Travelers' Intercom

In the article on Peru and Bolivia (Aug. ’09, pg. 23), the elevation of Cuzco is given as 14,000 feet. This is incorrect. The altitude most often quoted for Cuzco is 11,150 feet.

I write because an altitude of 14,000 feet could definitely discourage people from traveling there. 11,150 is high but is more manageable.

Many hotels in Cuzco serve coca tea. Where we stayed, the Novotel, oxygen was also available from the desk as a free service. A new mask was provided for each user.

Additionally, Cuzco is well equipped to deal with high-altitude sickness. On our tour in...

I have traveled on my own to Mexico and Central America two to three times a year for 19 years, doing all my own planning, but on a December trip to Guatemala I wanted to take it easy and let someone else worry about the arrangements while I focused on my photography.

I chose Caravan Tours, Inc. (Chicago, IL; 800/227-2826, www.caravan.com), whose 11-day/10-night “Guatemala, Tikal & Copán” tour starts at $995, land only. With taxes and single supplement, I paid about $1,500.

The tour price included all meals, hotels, guides, private buses with great drivers and a black...

For the past 14 years, my wife, Roberta, and I have made at least one annual trip to Ireland. We always rent a car at the Shannon or Dublin airport and tour extensively.

In past years, I relied upon the international auto rental insurance provided by MasterCard, declining the expensive collision damage waiver (CDW) and theft insurance offered by the rental agencies. Then I received this statement from MasterCard: “Effective Sept. 1, 2006, US consumer cardholders no longer have core CDW coverage in Ireland, Israel or Jamaica.”

Unfortunately, virtually all major credit card...