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The Department of State recommends avoiding several areas of Nigeria because of the risks of kidnapping, robbery and armed attacks. Violent crimes are committed by individuals and gangs as well as by people wearing police and military uniforms.
In October, two car bombs killed 10 people in the capital, Abuja. In December, explosive devices were detonated in Abuja and in Jos, Plateau state.
Salta, in the far northwest of Argentina, has several interesting small museums. For my wife, Tamara, and me, the pick of the litter was Museo de Arte Étnico Americano (Fundación Pajcha, 20 de Febrero 831, Salta, Argentina; phone +54 387 422 9417 [website in Spanish]).
My wife and I have traveled to almost all the countries in the world. We usually stay in hostels for $10 to $20 a night. In fact, if a Hilton or Sheraton were offered to us at that same rate, we would prefer to stay in a hostel, 15 persons to a room.
In the luxurious room in the Hilton we would be all by ourselves and looking at the walls, with no one else to talk to. Meeting people and making friends is part of what we enjoy about travel, so we would choose the dormitory-style accommodations in order to meet people from all around the world.
I took a fascinating trip to Macedonia and Kosovo, March 10-20, 2011. These countries were the two components of the former Yugoslavia that I had never visited, and I explored them with Dzengis Patel, an outstanding guide and driver.
Dzengis works for DEA Tours (Kej Marshal Tito 40, Ohrid, Macedonia; phone/fax 00 389 [0] 46 26 52 51), which I found by sending letters of inquiry to travel companies that “do” Macedonia; Ohrid Travel in the UK responded and recommended DEA.
The American Library in Paris (10 rue du Général Camou, 75007 Paris, France; phone +33 [0] 1 53 59 12 60) is a great institution. It has a wonderful collection of books (in English). Even more interesting for the short-term visitor, it runs evening and afternoon programs — book reviews, authors speaking, etc., also in English — open to the public, for a small fee.
by Evan Goldfischer; Pleasant Valley, NY
Dear Globetrotter:
I am sad to report that Armond Noble, the man who conceived of this magazine all of 36 years ago, died on February 1.
The subject of January’s photo is the beginning of time and space. Well, to be more precise, it’s the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, home to the Prime Meridian.