Travelers' Intercom
Re altitude sickness
Only those who have witnessed Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) will fully appreciate Dr. Larry Baratta’s May ’05 “Travel & Health” column on that subject.
Analyzing credit card ‘rewards’
A reader mailed ITN a copy of a letter sent to Capital One Services on Nov. 18, ’04, as follows.
Visiting can help Sri Lanka recover
December 26, 2004, is a day Sri Lankans will not forget in a hurry. In fact, it might take a couple of generations, considering the number of children left without parents because of the devastating tsunami.
Reviewers’ Corner
Here are a couple of the latest travel-book reviews written by an ITN reader.
Australian visas online
I had seen a couple of mentions (Dec. ’01, pg. 33 & Feb. ’02, pg. 111) about getting Australian visas electronically for a fee of $15 (visit www.eta.immi.gov.au). I don’t mind paying the fee, but the website did not seem to me to be secure, as I did not see any padlock.
Grim impression of Ethiopia
I returned from a 3-week tour of Ethiopia on Feb. 7, ’05. Imagine my surprise the next morning to find that a featured article (Feb. ’05, pg. 52) in my new ITN was about the Omo Valley, where I had just spent a week.
Handicapped put off ship
My wife and I were passengers on a River Explorer cruise, beginning in Bucharest on Sept. 1, ’04, and scheduled to end in Amsterdam on Sept. 25, with Vantage Deluxe World Travel. Halfway through the trip, when the ship arrived in Vienna late on Sept. 13, we were told to leave the ship early the next day.
Palate pleasers in Athens
My wife and I dined at the following restaurants in Athens, Greece, in February ’05.
Pay it or lug it
In April ’05 I returned from Gatwick Airport, London, to Newark International as I have for several years, twice a year. Please be informed that travelers arriving at Newark now must pay $3 for the use of a luggage cart. Needless to say, I saw no one taking advantage of the “bargain.” JEANETTE HARDIE
Riding horses in Bali
I spent three weeks in Bali with my husband in March ’05, and one of my outstanding memories was riding horseback along the coast north of Sanur.
Cyprus: waiting for discovery
My wife and I, seeking an unusual destination, decided to go to Cyprus, March 11-18, ’05. Cyprus is an island of great beauty that combines Roman ruins, the sea and mountains.
New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty
If you’ve never been to New Zealand, you really need to go. Those wonderful stories about the place are all true. If you’ve already gone, chances are you didn’t visit the North Island’s Bay of Plenty. Not a lot of people do.
Peregrine Voyager to Antarctica
My wife and I took an extensive cruise in February-March ’05 that included Easter Island, northern Chile, Argentina (Buenos Aires) and finally Antarctica. Much has been written about Antarctica, and we reiterate what almost everyone reports: it’s magical!
Eye-opening Ethiopia
I made my second visit to Ethiopia, Jan. 10-24, ’05. My first was in 1995, a 6-day stopover to the historic north on my way to Yemen. This time I went on a 3-week “Explore Ethiopia In Depth” trip with the first-rate Spiekermann Travel Service (St.
Know your Czech
Our Czech daughter-in-law, Iveta, was most concerned to read of the reply made by the guide to Mary Anne DeBriyn’s pleasant greeting of “Tesi me,” which is quite correct (May ’05, pg. 56).
Possible flight stumbling block
On my most recent trip to Bangkok, Jan. 8-14, ’05, I encountered a curious and frustrating situation when checking in for my return flight.
Santiago de Compostela
I really enjoyed reading Rick Steves’ article on Santiago de Compostela in the August ’04 issue. It brought back memories of a voyage my wife and I made in May ’04.
Cruise wish list
ITN asked readers how they go about selecting a cruise (Oct. ’04, pg. 4). When choosing a cruise, my wife and I start with the ports of call. If we haven’t been there as yet and desire to go, we book the cruise. If it is on a ship line where we are past passengers, it is an added bonus.
Overbooking is standard practice
I am writing with reference to the letter titled “Confirmed on Tour, Then Bumped to Another,” from ITN readers Clair and John Kohler, and the response of Grand Circle Travel (Feb. ’05, pg. 30).