Thimphu
Capital of Bhutan
pop 115,000
elev 2334 m 7667 ft
December 7, 2023
Hello,
Incongruous!
That's the word that comes to mind. When i spot clotheslines and the daily wash hanging in the front of a home,
Incongruous!
My guide is puzzled. For Kingya, the architecture is an ordinary sight. Wash hanging in front is also quite ordinary.
This is what I see every day in every city, in every town, at every hotel..........
Dochu La
Butan
December 8 2023
Hello,
We make two transits over the Dochu La, the highest mountain pass in Bhutan at 3100 m. 10,200 ft. The first stop is outbound heading east through the mountains and valleys to ancient Punakha.
The weather is perfect. Not too cold. A bit windy. In the distance the snow-capped, cloud-embraced Himalayas brings a smile to my face.
Impressive and inviting, Druk Wangyal Chortens, a monument of 108 Bhutan style memorial stupas surrounds the top of the pass. I’m so fortunate to be here.
Thimphu
Bhutan
Tuesday
December 5, 2023
Hello,
Druk Air Flight 131 departs Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Airport five minutes early at 07:55 and heads northwest to an intermediate stop in India.
Drukair Corporation Limited, operating as Drukair — Royal Bhutan Airlines, is the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan, headquartered in the western dzongkhag (district) of Paro.
After a brief stop, we take off from runway 36.*
Dramatic is the word to describe the descent to Paro International Airport. To the west in the bright sunlight lie Mount Tichu Drake and the sacred Mount Jumolhari, snowcapped peaks towering above their Himalayan companions.
Ms. Kinga and Mr. Jimmy, my guide and driver await my arrival. We begin our one-and-a-half-hour mountain drive from Paro toward Thimphu.
Bangkok
Thailand
November 12, 2023
My Dear Friend,
I recently exchanged correspondence with Michael G., an old, old American friend. Mike and I went to kindergarten together in the Bronx. We attended each other’s Bar Mitzvah.
Mike is troubled by current events in Israel and Gaza.
Mike expresses the historical perspective that is commonly held by Jews of our generation. For Gaza he blames Hamas. He is angry with the youth and their demonstrations at universities in the United States. He is fearful of the rise of antisemitism.
Mike writes, “It is a shame that in the last years of our lives we must deal with Covid and now antisemitism at a scale larger than anything since World War II. “
In frustration Mike confesses, “I have no answers.”
Despite our different viewpoint on some issues, my old friend still holds me in high regard:
Mike asks, “Jan, what do you think should be done to save our world?”
In the News: Ukraine and Sudan
Jomtien Beach
Thailand
May 1, 2023
In downtown Kiev, both sides of the main boulevard are lined with an assortment of busy restaurants and cafes. (I visited Ukraine in June 2018.)
One outdoor restaurant is my favorite. For lunch and dinner, I usually order a refreshing bowl of borscht, a salad overflowing with fresh vegetables, and a second plate with a generous portion of herring in cream sauce and onions.
For my entertainment, every afternoon, a stylishly dressed, posture perfect young couple proudly parades along the sidewalk as if they are auditioning for a fashion magazine and waiting to be discovered. Their smart outfits change every day. Twice a day?
Kiev is blessed with marvelous residential architecture and splendid cathedrals.
