Koh Chang

Thailand

February 27, 2015

Greetings from the beach!

My Bronx high school classmate and friend Joe F. is visiting from Los Angeles. We decided to fly down to the southern island of Koh Chang and spend a few days at the Koh Chang Kacha Resort and Spa. *

Before we left Bangkok, I phoned my friend Tu who works at an optical shop at White Sand Beach. On her day off, we three took a ride through the mountains to Bang Bao on the southern tip of the island. We wandered down the shop-filled pier and had a delicious seafood lunch at the Buddha View Restaurant. I chose a dish of fresh fish in a hearty ginger sauce along with a watermelon shake. **

Bangkok
Thailand
February 16, 2015

Dear Friends,

It seems that the only time I travel to a local attraction is when I have a visitor and he makes a suggestion.  I suppose that I am so busy planning my next international journey that I forget that my own locale around Bangkok offers many rewarding adventures.   (I think I am not alone in this contradictory situation.)

The latest case: My old family friend, David L. made a stopover in Bangkok after he completed his work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  He had read about Ko Kret.* We decided to visit.

Sohar

Sultanate of Oman

January 30, 2015

As I drive through the mountains on my way to the north coast beach resort  of Sohar, I visit two castles and a market.

The castles are described in my guidebook and clearly marked on my map.  I find the market (souk) by “accident.”   It is the best site of the day.

Vilnius

Lithuania

September 14, 2014 

So here in Vilnius, after several weeks on the road, I decide finally to take pictures … at night.   I dig down in my luggage, remove the tripod, attach the remote shutter release to my camera, and head down to the nearby Cathedral and into the maze of streets of Old Town.  I hope I get a few decent shots.

Vilnius, the capital if Lithuania and its largest city, has a population of about 540,000.  History here dates back to 1243.   There is so much to see.  

Trakai

Lithuania

September 14, 2014

It’s a splendid Sunday.

Let’s get out of the house!

Short ride. (28km west of Vilnius)

Head for the lakes.

Sailing.  Rowing.  Paddling.

Visit the Castle. (1401 – Restored)

Just relax.

Have a coffee.

Enjoy the day.!!

Palanga

Lithuania

September 16, 2014

Chat

Several years ago, while on a trip to London to visit my English cousin Dorothy and her equally English husband Roger, I attended a theatre performance where, by chance, I met a lovely woman from South Africa whose name was Jocelyn.  Together we planned some sightseeing for the next day.

When I mentioned my encounter and my surprisingly unplanned plans, my somewhat astonished cousin Dorothy queried, “Jan, how did you meet her?”  (According to British polite society, Jocelyn and I weren’t “properly introduced.”)  Roger immediately intervened and responded, “Jan chatted her up!”