Travel Tidbits

A “must see” in Bodrum, Turkey, is the Museum of Underwater Archeology, housed in the Castle of St. John. The Institute of Nautical Archeology has been excavating in the Mediterranean since 1973, and the collections displayed include treasures from a series of historic wrecks along Turkey’s southern shores. Mycenaean and Cannanite artifacts from the 12th century B.C., a reconstruction of a seventh-century Eastern Roman Empire wreck and finds from the world’s oldest shipwreck, a 14th-century B.C. vessel excavated off Uluburun (Kas), were among exhibits, in addition to coins, jewelry and spectacular medieval glassware, in July ’04. — PEGGY LONG, Portland, OR

Ethiopia is a very poor country in a monetary sense but quite rich in history and in the spirit of its people. It was a joy to visit. A highlight was Axum, which dates back to at least the 10th century B.C. and is said to have been the capital of the Queen of Sheba (of Biblical fame). During a February trip with Elderhostel, we were privileged to join a predawn religious service and procession in which many of the town’s inhabitants walked from Saint Mary of Zion Church through town and back while supplicating God to forgive their sins and send much-needed rain. This was a moving experience, with the darkness pierced only by the beeswax tapers each of us carried. — NEVA ORTON, San Luis Obispo, CA

On a visit to Cambodia, I thought of the quote by Noel Coward, “mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun.” Siem Reap and Angkor Wat were very HOT in the February I visited, but they were drier than Singapore. The countryside reminded me of Thailand’s, with houses on stilts, and also of Mexico, with peddlers crowding around trying to sell anything. — VIVIAN WILDER, San Francisco, CA

We relied on the Lonely Planet guidebook, various magazines and the Internet to make decisions and advance reservations for our trip to New Zealand. Information kiosks in the cities and towns were very helpful for locating motels and local walking tracks. Also, we bought a New Zealand telephone card at a “dairy” (aka convenience store) so we could change or cancel reservations. — JOHN & NANCY OSTHEIMER, Fort Collins, CO