This queen, as one of Egypt’s only female pharaohs, singularly re-wrote the rules of Egyptian royal lineage protocol with her cunning, her beauty and her unbridled ambition. She did what no other woman, even the other great legends of history here in the birthplace of civilization, Nefertari, Nefertiti, and much later Cleopatra… dared to do. She ruled. And she ruled well. Her legend carries to the Valley of the Kings., …
At first my jet-lagged brain could not process more than their looming yet beautiful presence, and proximity to the nearby town. I had imagined them constructed in the middle of some vast, remote, practically inaccessible stretch of desert wasteland…as is over 90 percent of the remaining country. But they were here in all their significant historical splendor. All three! The most famous, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest …
Each morning before sunrise, the faithful line the sidewalks of the city of Luang Prabang in north central Laos. The custom dates back to the origins of Buddhism, and now hundreds do as Buddha did during his time, roaming the streets barefoot each morning seeking alms. Everyone speaks in hushed, reverential tones as shoes are removed and prayer stoles are draped. Soon the first of a long line of monks …
“How do you tell this story, over and over, Mama Antoinette?” I asked the tiny woman standing before me, ” and with no trace of bitterness or hatred for the people who murdered your brother?” “Forgiveness,” she said reaching out to hug me, “it’s the only path from grief.” On June 16, 1976 a twelve year old boy named Hector Pietersen was killed by police in an event the world …
With its expansive mountains cut by wandering rivers and rolling hills heavy with verdant vines, there’s no arguing that South Africa is home to some of the world’s most beautiful wine regions. Picture 250,000 acres of vines across the Western Cape region alone—it’s easy to get lost in the vast array of the country’s wine choices. At the top of the list is Franschoek, Afrikaans for “French Corner”, a small town on the Western …
My Zimbabwe adventure included a morning hike in the Victoria Falls Rainforest and an afternoon helicopter ride over the falls. Both were incredible! It is the largest waterfall in the world. Not the widest or the highest but the world’s largest sheet of falling water. Twice the height of Niagara and only rivalled by Iguazu Falls in South America. The Zambezi River is the fourth-largest in the African continent and …