Dear Chris & Lina:
You must be very surprized to receive a mail from somebody you don`t know.This is my first mail to you. I got your name and address from your HP. Your HP is very very interesting for me!
First of all , let me introduce myself. My name is Natsuki. I am a Japanese. Please call me Natsuki. I am a 22-year-old boy. I am in the senior grade student at univercity. I was born in MIYAZAKI in Kyushu ,but now live in NAGANO. Do you know NAGANO? NAGANO is held the Olympic Game in 1998. NAGANO is very comfortable. I am interestead in studying English . But my English skill is low level.
I`ll be happy if we could become friends by exchanging mail once in a while. Please ask me anything you want to know about Japan! Looking forward to hearing from you. Sincerely yours

While in Japan many years ago, I was photographed with school children. I wonder if these photos could be on the net to see if any of them recognize themselves, years, later.
I am computer illiterate.

Hello,
I am a teacher in New Mexico. I am currently taking a computer class called Teach to the Future. I came across the beautiful photographs of Ayers Rock, and wondered if I could use them for my project. Please contact me as soon as possible, my class ends on friday.
Your response is greatly appreciated. Thank you
(Ed: We gave Veronica our permission but unfortunately it was too late. We were on vacation when she sent the email and so we missed the deadline.)

Dear Sir or Madam,
our company specializes in the publication of material suitable to train students for their final exams at grammar schools.
In our new publication Klassenarbeiten Mathematik, 11. Klasse we would like to reprint the picture of the the great wall in China shown on your webside.
Some information about our book:
Print run: ca. 4000
Price: ca. € 10
Publication date: 07/02
Distribution-territory: Federal Republic of Germany
We herewith ask for permission to reprint the above mentioned picture for educational/classroom use only. We assure you of a correct reproduction of the source. Further we'd like to ask if we could possibly get a better scan of the picture as the quality in the internet is not good enough to copy it. Thank you very much for your assistance and cooperation!
(Ed: We gave Claudia our permission. She is going to use our picture and send us a copy of the book when it is published)

Hi Lina,
Was wondering if you could tell me how to write LINA in Japanese... do you have picture of how it;s written, my friend Lina from work is asking
Thank You
(Ed: We replied with a scan of "Lina" written in Japanese)

Hi Chris & Lina!
...just a quick "thank you" for your informative website on Japan - we're hoping to go in September and have taken lots of advice from your pages, and are reassured to learn that we can "go it alone" (rather than going on an organised tour).
Thanks!

My 7 year old son had been given a project to do on any country of his choice.
Thomas chose Australia. We have had many interesting trips to the local library, but he has most enjoyed viewing your site. I think the fact that he has read someone elses views and thoughts has helped make the whole subject more interesting.
We have finished the project now and Thomas is busy saving his £1.00 per week pocket money for a trip of a lifetime "Down Under".
Let's hope he gets there!!! Many thanks from a grateful parent.

Dear Cris and Lina,
I was searching the web for pollution in Mexico and chanced upon your website. Thank you for doing a wonderful job!!! Mexico is a beautiful country ... I wish I had more time to explore it as much as you did.

Hi Just wanted to write to you and tell you that i think your website is absolutely brilliant. Myself and 5 friends are all flying out to Lima on 25th of June this year and we intend to travel around Peru, Bolivia then fly out of Santiago in Chile in late August. Then to Dallas for 3 noghts then home to sunny UK.
As we are 6 blonde girls, our main worry is safety. if you have any advice on what to look out for when selecting amazon tours, or Inca Trail companies, it would be greatly appreciated. We have nothing booked in advance, so will have to look into what is available when we get there.
Keep up the brilliantly vibrant work on your website, it is great insight for those such as ourselves who have yet to visit these fascinating countries! Cheers
(Ed: We went on an organised tour with Kuoni so we couldn't really help with pointers. However, we passed on some travel advisory pointers although we added that we thought that Peru was quite safe and the people were friendly and didn't harrass tourists too much.)

