Travelers' Intercom
Rueil-Malmaison interlude
During a week-long visit to France in early July ’09, I took a day trip to the Paris suburb of Rueil-Malmaison to visit my friend Briony.
Turkey on the cheap — in Marmaris
I spent 26 days in Turkey in May ’09 traveling solo and on the cheap. Excluding airfare, my total expenses were $951. I wrote about my visits to Bodrum (Oct. ’09, pg. 14) and Selçuk (Jan. ’10, pg.
Gas pump gloves
On our fall 2009 Europe visit, we found that many gas stations had boxes with plastic gloves for use when pumping gas. Good idea!
Wildlife & Nature Travel Club
My wife, Joy, and I had a great experience in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia with Wildlife & Nature Travel Club (East Lansing, MI; 517/303-5394).
Austria hotels
During my visit to Austria, I stayed at Hotel Congress Wien (Wiedner Gürtel 34, A-1040 Vienna, Austria; phone +43 1 505 55 06) — a real find for location and price. I booked it through www.booking.com and the cost for my stay, May 19-29, 2009, was €472 (near $710).
Preferred to be billed in baht
My wife and I took our seventh trip in eight years to Thailand, Dec. 5, 2009-Jan. 13, 2010, and we noticed something new regarding paying for hotel rooms with a credit card.
Swimming with whale sharks
My wife, Gail, and I are both snorkelers, big time, and had read about divers swimming with whale sharks. We had the opportunity for such an experience during an eight-day tour of the Philippines in March ’09.
Guide in Ghana
My husband, John, and I traveled in six West African countries for 40 days in January-February ’08, ending with a 10-day stay in Ghana.
Won’t leave home without GPS
Traveling in France, Spain and Portugal for over a month in September-October ’09, we found that using a GPS is a time/lifesaver. What an invention! No more having the wife trying to read a map or screaming at each other over missed turns.
Week in Nicaragua
After reading an article in the USA Today travel section in September ’07 about Nicaragua’s growth in tourism, we started making plans to travel there in mid-September ’08.
Carry-on a smidge too big
I went off on Sept. 22, 2009, with my new luggage, an Eagle Creek Tarmac 22, expecting the carry-on piece to stay with me throughout my trip to Edinburgh and England. I travel light and never check my bag.
Shipping goods home
My wife, Kathy, and I took an “Ancient Kingdoms” tour to Southeast Asia with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/493-6824), Jan. 29-Feb. 21, 2009.
What to expect on India tour
India offers an exotic kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and smells. The contrasts are amazing. People still use water from public wells to wash their storefronts and trucks, as cows pick through garbage along the curb. Women wear bright, colorful saris while going about their daily activities.
Restricted-driving zone tickets
The matter of my traffic fines in Florence and Siena, Italy, has come to a conclusion (“Beware of Limited-traffic Zones,” Jan. ’10, pg. 12). I lost the Siena appeal, but winning two out of three is not all bad. JOHN THORSON Darien, IL
Funniest Thing for Feb '10
Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN.
Wine bars in Paris
Most visitors to Paris go with a list of recommended restaurants, but I thought ITN readers would like a list of wonderful wine bars, part of the true Parisian experience. I visited all of the wine bars listed below from January to September 2009, most several times.
Wine and dine in Chile
From a few days in Chile, including Easter Island, Oct. 29-Nov. 8, 2009, here are our recommendations.
Princess pirate drill
I was on the last voyage of Princess Cruises’ Tahitian Princess from Cape Town to Singapore, Oct. 18-Nov. 19, 2009. The ship went into dry dock when it reached Singapore, and it will come out as the Ocean Princess.
Getting away
Hallelujah for John Putman’s letter “Cutting All Ties, Temporarily” (Nov. ’09, pg. 52)! Finally, someone agrees with me.