The Joy of Traveling

Just 4 days away from our departure for Egypt. As we're thinking about what we hope to experience, it occured to us that we rarely planned our great travel moments in the past. Undoubtedly, many of our fondest memories in Egypt will come from times when we least expect them or from directions and people who will surprise us.

So, what is it that we hold on to from past trips and remember with the fondest of memories (and sometimes photos)?

*  In the middle of the night, helping just hatched baby sea turtles make it down to the sea outside San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.

*  Enjoying a cafe creme with my parents at La Closerie des Lilas in Paris on their 50th anniversary while sitting at the same table where Hemingway wrote.

*Enjoying the company of local children everywhere.

* Being allowed to sit and ride on top of the bus as it pulls out of Todos Santos. This was a unique bird's eye view of the Guatemalan highlands.

* Horseback riding with our oldest son three hours into Keet Seel to see rarely visited Anasazi ruins in northern Arizona.

* Exploring the back streets of Mexico City looking for the mural art of Diego Rivera and his contemporaries.

* Sitting on top of  Temple IV in Tikal, Guatemala listening to the sounds of the jungle.

* A quiet moment inside Notre Dame Cathedral and then a climb to visit the gargoyles in the bell tower (the security fencing wasn't there when we was there).

* Visiting the El Pochote organic market in Oaxaca and making new friends.

* Bus rides, bus rides, and more bus rides on some pretty unbelievable roads.

* Picking out our own freshly caught seafood and having it cooked right there for us on the wharf in Essaouria,  Morocco (Jimi Hendrix hung out here).

* Tacos (real Mexican tacos) and our afternoon visit to a cantina for botanas Mexicanas ! It's said that the bullet hole in the ceiling at La Opera was put there by no other than Pancho Villa himself!


* Trying on silly hats with my brother Bob in Los Angeles.

Ah, the simple pleasures of traveling, now that's what I'm talking about!