Before you read this piece, you may want to check that you have your sound turned on, click this link and spend two minutes getting in the mood by listening to the Louis Armstrong hit song from 1967 whose name I borrowed for my title.

Now that you are in the mood, I would like to share some of the amazing things I have seen during my travels to well over 40 countries. Some of these things gave me joy, others amazed me and some saddened me. I present them without judgment, for I believe that withholding judgment is the right way to approach differences.

Brazil – In 1981 the country was experiencing runaway inflation of 100% per year. It was amazing to see how the Brazilians adapted to survive economically. Most notably, every supermarket had one employee whose sole job it was to raise the prices marked on all items which they sold. He or she would start in aisle one and by the time they reached the last aisle, they returned to aisle one and raised the prices an additional increment.

Portugal – In Lisbon I have never seen a city more in love with the sea. Every restaurant is a seafood restaurant and many buildings are designed to look like ships. The photo is from the hotel where I once stayed.

Italy – Venice is a magical city like no other, filled with narrow streets traversing endless canals just large enough for gondolas to travel and featuring signs on the walls pointing to San Marco Square. Except that frequently the same sign points in three different directions at once for getting to the same place — and they all are correct.

Croatia – The islands off the coast are beautiful, but I was most impressed by the ancient town of Split, whose old town maintains its charm despite having become a major port for cruise ships.

Sweden – If you want to sense desolation, arrive by air in a small plane delayed until 3 am due to a snowstorm. The town is asleep, the wind sweeping across the land and no taxis are to be found. Even upon arrival at my hotel, there was a note on the front door telling me which room to go to since the reception was closed.

Canada – I was blown away by Montreal’s silent subway built in the 1960s which runs on soft rubber tires. None of the squeaking, squealing and rumbling of subways typical throughout the world. Announcements were made to warn waiting passengers of approaching trains so they did not get too close to the tracks as one of those silent trains arrived. Now I am reminded of our quiet electric cars and the need to retrain pedestrians to take care when crossing a street.

Canada again – On the west coast is the province of British Columbia with its capital Vancouver. The geographical diversity in this area is astonishing along the Pacific coastline and inland as well.

Monaco – Already in the 1980s this monarchy had surveillance cameras on every street corner.

Philippines – My Manila hotel room overlooked the site of an amazing construction project. Imelda Marco, powerful wife of the dictator, decided that Manila should host a major film festival and arranged to have a veritable city of workers build the film palace in a matter of weeks working in round-the-clock shifts. After seeing that, I had no doubt how the great pyramids of Egypt were built.

Venezuela – Nearly 70% of people in Caracas live in slums that wind among the city's hills. They form the largest vertical slum in the world and are a prominent sight as one drives up the mountain to the heart of Caracas from the airport to the center of town. Many people live with no electricity or running water and some even have large cardboard boxes as homes.

South Korea – Barely 30 miles (50 km) north of the center of Seoul is the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea. Since 1953 it has stood as a deterrent for people on foot and vehicles to travel from one side to the other.

Summary – The year 2020 went down as the one in which we were least able to travel. I hope the second half of 2021 will be the opposite for you because contact with people different from us promotes tolerance and understanding. It reminds us that despite our cultural differences, we are more alike than we are different.

Herb