Best and Worst

Reading “The Perpetual Tourist” (Jan. 1), I was concerned that your readers may hesitate to travel to China since Christopher Reynolds mentioned it as the place he encountered the worst language problem of 1994.

My journey to China last April was the best experience of my life! I visited six cities (Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Yangshuo and Guangzhou) without a tour group, and I do not speak Chinese. There was no one to meet me in any city because I did not know a soul in China. I had one guidebook with the Chinese characters translated in hand and a backpack over my shoulder.

The Chinese approached me curiously and helpfully. Many Chinese spoke English and wanted to practice conversation. As a woman traveling alone, I never felt threatened or in danger (unlike living in Los Angeles).

Please get this message across to women who travel alone. China is a truly magical place!

HILARY WHITING

Los Angeles

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Despite his many entertaining descriptions, Christopher Reynolds panders to environmental extremism. He refers to “the destruction of a delicate desert ecosystem” just as “environmentalists” refer to every other ecosystem on the planet. If they are all so delicate, how did they survive to this day? What is more, to what will they degrade? Reynolds later states that Costa Rica attracts “eco-travelers.” The very term is oxymoronic. Environmentalists should eschew jets, cars, buses, trains and fuel consumption in general. Alas, they eschew it for others.

Returning from the Midwest on a large jet, I overheard a woman with an almost terrified look in her eyes ask for water, provided that it not be brought in a plastic foam cup. Riding in a $50-million aircraft burning tons of fuel was acceptable to her, but drinking from plastic foam was unpardonable degradation.

JOHN JAEGER

Irvine

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Many thanks for Christopher Reynolds’ “best and worst” article--it truly brought back some funny (and not-so-funny) memories. Particularly ironic was his disenchantment with the “junk market” in Sarchi, Costa Rica--ironic because my wife and I have recently discovered an outlet in L.A. for some of the truly wonderful ceramic crafts produced in this charming county. A new shop called Earthen Art Works is run by a potter who imports pre-Columbian-style ceramics from Costa Rica, sells them at incredibly low prices and still manages (according to her) to split the profits equitably with the natives there.

EMMETT McGUIRE

Sierra Madre