Travelers' Intercom
Disneyesque China
On a trip to China with Grand Circle Travel, Nov. 12-Dec. 2, 2009, my wife, Anne, and I didn’t visit Hong Kong Disneyland. However, we saw a number of attractions that reminded us of Disney, some of which out-Disneyed Disney.
Westernmost China
I chose the “Silk Road plus Shangri-La” tour, May 26-June 11, 2009, from China Plus (Irving, TX; 888/868-8811) because, after a day in Beijing, it went to the furthermost province in the west of China, Xinjiang. The cost, with air from the West Coast, was $4,298.
Amman museum
An unexpected find during the trip my husband, Charles, and I took to Jordan was the Jordan Archaeological Museum (phone +962 [0] 6 463 8795), on Citadel Hill in Amman, adjacent to the Umayyad Palace.
Cinque Terre tips
I’ve led small-group tours to Cinque Terre in Italy five times since 2006, most recently in May ’09. Here are some thoughts.
Snorkeling in French Polynesia
My husband, Joe, and I decided to go to French Polynesia, Sept. 20-24, 2009, for our 10-year wedding anniversary.
Re Maori maraes
Just a note re the photograph and text on New Zealand on page 80 of the March ’10 issue. The writer uses the word marae for “village,” and this is not correct.
Charged for scratch on rental car
My husband, Randall, and I enjoyed a two-week visit to Iceland in late June ’09. The first eight days we traveled around the country with a birding tour company, then we picked up a rental car from Hertz Iceland at Keflavik Airport for six days of touring on our own.
Working to change a life
In a letter on a Spanish-language school I attended in Antigua, Guatemala, in July ’09, I wrote about meeting Juana, a 12-year-old girl with no hands.
Hold that train
European trains generally run on time, but if your train is delayed and you have a tight connection, even the Swiss sometimes will hold the following train a few minutes until the arriving train comes in and passengers can transfer.
Tribes Travel in East Africa
In our 40 years of travel, my wife, Arnette, and I have never had a more perfectly planned and executed trip than our five-country, five-week independent East Africa experience, July 27-Aug. 28, 2009.
Seoul rejuvenation
Returning to the US from Vietnam back in December ’08, I had a six-hour layover at the Seoul, South Korea, airport. Inside security, near the short-time hotel, I discovered an upstairs area with six very comfortable lounge chairs. I spent most of my layover time in one of them. Very quiet!
Glasgow, Lake District
After visiting our new granddaughter in London in October ’09, my wife, Kay, and I traveled through Scotland and England’s Lake District via train. We obtained our Senior Railcards at a local train station for £26 (near $42) each, but it would have cost only £23.40 if purchased online at www.senior-railcard.co.uk.
Turkey on the cheap — in Fethiye
I traveled solo and on the cheap in Turkey for nearly all of May ’09. I described my visits to Bodrum (Oct. ’09, pg. 14), Selçuk (Jan. ’10, pg.
Cut a rug in Romania
My husband and I took a tour in June ’09 that focused on dance, with choreographer Theodor Vasilescu (in the US and Canada, contact Ping Chun, 49 Junard Dr., Morristown, NJ 07960; phone 973/539-7020 or e-mail ping.chun@att.net).
‘Budget buy’ barge, France
I read with great interest Lew Toulmin’s article “Cruising the Burgundy Canal” (January & February 2010 “The Cruising World” columns) because a friend and I cruised the Marne-Rhine Canal from Reims to Vitry-le-Fran
Private shore tours
On a 32-day cruise aboard the “Tahitian Princess” (now called Ocean Princess), Oct. 18-Nov. 19, 2009, my husband, Bob, and I did the following on our shore trips.
Inside Japan Tours
My husband, Jack, and I took a terrific, 14-night, small-group tour of Japan with Inside Japan Tours (Lewins House, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 2NN, UK; phone ++44 117 314 4620), Oct. 2-16, 2009. The tour was reasonably priced at $3,820 each, not including air.
Tasty thali
In the first of the letters compiled for “What to Eat Where” (Jan. ’10, pg. 42), there was an error in the conversion of the price of a thali; 150 to 250 rupees does not equal $1 but is more like $3.25-$5.50.
Subways in China
Instead of taking optional tours on our China trip with Grand Circle Travel, Nov. 12-Dec. 2, 2009, my wife, Anne, and I used our free time to explore the cities via their subways.
Christmas markets, Germany
My sister Betty, our nephew Joe and I spent a wonderful week exploring Christmas markets in Germany, Dec. 1-9, 2008, visiting Munich, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Nuremburg and Berlin.