Wright in the Heart of the Wild: Encounters with the Wild and the not-so-Wild (International)

Pete promised to take me whale-watching in Australia. It's nestled in the top 3 of my dream travels list, the other two being a safari in Africa and birding at Tandayapa Lodge in Ecuador. The more I watch nature shows, the more the list grows. I bet my life he will not be surprised when he finds out that it's turned as voluminous as Tolstoy's War and Peace.

I haven't done any nature trip in the past but I've had numerous interesting encounters with the wild and, erm, the not so wild.

Pink Dolphin in Sentosa Island in Singapore. 2002. Dolphins are one of my favorite mammals. Someday, I wish I could swim with them in the wild.

Now that I'm older, my feelings towards dolphins (or any wild animal for that matter) in captivity have drastically changed. I recently watched the award-winning documentary, The Cove, on Netflix. It shows the mass killings of dolphins in Taiji, Japan and aims to put a stop to the cruel practice. I couldn't help crying like a baby.

The neighbor's toutou in Hendaye, Pays-Basque - France where we rented a gite in 2006.

Course de Vaches in Saint Pée sur Nivelle, Pays Basque - France. 2006.

In 2006, I had the pleasure meeting Claude's (my brother-in-law) friend, Jacques (seated, second from the right). He's an amateur wildlife photographer and he took us to the Rambouillet Forest in the evening to listen to the elks in rut. What an eerie experience!

Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. 2005.

Garde Republicaine. Jardin des Tuileries - Paris, France. 2006

Oman. 2006.

I met some local fishermen in Oman in 2006.

Goats attacking our mode of transportation. Oman, 2006.

My friends and I witnessed the hatching of turtle eggs in Oman on the beach the name of which I can't recall at the moment (not the photo above). Somehow, we felt that everything was staged. We could be wrong, of course.

Jeff Koon's Puppy (LOL)outside Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. 2006. Funny how it looks so much like a kitty cat.

Stork in Alsace, France. 2007.

Ate having fun with Mr. Turkey Vulture and the kids. Alsace, France. 2007.

Pete and Django, a kalabaw or carabao in English, Philippines' national animal at Villa Escudero in San Pablo City, Laguna - Philippines. 2007.

Avernes, France. 2008.

Mandarin Ducks in Munich, Germany. 2008.

Gannets nesting in Filey, Yorkshire - England. 2009. I would've wanted to see puffins but Pete and I arrived too late.

The Lake District, England. 2010.

Le ragondin or coypu in Argelès-sur-Mer, France. 2010.

Dog Charmer at Park Güell in Barcelona, Spain. 2010.

with Antoni Gaudi's mosaic dragon (haha!) at Park Güell in Barcelona, Spain. 2010.

On one of his business trips to Bassano del Grappa in Italy earlier this year, Pete brought me along but had to leave me on my own when he drove to Innsbruck, Austria. I went for a walk by the Brenta River and came across some feathered friends.