Travel Letters

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Posted May 28, 2015 by twj
Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Zadar Region

Croatia

May 27, 2015

 

Plitvice Lakes lies midway between Zagreb and Zadar.

A pocket guide published by the Zagreb Tourist Board, Zagreb and Surroundings posts this description of the Park:

The Plitvice Lakes National Park, a magical world of lakes, forests, waterfalls, moss, water and sunlight is a true natural monument, a unique phenomenon under the protection of UNESCO.

My guidebook has more detail:

Dalmatian Coast: Split

Posted May 30, 2015 by twj
Croatia

Split

Croatia

May 30 2015

 

I adopt three distinct strategies to avoid the teeming hordes streaming through the streets of the Old City of Split.

The first strategy is to avoid them altogether by wandering towards the port and then up the cobbled streets and stairways to the hills above the city.   Great scenery…well worth the climb....

Svalbard: At Sea

Posted August 14, 2015 by twj
Svalbard

At Sea

Aboard the MS Nordstjernen 

Svalbard

August 8, 2015

My friends,

Here are a few facts about Svalbard:

Svalbard formerly known by its Dutch name Spitsbergen is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Situated north of mainland Europe, it is about midway between continental Norway and the North Pole.

Svalbard is the northernmost settlement in the world with a permanent civilian population. 

Bukhara: "White Apricots"

Posted June 2, 2009 by Jan
Uzbekistan

Bukhara, Uzbekistan
June 2, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

"How's the food over there?" you ask.

Here's today's menu:

Breakfast at the Komil Hotel: cherry, apple or apricot juice, raisins, almonds, peanuts, chocolate, fresh apricots and cherries, omelet, slices of cheese, rolls, butter, honey and home-made preserves, coffee or green tea - the national beverage.

Alfresco Lunch today in Nurata: cold salty yogurt soup with scallions, tomato and cucumber salad, bread, and tender, tasty chucks of grilled spicy lamb with onions, green tea.

Alfresco Dinner at the Lyabi-Hauz: noodle soup with small balls of minced lamb, bread, and mimosa salad that includes layers of sliced fish, chopped egg, chopped cabbage, mixed greens with a light mayonnaise dressing.

Sandwiched between my meals were several worthy sights;

Beijing: "Mountains, Markets And Music"

Posted August 7, 2010 by Jan
China: Beijing

Beijing
China

August 7, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

From Bangkok, en route to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, I decided to stop over in Beijing.  I wanted to see my friends and to visit one or two sights I had missed two years ago.

Actually, my first stop was a return to the small village of Chuandixia.  My friend Diego, his friend Miland, and I rode the Beijing Red Line subway for almost an hour to the last stop.  Diego then negotiated with a driver and we took off for the 90km ride through the hilly green countryside west of the city.

Chanthaburi: "The Rabbit in the Moon"

Posted December 24, 2010 by Jan
Thailand: South

Bangkok

Thailand

December 20, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

(Have any of you lunatics conjured up the connection between Chanthaburi and bunny rabbits?)

Across the waters of the Gulf of Siam, about a forty minute ferry ride from Koh Chang, lies the city of Trat.  North of Trat is the city of Chanthaburi. 

In Chanthaburi I took my usual stroll, but this time I had a destination in mind - the Holy Mary Catholic Church. The largest Catholic Church in Thailand was built by the French during their occupation of Trat and Chanthaburi Provinces from 1893 to 1905.  This area borders Cambodia - part of colonial French Indochina.

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