Who is Michael?

curve ball here. instead of a country I'm going to tell you about a place. Can you guess what it is, where it is?

This place has always been a place I want to go. One of those places you can walk to when the tide is down, but have to take a boat other wise. well now there is a road, stupid modernization.

It was built back in the medieval times and is set on a granite island, which is what has helped it last through time. Commissioned to be built by an Italian Architect in the 11th Century.

It is said that a Saint (its patron saint) once appeared here, but it was mostly built as astronghold and sanctuary during the wars and such. The little island actually has a little village with in the castle walls, population 41. HOW COOL!

Now it sits as a functioning monastery and of course tourist attraction.

One of my favorite scenes in the 1950's Scarlet Pimpernel was them racing to the castle to rescue Margarette in the castle, they are going across the low tide to this place, it was beautiful. Also the castles in Lord of the Rings are based on this structure.

Just a cool place. Anyone actually been there?

Did Joseph live here?

We all know by now that there is some unrest in the middle east. And here is no exception. Things are a little ugly right now, so I thought I'd point out some of the beauty. I saw this and it took my breath away. You could be swept away in the romance, history and awe of it all. (sorry it is so small)

This ancient city served as a waystation for caravans. Located in an oasis in the desert it was known as the Bride of the Desert. One of several places listed as a world heritage sight, there is no lack of history here. Even the Bible and prophets have spoken of this area. One of the legends of Mohammed claims, that on a journey from Mecca, the Prophet Mohammed cast his gaze from the mountainside onto the city, but refused to enter the city because he wanted to enter paradise only once – when he died. Some say this is where Cain and Able had their 'falling out' the apostle Paul made the great basket escape, and history is set.

Many people when they think of this area have only one thought... terrorists. Not true, most of the countrymen are among the most friendly and hospitable people and the country has enough gentle charms to go around. One thing to beware of though is the food. Once you start trying the local fair you might not ever stop, it's dangerously delicious. How can anyone be cranky when eating this fare?

Beehives. What comes to mind? Little white boxes, with honeycombes, and white overalls with a head cover? Do you think of home sweet home? or air conditioning? Try this out for size. Designed for the desert climate, the beehive homes keep the heat out in a few ways. Their thick mud brick walls trap in the cool and keep the sun out as well (beehive homes have very few, if any, windows). The high domes of the beehive houses also collect the hot air, moving it away from the residents sleeping at the bottom of the house.

In a place that vies for the title of the world’s oldest continually inhabited city, there is never enough to say.

Tea Time anyone?

Remember that great war in the US where we declared our freedom from British Rule? Big war big results. Irony is when a place, like here fights for rule but this time the WANTED British rule as apposed to the mainland merely 250 nautical miles away ruling and reigning. Of Course the Brits had to sail a measly 8,000 miles to get there. So victory for the British. It's all about what the people want. You may be surprised to know that this happened a mere 30 years ago. Also a note of Irony is that US supported the British in the war. Fly the Union Jack.

You may have guessed that this is another island nation. But unlike most island nations, you wont find crowds of tourists the Unspoilt beaches, islands and cliffs provide a haven for tons of species including Orville here (can you guess what movie he was in) You could share a beach with a Elephant Seals, while watching Killer Whales circling offshore. Well because you wont be swimming, brrrrrr.

Besides soaking in the crisp sun on the beach and observing the wildlife, there is always the adventure. The location alone would constitute as an adventure, and getting there could definitely be an adventure, and most people come here in search of getting somewhere else, a location anyone would consider a great adventure. But while here there are things you can also do. Are you into marathons? The Standard Chartered Bank, through their "Greatest Race on Earth competition, decided to sponsor extreme races. The highest, the most southerly, etc. One of those is here. Also, anywhere outside of the Capital City is considered 'Camp Area', I love camping, and camping here is a lifetime experience.

A unique landmark are the stone seas, a rock land form, made by erosion caused by freeze/thawing cycles during the last ice age. They are accumulations of boulders with material between them.

Most travel is done by boat or plane. An life is an islander life - slow and easy. Not much has changed from the British Settlement in the 1700 to the present, and the houses from the settlement still remain enhancing the ambiance. Or take a jeep excursion to see the little men in tuxes.

An untapped resource for tourism, AND oil. Seismic surveys show there is oodles of it.

Fi M Chan Gwrymiau

A country with out all the frills - no armed forces, or currency. A country with with thrills the highest peak in the world is named after an adventurer from here. A country with mystic roots - the official animal is the Dragon.

