December 2011

The United States ended its combat mission in Iraq on Aug. 31, 2010, and is scheduled to complete its withdrawal of military forces by Dec. 31, 2011.

Compiled by the Centers for Disease Control, “The Yellow Book,” aka “CDC Health Information for International Travel 2012” (Oxford University Press, 620 pp., 7"x10", $45 paperback), covers about 70 infectious diseases, discussing their risks to travelers.

With maps and charts, the book also outlines medical issues in specific regions and countries, tells what vaccines might be needed, has tips for travelers with special medical needs and gives pre- and post-travel tips.

by Julie Skurdenis (part 3 of 3 on Balkans)

KINGS LANDING, New Brunswick — For over 200 years, the buildings that make up Kings Landing Historical Settlement served well those living in Canada’s St. John River Valley. There, in an area so fertile that it was quickly dubbed “little Egypt,” thousands of refugees from colonial America found a new home in the aftermath of the American Revolution.

Even though Hong Kong is one of the world’s most modern and expensive cities, there are ways to learn about the traditional Chinese culture for free or nearly free. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) offers a variety of free or nearly free programs for visitors.

Travel is best with a few rough edges. I once suffered through an all-night stint on the blistered, black vinyl floor of a Yugoslavian train in order to wake up in Sofia, Bulgaria. When I stumbled out of that station into a blue, new Bulgarian day, just being off the train made Sofia a thrilling destination.

There are still plenty of people traveling in Europe on the cheap. The one thing they have in common (apart from B.O.) is frugality. If even low-budget pensions and hostels are too expensive for your wallet, you too can sleep for next to nothing.

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is MILT SWOPE of Rescue, CA:

I was rushed from my home to the hospital on April 27, 2011, after passing out on my way to the mailbox. I had a pulse of 30 beats per minute. About an hour later the doctors had implanted a pacemaker.

A reader asked where to find insect repellent and sunscreen in solid form (Sept. ’11, pp. 50-51), which would not need to go into the TSA-required “311” bag in your carry-on.

Cutter Outdoorsman has a solid insect repellent that is 30% DEET. (It’s sold in drugstores and outdoor-gear stores; one ounce costs about $7.50.)

Over many years of travel, I’ve found that the warnings in Lonely Planet guidebooks’ “Dangers and Annoyances” sections are on target and certainly not alarmist. I did not fully appreciate, however, their warning about Montevideo’s Ciudad Vieja (Old City), which said, “Wallet- and purse-snatches are not uncommon.” Amen to that!