Prior to visiting Vietnam I had read about the great and tragic history of the city of Hue. Within its massive Citadel was the once-majestic Imperial City, and inside it was the imperial enclosure, called the Purple Forbidden City, which was reserved for the imperial family. Of the more than 160 buildings that once existed, only about a dozen remain -- destroyed over time by powerful forces both natural (cyclone) and human (war). I was surprised by my emotional response as I wandered the grounds -- a mixture of great sadness over the destruction and loss coupled with hope for the future. Efforts are underway to renovate and preserve the site. Given the amazing resilience of the Vietnamese people, the Citadel will someday be restored to its former glory.

Go to any park in Hanoi and you'll see couples on benches holding hands, kissing and talking. Privacy is at a premium in such a crowded, bustling city so, ironically, lovers resort to public parks for their romantic rendezvous. On my last day in Hanoi I was ready for a quieter side of the city and headed to the Botanical Garden where amid the school groups and families playing badminton I found this couple, oblivious to the world, sharing an intimate moment.

As I entered Hanoi in the late afternoon by car, the long expanse of colorful ceramic tiles caught my eye. Begun in 2007 and completed in 2010, the 3850-linear-meter Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural -- aka Ceramic Road -- earned a Guinness Records listing as the largest ceramic mosaic in the world. The mural covers a wall next to a busy road within walking distance of the Old Quarter; it ends at the Long Bien Bridge and is well worth a closer look. Dodging all the zigzagging motorbikes, cyclos, cars, bicycles and pedestrians to reach it is half the fun!

I recently spent several wonderful days trekking with my great guide Tinh around the hilltribe villages outside the town of Sapa in the northwest corner of Vietnam. In a plaza near my hotel many of the local women gather each day to sell their elaborately embroidered bags and textiles, including this Red Dao woman, whose red headdress signifies that she is married. Crowding around the many foreigners they encounter, they entreat, "Buy from me, buy from me!" The women of the various local groups -- Black Hmong, Flower Hmong, Red Dao, Tay -- have wonderfully expressive faces and smile with grace and ease.

Just after visiting the Primate Rescue Center in Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam, my guide Tinh and I were walking back to the park headquarters when I chanced upon this toddler, who was picking flowers while her mother, a park employee, was working a few yards away in front of their residence. I kneeled down and quietly watched for a moment; the child was unaware of our presence. Suddenly she stood up and caught sight of me, and I quickly took the shot. She ran over to her mother and handed her the delicate bouquet.

The Day of the Dead hasn't officially begun here in Oaxaca but colorful decorations are everywhere and the scent of marigolds is in the air. This evening I happened upon the first raucous parade full of skeletons, devils and ghosts dancing in the streets. Like Japan's O-Bon Festival, Dia de Muertos is a time to warmly welcome back the deceased with food and flowers -- and in Mexico, with fun. In celebrating death we also celebrate life.

At first glance Kyoto can disappoint first-time visitors. Known for a wealth of beautiful gardens and elegant temples and shrines, much of the city’s charm is tucked away on narrow, winding alleyways and paths that can only be discovered and explored on foot. Such a place is Sannen-zaka, “Three-Year-Hill”, a historic lane leading up to Kiyomizu-dera, one of Kyoto’s most renowned temples. The area is packed with restaurants and gift shops catering to tourists. As I descended the steps of Sannen-zaka I couldn’t help but notice a store window devoted both inside and out to “maneki-neko,” those ubiquitous ceramic cats with upraised paw.

Held annually on November 15, Shichi-Go-San (7-5-3) is a festive rite of passage celebrated in Japan by girls who are aged three and seven and boys who are five. Girls dressed in kimono and boys in hakama are taken by their parents and grandparents to the local shrine or temple, where prayers are offered for good health and good fortune. I spent most of the 1980s in Japan, which has some of the most photogenic, fun festivals in the world. I’d forgotten the date of this particular celebration and was thrilled I’d get to experience it again after a nearly 20-year hiatus. I spent an unforgettable morning at Meiji-jingu photographing children, including this three-year-old whose flame-red kimono rivaled the nearby maples.

I was lucky enough to be in New Orleans just before Halloween last year and was doing some street-shooting in the French Quarter. This young couple ran into the middle of Bourbon Street, assumed the classic kiss pose, and held it long enough for their photographer to grab a few shots and capture the moment before they ran off laughing into the evening.

While wandering around the Gion district of Kyoto at dusk, when geisha (known as geiko in Kyoto dialect) are sometimes seen walking to their appointments, I spied a maiko (apprentice geisha) clad in kimono. Within seconds a group of foreigners and Japanese alike were trailing the shy beauty and snapping away madly with their cameras, flashes firing as seen here in the background.

San Francisco boasts the largest Chinese New Year's Festival outside of China. Held annually in February, it's not to be missed if you'll be visiting the Bay Area during that time. Despite being dressed for the occasion in traditional clothing, this lovely pre-teen participant (who walked on tall wooden stilts in the parade) delighted the crowd by showing her natural, childlike self.