November 2010

I took a trip aboard the Aranui 3, Sept. 24-Oct. 9, 2009. This is a passenger/cargo ship that stops among some of the Marquesas and Tuamotu islands dropping off supplies and tourists.

My wife, Joan, and I had experiences similar to that of Kent Shamblin (“Travel in Norway,” Sept. ’10, pg. 17) when we took a cruise on the MS Nordkapp with Hurtigruten (Fort Lauderdale, FL; 866/552-0371) in June-July 2010.

Eight of us flew Delta/Air France from San Jose, California, to Cairo, Egypt, via Paris, France, on Feb. 27, 2010. When we arrived at Paris’ CDG Airport for our connecting flight to Cairo (on Air France 508 or Delta 8622) at 1:35 p.m., we found out that it was delayed due to weather. It was finally canceled at 9:40 p.m.

For an itinerary in January ’08 from San Jose, California, to Dakar, Senegal, with connections in Chicago and Brussels, my wife and I were ticketed with American Airlines (AA). The initial flight, San Jose-Chicago, was canceled due to a mechanical problem. The AA agent in San Jose rerouted our entire trip, issuing new tickets for flights from San Francisco to Dakar via Paris on Air France. This trip involved a lot of miles, for which we wanted frequent-flyer credit.

by Bill Bechtell; Montara, CA

My April 2010 trip to Costa Rica had been, to this point, mediocre, at best.

During a cruise stop on Aug. 20, 2009, my husband, Bob, and I toured Edinburgh as passengers on a three-wheeled motorcycle with Trike Tours Scotland (phone 0800 056 7779 or mobile 07786 267826, www.triketours.com).

Our guide, Gordon, was extremely knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. He picked us up at the dock with our gear: helmets and leather jackets; rain gear was offered, but we declined.

According to legend, near the end of the 14th century a pious woman, Penh, discovered four Buddha images floating down the Tonlé Sap river in a hollow log. To commemorate the remarkable event, she commissioned the construction of a phnom (hill) at the site and a temple atop it. The city that exists there today is named after her creation, Phnom Penh (Penh’s Hill).

Awaiting takeoff from Los Angeles to Tokyo, the Japanese flight attendant asked, “Ma’am, have you already had a chance to buckle your seat belt?” This question, presented as a pleasant request, intrigued me because an American attendant might say, “Please put on your seat belt so we can take off.”

By Nili Olay; New York, NY

Madagascar, the land of lemurs and baobab trees, wasn’t even on our short list of places to visit. Furthermore, we don’t like group tours. Yet my husband, Jerry, and I traveled to Madagascar as part of a group of 10 from May 16 to June 9, 2010. Why?