Greetings, travelers, chatsters and assorted Web pals. Gary Lee, Post travel writer here as host of today's chat. We have a pretty full crew of illustrious, interesting, fun Travel section staffers to answer your questions. Included in our team today are: KC Summers, travel section editor; John Deiner, deputy editor, fresh in from a thrilling trip to Hoboken, N.J.; Cindy Loose, staff writer, just back from a camping trip on the beach; Andrea Sachs, headed out for trips to Birmingham and Nashville; Carol Sotilli, all knowing editor of our where's the deal column; and Anne Mcdonough, who recently spent a weekend touring mansions in Newport, RI. In addition, we have as special guest Dave Wielenga, author of this Sunday's feature about driving through Mexico with his fiance. Dave, who lived three years in Mexico, will be happy to answer any Mexico-related questions, including any on the expat life south of the border.

In this season when lots of us are exploring cultures different from our own, I wonder if any of you can offer dos and don'ts in other cultures that you have visited. During years of living in Germany, where guests invited to dinner at 8 arrive exactly when the second hand reached 8, I learned that even being a minute late was an offense. In Indian country Oklahoma, I learned not to pick up stones, branches or other gifts of nature as they might represent something sacred. Anyone have a lesson along these lines and a succinct story to go along with it? The one with the best story gets a free kidsCarepak, a great backpack filled with kids goodies sent to us by Doubletree. The hotel chain is giving the packs away to guests with kids 3-12