Travelers' Intercom
Integration at Western Wall
At the Western (or Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem, men and women soon will be allowed to worship together in a designated space. In addition, at the wall, women will be allowed to lead prayers and wear religious clothing traditionally meant for men.
St. Petersburg with Dancing Bear
For two days of sightseeing in St. Petersburg, Russia, in September 2015 before I started a cruise to Moscow, I used Dancing Bear Tours (Prospekt Kosmonavtov 15A-6H, St. Petersburg, Russia 196211; phone +7 812 379 26 33, https://dancing-bear-tours.com), which advertises in ITN’s Mart.
Penguins in Vietnam
The 20-day tour of Vietnam that my wife, Barbara, and I took in May 2015 with Vietnam Royal Tourism (HH3 Bldg., Level 5, Me Tri Road, Tu Liem, Hanoi, Vietnam; phone +84 4 2242 5892, www.vietnamroyaltourism.com) was our second visit to that country. Our first was in 2012, also with Vietnam Royal Tourism.
Allow time to transit Paris’ CDG
My partner and I departed the Rome airport (FCO) for Seattle (SEA), with a one-hour layover at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) along the way, on Sept. 25, 2015.
Hotel New Otani in Tokyo
I spent four nights in Tokyo in July 2015 on my annual world trip. After collecting my checked bag from the carousel at Narita International Airport, I walked into the lobby, where there are signs for different types of transportation. I wanted the Friendly Bus (yes, that’s its name).
‘Caspian Odyssey’ train tour
The South Caucasus and Central Asia are not common tourist destinations, even though the area has been traversed by many conquerors and is along the old Silk Road.
Amanjiwo on Java
It was way back in 1999 when my wife, son and I stayed in central Java, Indonesia, at the resort Amanjiwo (https://www.aman.com/resorts/amanjiwo), the best Aman property we have ever visited and one of the best splurges for the money that we’ve ever experienced (room rates now run $847-$3,872). 
Bering Sea cruise with Ponant
I had the pleasure of a 10-day, 9-night expedition-type sailing on L’Austral, one of four ships operated by Ponant Yacht Cruises & Expeditions (408 Avenue du Prado, 13008 Marseille, France; 888/400-1082, http://en.ponant.com), Aug. 20-30, 2015.
Impressions of Amman
While traveling through the Middle East in mid-June 2015, I had a chance to see the beautiful new Amman Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan. It is especially nice.
Bogotá, Cartagena & Medellín
In his letter “Advice for Visitors to Bogotá” (Nov. ’15, pg. 12), Stephen O. Addison, Jr., gave a great overview of Colombia’s capital city. I can only add that my wife, Patti, and I had no difficulty getting pesos from ATMs when we were in Colombia, Oct.
Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels
Stephen O. Addison, Jr., described frustrations of using the Metro in Brussels, Belgium (March ’15, pg. 12). My husband and I totally agree with him, based on our experience in September 2014.
Runner Bean in Barcelona
If you really want to have Barcelona’s Old City come alive, take one of the tours offered by Runner Bean Walking Tours (Carrer del Carme 44, pral 2ª 08001, Barcelona, Spain; phone +34 636 108 776, www.runnerbeantours.com).
Comparing business class, Qatar vs Delta
In August 2015, I flew to East Africa on a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 in business class. Here are a few comparisons of that flight with my flight to South Africa on Delta Air Lines in August 2014, also in business class on a Boeing 777.
Guide in Cape Town
My husband and I visited Cape Town, South Africa, in October 2015. Since we had only 3½ days in this beautiful city, our time was at a premium, so we hired Emmy Levin (phone +27 082 810 6386 or email emmylevin@mweb.co.za), a licensed tour guide, to show us the highlights for two full days.
Accessing the right account with ATM-only card
My wife and I obtained a new Bank of America ATM card in early 2015. We had one before and traveled all over the world with it and never had any problems. Unfortunately, on our July 2015 trip to France we were unable to get any money from six different bank ATMs that we tried to use.
Australia despite drought
If your heart is set on seeing waterfalls in Western Australia, as was the case with the Reeds during their dry-season trip (“Australia’s Kimberley Coast,” June ’15, pg. 30), you should make careful inquiries before booking a visit.
Budget travel in the South Caucasus
I read the subscriber’s letter “South Caucasus Comparisons” (July ’15, pg. 15) with interest, as I visited Georgia and Armenia in 2009.