yet this city full of people with an indestructible love for life is trying to get back to normal, whatever that might be nowadays. From my standpoint, normal is not letting the terrorist attacks dissuade me from going to crowded, popular places and visiting some of the most beautiful sites in Madrid, including museums, national landmarks and outdoor attractions. Of I just hide away at school, then the terrorists win (cliched but true). Nor am I put off by the lousy exchange rate, as $1 now buys me a measly 0.85 euros. I'm going to get out and see it all before I leave--the city's attractions remain open to the public, and my favorite places usually cost no more than 15¬, relatively little dinero. Here are just a few of the treasures that made my semester in Madrid--despite the terrorism, and despite my relative poverty--the adventure of a lifetime. The "cure" of culture My student checkbook doesn't allow me the freedom to spend at will, so Madrid's plentiful museums are a lifesaver. Most charge no more than 5¬ and have one or more days when they are free. I'm no art buff, but I've proudly learned to tell a Goya from an El Greco at the world-famous Prado, which houses approximately 8,600 paintings, including Velazquez's masterpiece, "Las Meninas." It's worth much more than the 3-$3.55 admission, which happily for me I haven't had to pay as discounts and/or free entry are available for students, the unemployed and visitors under 18 and over 65. Sundays are best because they are free for everyone, as they are for most museums in Madrid. (Note that most museos are closed on Mondays.) I tried my hand at modern art at the Reina Sofia (same fees as Prado in addition to free Saturday afternoons). There I stood awed in front of yet another masterpiece, Picasso's famous "Guernica", a particularly moving painting to view in light of recent events. I didn't make it to the Thyssen-Bornemisza (4.80/$5.70) but I could have done so relatively inexpensively with my student ID card. But even had I been a "normal" visitor the cost would have been low had I purchased the Paseo del Arte, a combined pass to all three museums for just 7.66¬. But there were more than enough other museums to fill my time as Madrid offers a museum for every interest. At the National Anthropology Museum (2.40-$2.80; free Saturday afternoons and Sundays), I examined Egyptian tombs and stood dwarfed by a mammoth's skull. Still more animal heads awaited me at the Bullfighting Museum (free), which also offers an impressive-- if not slightly morbid--display of matadors' torn, blood-stained garments. All in the family Waiting in line among swarms of chatty tourists isn't exactly my idea of fun, but it's worth it to see something as impressive as the Palacio Real, or Royal Palace ($9.50 entrance; 3$4.15 for students, children 5-16). Besides, the crowds helped me out--I saved a few euros by opting out of the guided tour and joining one that had already started. (This, of course, only worked because I was fortunate enough to speak the tour guide's language. I apologize to those who may view this practice as unethical but maintain that I am a poor student.) Visitors also walk through at their own pace; both times I've gone, I've spent much of my time in Charles III's throne room, enchanted with its decadent red velvet walls. The palace will be closed from May 17-23 for the royal wedding of Prince Felipe and his journalist-bride, Letizia. Spaniards are a bit obsessed with the couple, and it's a fever that catches easily. I have come pretty darn close to buying numerous items--key chains, plates, even thimbles--with their images on them. (Let's hope I hold out.) For those of us who have caught the bug and want to see where they'll tie the knot, the Almudena Cathedral, right next-door to the palace, is free of charge. It's stunning inside and out; take particular notice of its brightly-colored ceilings. When in Rome How could I live in Spain and not go to a bullfight or two? Though I wasn't sure how I would react to the corrida de toros, I soon found myself shouting "Ole!" as the matador completed artistic passes with his cape. The excitement is especially evident now that Madrid is in the thick of the fair devoted to its patron saint, Isidro; there's a fightevery day from now to June 5. Tickets at Plaza de Las Ventas start at just $3.60-$4.25. Yet the less you pay, the more you'll sweat (and I can attest, burn), as seats in the sun (sol) are generally cheaper than those in the shade (sombra). In any case, they tend to sell fast. Other seats that sell out quickly are to soccer--ahem, futbol--games. While I went mainly to see Beckham and what were once his long golden locks, true madrileños are devoted to all of their home team, RealMadrid. Tickets sell for as little as 15-$18 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, or call 902 324 324. After seeing the toros and cheering on the team, it's time to go out (calling this Madrid's nightlife is hardly accurate, as things usually don't get started until at least midnight). My budget Bible for finding out about theater, concerts, restaurants, clubs and special events is the Guia del Ocio, a weekly Spanish magazine published every Friday and available at newsstands for $1.20. For English publications, I read InMadrid and The Broadsheet, free at many bars and bookstores. The great outdoors The rain in Spain often fell mainly on the plain this winter, so I didn't get as much outdoors time as I would have wished. But when I did I often explored the city's Retiro Park. Like New York's Central Park, Retiro Park is always bustling with activity, especially on weekends. Top sights? The numerous free street entertainersand the exhibitionist young lovers publicly displaying their affection for one another (another favorite Spanish pastime). The $4.75 my friend and I spent to rent a rowboat on the lake for 45 minutes was well worth it, even if people did laugh at us for our less-than-stellar rowing ability. Another relaxing option is the Botanical Gardens ($2.40 adults, $1.20 for students, free for seniors, children under 10), where I leisurely walked around this "living museum" that dates back to the 18th century. It's filled with plants from around the world, from tulips to cacti. Curiously enough, I found myself stopping to read the labels. Who knew I had an inner botanist waiting to come out? Jumping from plants to pharaohs, the Templo de Debod, an authentic Egyptian temple with beautiful reflecting pools, is one of my favorite spots in all of Madrid. Not only is there free entrance to the temple, but the site also affords a picturesque overlook. Sunday mornings are often reserved for a visit to the Rastro, an outdoor flea market to beat all flea markets. This is where I pick up inexpensive souvenirs ($3.50 black-market CDs of the latest Spanish craze, $5 scarves). I've tried my hand at haggling with the vendors to bajar el precio (lower the price), and always make sure to watch my purse--pickpockets frequent this area--or this budget activity could turn costly. Finally, I've never appreciated life and how lucky I am to be in Madrid--even with the horror of the attacks--as much as when I sit in the Plaza Mayor, listening to the strumming of guitars and watching the tourists and natives interact. The former generally gravitate toward the tourism office there, where they pick up free maps to guide them around some of the city's most beautiful plazas, such as Plaza del Oriente and Plaza de España. And yet it is difficult to walk around Madrid without being reminded of the recent events, whether I'm witnessing an anti-war rally in the Puerta del Sol or reading the sorrowful memorials at the Atocha train station. Being in Madrid during such trying times has forever linked me with this city. It is a place I hope to return to, for despite the tragedy, I had some of the best experiences of my life here.