Colombia has a reputation as a potentially dangerous destination, but I felt no uneasiness when walking around the old walled city of Cartagena for five days in January ’08.

The Old City remains a living place. Yes, there are several hotels and plenty of restaurants that attract foreign visitors, but the streets and shops are alive with Cartageneros going about their business. Some buildings have been carefully restored; others retain their somewhat dilapidated charm. Go now before...

On a trip to Viet Nam and Laos, I was so distressed by overly loquacious and hard-to-understand guides that I am reluctant to take any more guided tours. Listening is tiring, especially for those of us with hearing problems and for everyone who has difficulty understanding speakers with foreign accents.

A good guide should be selective about the sights visited and knowledgeable about their hours and rules, especially regarding photography. Prior to a visit to a sight that is...

We were going to be in Santiago, Chile, for three days before a trip to the Antarctic, so we read with great interest the letter titled “Chilean Guide Excellent” (Aug. ’07, pg. 70).

We contacted M. Alejandro Molina (Vicente Perez Rosales 1654-C, La Reina, Santiago, Chile; home phone 56 2 2730241, cell phone 56 9 2983434 or e-mail amolina@ecoventura.cl or alejandromolinamarin@yahoo.com) and made an agreement and in November ’07 flew off on a seemingly endless flight to Chile.

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