Travelers' Intercom
Nile Blue Tours
I have several orthopedic problems and use a rolling walker to assist with ambulation. I have difficulty walking long distances; my walker has a seat that I can use, if needed.
Day trip to Albania
My daughter and I own a yoga studio and led a yoga retreat to Corfu, Greece, in September ’08. In researching activities for our group, I discovered that Albania is just across the border and easily accessible. Since I find border crossings irresistible, I was determined to visit.
Get to know Malta’s history and people
My daughter Sheila and I visited Malta with Road Scholar (11 Ave. de Lafayette, Boston, MA 02111; 800/466-7762, www.roadscholar.org), Feb. 17-27, 2008. The program-only rate was $2,684 double.
Family trip Down Under
My husband, Fred, and I along with our daughter Rebecca Couillard, son-in-law Greg and 8-year-old granddaughter Sarah visited Australia, Oct. 18-Nov. 12, 2007. This was the fifth trip to Australia for Fred and me, the second for Rebecca and a first-time adventure for Greg and Sarah.
Bucharest subway
A reader remarked that in November ’07 the Bucharest subway was “filthy but worked” (Nov. ’08, pg. 14). Things have changed. Both lines I rode on in October ’08 were served by beautiful new articulated trains open from one end to the other, and the whole system was clean.
Africa 2000 credits
Re my husband, Maurice’s, picture of Tembe National Elephant Park in South Africa (Aug. ’08, pg. 90), ITN neglected to include my comment that our tour there was planned and arranged by Gill and Graham Maskell of Africa 2000 (P.O.
Eurostar tickets specific
On July 29, 2008, I dropped my wife at the Brussels airport at around 7:15 a.m. and then caught the train to Brussels Midi. I arrived there just before 8:00.
Incongruous Moment: Frosty in Malaysia?
For a year, from July ’86 to June ’87, we lived in Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor state in Malaysia. The town is about 25 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, which is only a few degrees north of the equator.
Senses heightened at PNG sing-sing
Today we don’t hear much about cannibalism or headhunting in Papua New Guinea (PNG), but a few years back it was a reality.
Tour Group Audio Systems: Lagging and distracted
The first trip on which I used the audio systems mentioned by Mr. Roberts (Sept. ’08, pg. 15) was the 13-day “Eastern Europe to the Black Sea” cruise-tour with Grand Circle Travel (Boston, MA; 800/248-3737, www.gct.com). We traveled through Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, Aug. 29-Sept.
Endangered Hadzabe
I enjoyed William Reed’s story on his trip to Tanzania (Sept.’08, pg. 24), especially about his contact with the Hadzabe (Hadza) people.
Liked Stockholm-Oslo train
A reader reported a very negative experience taking a train from Oslo to Stockholm in July ’07 (Oct. ’08, pg. 18). In contrast, our trip from Stockholm to Oslo on Aug. 8, 2008, was very pleasant.
Tour members’ encounters distorted?
My wife, Joan, and I have traveled independently since 1964, and as professional educators we have been fortunate enough to teach and live overseas in a number of Western and emerging countries. In 2005 we spent five months in Chengdu, China, and in 2006 and 2007 we were in classrooms in Cyprus and Russia.
Deutschland music cruises
The MS Deutschland, a 520-passenger ocean liner of Peter Deilmann Cruises (Alexandria, VA; 800/348/8287, www.deilmann-cruises.com), offers theme cruises, including classical music cruises. I was aboard for the Sept. 18-Oct. 1, 2008, classical music cruise from Hamburg, Germany, to Monte Carlo, Monaco.
A few steps to savings
Istanbul, Turkey, is a wonderful city with many beautiful mosques. When our family disembarked from a cruise ship at Istanbul in July ’08, in a large lot at the base of the gangway there was a sea of taxi cabs.
Oman’s transformation
Oman is an incredible country, the creation of one man, Sultan Qaboos, who took control of the country in 1970 at age 30.