I have read your webpage with interest. I am going to Japan in June for some of the world cup and will be there only 10 days (yes, I know only ten days). I must make the most of my time there and intend travelling a lot with my JR rail pass in between games.
I would welcome your views on "must see/must do" attractions/sights in the short time I will be there.
Any other advice would be welcome as I am travelling alone and can be very flexible about my routes,etc. Thank you.
(Ed: We passed on our favourite ideas for a visit to Japan)

I loved your web site. My daughter is in Australia now and I've been trying to keep up with her travels. I searched for web sites on Ayres Rock, since I figure she's there now and came upon your terrific site. Well Done!! From Ayres rock she and her roommate will get on the OZ bus and travel more north and eventually back to Sydney. From Sydney Kim, the roomie, will return to US while Kellie goes on to NZ and Roratonga. She's having a great time and loves all the people she's met and the sights she's seen. Anyway I sent her your site and if she can afford the time on some computer maybe she'll get some ideas while she's there. Thanks for sharing your wonderful trips. Now I must go see if my Passport's in order.....dream on.... actually I guess I'd better get ready for work tomorrow, but when I retire.....
Thanks again,

Hi! Enjoyed reading your report as we are planning the same trip for next year. Did I miss it, or did you not say what time of year you went? (Ed: You missed it! Oct, 1999 - it's on the first page) Also, I thought that the group size of 38 sounded bigger than I would have expected - have you had any feedback to indicate that Kuoni has reduced group sizes since? (I'll ask them next time I call, but you might have some anecdotal reports........) (Ed: We heard that 38 was quite typical although we were split into two groups much of the time)
We were thinking of extending our trip to include 5 nights in Aruba to unwind before coming home - would that have been a welcome addition for you? Did you come back tired? (Ed: Yes we did! It would have been nice to relax at the end but we don't squander our precious vacation allocation on relaxing. there's too much left to see in the world.)
Look forward to hearing from you.

I am writing a term paper on Shintoism and found your travelogue very informative. Lotsa great pictures of the temples. I espeacially liked the ones of the torii and sakaki tree. Thanks alot!

Hi,
I enjoyed your travelogue. When was it written? (Ed: Late 1998) My daughter is studying in Sydney, so I'm all over the net looking for things about Oz. By the way, the sweet course after a meal is spelt dessert, whereas the arid expanse of sand is spelt desert. The mneumonic I use to remember there are 2 esses is I'd prefer 2 helpings of dessert. Ta.
(Ed: How embarrassing! It's now fixed - before anyone else complains!)

Hi! I've been looking over your webpages and they are great!!! We don't have any immediate plans to travel to any of the countries that you went to (though I'd like to do a trip similiar to your Mexico trip) in the immediate future but I love reading travel pages like yours. I know how much work you must have put in to them too since Carmen and I maintain our own travel website. Your pages are definitely well above average compared to most on the web!!
http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/j/x/jxf17/

Hi Chris and Lina
I am planning a holiday to Malaysia from Adelaide and I found your trip report really interesting and helpfull. I was trying to decide whether to spend around A$500 to spend a couple of days in Singapore at the end of the trip or to have a couple of days in Kuala Lumpur. Sounds like there will be plenty to keep me occupied in KL. I plan to have a look at your other travels later. Thanks
(Ed: We replied to Peter telling him that we had also been to Singapore although we hadn't written about it. We said that of the two places we preferred Singapore to KL but either place would be interesting for 2 days.)

Hi, I am working on a television series called "Secret Passages" which airs on the History Channel. One of the very short segments we are trying to pull together is on the tunnels under the Colosseum, especially one mentioned in "Hail, Caesar" that was a secret passage from the theatre to the Emperor's palace. While you were there did you get any pictures that show the missing arena floor area in some detail or that show the passages there? If you did, would you be willing to provide them to us and give permission for them to be included in our program? I look forward to your response.
(Ed: We were a little late in responsing to this request as we were on vacation when it arrived. They had already found some suitable pictures by the time we replied so we missed out on this brief moment of fame.)

