Funniest thing
“When are we?”
This month’s winner is LIZ (SARAH) FISCHER of Tarpon Springs, Florida: In 2010 my husband and I did a 3-week self-drive trip through New Zealand. Armed with a good map and “Dora the Explorer,” as we affectionately called our first portable GPS, we set off to see this beautiful country. We didn’t realize that relying strictly on the GPS is not a good idea. You should also always refer to a good map.
Periscope up!
Leaving Prague on our first river cruise, the captain announced that we would soon be approaching a lock and our riverboat would be dropping down approximately 6 feet. We wondered why our cabin mate suddenly took off running. Catching up with her in the cabin, we asked what the rush was.
Licked by the local language
This month’s winner is STAN C. KIMER of Raleigh, NC: Several years ago, my brother-in-law and I took a one-week driving trip through southern Germany, Switzerland and northern Italy. One night was spent in Lugano, which is the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland.
'cause I eats me spinach
This month’s winner is MALCOLM GAISSERT of Arnold, California:
30 minutes or less or it's free
This month’s winner is BRAD BOYLE of Neotsu, Oregon: My friend visited while I was living in Taiwan. He wanted a pizza, and a restaurant nearby would deliver. He did not speak Mandarin, so my roommate ordered for him.
Excuse eliminated
This month’s winner is LOREN PARKS of Chico, California: My wife and I arrived at the Napo Wildlife Center on New Year’s Eve 2018. This lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle is so remote that the only access for people and supplies is paddle canoe.
Translator's triumph
While traveling in China this October, I decided to enjoy the buffet dinner at my hotel. At the dessert bar, there was a beautiful layer cake of red, light brown and dark brown. I asked the chef what kind it was.
Have it your way
This month’s winner is KAREN WAGNER of Monarch Beach, California:
By the low accent
This month’s winner is ED DEATON of San Diego, California: First, an explanation — “Brown Swiss” is a breed of milk cow.
Haven't you herd?
This month’s winner is NIEL THOMAS of Kamuela, Hawaii: In Florence, Italy, in 2015, drawn repeatedly to Mercato Centrale, I had a question for the cheese merchant. I particularly like aged hard cheeses with crystallization, and I was deciding between a sheep-milk cheese of this type and a goat cheese.
Downsides of mountaineering
This month’s winner is GLADYS SHELDON of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin:
Tag it and bag it
This month’s winner is JAY SNYDER of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Some years ago in Seoul, South Korea, my wife and I bought way too many souvenirs and needed to buy an extra suitcase to hold all our treasures on our trip home.
Follow the leader
This month’s winner is MICHELE SMITH of Hickory Corners, Michigan: While I was kayaking on the River Avon in England during vacation, the British kayak leader kept referring to me as “The American.”
Be careful what you wish for
This month’s winner is MAXWELL J. TAUB of Forest Hills, New York: On a solo trip to Naples, Italy, a few years ago, I was wandering around, just taking in the sights, when a local young man approached me. He asked, “What are you looking for?”
News on a scroll?
This month's winner is JUDY SILVERSTEIN of Pompton Plains, New Jersey: While vacationing in Ixtapa, Mexico, several decades ago, my husband and I went in search of an English-language newspaper. After a lengthy walk, we returned to the hotel hot and tired, put the paper in our room and went for a swim. When we returned, our room had been cleaned and the paper was missing.
Conversation starter
This month's winner is LINDA FOXLOW of Sarasota, Florida: We were traveling with some friends in Italy in December 2018 when my husband came out of a public bathroom chuckling.
When you're hot, you're hot
This month's winner is DOUGLAS MOLANDER of Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Included in an Overseas Adventure Travel tour of Chile that I took in February 2017 was a 3-day visit to Torres del Paine National Park. The morning of our entry into the park, we picked up a local guide. While driving into the park, the guide warned us that the weather could be very changeable and there could suddenly be rain, wind and cold temperatures. She also said that the likelihood of our seeing one of the indigenous deer was not great, since there were fewer than 10 breeding pairs in the area. Seeing pumas was also a remote hope; in 15 years of taking travelers into the park, she had seen just one puma.