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June 2008 issue

The Clink

Wherever English is spoken, the word “clink” indicates a place of imprisonment or punishment, but few people know that it was a real prison.

The prison that gave its name to all others was owned by the Bishop of Winchester within his palace on the Bankside in London. From the 12th century, his prison was used for, amongst others, the prostitutes and customers who broke his rules of 1161 in his 22 licensed brothels lining the Bankside.

Later, during the 16th century, the Clink was used almost exclusively for so-called heretics who disagreed with the Bishop’s views, and during...

January 2007 issue

Japan — Traveling solo in Tokyo

Susan Benton, Hermosa Beach, CA

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a friend’s parents who live in Tokyo. While I had a free place to stay, I had no tour guide, no mode of transportation and no sense at all of Tokyo and its culture beyond what I had gleaned from guidebooks and depictions in movies à la “Lost in Translation.”

My hosts were gracious and accommodating, providing useful information that went beyond my guidebook and steering me in the right direction on things to do and see. On a few occasions we dined together in the evenings. However, both teachers at the...

July 2007 issue

Buenos Aires + Uruguay + Panama

My wife, Barbara, and I booked a trip to Buenos Aires for March ’07 with Escapes Unlimited (2012 Lerner Lane, Santa Ana, CA 92705; 800/243-7227, www.escapesltd.com). We would be flying COPA airlines, which uses Panama City as its hub. Since it was necessary to change planes there anyway, we chose to take a layover in Panama City on the way down. (We had good service on COPA, by the way.)

At a cash price of $1,077 each (use of a credit card would have cost extra), the tour package, March 14-22, included air from Miami; two nights in Panama City at Hotel Marbella; six nights in Buenos...

September 2008 issue

Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers

On a trip to Malaysia, my significant other, Frank, and I spent a night in Kuala Lumpur where, if a visitor does nothing else, seeing the Petronas Twin Towers is a must. Guided by the spirals, and with help from a watch compass, we walked there from our hotel (the Alpha Genesis Hotel (formerly Allson Genesis), approximately $65 in March ’07).

Joined by a bridge at the 41st floor, the towers herald K.L. as an industrial and cultural center. This world-famous glass-and-steel structure of 88 floors dominates yet blends with surrounding buildings.

We were struck by their scale....

February 2007 issue

Scenic Japan

Sagano, on the outskirts of Kyoto, is where many Japanese go to view the fall colors. When my husband, Don, and I, were there in October ’05 it was too early for leaf viewing.

The Tenruyji Temple complex, with its gate, moat and walls, is a favorite sight in this ancient city where time seems to have stood still. We took a rickshaw ride to sightsee, stopping for a “Kodak moment” at the Togetsukyo Bridge.

Another activity was to take the train that follows a scenic route through the bamboo forests of Arashiyama (Mt. Arashi) — right out of a Japanese fairy tale.

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August 2007 issue

Marrakech ‘oasis’

In connection with a short trip to Marrakech to see one of the last remaining medieval North African walled cities, I stayed at Riyad Al Moussika (62 Derb Boutouil, Kennaria, Marrakech-Medina, Morocco; phone +212 [0] 44 38 90 67, fax 44 37 76 53, www.riyad-al-moussika.com).

This is a beautiful small hotel (three suites, two doubles, one single). The property is at the end of a long narrow alley and is entered through an anonymous doorway. Once inside, you enter a private world with an interior patio decorated with orange trees, a marble fountain with roses floating in it and complex...

January 2008 issue

BA seat assignments

Directly from British Airways on their website, www.ba.com, I purchased a ticket for my sister, Ursula, to fly in economy class from Berlin, Germany, to Los Angeles via London on June 19.

A day ahead, she signed onto the website and got a seat assignment for the Berlin-to-London leg but could not get a seat assignment for the much more important leg from London to Los Angeles.

For the return flight on July 11, we could go online to get a boarding pass and seat assignment for the leg from Los Angeles to London but not on the connecting flight to Berlin. It seems that British...

March 2007 issue

Quito snacks

My wife, Barbara, and I visited Quito, Ecuador, in January ’06. The places to eat are endless and we found most quite adequate.

You can get an almuerzo (lunch) of the day (fixed menu) for $1.50. It will include a nice soup and a main dish of some kind of meat plus rice and maybe a vegetable and fresh-squeezed fruit juice.

The fruit juice is in the form of what is called a liquido. Just enough water is added to easily liquefy whatever they use (pineapple, papaya, blackberries, etc.). We found that any decent-looking place used bottled water to add to the fruit.

À la...