Travel Letters

Jaipur: "The Pink City"

Posted February 23, 2007 by Jan
India: Rajasthan

Jaipur, Rajasthan

India

February 23, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

Noise and dust pierce the senses. Construction cranes pierce the sky. Jaipur is crowded. Jaipur is "developing."

My gracious hosts at the Govind Niwas Guest House, Admiral and Mrs. Madhvendra Singh recall earlier days when in the evening they would relax on their veranda or in the spacious garden in front of their home

Now, the avenue is just too busy. My friends are resigned to the inevitable yet they continue to enjoy the beauty of their city.

How many travelers have I met who focus only on Jaipur, dusty and "developing?" Like my hosts, I seek out Jaipur, pink and attractive and "developed."

2010 Passover in Bangkok

Posted December 1, 2014 by admin

Bangkok

15 Nisan 5770

Dear Family and Friends,

חג שמח

My best wishes to you and your family for a sweet and joyful Passover.

I will be attending two Seders here in Bangkok. The first night there will be a gathering at The Davis Hotel - 100-150 participants. The second night will be at the Shul - Beth Elisheva. Rabbi Kantor is an enthusiastic and brilliant religious leader. I am looking forward to both events where the Four Questions will be chanted in Hebrew, Yiddish (the Rabbi is a Chasid) and Thai (several members are married to Thai women).

Martapura Kalimantan, Indonesia

Posted March 6, 2015 by Jan
Indonesia: Kalimantan

Martapura
South Kalimantan
Borneo
Indonesia

March 8, 2015

Frankly, I don’t know what to expect.

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world.  And my sense is that in the remote areas of the archipelago, Islam tends to be practiced in a more conservative manner than in the areas near Jakarta, the capital.  

For example, the area of Aceh on the tip of the western island of Sumatra has a reputation for strict Islam.   Sulawesi, far to the east has the same reputation.  So, what will I find here in remote Kalimantan, the Indonesian area on the island of Borneo?

Floating Market, Banjarmasin, Borneo, Indonesia:

Posted March 7, 2015 by Jan
Indonesia: Kalimantan

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.  

Banjarmasin: The Canal Tour

Posted March 8, 2015 by Jan
Indonesia: Kalimantan

Banjamasin
South Kalimantan
Borneo
Indonesia

March 8, 2015

Who needs to travel to the jungle to watch the orangutans?  The antics of young children are much more entertaining!

My quiet City Tour begins with a visit to Mesjid Raya Sabilal Muhtadin, a massive mosque that my guidebook describes as “resembling a landed spaceship.” 

We continue to Soetji Nurani, a Chinese temple where we encounter a group of young girls in local costume.

We stop at the obligatory batik shop where I choose a perfectly outrageous cotton shirt.

For the main attraction, I board a small motorboat for a Canal Tour.

The View from Balikpapan

Posted March 9, 2015 by Jan
Indonesia: Kalimantan

Balikpapan

East Kalimantan

Borneo

Indonesia

March 10, 2015

When I called my Cousin Stanley in Florida and mentioned my upcoming trip to Borneo, he had one immediate response.  When I called my dear friend Bill in Connecticut and mentioned my upcoming trip to Borneo, he had the same immediate response. 

Stanley was born in 1932 and I believe Bill was born in 1931.  And so “Borneo” triggered their boyhood recollections of land and sea battles during the Second World War.  

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