Dear Chris & Lina
I’m publishing a free online newsletter for the purpose of introducing interesting English Web sites to Japanese who wish to improve their knowledge of English. The present number of subscribers is 1,216 people.
I’m much interested in your site and want my readers to read it. I believe we must read and listen to English as often as possible if we want to improve our English knowledge.
I will explain some difficult English words and give full interpretation in Japanese for those beginners so that they can enjoy your site and try to improve their English knowledge. I hope they’ll also try and enjoy your other pages.
Now, I will look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience, with many thanks in advance for your prompt attention and help.
(Ed: We gave our permission for this and offered to host the translations when they are done.)

Thanks for many impressions and some relaxed laughing. Sincerely

Hello both,
Thank you for what appears to be a lovely web page to visit (haven't explored it fully yet!)
We live in the UK and have a young email/internet chum and her hubby whom we'd like to visit this summer (or Autumn) in Beijing. We aren't particularly flush with cash this year as we are "house improving". Any suggestions based on your experience on how to get there, travel around ,and get back, please?
We've used Kuoni before and know they are good and we have also "seen" Hong Kong. Which other bit(s) should we see before /after Beijing would you recommend, please?
Many thanks (and apologies if the questions are just a wee bit "broad" and not helpful :-)
(Ed: We provided quite a long response to Roger and Bev's broad questions)

hey! I am form Mexico city.
I likr your web site, Alhtoug it needs to be updated. I wish I can help by sending information from my city and form the part where I live in Mexico. Currently I am in the states studying. The web site needs a several pages showing the arts and crafts Mexico city has as well picture of the food they sell in the streets and market places. It also needs more pictures of turist sites from Mexico. I will really live to make a trip to take pictures and do a different web site named "Welcome to the Arts, Crafts and food post card form Mexico City" So if youa re interesting to do this let me know. You do not have to pay me for it I just want the internet to have better information about my city, and I know a lot of secrest of it. Thanks.
(Ed: We thanked Claudia for her offer but declined it as our site is about our own travel experiences. However, we did send information on how she can create her own web pages.)

DEAR CHRIS AND LINA
I CAME ACROSS YOUR PICTURES OF CAPSULE HOTEL KIMEYA ON THE WEB, WHILST RESEARCHING FOR AN ARTICLE FOR BABY MAGAZINE, HOLLAND. WE WOULD LIKE TO WRITE AN ARTICLE ON THE CASPULE HOTELS AND IF POSSIBLE USE YOUR PICTURES AS THEY'RE GREAT SHOTS! WOULD IT BE AT ALL POSSIBLE TO GET THOSE IMAGES IN EITHER DIGITAL (NO JPEGS THOUGH, ONLY TIFF, EPS, PSD OR CMYK) OR ZIP/CD-ROM OR ISDN?
KIND REGARDS AND THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
(Ed: After a couple of email exchanges, Lotje stopped responding so our picture presumably didn't end up in this magaazine article.)

Dear Chris and Linda
I think your website is great! Although I have to confess I havn't had chance to read the whole lot yet.
My boyfriend and I have recently returned from Oz and we are now planning to go back but with drivers licenses this time. I just wanted to ask you about the driving license regulations over there? I'm guessing we have to get them changed to International licenses but I'm not sure?
Would be really greatful if you could fill me in on the regulations if you have a spare min. Many thanks
(Ed: Full UK driving licences are acceptable for car hire in Australia. An International Driving Licence is not required.)

