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In November, Colombia declared a state of public calamity in 28 provinces as heavy rains caused flooding and landslides. More than 1.2 million people were affected and at least 135 people died. The amount of rain was said to exceed all historical records.
At press time, throughout the northeast and southern provinces of Thailand, over 240 fatalities had been attributed to floods and landslides caused by seasonal monsoon rains.
At press time, the Indonesian government was keeping the area around mounts Merapi and Bromo at the highest alert level, even though there had been a decrease in volcanic activity at the two locations.
Mt. Merapi, in central Java, began erupting again in October; it has killed an estimated 324 people. In November, heavy rains caused mudflows down its slopes, and hundreds of people along the Code River were evacuated.
Mt. Bromo, in East Java, began erupting with ash plumes in November and people were warned away.
The cholera epidemic in Haiti has spread rapidly and, as of Dec. 1, 1,751 people had died. The UN warned that if the epidemic reaches the various refugee camps, the number of infections could reach 400,000 in 12 months, with as many as 10,000 dead.
Some cases were reported in the Dominican Republic, but due to adequate health facilities they are not expected to spread. Travelers are urged to be aware of hygiene and drink only clean water.
My wife, Judy, and I flew on Lufthansa from Detroit to Budapest via Frankfurt on Aug. 28, 2010. When we picked up our luggage in Budapest, Hungary, one of our suitcases had been damaged. A wheel was missing and the bag had been ripped.
We immediately went to the Lufthansa service desk, just a few feet from the baggage-claim area.
I renewed a passport in September 2010 through the mailing process established by the Department of State. I received a 10-year passport with a meager 17 pages available for visas or stamps.
My wife, Vera, and I were in France, Sept. 27-Oct. 13, 2010. We had a week in Paris, a leisurely drive south to tour medieval towns and a few days with friends in Nimes. We had intended to take the high-speed TGV train back to Paris, but our return date coincided with the second day of what became a crippling nationwide strike over pension reform.
My wife, Sigrid, and I took an extended road trip in Europe in August-November 2010. While in Germany, we were warned about driving on the toll roads in Austria without first purchasing a vignette.* We were not alerted about needing a vignette in Slovenia, however, and it never crossed our minds.
There are two things travelers planning to drive in Switzerland need to be warned about.
A suggestion for those of you coming to London for a repeat visit — why not stay just outside of central London (viz., outside of the West End), where there is good train service into the city centre?
Staying outside of the shopping and entertainment areas (Westminster, Kensington, Chelsea, etc.), you are much more likely to meet local people if you head back there from central London for dinner or even spend some time in your chosen location. As locals, my wife, Vivien, and I always seem to be in the minority when we go “up west” within London, where it’s mostly visitors.