Travelers' Intercom
Special places in Honduras and Guatemala
We were successful public television bidders on a 3-night stay in Honduras. And since we were going that far, we thought, ‘Why not add some time in Guatemala?’ We took our trip Aug. 14-25, 2007.
‘Excellent’ guide in China
If you are traveling to China on your own and planning to spend a few days in Beijing and/or Chengde, you may like to consider employing the services of Mr. Sun Qingjun, or Harry (harrysun@ heinfo.net), an excellent bilingual guide from Chengde now residing in Beijing.
No match, no miles
My wife and I took a Singapore Airlines flight, in business class, from Delhi, India, to Singapore on April 5, 2007.
Northern Spain’s Celtic roots
I took a trip to northern Spain, Aug. 8-28, 2007. Guitars, wine and arid plains, right? Yes, in other parts of Spain, but in the principality of Asturias, located on the coast between Galicia and Cantabria, bagpipes, apple cider and mountains are standard fare.
Visiting Greek islands independently
My wife, Dee, and I and another couple flew via military aircraft (I am retired military) from Florida to Crete in April ’07. Aside from our initial accommodations on the base, we had no previous reservations but relied on what we could book onsite. Dee’s Fodor’s guidebook gave us ideas about where we should go.
Morocco guide ‘outstanding’
My wife, Marie, and I took a 2-week Morocco holiday, Sept. 30-Oct. 12, 2007, and were introduced to an outstanding guide. I would like to share his name and our experience.
More productive questions
In deciding which few words and phrases to learn how to say in a foreign language, keep in mind that knowing simply how to ask “Where is...?” is risky. If you are truly at sea in the local language, then it’s my experience that you are very unlikely to understand the answer.
Credit card fraud
I spent three weeks in Italy, probably my favorite country in the world, in March-April ’07. One negative occurrence on my trip — I had my credit card number ripped off somehow. Fortunately, Visa’s computer caught and prevented over $8,000 in fraudulent charge attempts in Seoul, Korea.
Travel insurance communication mixup
We took our second Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) trip, “Real Affordable Costa Rica,” Oct. 12-24, 2006.
Great visit to Syria
My husband, Kurt, and I took our third trip to Syria, March 19-23, 2007. It has certainly become one of our favorite places. The friendships we have developed over the years have been wonderful, and we’d love to extend these friendships to those of you interested in visiting such a beautiful place.
Slides to discs
In 1998 I had more than 153 carousels of slides, mostly showing travels in more than 150 countries and all 50 states, arranged in chronological order, about 100 slides per carousel. Each slide was identified by a number, with the year, country and what it showed.
Visits Britain
I am an arthritic, 6'3", 75-year-old who returned from a 3-week trip to Britain on Sept. 19, 2007.
Bags trailed on British Air
When my wife and I did our planning for our visit to Edinburgh for the 2007 International Festival as well as the Fringe Festival, I elected to fly British Airways (B.A.) for two reasons: the cabin service has always been excellent and they provide connecting flights to Edinburgh from Heathrow.
Refined dining in Nara Park
Less than an hour’s train ride from Kyoto, Nara’s huge wooded park’s complex of shrines and temples offers much to visitors. Unfortunately, its popularity means that the park can be crowded and chaotic. A quiet, relaxing lunch at Noh provides a welcome respite from the hordes of tourists and visiting school groups.
Keep in mind when on tour
Originally from Germany, I became involved in the tourism industry many years ago, working in a tour company as a group tour coordinator, tour manager and sales representative. I now have my own tour company.