Travelers' Intercom
Praise for Airbnb
In his letter titled “Apartment Rental Scam” (Sept. ’14, pg. 25), in which a subscriber described trying to rent an apartment abroad for his wife and himself, he said he ended up going with Airbnb (www.airbnb.com).
Safeguarding photos
A subscriber suggested labeling memory cards so they can be returned to you if they’re lost (Nov. ’13, pg. 54). That’s a good idea, but I also download all my pictures onto my iPad each night when traveling.
Dom. Rep. cab fare row
My girlfriend and I decided to take a brief vacation to the Dominican Republic, Dec. 6-10, 2013. We chose the Dominican Republic because we had heard that the weather there in December was warmer than Cancun’s.
Compiled travel journals
I strongly endorse Randy Keck’s recommendation to leave a travel legacy (June ’14, pg. 62).
Took grandkids on safari
I’ve read with interest the articles in ITN about traveling with grandchildren. One appeared in the November 2013 issue.
Six days in Siem Reap
My husband, George, and I made a 3-week visit to Southeast Asia, including a 6-day side trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, Jan. 21-26, 2014. Our goal was to really see and photograph Angkor Wat and its environs.
Paris audio guide app
A free app called Visitobus (www.visitobus.com) has just been released, offering an audio guide of Paris that can be used on smartphones.
In and around Bolzano
On May 3, 2014, for the fifth time, I returned to Bolzano, Italy, for a week at the Parkhotel Laurin (Via Laurin Strasse 4, 39100 Bolzano/Bozen; phone +39 0471 311 000,
A Massage to Die For: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Who would expect there would be massage, let alone excellent massage, in Papua New Guinea?
Hotel bathrooms, Europe
While reading Rick Steves’ article “Conquering European Bathrooms” (July ’14, pg. 59), I enjoyed reminiscing about similar not-like-in-the-USA bathroom experiences my husband and I have had in our nearly 40 years of world travel.
Texel: Europe’s last WWII battlefield
I traveled to the Dutch Island of Texel (pronounced “Tessel”) in September 2012 to do research for a book I was writing.
Turkmenistan with MIR Corp.
I read the letter “Turkmenistan – Dangers & Annoyances” (March ’14, pg. 23) about a subscriber’s trip to that country while on a “five ’Stans” tour. We were in Turkmenistan during an Oct.
Taking trains in Spain
My sister-in-law, Maryann, and I purchased Eurail Spain passes for use in March-April 2014 — valid for six months and good for one month after the first day of travel.
Notes on France
I have just read my first issue of ITN, which I received unsolicited, and have just subscribed.
Balked at ‘release of liability’ form
My husband, Steve, and I took the “Ultimate Galápagos Exploration & Ecuador’s Amazon Wilds” tour, Jan. 11-25, 2014, with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT).
Keeping a travelogue
I read Randy Keck’s article “Your Travel Legacy — Leaving a Trail to Follow” in his June 2014 “Far Horizons” column.