Letters to the Travel Editor

Third in line’s a sucker Dear Sir, [Re: ‘He Tangata: Jacqui Wilkinson’, Travel, December 5] We dealt with leeches by putting salt on them. They will drop off in a few seconds. A few grains is enough and taking a small packet with you is no problem. Never pull them off because they will leave their mouthparts in you and go septic. Expect to bleed because they inject an anticoagulant into you. A myth says don’t go third in line: the first wakes them up, they look around at the second and latch on to the third! Robin Osborne Bethlehem The Travel Editor replies: Yuck! Don’t mind me, I’ll just sit here being disgusted. In a class of its own Dear Sir, In mid-August we flew on Air New Zealand tickets to New York. The Air New Zealand plane to Houston in Business Class was good. We then transferred to a United plane, Business Class. This had slightly wider seats than in Economy, no television, and the gourmet dinner was a burger! Rachel Lewis, Takapuna The Travel Editor replies: The difference in product between international Business Class and — once you land in the US — domestic Business Class is profound. But bear in mind that some travellers coming the other way on Business Class fares would find themselves chewing on a cookie on an A320 from Auckland to Queenstown. Nightmare begins for butt-baring couple Dear Sir, You may wish to consider editing your article [‘Butt of their joke’, Travel, December 5] on the two Americans who were arrested in Bangkok, and fined for publishing photos of themselves proudly displaying their respective derrieres in the grounds of a temple.

“Thai authorities arrested them, fined them then set them free.”

Yes, they were fined 5000 baht each (about NZ$220), but are now facing more serious charges with imprisonment a real possibility. Their nightmare has only just begun. Paul Owen The Travel Editor replies: Looks like they were released over the weekend.