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Archive for July, 2006
Escaping unwanted noise
Flents Ear Stopples, which have been my trusted companion during 50 years of travel, have come in handy whenever loud noise has kept me awake. They are easy to use. After softening the earplug by kneading it between thumb and index finger, you mold it into the very beginning of the ear canal with your index [...]A dry start
The reader’s letter about drying clothes by twisting them in towels (June ’06, pg. 92) describes what we’ve done for years. Rather than reuse towels damp after showering, though, I have a twist on her scheme. When we are first shown to our hotel room, I always ask for two extra bath towels to be delivered [...]Flaming Cliffs notes
I believe in some literary license, but the reader’s comparison of the Flaming Cliffs in Mongolia to the Grand Canyon (May ’06, pg. 64) goes way too far and creates unrealistic expectations for future travelers. We, too, visited the Flaming Cliffs in July ’05, and we have just returned from our third visit to the Grand [...]Czech guide
We toured Prague for two days in August ’05 and on a third day took a trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cesky Krumlov with a guide and an air-conditioned car. Our personal tour guide was Lenka, a knowledgeable, friendly college graduate. She shared her enthusiasm for architecture, history and everything Czech. Lenka came to [...]Lucked into Libya
We took a trip to Libya with Distant Horizons (Long Beach, CA; 800/333-1240), an ITN advertiser. We were quite fortunate to have received visas, which arrived at almost the last minute. Other tours had to be canceled because the Libyans had not issued visas for those groups. It seems the Libyan government relaxed its restrictions on [...]Camel racing meets technology
I visited several countries in the Arabian Peninsula, including the United Arab Emirates, in early December ’05. One day in the northern emirate of Ras al Khaimah (locally known as RAK), I was traveling around in my hired car with driver when I spotted what looked like a racetrack near the community of Diqdaqa. I [...]Heads up for Outback drivers
While on my independent tour of Australia in March ’06, I was waiting for the Adelaide-Alice Springs train to board and got into a conversation with Lois, a lady who had lived in Alice Springs for 20 years. When I told Lois that I was renting a car and driving in the Outback, she warned me [...]Loves London theatre
Every year I spend a wonderful four days in London, seeing as many theatrical productions as I can squeeze in. This year’s visit, in April, was one of my best experiences so far. For convenience, I always find a hotel right off of the tube’s Piccadilly line. This time I stayed at the Grange Strathmore Hotel [...]Borgo a Mozzano
When I travel, I collect pyramids, train trips, ancient wonders, Art Deco cities and more by visiting them and writing down the where and when. One of my favorite collection categories is “bridges,” and I came across one of the most unique purely by accident in February ’06. I was in Italy, hitting some of the [...]Mouthwatering in Madrid
The Plaza Mayor area in Madrid, Spain, can be very pricey for meals, especially in the tapas bars on the street Arcos de Cuchilleros; they are mentioned in almost every guidebook. My wife and I, much to our delight, in March ’06 stumbled upon a jewel of a restaurant for lunch just a block away from [...]
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