David S. Demarest

Spent yesterday wandering around Sarajevo, enjoying the old town with its expansive pedestrian walkways surrounded by shops and cafes,  and visiting the Museum of History which includes a compelling exhibit on the siege of Sarajevo back in the early 1990’s. In his guide book on Croatia and Slovenia, Rick Steves includes quite a comprehensive summary […]

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Left Istanbul this morning and am currently waiting for a connection in Belgrade.  Istanbul is a city I will very much enjoy returning to.  Spent yesterday visiting some more of the historic sites, and later in the afternoon took the tram along the waterfront and then the funicular “underground tram” that very successfully moves people […]

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First, and as promised, a couple more Darjeeling photos:      Mt. Kangchenjunga (28169 ft), world’s third tallest mountain, at sunrise from Darjeeling    Typical Darjeeling street scene     and a quiet Darjeeling lane    The famous Darjeeling (toy) train.  It runs on a 24″ track Before Istanbul, a bit more on getting out of Delhi.  […]

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This afternoon I felt the overwhelming urge to comment on a most enjoyable afternoon.  After wandering around Connaught Circle and surrounds for a couple of hours, I finally decided to go to the Hotel Rak International, a suggestion in my Lonely Planet guide book.  Walked up and got a room for 650 rupees – with […]

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Confession Time.  I am not a 20 something able to travel loosely and freely across this world…  At least not in India in this heat! Alright, perhaps it is a bit of an overstatement, but not entirely.  Traveling in Asia, especially with no advance planning, is not for the faint of heart.  And the heat […]

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The cool and damp airs of the Himalaya foothills.  So refreshing after the heat of southern India and Bangkok! But first, a few photos from Kolkata…    A street scene outside my hotel…      The hotel lobby       The hotel sitting room     My Kolkata room        A ricksaw I flew yesterday from Kolkata to Bagdroga, […]

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Bangkok. A number of words come to mind:  Hot, dirty, energetic, frantic, colorful, historical, fascinating, smelly, aromatic, dirty.  I am sure there are more. Did I say hot?  It is also humid.  If one looks at the photo of me below in the blue shirt, you will see it is mostly wet.  And it was […]

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Yesterday was a day spent on tour, with, of all companies, Grey Line. Nevertheless, it was a good tour and well worthwhile. There were four of us, plus the guide and driver. A man from Toronto, and a couple from Glasgow. We visited one of the Ming tombs, a restored portion of the Great Wall, […]

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My first reaction arriving Friday evening in Beijing? They are really right about the smog. It was really bad…. My second reaction? In many ways, a sense of order – unless, of course, you are talking about the traffic…. My third – they will never be ready for the Olympics. Even late Saturday evening, on […]

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Sally and I spent the last week in Playa Del Carmen, about 45 minutes south of Cancun in an area known for its expansive sandy beaches and clear turquoise waters.  Specifically, we stayed at the Hotel Mimi del Mar, a comfortable and small hotel located on the beach in the center of town. Playa del Carmen […]

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