Calling All Readers

Chuck Lynn of Overland Park, Kansas, wrote (Feb. ’14, pg. 15), “For every place my wife and I plan to visit, I always want a printed map. Most tourist bureaus offer PDF maps to download, but I find they are not of much use because my printer prints only sheets measuring 8½"x11" or 8½"x14", and I don’t want to tape a bunch of sheets together. My local FedEx print shop can print a large PDF map, but the cost (is high). Do any of my fellow readers of ITN have a suggestion?”

Yvonne Richter of San Diego, California, wrote (Jan. ’14, pg. 29), “My husband, Juergen, and I like to take customized private tours, and we prefer to use tour companies and guides that are local to the destinations. I would like travelers to write in about foreign tour companies and guides they’ve used for private tours, including as many of the following details as possible:

(Part two in a series)

Someone who travels a lot develops a preference for clothing that has certain properties. We asked you to tell us about the apparel you pack and where you bought it. We wanted to know brand names, so shoppers can inquire about them in the mall or look them up online. And we asked you to give us the name of the store or company from which you purchased each item, including, if possible, its contact information (location, phone number or website).

(Part one in a series)

Someone who travels a lot develops a preference for clothing that has certain properties, so we asked you to tell us about the apparel you pack and where you bought it. We wanted to know brand names, so shoppers can inquire about them in the mall or look them up online. And we asked you to give us the name of the store or company from which you purchased each item, including, if possible, its contact information (location, phone number or website). 

Some banks in the US are beginning to issue credit cards with antifraud security chips embedded in them. The chips hold account information that is encrypted.

In the US, most of these cards are “chip-and-signature” cards with which you usually must provide a signature (and an ID) to complete a transaction. However, what are being used in a great many countries outside of the US are “chip-and-PIN” cards, each of which has a personal identification number (PIN) assigned to it that you punch into the credit card terminal’s keypad when asked for it. 

Debra Driscoll of Dallas, Oregon, had the following information request for subscribers: “How do you handle traveling with special dietary needs? I especially would like to know how you find fresh fruits and vegetables, brown rice and cooked beans. I also welcome any tips on cooking with sparse kitchen equipment. In putting together your own meals, how do you ‘make do’ in hostels, etc.? Do you pack hot pots or hot plates or use the coffee maker in unusual ways?”

In years past, beyond pointing at objects and pantomiming, travelers who did not speak the national language in another country but wanted to communicate would use a foreign-language phrasebook or dictionary to point out words or they would find someone to interpret for them. The electronics age has brought amazing new options.

My husband, Peter, and I went on a bird-watching trip all over Cuba in January 2010. Before departing, I canvased all the husbands of my friends for baseball caps they no longer wore. These I washed and dried and packed along with some baseballs that I bought at a discount sports store. 

Kevin O’Brien of Savannah, Georgia, wrote (July ’13, pg. 34 & Aug. ’13, pg. 17), “I would like to know what others do in the way of traveling to other countries and taking helpful gifts to leave behind… . On our travels, my wife, Jane, and I usually take one extra suitcase each. We pack toys, stuffed animals, school supplies and clothing, both for children and adults… . We check ahead of our trip and arrange to take things to an orphanage or some other charity.