Travelers' Intercom | International Travel News

February 2007 issue

Doctor visit in London

While staying with friends just outside London in May ’06, I woke up one morning with a sore throat and a husky voice. I told my friends I had better catch the next flight back to California in case I was coming down with something.

They suggested I see a doctor first, but, it being Sunday, I imagined that, like in the U.S., that meant a trip to the E.R. in a hospital, a wait of two or three hours and a bill for three or four hundred dollars. My friend insisted it was no problem; the National Health Service had a Sunday clinic nearby.

When we arrived, I was asked to fill out...

August 2007 issue

Guide in Morocco

My husband, Shayne, and I had a very enjoyable 3-week trip to Morocco with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/221-0814, www.oattravel.com) in October ’06. We took their “Morocco Sahara Odyssey” plus the Essaouira and Casablanca extension.

We paid approximately $2,700 each for the main trip, which included economy air from New York (JFK), plus $700 each for the 5-night pretrip to Essaouira and Casablanca.

The main trip included 10 nights in hotels, three nights in private tented camps in the Sahara, one internal flight from Marrakesh to Casablanca, all land...

January 2008 issue

Heathrow overflowing

On a trip from San Francisco to Bologna, Italy, on May 23, 2007, I changed planes at Heathrow airport. It was a Wednesday morning.

After getting off the airport bus at the terminal, l had to wait in a narrow hall before going through a security checkpoint. Then l had to wait again before going up an escalator because the waiting area at the top of the escalator was too small to hold the crowd waiting to go through another security checkpoint. After walking what seemed like a mile to my departure gate, I had to go through another security check.

I am not complaining about the...

March 2007 issue

Lhasa dining oasis

Having traveled to Lhasa, Tibet, Oct. 10-17, 2006, I can recommend very highly the Lhasa Namaste Restaurant (Yutoklu No 30; phone 0891-6324669 or e-mail jampa22@hotmail.com). It’s on the second floor, near the theater hall and at the opposite end of Jokhang Temple within the Barkhor market.

The owner is the charming, young Mr. Jampa. The staff speaks English well and is very, very friendly. With good views overlooking the Barkhor market, the restaurant is very clean and serves excellent food, with a great variety of offerings. One dinner for all three of us would cost less than $20...

July 2007 issue

Re language

I have a great deal of experience in learning another language by studying and later teaching English to Brazilians and, several years later, teaching Spanish to Americans.

You can practice a lot for free using the Internet with the help of a dictionary: for French, use www.lefigaro.fr, and for Spanish, www.elpais.com. I am sure there are search engines for other languages.

In Western Europe you will find yourself asking questions in French or German and receiving answers in perfect English.

If you are going to rent a car, make sure you can read the notices in the...

December 2007 issue

Good, bad and ugly in Rome

Bella Roma! I am a college professor, and together with a colleague we escorted 21 students through Rome’s classical treasures in May ’07. On my final night, as I packed, I watched a spaghetti Western on the hotel TV. It got me thinking about “the good, the bad and the ugly” of our trip.

The good — Rome is vast, multilayered and wonderful. Much of it is free: the Basilica of St. Peter’s, the Forum, the fountains, the Pantheon and the hundreds of churches. There is little that is as marvelous as having a beer in the Campo de’ Fiori in the evening as children play and vendors...

September 2008 issue

Foldable hiking stick

Usually there are only a few times on a trip when I need my hiking pole, but when I need one I REALLY need it, i.e., when fording a rocky stream or climbing down steps of uneven heights.

My Leki, which I regularly use, is too long to put in my small suitcase, even when broken down. My solution is a foldable stick ordered from Rocky Mountain Amblers (Denver, CO; 303/793-0719, www.rockymountainamblers.com).

Ruth, at Rocky Mountain Amblers, was extremely helpful in guiding my selection of just the right stick. They offer them in various heights, weights and diameters to fit the...

April 2007 issue

Camping in Qatar

For any readers anticipating a stopover in Qatar, here is an interesting alternative to the usual 5-star hotel. How about a night of camping in the desert?

I camped in Qatar in early November ’06 with Arabian Adventures (P.O. Box 4476, Doha, Qatar; phone 974 4361461, fax 974 4361471 or visit www.arabianadventureqatar.com), which offers day and overnight packages that include all meals and accommodations. Their prices were QR200 (near $55) for a half-day; QR265 ($73), full day, and QR350 ($96), overnight.

Actually, my camping was part of an all-inclusive tour with Advantage...