by Dorothy Aksamit, Sausalito, CA

We had canceled a trip to Cancun in May ’09 amid the flood of coverage on the “swine flu,” but I knew of only one 30-something friend who had been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus so, since the world seemed to be tilting dizzily in all directions anyway, two friends and I decided a trip to Mexico would be the perfect antidote after all.

One of my travel companions, Maria, had a friend in Guadalajara who would meet us at the airport and be our...

by Marisue Pickering; Orono, ME

When visiting family in England, one of the things my husband, John, and I enjoy doing is exploring lesser-known, often out-of-the-way parish churches. All have features that make them special — if not to a large public then at least to the local population and the dedicated “church explorer.”

Church guides

Although we have been exploring British churches for several years, it was a mention in ITN (Oct. ’05, pg. 108) of Clive Fewins’ “...

by Joseph Lambert; Glenview, IL

Considering their actual distance from Miami, the three Guianas should be only three hours away by plane — if only there were a nonstop flight. There is a direct flight to Guyana from New York (although it takes about as long as the flight from Miami).

Moreover, transportation between the three countries, by land and air, is inconvenient at best. Several of the borders are unsettled and subject to ongoing disagreements.

Universal Travel...