Wait for passports returns to normal

State Department

The U.S. State Department has restored passport service to the standard six- to- eight-week processing time for routine applications, and no more than three weeks for expedited service.

Some waited as long as three months earlier this year as the summer travel crunch hit. The passport agency found itself unprepared to handle processing for millions of new applicants as a result of a new rule requiring passports for those entering the United States by air from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and countries in the Caribbean region.

The State Department issued more than 16 million passports in fiscal year 2007, which ends Sept. 30, compared to 12.1 million in 2006. Those who have applied for passports but haven't yet received them have been allowed to re-enter the U.S. by showing proof of a passport application. That provision expires at the end of the month, but U.S. citizens who departed earlier with a proof-of-passport application receipt will be allowed back in after Sept. 30.

The government said it plans to expand processing facilities and continue to hire more specialists to meet rising demand as passport requirements are extended to land and sea borders, possibly as early as mid-2008. For information on applying for or renewing a passport, see http://travel.state.gov/passport.

South America

Bolivia to require U.S. tourists to have visas

Bolivia will require visas for U.S. tourists beginning Dec. 1, following through on a pledge to treat Americans much like the U.S. treats Bolivians entering the United States.

A 30-day tourist visa will cost $134, an amount similar to fees paid by Bolivian citizens applying to enter the U.S. Americans now need only fill out a small form upon entering Bolivia, which grants them 30 days' stay with the chance to apply for up to 90 days.

The U.S. government requires Bolivians to obtain visas to enter the United States, charging $100 for each, plus a $14 fee per family to begin the application process.

National parks

Glacier plans early closure of scenic road

Glacier National Park will close the alpine part of Going-to-the-Sun Road, the 48.7-mile scenic byway that bisects the Montana park, earlier this year than usual to repair damage caused by storms last fall.

The road will be shut down starting today, from Avalanche to Siyeh Bend, cutting off access to 6,646-foot Logan Pass, a popular lookout point, and the Logan Pass Visitors Center. Hikers and bikers will be able to travel six miles beyond the closure. Snows usually force seasonal closures of the road by November. See www.nps.gov/glac.

Peru

Historic sites suffer earthquake damage

Historic churches and colonial-era haciendas along Peru's southern coast suffered serious damage in last month's deadly earthquake.

The quake badly damaged at least 173 churches, monuments and historic buildings, with about one-third destroyed, said Cecilia Bakula, director of the state-run National Culture Institute.

The 329-year-old colonial Hacienda San Jose, outside the city of Chincha, suffered partially collapsed walls but was largely intact, saved by its wooden roof. The hacienda was declared a national monument in the late 1960s.

In the port city of Pisco — hit hardest by the Aug. 15 quake that injured more than 500 people — the five-story Embassy Hotel accordioned onto its ground floor, killing 15. Other hotels survived intact.

The Nazca lines, world-famous desert geoglyphs, suffered no damage, government officials said. (Geoglyphs are large images made on the ground using arrangements of stones or soil.)

New York

Improvements coming for Ellis Island ferries

The handover of ferries that take sightseers to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will take place Jan. 1 when Statue Cruises LLC will take over the operation from Circle Line, which held the job for more than 50 years, according to the National Park Service.

Hornblower Yachts, the California-based owner of Statue Cruises, has plans to reduce wait times and offer free podcasts and multimedia presentations on immigrant history when it takes over the service. Tourists currently wait on a first-come, first-served basis for security screening and a spot on a ferry. With the new system, visitors will be able to make reservations for specific departure slots.

Compiled by Seattle Times staff and news services