Rugby, who doesn't love Rugby, well these folks do, it is their national sport. And luckily they win their fair share.

The cute little bird in a tux is named after takes it's name from this nation.

Most people here speak a dialect of English, but over 21% of the population claim to speak the native ancient tongue.

Most surnames end with an 's'

Several famous folks come from this little known country.

Jessica, I know you are the only one who still reads this so I'm trying to make this hard for you!

but you will just cut and paste so don't read further unless you all ready know.

As a Bibliophile knowing that there is a place like this in the world, makes me a little giddy. There is a little village here that is called 'The Town of Books'. With over 30 bookstores that sell specialty and used books. It also houses two castles, BONUS. A self proclaimed Bibliophile declared the little town a monarchy and himself king. Calls himself the King of Hay.

Swamped with history and mystery, this place has a very strong culture. King Arthur himself is suppose to be originally from here. Castles and ruins abound. Several books have been published about the mythology.

there is so much more to say of course. I haven't touched on the beauty, the activities, the history, the AWESOME accents. So we'll just have to go and find out for ourselves.

Big Empty World

So the other day I was looking at my world map, and I came across a country that I'd never heard of. I mean never heard of. And it was HUGE! Like the size of Utah, Nevada and Idaho combined. Gigantor. So that's where we are going today.

Desert - arid plains - occasional ridges and clifflike outcroppings - and ocean front property. But mostly Desert. Interestingly enough as a result of extended, severe drought, the desert has been expanding since the mid-1960s. Sometimes the sand dunes shift from place to place moved by high winds. The more north you go the bigger the dunes.

Several documentaries were filmed here, can you name a few?

Another country previously owned by the Frenchies, by the 60's they broke free. But it took till 2007 to get a free (and fair) election. Meanwhile, the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population and White and Black Moor communities.

One thing you don't think about much anymore and to consider it in a country where they fought so hard for freedom. Although the government abolished slavery in 1980, there are approximately 90,000 black slaves (2003 estimate), mainly owned by African Arabs. The government rarely finds out about the slaves and when they do find out, punishment is not very severe. It breaks your heart to think this is still a modern practice.

Most of the locals still depend on farming for a living. Though many of the nomads and farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 70' & 80's. The coastal waters though have some of the richest fishing areas in the world and the surfing is top notch. Unfortunately overexploitation by foreigners threatens this revenue source.

Not really a tourist hot spot, it is basically up to you to find ways to entertain yourselves. But look hard enough you can always find something interesting. How about BBQed camel they cook up on street stalls in the center in the early evening - nothing like flamed hump at the end of a long, hot day. But if that is not your thing you can get a camel to ride through the desert. ( and well another barrier to travel here is that there is current terrorist attacks, so maybe not a good idea) There are several ancient cities to check out. These were relays on the long routes of the caravans, by which passed part of the trade and lasted for centuries. The arrival of Europeans on the coasts diverted commerce to trading posts which were created little by little on the coasts thus causing the ruin of these cities.

So we've learned that the land mass is huge, the population is small the desert is vast and the tourism is minimal. But there are hidden beauties everywhere.

Bet you didn't know

When you think of Scuba Diving you think of the Caribbean or Belize (or all the other hundreds of places I've told you about). But I bet you wont think of this place, well you will now, but... did you before?? When I first got into diving someone told me about going on a live aboard and just diving the islands for a few weeks. And you can dive with the elephants wa ha ha ha. It also holds the Guinness World Record for most couples married underwater.

Elephants are still highly revered in here. They are considered as the symbol of peace and prosperity. Known as the land of white Elephant. White elephants were highly esteemed and valued by the Rulers.

This area is often referred to as a golden land, not because there is precious metal buried underground but because the country gives off a certain lustre, be it the fertile rice fields of the central plains, white sandy beaches or the warm hospitality of its citizenry.

The main or more well known city is quite famous, well and the capital. It is considered one of the most beautiful places in the east, a city where East meets West. There is even a song about one night there, can you name it? Known as one of the hottest city in the world, It may not be the hottest city in the world every single day but you can be sure it’s pretty consistent. Touring the Grand Palace (a large complex of palaces and temples) at 10 in the morning is almost unbearable due to the scorching heat. This city actually holds the record for the longest name of a city. What you say but it is only 8 letters long?? Actually it is short for Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit - say that 10 times fast....what?

If you like colors particular candy hues, you’ll be delighted by the streets of here because candy-colored cabs are everywhere! Unlike in other big cities where taxi cabs come uniform in color, taxi cabs here vary in hue depending on which company a cab belongs to. So expect to see lots of happy colors in the streets – bright green, sky blue, vivid orange, and my favorite – lovely baby pink cabs.

