Why we Travel?

Cucao Beach, Island of Chiloé, Chile, March 14, 2012 (图1)

For me, traveling is a social experience of exploring untouched natural places. It’s a way to enrich the spirit. After a drive bordering the immense and beautiful Huillinco Lake, we arrived at the isolated beach of Cucao on the Pacific. With the strong sound of breaking waves, I felt the power of nature. I felt free and at the same time, insignificant, in the vast and endless beach. After a while, my husband, son and I walked to one another, took hold of one another’s hands and silently walked to the horizon. My sister was there and at that precise moment shot the picture. With its year-round green landscape and hills and strong folklore, it was the perfect destination to show my American husband the south of Chile, my native country.

ISABEL MARGARITA LONG, Arlington, Va.

Credit: Paulina Perez

December 2011, Luang Prabang, Laos （图2）

Since we both have French ancestry, my husband, Paul, and I like to go to countries that once had a connection with France. We wanted to go to Vientiane in Laos to get the feel of the city, to see what French colonial buildings remain and to see the genocide museum and the killing fields. What we hoped for was to find out if the old French influence was still visible, if the French language was still spoken by some people, how Laotian people view their past as a French colony and how they view Americans since the end of the Vietnam War. This picture of a young Buddhist novice was taken on the bamboo bridge, which has to be rebuilt annually after it is swept away by rising waters on the Nam Khan River. The bridge links the city of Luang Prabang to picturesque villages like Ban Phong Pheng, on the other side of the river. It was taken around 4 p.m., when the Buddhist novices come back home from their studies.

— DENIS KOHLMULLER, Brooklyn

Credit: Denis Kohlmuller

SOGNEFJORD, NORWAY, AUG. 31, 2011（图3）

I was on a kayaking and hiking trip through the fjords in Norway, and was struck by how pristine and extremely sparsely inhabited they were. The landscape just took over, especially this early morning, with mist wrapping around everything and the water so calm. We had just stayed at a small family farm and, after hiking down from this view, kayaked 20 miles. I never saw another boat, and the only sounds were the steady rhythm of paddling.

LESLIE FINDLEN, Brooklyn

Credit: Leslie Findlen

Hong Kong, June 4, 2011 （图4）

My husband and I are eight months into a three-year trip, and are blogging about our experiences at livingif.com. Our goal is to cover developing countries and difficult travel that will become less accessible with time. This photo was taken during the candlelight vigil held in Victoria Park in Hong Kong for victims of the Tiananmen Square protests. Thousands of people crowded the park. It was a moving experience even though we didn’t understand anything that the speakers were saying because of the language barrier.

ERICA CHUA, Minneapolis

Credit: Erica Chua