"Despite Egypt's precarious location, neighboring hotbeds of Islamic extremist sympathizers and terrorists, I wanted to visit the cradle of our civilization. I wanted to see the majestic Nile, the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza in reality, not just pictures in books. I wanted to experience their ancient mystical energy, if there was any, and to see how they have survived these past four thousand years amidst cultures seemingly destined to self-destruct.

"Taking in the sights and sounds of Egypt involved several modes of transportation. Desert mile-eating Arabian horses were my #1 choice, but I also tried out a camel - not as comfortable, but well suited to posing in front of the pyramids! The Felucca is an Egyptian sailboat, very popular for cruising up and down the Nile River. A hot-air balloon ride over the Nile River Valley was a surprisingly pleasant experience! Carriage rides into town were taken by many of the visitors, including my group, with admonitions from our guide!"

"There are few areas of the continent that attract as much tourist attention as northern Tanzania. Mt. Kilimanjaro...has the highest peak on the African continent and its summit is snow-capped year round...People travel from all over the world to hear the hoofbeats of thousands of wildebeest echo over the Serengeti plains.

"Tanzania has a population of 29 million citizens, consisting of 400 clans within 126 ethnic tribes, mostly of Bantu descent...Its government is comparatively stable; various tribes and religions co-exist... Respect and manners, initiated with greeting exchanges, are most important to Tanzanians and taking time to ask about family, health, and work is customary. People are much more valued than time... Age is honored in Tanzania."