Also did you know there are 3912 7-elevens here? No you didn't.

Did you know the locals do not like someone touching them on head. They believe that soul, which is considered extremely sacred, resides in head. So, don't ever touch them on the head, not even a child. We all know underwear is pretty essential, but not as much as in here, where leaving the house with no underwear on can very well land you in jail. Going bare-chested in public is illegal too.

Sepak takraw is the popular sport here, Native to this region it is played by hitting a rattan ball and only use their feet, knees, chest and head to touch the ball. It appears in volley ball style, the players must volley a ball over a net and force it to hit the ground on opponents side.

Famous for Buddhism, it usually is the first thing you think of when one mentions this country. Serving in the monkhood is an ideal for all males in this area.

Several media outlets display this area but one of my favorites started the ever handsome Chow Yun Fat, (also same character also handsome played by Yule Brenner) but though this play/movie is very famous and has really catchy tunes, the locals didn't think it was an accurate portrayal. They never do, party poopers.

for some reason this are a is famous for snakes. the surprise is not why, there are lots and they are big and they're poisonous. the surprise is that anyone would want to be known for snakes . over 200 species of which more than 60 are venomous (have venom dangerous to humans) most dangerous’ as the one that most often bites humans and that most often kills humans in Thailand – the Malayan Pit Viper. A brown, thick as a shovel handle, snake that is a meter or less long.

But the thing we love about this place, the food. Noodles and Eggs and Chili Peppers. YUM add some shrimp... dubble yum.

Right now this area is suffering from sever flooding, so send your prayers their way. It is a beautiful, culture rich, happy people place.

A song of wonders

When you travel, what do you travel for? Most of my travel is for entertainment and discovery. but what if we were to travel for service, or for growth?

I meat a friend who recently returned from this places. She goes here once a year to work with Mothers with out Borders. To build help build schools, and many other humanitarian acts . She travels with a purpose.

Travel here is rough these days. Security remains uncertain. In spite of an improving political situation, this area continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. A power-sharing government and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have pledged to improve the lives of citizens. Even though the economy is slowly improving, millions are still dependent on food aid and disease outbreaks only compound the situation. Behind this grim lies a beautiful country, and despite the sacrifice the locals hold on to their humor and resolve. This means that if you do chose to visit, you will receive the royal treatment.

Mana here means Four, at this national park in the northern area, where the flood plain, from the rive turns into a broad expanse of lakes after each rainy season. As the lakes gradually dry up and recede, the region attracts many large animals in search of water, making it one of worlds most renowned game-viewing regions. You will find Hippos, Crocs, Elephants and much more. Take a camping or canoeing tour, and your life may never be the same. But that is not all this river has to offer. The fourth largest on the Continent, it has no reason to be shy. Three notable falls flow from these waters, but one is so famous you would be hard pressed to find someone who has never heard of them. Sometimes called 'the smoke that thunders'. While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is claimed to be the largest. Big enough to be one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. And if you are like me and one of the items on your 'list' is to bungee jump off a bridge..... I don't think you can find one better than here.

And situated on the river, is one of the largest dams in the world. It is so big that in March of this year, due to rising levels of the river, let to the opening of the floodgates, requiring the evacuation of 130,000 people from their homes on the flood plains. That is so many people it makes me wonder how many would have been effected if the flood gates had not been released!

There are some places near us famous for rock formations, National Bridges, Rainbow Bridge, Chimney rock. In this beautiful country they have BALANCING rocks. Near one of the largest game reserves, with over 100 animal species, and more that 400 types of birds. In this vast game reserve are some of the largest herds of the huge elephant and buffalo on the continent. Other animals in the park include lion, eland, giraffe, rhino, zebra, sable, kudu, and waterbuck.

Hunting is not only a popular sport, but it also helps to manage surplus game population. In some areas, controlled hunting is essential to proper wildlife management. There are several safari areas in the Valley below the Dam, where elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, and all species of antelope are to be found. Many of these may be hunted by arrangement with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management. These are normally open from the beginning of May to the end of September, and cater for approximately 200 hunters a year. Wow. I think I'll just take the safari.

About an hour and a half away from there are the Sleeping pool and the Dark Cave, a cave system with deep blue pools and fascinating history.

So if you come for humanitarian reasons, or to simply enjoy the spectacular views and wildlife, You will not leave unmoved.