Travelers' Intercom
River cruise became bus tour
My wife, Jacquey, and I traveled to France for our first river cruise with Viking River Cruises. On our 8-day cruise, “Portraits of Southern France,” the Hermod was scheduled to sail May 3-10, 2015. We had also signed up for Viking’s 3-day Paris package that preceded the cruise.
Flight changes were a surprise
When my wife, Susan, and I booked a Berlin-Prague cruise for Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2014, with Viking River Cruises (Woodland Hills, CA; 877/668-4546, www.vikingrivercruises.com), we had the company’s air services division, Viking Air, arrange four flights for us, all on Air France in Economy Comfort.
A visit to Cuernavaca
My daughter, Cate, and her daughter, Frances, and I arrived at Mexico City (aka México, D.F.) in the evening and chose to stay right in Benito Juarez International Airport’s Terminal 1 at the Courtyard Mexico City Airport — Marriott (phone +52 55 4631 4000).
Bhutan through Third Eye Travel
Primarily to photograph the country and people of Bhutan in a new and different way, three friends and I booked an 11-day private tour through Third Eye Travel (Fremont, CA; 800/456-3393, www.thirdeyetravel.com).
Warsaw, ‘a great city to visit’
My husband, Mike, and I began our May 17-June 2, 2015, trip to Europe with a visit to Warsaw, Poland, a city we had long wanted to visit because of its history in World War II and the Communist aftermath.
Food in the South Caucasus
While traveling in three countries of the South Caucasus in August-September 2014 (July ’15, pg. 15), I got to sample a wide range of foods.
Value provided by Nat’l Geo. Expeditions
In the Feature Article “One Trip, Two Experiences — a Group Tour of Ethiopia vs. a Private, Customized Journey” (July ’15, pg. 6), the writer reported on two trips he and his wife took in Ethiopia.
Post-its in passport
Philip Wagenaar keeps Immigration officers from using up his passport pages too quickly by putting rubber bands around the blank pages he doesn’t want stamped (Aug. ’15, pg. 49).
Thailand with Go See Touring
Having enjoyed many of the world’s great gardens and floral events, I found the Chiang Mai Thailand Flower Festival via the Internet and discovered that Go See Touring (4/99 Racecourse Rd., Ascot, Queensland 4007, Australia; phone +61 1300 551 997, www.goseetouring.com) had been offering tours to Thailan
Hotel Gletscherblick and Switzerland
Commanding a spectacular view of Switzerland’s Wetterhorn, the Rosenlaui Glacier and the Gadmen Valley, Hotel Gletscherblick (Urseni, 6085 Hasliberg, Goldern, Switzerland; phone +41 [0] 33 972 40 40, www.gletscherblick.ch) is situated on a bend in the road on the Hasliberg plateau above
Windy Hill Resort, Belize
After taking a group tour of Mayan ruins in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, I stayed six extra days in western Belize, Feb. 10-15, 2015, to visit more Mayan sites near the Guatemalan border.
Tilley hat fan
I read the subscriber’s letter “Care of a Tilley Hat” (June ’15, pg. 24). I’ve been wearing Tilley hats for 20-plus years. The first one I had I wore so much it totally wore out. The second one, a replacement under their guarantee, was stolen in Tangier over 15 years ago.
Vignettes by country
I read Bruce Berger’s account of his misfortune with the mandatory road-tax stickers that tripped him up in Switzerland and, in a costly manner, in Slovenia (Sept. ’15, pg. 13).
Bagan & Mandalay with OAT
On the group tour “Burma: Land of Golden Temples & Floating Gardens” that my husband, Dusty, and I took with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/955-1925, www.oattravel.com), our guide Kyi Kyi (pronounced Chi Chi) was a gem. (For the tour, Aug.
Mexico City by taxi
After spending a week with seven others in a rented villa near Manzanillo, Mexico, June 20-27, 2015, six of us had a 7-hour layover in Mexico City on our way home to Chicago. Since we had never visited the cty, we inquired about a tour.
Viana do Castelo, Portugal
While visiting northern Portugal with my wife, Kay, in September 2014, we spent two nights at Casa do Ameal (Rua do Ameal, 119, 4900 – 585 Meadela, Viana do Castelo, Portugal; phone +351 91 420 62 27, www.casadoameal.com).
Un-Cruise Adventures Baja cruise
On a round-trip cruise off of Baja out of Los Cabos, Mexico, Jan.10-17, 2015, my wife and I sailed with Un-Cruise Adventures (Seattle, WA; 888/862-8881, www.un-cruise.com).
Travel Gadgets: Bose noise-canceling headsets
Since 2003, my wife and I have never traveled without our Bose noise-canceling headsets.