Personal Letters

"The Border" Part One. The Ocean

Jomtien Beach

Chon Buri Province

Thailand

March 6, 2023

Hello,

The current selection of our Travel Book Club is The Border by Erika Fatland:

A Journey around all the countries that border Russia: North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway and The Northeast Passage.

The Book is divided into four sections: The Ocean, Asia, The Caucasus and Europe.

For The Ocean, please click on the image above for my photographs of Kirkenis and the Northern Cape of Norway, and the Svalbard archipelago at the western edge of the Northeast Passage.

Jan

 

"The Border" Part Two - Asia

Bangkok

Thailand

March 10, 2023

Hello

Even an experienced traveler like author Erika Fatland becomes exasperated with the inflexible restrictions in North Korea.

In Kazakhstan she was totally blocked from visiting the Russian-controlled Cosmodrome.

Erika loses her patience with the traffic in Ulaan Baatar. She is much happier in the wide-open spaces of the Gobi and the mountain regions of central Mongolia.

As a native Norwegian, the frigid temperatures of ice- bound Harbin, China must have been no problem at all.

Ms. Fatland reminds us of sage travel advice: “When visiting Asia you need two personal characteristics: “Patience and a Sense of Humor.”

Jan

"The Border" Part 3. The Caucasus.

Jomtien Beach

Thailand

March 16, 2023

In The Border: A Journey Around Russia, Erika Fatland outlines the history and current disputes in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia.

In addition to the capital cities Baku, Yerevan and Tbilisi, Erika visits the disputed areas of Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia.  The disputes seem intractable while local populations try to survive.

During more stable times my own visit to the Caucasus was filled with beautiful scenery, and generous people.

Bangkok: "Recovering"

 

Soi 1
Bangkok
Thailand
October 18, 2006

Dear Family and Friends,

Almost every day I lean against the low wall of the large sixth floor terrace of my apartment building. I look west towards the Bangkok skyline. The sweet, salivating unmistakable aroma of barbeque chicken wafts up from the vendors on Soi 1, my little street below.

Behind me sits the small, yet adequate swimming pool my orthopedic doc has encouraged me to use.
 

Bangkok: "Baiyoke Tower and 360 Degrees"

Bangkok, Thailand
Thursday
August 10, 2006
9:00 pm

Dear Family and Friends,

Along with my dinner partners, I am standing on the Sky Walk Revolving Roof Deck of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the Tallest Tower in the Kingdom of Thailand. It's my first visit here.

Below us, as we turn through 360 degrees, are the street lights, darkened towers, and criss-crossing bright ribbons of Bangkok expressways. A police car, blue lights flashing and siren wailing, speeds along a multi-lane roadway.

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