Sail the Andaman Sea
Posted April 23, 2026 by Jan
Hat Chao Mai National Park
Sikao and Kantang Districts
Trang Province
Thailand
April 23, 2026
Hello,
Last month my Facebook Feed highlighted an ad for a cruise on the Andaman Sea. I answered the ad, and booked a three-day two-night sail on the Mohana yacht. Gary, my good friend here, decided to join me. (For many years Gary actually lived on a boat in Seattle!)
Chan, the Cruise Manager picks us up at the Trang Airport in southern Thailand. We drive to Hat Yao Beach where we spend the night. In the morning, with a crew of three. we set sail for Kradan Island. The next day we visit Muk Island. (Chan, Captain Boonchok and Sailor Ta.)
Sights and Surprises:
Hat Yau Beach is surrounded by limestone karst hills. In the evening, facing west towards the sea, the hills darken and the clouds turn red-pink. At dinner, I decide that before we set sail in the morning, I will take a sunrise stroll. Will I be able to see the sun strike the hills from the east? I do! And more! **
The sea is calm and the winds gentle. When the winds freshen, Captain Boonchok turns off the motor. Chan and Ta hoist the sheets. We sail!
Moored off Kradan Island. Gary paddles about in a rubber dinghy. Wrapped with life jacket, Jan jumps in and “swims” around the boat. Then Chan paddles me to shore. I shoot the sights along the beach.
The next day we visit Muk Island.
The sail is invigorating. The scenery inspiring. The fresh food delicious.
The sail is invigorating! The scenery inspiring! The fresh food delicious!
You in the neighborhood? We’ll book another!
Cheers,
Jan
** Set back from the road, a Thai woman is busy with her morning chores. I take a shot. I decide to show her the image. She invites me to her home and offers tea. Gai introduces me to Manfred, her partner in this sunlit morning paradise.
On the wall of their home, Manfred has hung a map of his original home: The German Island of Juist in the North Sea. We commence an enthusiastic conversation in Thai-German-English!
Chan knows Manfred. (Here everyone knows everyone.) When sailing out of the marina, Chan points out Manfed’s sailboat. Manfred sailed here from the North Sea! That raises two questions: How long did it take him to sail to southern Thailand? What was his route? Down the Danube to the Black Sea and Suez? Or down the coast of western Europe through Gibraltar.
I make a mental note: When next in Europe and in honor of my encounter with Gia and Manfred, I’ll take the ferry to what appears to be yet another serene paradise: Juist! No cars! Sand dunes and the Sea.
I tire towards the end of my walk. A young man on a motorbike offers to take me back to my hotel room. Out on the sail, Chan mentions that he knew that I had taken that ride. Down here, folks are so kind. And everyone knows everyone!
I have had many positive comments regarding this trip. Thank you all.
My friend Jeremy wrote one of my favorites:
Great letter and pics
As I have time on my hands, I composed a little haiku (5:7:5) in homage of your trip:
Short voyage, long tales
Sea gifts him a younger heart
Tides bow as he leaves
Bridges of China
Posted November 3, 2025 by Jan.jpg)
Jomtien Beach
Chon Buri Province
Thailand
November 3, 2025
Hello,
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou Province, China is the highest bridge in the world. This colossal structure opened in September, 2025.
Who knows if I shall ever visit this marvel of engineering. Nevertheless, I am motivated to collect many of my photos of bridges that I have already seen in the People's Republic of China.
I do have my favorites: The Seventeen Arch Bridge at the Summer Palace in Beijing. The Uncountable Lions Bridge in Wanping City. The pink! steel arch Bailing Bridge in Fuxing, Taiwan. And how can I forget the rickety walkway-bridge at Zhangjiajie National Park?
Please click on the photo above for my Gallery of Bridges. And scroll down for videos of the Highest Bridge in the World.
Cheers,
Jan
PS Which bridge is your favorite?
Two videos below. The first one is a brief travel video. The second one runs about twenty minutes and reviews the construction process. But don't worry. Even those of us with humanities degrees or business degrees will understand the basic engineerimng principles. The history is fascinating. The problem solving is astonishing.
Cheers and Memories
Posted July 20, 2025 by Jan
Prelude
At thirty-eight, I ran the first of my six completed Marathons in September, 1978 in New York City. The race traverses all five boroughs of the City. The race begins at Fort Wadsworth Park in Staten Island and immediately crosses the Verrazano Narrows Bridge across New York Bay to Brooklyn. Through Bay Ridge and downtown Brooklyn and across the Pulaski Bridge to Queens. Then across the 59th Street-Queensborough Bridge to Manhattan, north to the Willis Avenue Bridge to the South Bronx, and then the Madison Avenue Bridge back to Manhattan, through Harlem and Central Park and finally to Tavern on the Green Restaurant near Columbus Circle. (A friend of mine quipped, “I wouldn’t even want to drive that route!”) The race covers the standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles or 42.2 kilometers!
Here's a cute story I like to tell about that race: “I ran the race with the famous marathoner Bill Rogers! He is the eventual winner at 2’ 10”…. But when he crossed the finish line in Manhattan, I was still slogging along in Brooklyn!”
.............................................................................
Jomtien Beach
Thailand
Early Sunday Morning
July 20, 2025
Windy and Overcast
Hello,
And speaking about runners slogging (or just walking) along:
By the time I realize what is happening in my neighborhood this morning, the Pattaya Marathon had been in progress for three hours. The elite runners and well-trained long-distance runners have already crossed the finish line. Since my location on the route is at 32 kilometers. or about 20 miles, I am watching “the back of the pack.”
Trees
Posted May 12, 2025 by Jan
Bangkok
Thailand
May 12, 2025
Hello,
To prepare for my trip to southern Africa last year, I read several comments posted by previous travelers. Most are positive regarding the accommodations and the staff at the safari lodges. Everyone is delighted to view the wildlife and the scenery.
But to this day I remember one comment from an unhappy traveler on a game drive: “We drove through the bush for three and a half hours and all we saw were trees!”
Bad luck. (It’s not like you can pick up the phone and ask the giraffes to wander over for a visit.)
I had lots of good luck with wildlife.
But you know? I also loved the trees! Common or exotic. Alive or dead. I love the trees.
The Giant's Playground
Posted June 16, 2024 by Jan
Keetmanshoop
Karas Region
South Namibia
June 15, 2024Giant'sHello,
Geological Wonders of Namibia explains The Giant's Playground as "a chaotic pile of huge dolorite blocks." **
"Giant Dyke Swarms (GDS), which naturally appear in very old geological formations, have been detected not only on Earth but also on Mars and Venus.
In times of great geodynamic activity, like the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean, pressurized magma violently fractures the crust, while simultaneously injecting itself through subsurface fractures, forming dykes. Some dykes reach the surface generating volcanic eruptions.