many years ago while travelling in 'cheap mode' i picked a greek island to visit based on it being the furthest from the mainland and having the fewest boats. i don't even remember its name - maybe it was Ikaria - not sure. In any case the day after I arrived was the annual festival and i was one of 2 foreigners on the island. Needless to say that was quite a night.

one can also talk about avoiding the wrong time. we were in Agra when moslem-hindu hostility flared up in 1992 and much trouble ensued. The Taj was open when we arrived and we spent a day and went back for the full moon. The next morning when we went for sunrise it was closed and remained that way for at least a week. We got there at the right time but imagine basing your 2 week trip on a visit to the Taj and finding it closed??

over the years we had many serendipitous 'right place, right time' experiences and i think the important thing is having flexibility enough to take advantage - to change plans, extend trips, modify destinations - that's the way to go!

harold goldstein, highland, maryland