On the Road
Into the Mountains
Iceland
September 3, 2015
My group tour in Iceland was a short extension of a much longer tour in Greenland.
The goal of this brief Iceland tour was to avoid the well-traveled coastal route and to visit the mountainous areas with few visitors.
The sites are so remote that we rode in a large, four-wheel drive vehicle along bumpy unpaved roads and across fast rushing streams.
On the Road
Iceland
September 2, 2015
For my first travel letter written on my first day in iceland, I have posted photographs as an Introduction to this very special country.
The photos are of the unique Icelandic horses as well as typical scenery of mountains, lava fields. lakes and waterfalls.
One series of lakes is called Fishing Lakes.
Vientiane, Laos
January 12-16, 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
Sabai Dee,
Here's a good one:
"The reason I didn't recognize you, Jan, is because when we met six years ago, you were fat. Now you are slim and younger looking."
So said my friend Kia, a lovely Laotian woman, who with her husband Wisai, runs a small restaurant in Vientiane.
So what am I doing in Vientiane?
{C}
Hong Kong
April 16, 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
It's about an hour's ferry ride from Central Ferry Pier to Lantau Island, the largest of all of the Hong Kong islands. The ferry is filled with pilgrims to Tian Tan Buddha.
The impressive Giant Buddha, the world's largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha is 30m (98 ft) tall and weighs 250 tons. To reach the terraces surrounding the Buddha, there's a climb of 260 steps. And the stairs are crowded. Everyone and every group poses for a photo or two. Or three.
Hong Kong 香港
Special Administrative Region
April 13, 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
Their answers were always the same.
Whenever I asked other tourists what they liked best about Hong Kong, they responded heartily:
"Hong Kong is safe and clean. Transportation is excellent. Service is efficient. Shopping is supreme. The streets are buzzing. The food is good. The sights are impressive."
As one Aussie couple explained, "Hong Kong is lovely."
Medellín
Antioquia Department
Republic of Colombia
November 18, 2008,
Dear Family and Friends,
Now here's a unique travel adventure:
My Avianca flight from Cartegena to Medellín left on time at 08:00. Ten minutes into the flight the pilot made an announcement. Since my Spanish is improving day by day, little by little, poco a poco, I understood the pilot to say that the airplane had a technical problem and we had to return to Cartegena. We made a sweeping 180 degree turn and in a few minutes we were on the ground.
The gate agent estimated that our waiting time would be about an hour, mas or menos (more or less). "Mas or menos" I figured out is the Spanish equivalent of the Arabic "Inshallah."
