I swim outdoors all year round at Tooting Bec lido in south London, and I understand there is an outdoor swimming race in Muonio, Finland, in about February or March. I wonder if I could combine going to this with a week's cross-country and downhill skiing next year. I am having difficulty finding information on the race.
Julie Brand, by email
The 2004 World Ice Pool Swimming Championships took place on 27-29 March and though the dates for 2005 aren't available yet, the races should happen at around the same time of year. Races are for competitors divided according to age and distance and are organised by Suomen Latu, the Finnish National Association for Recreational Sports and Outdoor Activities (www.suomenlatu.fi).
The area around Muonio offers excellent possibilities for cross-country skiing and other winter recreation. It's easy to get to Finland. Finnair (020 7629 4349; www.finnair.com) can fly you to Rovaniemi and Kittila, from where you can travel overland to Muonio.
I plan to study abroad in the autumn, possibly in Panama, and I am getting conflicting advice about safety there.
The US State Department website reports border incidents and kidnappings such as the abduction of three people from Panama by Colombians last January. Yet several people have told me how safe it is there.
Colin McMichen, by email
Panama has brilliant beaches and pristine rainforest, and is a fast-growing alternative to other Central American destinations. In general, safety depends where you are. The Darien Gap border area with Colombia is extremely dangerous.
In other areas travel is generally safe, and tourists are not often targeted except for petty crime. You will need to be on your guard, but no more so than in other countries in the region.
As with most big cities, use common sense in Panama City and take taxis after dark. The best thing to do is to seek up-to-date advice from the Foreign Office (0870 606 0290; www.fco.gov.uk) and base your decision on that.
Letter of the week
A friend and I want to visit Mongolia. But should we choose Inner or Outer Mongolia? Neither of us would be up to much riding, particularly on traditional saddles, which I gather are made of wood.
Yen-Chung Chong, Brighton
Inner Mongolia is a Chinese province running along the southern border of Mongolia, the independent country sometimes referred to as Outer Mongolia - head to the latter if you want to see traditional ways of life. Mongolia has few sights. Its attraction is the untouched beauty of the countryside and the rich, nomadic culture of the Mongolian people.
Get there on the Trans-Mongolian Railway or fly, normally via Moscow with Aeroflot (020 7355 2233; www.aeroflot.co.uk).
Expect to pay around £60 per day for a tour if you arrange it in Mongolia. Steppes East (01285 651010; www.steppeseast.co.uk) offers tailor-made trips to Mongolia. Westerners generally don't have to use wooden saddles.
· We welcome letters. Tom Hall from Lonely Planet addresses as many as possible here. Email escape@lonelyplanet.co.uk or write to Lonely Planet, 72-82 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4RW. The writer of the week's star letter wins a Lonely Planet guide of their choice, so please include a daytime telephone number and postal address. No individual correspondence can be entered into. To order discount Lonely Planet books, call 0870 066 7989.
