I love Mandalay. I hate my hotel room. I wander and explore. I discover the Unity Hotel. At the reception desk, Thida is so lovely and gracious. With a kind smile she says, “We will be happy to welcome you.” I checked in the next day
After breakfast, before my climb of Mandalay Hill, I invite Thida for coffee. She smiles. She declines
January 28, 2005
The day-long boat ride down the Ayeyarwady River from Mandalay to Bagan...smooth, picturesque, uneventful.
Except for one stop along the way at Pakokku. Local women selling large, bright, hand woven cotton cloth. As the boat began to back away from the dock, the women became more agitated and started tossing their beautiful weavings to the passengers at the railing of the boat.
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."
Miami, Florida
August 14, 2008
Dear Family and Friends,
I haven't a clue as to what the modern phrase might be, but for me, I will use "I am psyched. Totally psyched."
Several months ago I learned that my high school in New York is planning a reunion. It's a big anniversary for my class. I logged on and bought an airplane ticket.
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}
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."