Brilliant site! Very well written and interesting.
===
We saw a group of much younger looking geishas near Kyoto's Kiyomizu temple and we were able to snap this picture of them walking away. These were apparently maiko - or apprentice geishas. You can see their heavily applied white make-up on their necks with the characteristic patch left uncovered just below their hair line.
===
Although it's difficult to tell I would wager odds that you actually saw normal girls made up to look like maiko. There are one or two shops I saw at the bottom of the Kiyomizu hill (and elsewhere in Kyoto) that do this for Japanese tourists. They'll dress the girls up, take studio pictures and -- I guess -- let them walk around a bit. But I could certainly be wrong and you might have seen the real deal. Regards,
http://www.chachich.com/mdchachi/
(Ed: Thanks for pointing that out Mike. You are almost certainly correct as it makes a lot more sense and fits in with some others that we saw having their picture taken at the temple. We've changed our web page accordingly)

Dear Travel Addicts,
I am a researcher for a film company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. We are currently doing an educational documentary series on the geography of Canada. One of our documentaries is about transportation and has a section featuring the bicycle and its evolution. While surfing the web, I came across your photograph of a man on a bicycle loaded with many packages. I am writing to see if we could get permission to include this photograph in our documentary. If you have any questions or would like more details, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your time.
(Ed: Ella paid us for using our picture as we had to rescan it and she is also going to send us a video of the documentary after it airs in Autumn 2002 - thanks!)

Hi Chris & Linda:
We too are planning a 2-week trip to Japan the end of March, 2002. We have been using your web pages extensively and are incorporating several of your suggestions into our travel plans. Thank you for all the information. Any updates we should be aware of?

Greetings, Chris and Lina - I happened on to your beautiful website accidentally. I had read an article in our newspaper about the natural wonders of the world. I had never heard of Ayers Rock, so I typed it into my search engine to learn more about it. Yours was one of the websites that came up, and it sounded interesting so I pulled it up to see. I am so glad I did! You have done an amazing job with describing your travels. It is a lot of fun to read and you include things I would really want to know but wouldn't think to ask about.
So far I have read all about your trips to Mexico and to Toronto. I have saved your site in my "favorites" section and will keep reading until I have read them all. It must take a lot of time to get this all organized and make it look so nice too. Good job!

Hello ,
we are two peruvian girls who were browsing your site. W e accept that its pretty good made, but we think that you have to also rescue the good things about a country, not only the bad things (a "cuy" isn't a rat, where have you gone to eat??????). (Ed: We didn't say anywhere that cuy was a rat - we just said that it "looked" more like a rat than the guinea pigs we had seen. It was still nice and we said so.)
We accept that was a tourist vision but we think that maybe you needed much time to know better the place, the people, the food (do you forget about the ceviche, aji de gallina, etc). Please you have to consider that your site will be seen by foreign people.
You should give another chance to our country, maybe you could visit it again and try to look with other "eyes" and maybe judged it.
thank you Rocio and Marissa
(Ed: We immediately re-read our entire Postcard from Peru and found that it was almost entirely favourable towards Peru - including our food page! Our only bad experience was the train journey from Cusco to Punu. We contacted Rocio and Marissa to try to find out more about what specifically they didn't like but sadly they didn't reply to us.)

You have some nice photos of Uluru on your website. How can one obtain a set of them? Thanks
PS Keep up the good work!
(Ed: We replied to Bruce to find out exactly what he wanted but we didn't get a reply)

Hello,
I actually work for Kuoni Travel UK in Dorking in the World Class team. I think your website is FANTASTIC! I think you are both employed in the wrong industry! (Ed: So do we!) You need to work in travel so that you can get cheap airfares and hotels! (Ed: One day maybe - any offers?) Keep up the good work, it's really an enjoyable website. Im planning to show our sales manager tomorrow, hope you dont mind.

hi i have just looked at your peice on china and found it very interesting My wife and i are going in mid March and wondered what kind of clothing would be the best for travelling and wearing whilst in Beijing Chengede Xian and Shanghia this is the first time we have been on an escorted tour and dont want to be "accidental" tourists Regards Lauder

