got to thinking

this morning about why I love to travel and I think the answer is somewhat encapsulated in a gift our friends Chuck & Georgia gave us last summer.  it is a lovely collage work with a saying written around the side of it in calligraphy.  it reads: "the world is a book.  if you do not travel... you read only a page."

this morning I have been working on organizing photos and came across a short video which is a perfect example of this concept.  a group of musicians and singers came to entertain us when we had an evening dinner cruise on the Perfume River in Hue Vietnam last year.  here is a short dark clip from the evening of music performed just for my husband and me.

sorry if the clip isn't here - it shows on my computer but doesn't seem to come through- having some technical issues- apparently it takes a while to load so if you wait it should come up- if not then try refreshing the link -  that worked for me-

and then when browsing around I also came across a photo of another one of my all time favorite experiences in travel - this one is older- from 2002.  we were in Chengdu China and visiting the Panda Preserve and Breeding Facility and I had been told by a friend that for a donation (of a decent amount) you could hold a panda cub.  I was thrilled to have this four month old to hug and see up close. 

these are the kind of things you would never get to do if you never leave your own country.

so off we go next week for our second trip to Argentina... and I hope to be able to post a few times from there except I will only do so if it doesn't interfere with my BEING there.