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.  

Berat

Republic of Albania

May 12, 2015

Mirëmëngjesi – Good morning,

“I wish I had planned to stay here longer.”

Haven’t we all have expressed that sentiment at one time or another?

That’s exactly how I feel in Berati.   I’m here on a day trip from Tirana, but I wish I can stay longer.

Gjirokastër

Albania

May 14, 2015

In Tirana I met a young man who bragged that he had taken a swim in the Blue Eye.  Since I was heading in that direction, I decided to visit the Blue Eye and see what the fuss is all about.  Maybe I’d be able to make the same boast as my young friend.

Copenhagen

Denmark

July 22. 2015

Dear Friends,

As its name implies, Copenhagen is a town that has a long history of international commerce and trade. 

The name of the city reflects its origin as a harbour and a place of commerce. The original designation, from which the contemporary Danish name derives, was Køpmannæhafn, meaning "merchants' harbour", or Hafn or Havn ("harbour").

Wherever I walk, I find water: rivers and canals and the open sea.

Gjógv

Eysturoy

Faroe Islands,

July 24, 2015

Makiko and Hiroshi are excellent travel companions.  We meet by accident somewhere on the island of Eysturoy and since I am driving and they are taking the bus from place to place, they eagerly accept my invitation to travel together.

We decide that the town of Gjógv would be our intermediate destination.  The small town sits at the northerly tip of the island.  The map shows that there is a restaurant there.

Torshavn

Faroe Islands 

July 25, 2015

Dear Friends,

Please forgive me.   I just can’t help myself.

It seems like I am stopping my car every five minutes to take photos and more photos.

How can I resist?

The scenery here is … well, let’s just say … unique.