Travelers' Intercom

I received an invitation to celebrate the 60th birthday of Kwabenar LaVerte Mathis, an old and dear friend of almost 50 years. The celebration was held on Ischia, a resort island off the coast of Naples, Italy, that is known for its thermal pools, steam baths and therapeutic waters.

The trip, May 26-June 3, ’03, was booked and coordinated by Liz Morris of Omega Travel (phone 703/246-9259 or fax 888/380-9805). The airfare was $725 round trip, and my single room at the 4-star Hotel Hermitage & Park Terme cost $844.

I was thankful that dinner for us had been arranged at the...

Only those who have witnessed Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) will fully appreciate Dr. Larry Baratta’s May ’05 “Travel & Health” column on that subject. I’ve observed its debilitating effects twice: in an elderly man crossing from Pakistan into China on the Karakorum Highway at more than 15,000 feet and in a young physical education instructor in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. In the first case, we had to descend quickly, and in the other the woman stayed in the lodge during the only two days we were at this 10,000-foot elevation.

As tours seldom give travelers the necessary...

A letter in the November ’03 issue, page 38, stated that MBNA does not charge for foreign currency conversion. That’s true. What it doesn’t say is that the various credit card companies themselves are the ones that charge; e.g., Visa, 2%; AmEx, 2%, and MasterCard, 1%. I learned the above researching the veracity of the MBNA deal.

There can be significant ATM charges from the issuer, not the credit card company. In the case of the MBNA cards, the MasterCard holder is charged by MBNA 3% for ATM withdrawals. I’d sure like to know what the AmEx and Visa ATM charges are.

PAUL...