Hi Chris and Lina,
We have seen your site about your trip to Australia. It was very well done and you were very faithful in reporting all about the country! I am Brazilian and have lived in Melbourne for two years - 25 years ago! My husband was a student at Melbourne Uni. Our eldest sun, Christian, was born there and now he is taking his master at the same university, since last July.
Last February, my husband, I and our other son, went back to Australia to visit old friends and places. It was a great trip. We have just been around Victoria State and to Sydney. (what a great and enchanting city!) Now, in April we intend to visit our son and to go to Alice Springs - to see AyerS Rock, of course!
As good travellers as you are, could you give us some hints? How have you travelled to Alice Spring (from where?) For how long did you stayed there? Where did you stayed? I would be very grateful if could give us some help as outsiders.
Any information about Brazil, here we are! Welcome! Thanks a lot!
By the way, we have lived for 4 years in England - Oxford - and LOVE your country!

I am planning a trip to Japan next March 02 and it's coming up fast - we booked the flights last October or so and we have always wanted to travel to Japan but somehow with Christmas and all that the planning just hasn't really happened. So today I was surfing and looking for ideas and found your site and have now got some very good ideas of what to expect and where to go.
The fortunate thing is that we've got some friends in Japan that we met when we worked in Florida a few years ago (and where I met my husband as well!) so hopefully they can help "smooth" the transition and lead the way, so to speak. WE won't be with them all the time and it is those times, when we're all alone, that I worried about our distinct lack of Japanese language skills (I only know how to count from 1 to 10 and a few other polite terms such as "thank you"!) but your site has dispelled those worries. Besides, my blonde-blue-eyed husband certainly does look foreign and I would guess that so do I (stereotypical Mexican: brown hair, brown eyes, brown skin) so hopefully this will help!
After looking forward to this trip for over 5 years I am really excited that it is happening soon (and before the World Cup, when no one can accuse us of being un-original!) and reading about your trip made me even more excited and gave me lots of useful information. I'll let you know how we do! Many thanks,
PS. If you ever need info on Mexico, just let me know! I lived there all my life until I moved to the UK nearly 5 years ago.
I just read your about your trip to Mexico and I'm sorry that you didn't like the food. After living in the UK for years I think I may know why - you can't really find MEXICAN food in here, just the usual Tex-Mex stuff (fajitas, burritos and the like) and you have found that that isn't really Mexican food. In fact Taco Bell is nice but a good example of Tex-Mex - whenever you get lettuce and cream with the meat (in a taco or burrito or whatever) then it's tex-mex. Even the "crispy taco" thing is very annoying as that is a completely American invention - Mexicans would never call these tacos!! But I completely disagree with your comment that Mexican food is much nicer in the UK - truth is, it just simply doesn't exist. I have looked.
Mexican food is much lovelier and even plainer that brits think - not many sauces (other than mole) are used generally... and it doesn't have to be hot either. In fact, I am Mexican and absolutely hate hot food (even some curries are too hot for me, I stick to Chicken Korma). But most meals seem to consist of different combinations of beans, rice, tortillas (maize not flour as in tex mex) and cheese, all dressed with tons of lime juice and accompanied by a simple lettuce and tomato salad. That is what my mom would make for lunch regularly!
(Ed: We have modified our page on Mexican Food as we keep getting beaten up by Mexicans. We stand by what we said about the Mexican food we ate but we have added a passage about how our opinion might be unfair.)

Hello,
I am a teacher who was looking for photos to download so I could give my second and third graders a virtual tour of Australia. Your website helped me enormously! I've put it on my favorites list. Thanks so much.

... and wld like to invite u to me page - www.duenzkofer.com i only met australia from the northern end - darwin down to uluru - but really can feel what happened to you - the virus stroke you too... maybe one day we meet on a strange place... (actually - i plan to go to samoa in march - to see me friends there and to have some nice wreck dives too... got some time to spend???
cheers, klaus