Travelers' Intercom
Kiosk check-in
I write in answer to ITN’s request for information on airport self-service check-in kiosks (Feb. ’06, pg. 4).
Disneyland Hong Kong
During a time of particularly nice weather in November ’05, while on a trip to Hong Kong I decided to visit the newly opened Disneyland Hong Kong.
Lucked into Libya
We took a trip to Libya with Distant Horizons (Long Beach, CA; 800/333-1240), an ITN advertiser. We were quite fortunate to have received visas, which arrived at almost the last minute. Other tours had to be canceled because the Libyans had not issued visas for those groups.
Debit/credit card purchases in UK
When we used our MasterCard for a purchase in Glasgow, Scotland, on April 10, ’06, the new machine refused it because there was no “PIN number.” We insisted that the assistant try again and she refused. The manager came over and inserted our card again. The machine then said to enter the last four digits of the card.
Disappointed with cruise
My partner and I took a one-week cruise from Panama City to Los Sueños, Costa Rica, on Windjammer Barefoot Cruises’ Amazing Grace, July 30-Aug. 6, ’05. The price was $982 per person, double occupancy.
Mali and Burkina Faso with ElderTreks
I’m home again, unbitten and unbowed, after 22 days in West Afr
Mouthwatering in Madrid
The Plaza Mayor area in Madrid, Spain, can be very pricey for meals, especially in the tapas bars on the street Arcos de Cuchilleros; they are mentioned in almost every guidebook.
A dry start
The reader’s letter about drying clothes by twisting them in towels (June ’06, pg. 92) describes what we’ve done for years. Rather than reuse towels damp after showering, though, I have a twist on her scheme.
South Island a speed trap?
Driving oneself is one option for experiencing New Zealand’s scenic diversity. However, I want to describe an encounter my wife and I had with police on the South Island so that future drivers can at least be forewarned.
Tour had great guides and one letdown
I joined a 10-day “Imperial Cities” tour of Italy with Gate 1 Travel on Oct. 10, ’05. Our group of 26 had a superb tour guide, Ms. Flavia Sciubba (flaviasole@hotmail.com).
Sights of Sutri
Sutri, Italy, north of Rome, was once known as the “Gate of Etruria.” The Etruscan ruins include a very well-preserved theater from 1 B.C. which is almost round; it is still very easy to see the stepped seats, the niches for grand chairs and thrones and the square openings that led to underground paths.
Heads up for Outback drivers
While on my independent tour of Australia in March ’06, I was waiting for the Adelaide-Alice Springs train to board and got into a conversation with Lois, a lady who had lived in Alice Springs for 20 years.
Argentine travel agency
In planning for a trip to Antarctica in January ’06, I decided to also visit Iguazú Falls on the Argentina/Brazil border. While searching the Web, I found the Buenos Aires travel agency Partir Viajes E.V.T. (Av. Córdoba 679, 1° C, Buenos Aires, Argentina, C.P. AAF1054C; tel.
American military cemeteries in Europe
The April ’06 issue carried a very well done, highly informative report (pages 65-68) by a La Jolla reader who enjoyed a 5-day “Flanders Fields” tour by a British company.
Airport check-in kiosks
We have been using self-service check-in kiosks for several years. Usually, we are flying Northwest Airlines out of Detroit Metro. Our last experience was on Dec. 27, ’05, out of Metro, with return on Jan. 20, ’06, from Tampa.
Our African safari
My husband, Jim, and I took the trip of a lifetime in August ’05. It was both an experience and an education.
Czech guide
We toured Prague for two days in August ’05 and on a third day took a trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cesky Krumlov with a guide and an air-conditioned car.
Trouble converting US currency
My wife and I departed for Amsterdam on April 3, ’06. We were to be there for five days, departing on Sunday the 9th for London Heathrow, where our driver would meet us and take us to Bath to stay three nights, stopping by Blenheim Palace on the way.