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Archive for June, 2006
Mobal phone
Seconding the readers’ recommendation in the March ’06 issue, page 14, I too have had great service with www.mobal.com. The cell phone is cheap, the per-minute rates are reasonable, and there is no monthly charge; only what you use shows up on your credit card. There are two packages: one for 140 countries (not including the [...]Another delay
Two weeks before my departure to Málaga, Spain, on Jan. 25, ’06, I reconfirmed my flight on Iberia Airlines and told the representative I would need wheelchair assistance when I arrived at Madrid’s Baraja Airport. I ended up getting all the help I needed, as my connecting flight to Málaga was leaving in just one [...]Lisbon security
Returning to the U.S. from Portugal, my husband and I flew from Lisbon to London on Oct. 13, ’05. While going through security at the Lisbon airport, I had with me two metal circular knitting needles and a crochet hook, along with part of a baby’s sweater on bamboo circular needles. The two metal needles and [...]Melatonin for jet lag
In the February ’06 “Ask Steve” column, Mr. Venables wrote about beating jet lag. I must take issue with his comment, “… over-the-counter melatonin or prescription drugs… help with the sleeping going over but don’t do much for your inner clock.” It is well known to those who deal with jet lag, and to researchers in [...]Medical info online
I read Dr. Wagenaar’s excellent summary of medical websites in the February ’06 issue (pg. 93). Some time ago I picked up in one of the medical publications to which I subscribe a reference to www.patientinform.org. At the time, it only led one to the cancer, diabetes and heart websites. Now, in its expanded form, one [...]Romans the victors
In the letter “Ancient Carthage Secret” (April ’06, pg. 39), the assertion that Carthage won the first two Punic Wars is wrong. Rome won all three Punic Wars. Only the second one was a close call, with the Romans suffering years of defeats before winning the battle of Xama over Hannibal and restricting the Carthaginian [...]Report from Kenya
It was a surprise to see the item in the March ’06 issue, page 20, stating that the U.S. government continues to ask U.S. citizens in Kenya to “be aware of the risk of indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets in public places” and that “there are increasing incidents of. . . violent crime.” My wife and [...]Berlin guide
We were five days in Berlin in August ’05. On three of those days we were guided privately by Markus Mueller-Tenckhoff (phone 0049-30-453 14 22 or e-mail mmt-berlin@t-online.de). Markus went at a pace that seniors can handle and made sure that we saw all of the sights worth seeing. He was able to tell us a [...]Guide in Na Trang
During a cruise in November ’05, the ship stopped in Na Trang, Viet-Nam. As is our custom, rather than sign up for the ship’s structured land tours, my husband and I usually hire a driver and tell him to take us where the tourists don’t go. A man of about 35 approached us and we hired [...]Driving on Hokkaido, Japan
In the March ’06 “Person to Person” section, on page 130 Kathleen Nichols asked about planning a one-week trip to Hokkaido, an island at Japan’s extreme north. I would like to give some suggestions. First, renting a car is an option worth considering if you’re planning to explore Hokkaido. We recommend one of the following plans [...]
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