Travelers' Intercom
Naxcivan of Azerbaijan
Nakhichevan or Naxcivan: whatever the name, it’s a small piece of land separated from but part of Azerbaijan. It’s located 250 miles west of Baku, the country’s capital, and is surrounded by Armenia, Iran and Turkey.
What to do with travel slides?
After dinner, either my wife or I would say, “Let’s go to Italy,” and we would look at all of the slides we had made on a trip — a wonderful way to relive it.
Doesn’t trust room safes
Murray Halbert’s tale of theft from his room safe at Angkor Wat (May ’07, pg. 41) resonated painfully with me, as something eerily similar happened while I was staying in a not-so-wonderful, smallish hotel in Bangkok in December ’06.
How much to tip on tours?
Richard E. Smith of Long Beach, California, opened up the topic of tipping on tours (April ’04, pg. 4).
Ship credit hassles
My husband and I sailed on Holland America Line’s MS Statendam for a “Japan and Transpacific Passage” (Japan/Siberia) cruise, April 29-May 21, 2006, which we booked through Vantage Deluxe World Travel.
Luggage wrap not free
I recently encountered an airport scam that other ITN readers might watch out for.
Day tour from Amsterdam
During a 4-day stay in Amsterdam in July ’05, we took a day tour to Marken and Vol
Insult result
I’m writing regarding the letter “An Altercation Escalated” (April ’07, pg. 66).
Missed cruise due to visa snafu
We flew out of San Francisco on Oct. 11, 2006, destined to board the Pacific Princess in Cape Town, South Africa, for a 29-day voyage across the Indian Ocean ending in Australia.
Attractions and museums in Paris
I returned to Paris in October ’06 and visited several places of interest.
A museum of wars remembered
“Saving Private Ryan” and “The Thin Red Line” are about as realistic as war movies get, but I saw a couple of battle films that they couldn’t hold a rifle to. In one, British Tommies in World War I clambered over the top of their muddy trench to face withering German fire that cut many down.
Senior renting car in Ireland
When feasible, my husband (age 75) and I prefer to drive about a country. Planning for a trip in May ’07, we discovered that many Irish rental agencies do not rent cars to anyone over 75, while with some the limit is 74 and some, 70.
Group travel on a big bus
Many of us prefer traveling with a group, since it is cost effective. This often means, especially during busy travel seasons, being tightly packed in a big bus. In the last six months of 2006 my wife, Marlene, and I took three such tours, which I compare below.
Mobility in Russia
My wife, Patricia, has severe arthritis and walks with two canes. On a trip to Russia a few years ago, we encountered the following issues as regards accessibility.
Watch for tag mixups
At baggage check-in for a flight on United from Newark airport in November ’06, the agent was being “efficient” by printing out two or three sets of baggage tags at once, then summoning the travelers one by one. She asked for picture I.D. of the person next to us, looked at the I.D.
Great beer & food in Dublin, Edinburgh & Amsterdam
My husband, John, and I and another couple visited Ireland and Scotland, finishing up with a few days in Amsterdam, Sept. 2-16, 2006. Since John is a home brewer, we are always on the lookout for good beer when we travel, and we found plenty of it in all three cities in which we stayed.
Swiss tracks
The Swiss Pass entitles you to a 50% fare reduction on the Brienzer Rothorn Bahn. The implication that I got from the caption on page 88 of the April ’07 issue was that it was free (“included”). We enjoyed it on a Swiss vacation in September ‘06.
Vaccination form incomplete
My husband, William, and I were to take a 12-day Amazon River cruise aboard the Princess Regal, Jan. 16-28, 2007. The cost of our trip was $6,653 including airfare.
Otavalo and environs
Since my wife, Barbara, and I had previously planned to visit the famous Saturday market in Otavalo, Ecuador (90 kilometers north of Quito), we opted to use Hotel Ali Shungu (www.alishungu.com) for a 4-day January ’06 stay and do day trips from there.