Middle East

The place that most interested me during our Japan trip was Chiran. Chiran was the site where young men flew on kamikaze flights, and today it is the site of the Chiran Peace Museum.

Having traveled abroad over 33 times in the past 13 years, I heartily concurred and empathized with the preponderance of opinions expressed in the October ’05 issue regarding money.

Nancy Stott of Walnutport, Pennsylvania, wrote, “I would like to see readers write on the topic of ‘around-the-world itineraries’ such as those featured by airline alliances and some consolidators. It would be great to have a few first-person accounts of experiences plus suggestions.”

We printed Nancy’s request in our June ’05 issue and received a number of responses. Several are printed below, and one reader’s very informative and comprehensive letter will follow next month.

by Judith Rosen, Alexandria, VA

I had a window of opportunity to take off work and go to Turkey, a country in which I had substantial interest. I began looking for companies that provided tours there, being mindful that I did not have much time to plan and would be alone.

The guidebooks say that when visiting Morocco, you should spend a night in Marzouga so as to witness the sunrise the next day. You could do that via camel or Land Rover, and on a trip my daughter Heather and I took one July, we decided to use camels.

Before dawn, we were awakened and led out to where a camel driver and camels awaited. Our guide, Hamid, accompanied us, walking with the driver.

The reader’s letter on travel to Iran in the June ’05 issue (page 40) was most interesting and informative. However, at the end, the references for guidebooks listed their prices if bought at full price.

I have had great luck with buying almost all of my travel books and guidebooks from www.amazon.com, utilizing the “Buy new” and “Used & new” links. These links will provide you with a list of sellers who have your book. They also indicate each book’s price and condition. I have so far received nothing but the highest-quality books, accurately described.

The Palámidi fortress in Nafplio, Greece, was the best of all the fortresses we visited in that area on our trip. It was built by the Venetians from 1711 to 1714 but was seized by the Turks the following year. My wife and I must have burned up four rolls of film between us on the structure. Adding to its appeal were all the colorful spring wildflowers coming up in crevices between the rocks. If you’re more ambitious and have the time, you can walk up 999 stairs from the town to the fortress. — RICHARD BERNER, San Diego, CA

(Part 3 of 3 on Morocco)

Kasbahs

I first visited Egypt 22 years ago. On my fourth trip to the country, in November 2004, I traveled with my 25-year-old daughter, Katie. I wanted to see her eyes light up at the sights that make Egypt one of this world’s greatest tourist destinations. I wanted her to say, 40 years from now, “Way back in ’04, I saw the pyramids for the first time with my MOM.”

Katie could only take one week off from her job. Friends and relatives questioned, “Only one week? What can you do in just one week?”

Well, as it turned out, quite a lot.