Travelers' Intercom
Can guidebooks be trusted?
A controversy was sparked earlier this year by Thomas Kohnstamm’s new book, “Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? A Swashbuckling Tale of High Adventure, Questionable Ethics & Professional Hedonism.”
Guide’s insight into Russia
My wife, Marilyn, and I hired Julia Ivanushkina (Tipanov str 34/3-26, St. Petersburg 195233, Russia; e-mail juliaguide@gmail.com or visit www.spbwondertour.com) to guide us on a May ’08 day tour of St. Petersburg, Russia, because we had seen her ad in ITN’s MART Classifieds.
Personalize it
After watching my black Samsonite bag go around for the third time, because my bright green plastic name tag had come off of it, I decided to take some liquid acrylic paint and a small paintbrush and put a distinctive design back and front.
Tips on getting to Lugano
While my wife, Paula, and I didn’t find Lugano, Switzerland, to be the most exciting or interesting of destinations, the city is the southern terminus of two of Swiss Rail’s most scenic train routes: the William Tell Express and the Bernina Express.
Condors in flight
On a trip to Peru in October ’07, I went to Cruz del Cóndor, an observation point where the magnitude of the Colca Canyon can be appreciated. It is the best spot for seeing the spectacular condor.
Finding travel partners
Being a widow and loving to travel, I sometimes have the problem of finding a suitable travel partner. I usually go with my daughter or one of two friends, but on occasion all three of them are unavailable for a trip.
Serendip serendipity
My wife, Danielle, and I took a segment of the Seven Seas Voyager’s 2008 world cruise, sailing from Singapore to Mumbai, in March ’08. It was scheduled to stop March 22 and 23 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but two days before our arrival the captain canceled the port, citing security concerns.
Bargains in Bali
I traveled to Bali, Indonesia, May 14-26, 2008, and the island of the gods remains one of the cheapest destinations on the planet, just the opposite of my trip to Iceland and Norway last October.
Caught errors themselves
Nine months out, on Dec. 6, 2006, my wife and I called US Airways directly and purchased three tickets for a Sept. 8, 2007, flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Philadelphia and on to Venice, Italy, with return from Rome on Sept. 24.
Seat pitch
The website www.seatguru.com lets you see the seat layouts and dimensions (with comments) for each airline’s planes. I didn’t see a table listing the dimensions; you have to look it up plane by plane for each airline.
Security-friendly packing
Now that we have the TSA randomly going through our baggage, I pack clothes in gallon-size zip-lock bags.
Recommended Cape Town guide
Selwyn Davidowitz, who owns I Love Cape Town (4 Ostende, 296 Beach Rd., Sea Point, 8005, South Africa; phone +27 [0] 21 439 1778, www.ilovecapetown.com… or, in the U.S., phone
Oslo-Stockholm train in summer
I read Rick Steves’ 2007 “Scandinavia” guidebook looking for tips on transportation between Norway and Sweden. I decided to try the train, booking passage from Oslo to Stockholm (a 5-hour journey) for July ’07.
Travel clocks, timers and timepieces
Here are a few follow-ups to the collection of letters in the July ’08 issue, pages 44-49.
Surprise mini-bar charge
My Florida cousin, Beverly, and I returned March 18, 2008, from a 2-week trip to the Azores, where we visited four of the nine islands. This was arranged by Abreu Tours (New York, NY; 800/223-1580, www.abreu-tours.com) and cost $3,002 per person, including airfare.
Tried Odysseys Unlimited
My wife, Dorothy, and I were trying to decide which tour company to take for a tour of the Chilean fjords and Patagonia.