February 2012

On Nov. 30, 2011, while visiting the beautiful “Paris of South America,” as Buenos Aires is justly called, members of our tour group went exploring on their own.

I have a bit more information regarding a couple of the places mentioned in the article on Tottori Prefecture in Japan (Nov. ’11, pg. 6). I visited the area Nov. 1-7, 2011. Regarding the Uradome Coast boat excursion with the San’in Matsushima Yourun Company (Iwami-gun; phone 0857 73 1212 or e-mail info@yourun1000.com), the small-boat ride described in the article runs only from April to October and lasts 50 minutes, while the large-boat ride runs from March to November and lasts 40 minutes.

For many years throughout the British Isles, the “parish holidays” program was a fund raiser for Anglican churches. For many American visitors, it offered a joyful way to participate in local life and customs at a very reasonable cost. Since 2005, my husband, Lou, and I have enjoyed three parish holidays. The program officially came to an end in 2010, but I was happy to learn that in 2011 an independent parish holiday was being offered in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, July 5-12.

REPORT ON JORDAN… For our November-December 2011 trip to Jordan, we hired a private driver, Jehad Abu Saeed, whom we highly recommend.

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 432nd issue of your monthly foreign travel magazine, the original travelers’ forum.

What’s made of mud, stays cool in the hottest weather and boasts a design that hasn’t changed in 3,000 years?