A friendly policewoman in Sardinia. Credit: Tony Smith
LETTER OF THE WEEK
Having recently returned from my first visit to Bali, I have to ask: what's all the fuss about? Our own Gold Coast is better, closer, quicker and cheaper to get to, and it smells a lot better. And something not produced on the Gold Coast is the famous (infamous?) "Kopi Luwak" (Coffee Luwak). Despite the beverage being produced from beans that have travelled through the intestinal tract of the indigenous civet cat, then defecated whole, before "harvesting" and roasting, the cognoscenti continually extol the dubious "qualities" and "unique taste" to the curious, of which I was one. It certainly tastes like defecation to me, and at $88 for just 250g, surely they must be kidding!
Been there. Done that. Didn't bother with the T-shirt.
John Kruger, St Albans, Victoria
CLEAN RECORD
While on a three-month tour of Italy, one of the tasks that must be addressed is doing the laundry. In a small town called Sanluri in southern Sardinia we were looking for a laundromat, when we spotted a local traffic cop. We stopped her to ask directions and in Italian she told us to turn right, then right again and then right again and, "I'll meet you out the front".
Puzzled we followed her directions and sure enough there she was waiting out the front of the local laundromat, where she proceeded to take us inside, show us how operate the machines and help us to get our washing organised and done!
Wouldn't happen here.
Tony Smith, Charlestown, NSW
CUTTING REMARKS
Further to Patrick and Sharon Collins' knitting needles, having flown from Sydney to Hobart in April I felt around in my handbag and said, "what's this" to discover a decorative cake knife worthy of Jim Bowie from my husband's birthday party the previous day. So much for airport screening.
Lisa Farmer, Northbridge, NSW
ONWARD VIRGIN SOLDIERS
When my 92-year-old mother flew back from Canberra, she was dismayed to find her favourite travel bag split right across the top. When I emailed Virgin at 12.55 pm I received a response from Matthew Dixon, guest experience manager, within the hour, at 1.23pm.
He offered to reimburse Mum for the bag and was most apologetic. You can imagine Mum's delight. However, she was absolutely thrilled when a big bouquet of flowers and chocolates arrived at her front door.
This sort of action is really appreciated and we commend Mr Dixon for his supportive and rapid response. Virgin Airlines is one of the very few companies that actually "practice what they preach" in providing the best service and experience possible.
Rob Mason, Randwick, NSW
SILENT TREATMENT
In December 2014, I wrote to Virgin Australia (Traveller Letters, June 13-14) about an incident which disturbed me during check-in for a Melbourne to Sydney flight. Receiving no reply by May 1 this year, I then wrote to John Borghetti, chief executive of Virgin Australia. This letter was also ignored. I now fly Qantas.
Moira Rien, Westleigh, NSW
VALUABLES ADVICE
A little tip on in-room safes. They are electro-mechanical units prone to occasional faults, from flat batteries to complete meltdowns. If you have an early morning departure it is wise to remove your valuables the night before. Waiting for the night staff to locate the release key or the tradesman may take more time than you can afford.
David Garven, Scarborough, Qld
SEATING PLAN
When will airlines make it a condition of flying that no seats are to be reclined until meals are served and lights switched off (Traveller Letters, May 30-31)? When hell freezes over.
Lindsay Kreiger states that on a flight from Chennai to Singapore a remedy to the situation was sought through the flight attendant. As a former airline employee, I can say that technically, flight attendants exist for the safety of all passengers and crew on the flight and not your personal comfort.
Did Lindsay take the time to enquire as to the circumstances of the person in front? Had their connecting flight been delayed, or even cancelled? Had they been contacted by the airline, and asked to travel a day early, as the aircraft type had been changed? Were they travelling on compassionate grounds? Was the passenger just suffering jetlag and felt they could finally relax?
Based on the circumstances described by Lindsay, as a former cabin manager I would have, availability permitted, upgraded the person who had reclined their seat to business class. Perhaps next time, Lindsay could request and pay for an exit row seat where there is no one seated in front.
Aaron Blake, Darlinghurst, NSW
MY OH MYANMAR
Guy Wilkinson was certainly "Taken for a Ride" (Traveller, June 13-14) on the circular train in Yangon, Myanmar. Having worked there in 2012 and again in 2013 we had the opportunity to ride the train a couple of times and it certainly is a very interesting experience and well worth doing. But do it on your own. At $51 the guide saw Guy coming.
The train fare was 2000 kyat (about $2) for foreigners when we did it and a sumptuous meal at any of the wayside eateries can be had for less than $5. Guides may be handy when you want to be shown around some historic site but to enjoy the sights and sounds of this rail journey, just go it alone and make friends with the delightful locals.
Oh and don't forget to take your passport for the ticket office.
Bruce Lumb, Sandy Beach, NSW
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