Banjarmasin (pop 611,000)

South Kalimantan

Indonesia

March 7, 2015

05:00

Salamat Pagi – Good Morning

Before dawn, I am picked up by motorbike and delivered to a dock where an awaiting boat transports me up river.  The river is black.  The sky is black.  The shoreline, barely visible.

The delta city of Banjarmasin is known as the “Venice of the East.”  Four major rivers are interconnected by numerous canals.  The name of my river?  I haven’t a clue.

A thin daylight begins to illuminate the river’s mist.  And as the mist disperses, we encounter our morning goal.  

Paris

France

February 5, 2017

Since the weather today is cold and wet (not unexpected), I wander around the neighborhood near my hotel in the 17th Arrondissment.

I do some window shopping for cheese, fruit, pastries and wine.

I am tempted to have lunch in an Asian buffet restaurant, but I remind myself I am in Paris.  Try some French food.

I find a bistro and order pumpkin soup and a salad of warm goat cheese. 

But Paris is a melting pot and an agglomeration of ethnicities and cultures.  My French Bistro is owned and operated by Koreans!  Regardless, the food and service are excellent.

Sharjah

United Arab Emirates

April 4, 2016

Dear Friends,

I am guessing there are about one hundred and fifty shops.  Have you ever seen so much gold jewelry in one place?   

The elaborate pieces on display in the Sharjah Gold Souk seem fit only for the wife of an Emir or a Sheik!  Considering my bank balance and my current marital status, I smiled at the merchants, took my photos and walked on.

Tianshui

(pop 3.5 million)

Gansu Province.

People’s Republic of China

The aroma of fresh baked bread draws my attention as I wander through the noisy food market here in Tianshui, the second largest city in Gansu Province.  My eyes bulge as I encounter a pile of huge watermelons – the largest I think I have ever seen.

The bakers smile and also the lady who slices chunks of tofu and the man who sells noodles.  An elderly lady ignores me as she makes her selection from a truckload of pears.