Straight after breakfast, which we ate on the stoep so that we could admire the view of mountains and wilderness all about us, we scrambled our way to the deep and silent pool where the river cuts through almost sheer rockfaces as it comes down from the Gamkapoort Dam. The going is particularly tough, so if you have not brought along all your hiking gear you can't really get very far, but the scenery and the silence was well worth a couple of hours out of the day. The old track southwards along the river towards Calitzdorp has largely been obliterated by flooding over the years but part of this is still visible and can still be followed by the more intrepid hiker.

However, before following the various hiking trails, which are quite well marked, we wanted to have a good look at the hidden valley itself. Before the present road was hacked through the mountains one would come to Ouplaas first in the widest part of the valley; one would then follow the track eastwards along the valley bottom, the mountains closing in steadily until one reached the narrow end where the precipitous ascent to the Swartberg pass disappears into the sky. Although the mountains themselves are largely bare, the bottom of the valley is green and wooded and, in places, so deep that the winter sun never reaches even the roofs of the little clusters of cottages.

Travelling eastwards, then, you would pass Cordier's house on an open bluff to the right, then Mostert's house up on the left, then Lenie Marais' house on a bend up above the road also on the left. The houses were built from whatever materials were available in the valley; the foundations are of packed stone on which the walls of raw brick stand; the roof-trusses are made from poplar or olive-wood and the ceilings were made of reed, on which a clay packing was placed in order to make the "solder" floor, the roof-space being used for storage, usually of foodstuffs and, of course, one's coffin. The floors were always of packed earth which was then smeered with cow-dung mixed with thorn-tree sap (misvloere). Outside doors were always split horizontally so that the top half could be left open as an extra window and inside doors consisted only of an opening over which a curtain would be hung. Few of the windows were ever glazed, rather consisting of an oblong opening which was closed with wooden shutters; Lenie Marais' house is the only building in the valley to have gables and it is interesting to note that this tough lady built the entire place herself.

Lenie Marais was the only "doctor" in the valley, having a good knowledge of herbs and Boer remedies. If a conventionally qualified man was required, then Dr. Luttig would ride alongside the river from Prince Albert.

The first school of the valley being on the farm Boplaas, at the Ladismith end of the road and just beneath The Ladder, was erected in 1904. From Lenie Marais' house the track then leads through Middelplaas where a second school was opened in 1928, the window-glass, benches and blackboard being brought into the valley from outside. This second school was closed in 1980, showing how, gradually, the small population dwindled as it left for the towns and the challenges of the outside world. The school buildings doubled as the local church with the teacher as preacher; local festivals were always held in the valley, but more important happenings such as weddings were usually held in Prince Albert or Calitzdorp.

The track then winds past eight other houses, some of which are almost hidden in the trees; there were only a total of five families in this secret spot, living on either side of the track which stretches for fifteen kilometres along the valley floor.

Anyone who has spent time learning the history of a village will tell you that the best way to un-cover the past is by spending some time in the local graveyard. There is a small and very peaceful one near the school and, although the inscriptions on the tombstones are now a little hard to read and at times very basic, a visit there is well worthwhile.

Thus Die Hel remained basically unchanged from 1830 until 1959 when Dr.Otto du Plessis arrived on horseback and promised the inhabitants a road over the mountains to the Swartberg pass. From that moment onward everything changed forever; bakkies were bought so that local produce could be taken outside and the products of civilisation brought into the valley. Tourists began to appear and the tranquillity of life in Die Hel became a thing of the past. Families started to leave, beckoned by the bright lights of the towns and the valley fell into dereliction and disrepair.

Die Hel was effectively saved from disappearing into folklore by Cape Nature Conservation, who gradually bought up one farm after another until only Boplaas remains privately owned.

The result is a spot, overlooked by most of the roadmaps, where time has stood still; it is a spot well worth a visit if you remember to bring everything you need with you (and take everything you don't need back with you too); the scenery is stupendous, the road frightening and only for the intrepid, and the cottages, most of which can be hired at a very reasonable nightly fee from Cape Nature Conservation, extremely comfortable and well restored. Spend a few nights there - you won't regret it!

Darling is like an ageing star of stage and screen: once moderately pretty and of mild allure and talent, but now the victim of several obvious face-lifts and a great deal too much pancake make-up. Once a dusty little dorp in the middle of dairy farms and a few wind-swept vineyards, it can now be divided into four definite segments: the Old Dorp, the New Dorp, Greenville, and the local RDP settlement (Revenge of the Dark People).

The Old Dorp consists of half a dozen streets lined with late Victorian cottages and houses built on either side of the local stream which dries up in the summer leaving only swarms of mosquitoes to mark its presence. Once standing in their own orchards on plots of about 1500 m2, many of these quaint buildings are now cheek-by-jowl with more modern pseudo-Victorians which have been built in their subdivided gardens. In the early 1990s Darling became "flavour of the month" and suffered in the ensuing gentrification, losing a great deal of its original rural character.

The New Dorp, through which one must drive as one arrives from Cape Town, is a motley collection of modern architectural styles from the ranch, through the 1960's tank-trap to the Olde Cape Gable and the downright ugly; its saving grace is that it has a good view over the Old Dorp and The Great Nothing.

Greenville is the local township (once "Coloured") and lies to the north of the main area on the west side of the road to Moorreesburg, while opposite and next to the small industrial area, spreading its ugliness north and eastwards is the inevitable Informal Settlement. This latter, only begun in the mid 1990s, is now an enormous sprawl which has entirely altered the impact of the town.

There is the usual ugly main street with its hotel, police station, Spar, chemist, various small restaurants and antiquey shoppes; each building is held up by large numbers of locals with nothing else to do but drink mysterious brews from brown paper bags and watch the passing scene. There is the usual large NGK (of no architectural interest), prominent in the middle of the Old Dorp, a smaller Chapel lying almost out of sight, and, of course, the New Apostolic Church in Greenville rearing its pointed roof skyward.

Darling's only claim to fame, apart from Evita se Perron on the old railway station, is the annual flower show. Because the wild flowers are usually at their best in August, this festival is held on the middle weekend of September when the muggies are at their absolute worst. Apart from its ability to claim the first prize in ripping the visitor off, the flower show manages to rip off the locals as well. Proceeds go to the local Club, and what it does with them is a mystery. Darling is hot and humid in the summer, cold, windy and wet in the winter, and still fights the Boer War on a daily basis.

Thinking of a weekend away? - there are better places to throw away your money!

To start with, leave Cape Town on the N7 and travel to Clanwilliam (2hrs 15mins, +-225 kms); turn off the national road into Clanwilliam and stock up for the trip ahead; please remember, there will be no more petrol or diesel for about 250 kms and the going is fairly rough, so your fuel consumption will be more than usual.

Leave Clanwilliam on the R364 towards Calvinia and you will soon find yourself heading steadily upwards over the Pakhuis Pass, leaving the fertile Oliphants' River Valley behind you. The road, although now tarred in places where the gradient is particularly steep, is rough and the terrain becomes more and more wild as you head into the mountains. About 8,5 kms out of Clanwilliam you will pass along a relatively flat stretch of very sandy road between high pinnacles of typical Cedarberg rocks and lined with dense bush. On your left hand side there is a small car park where you can pull off and take in Louis Leipoldt's grave in one of the caves. Although the grave and the rock-paintings are interesting, it is the silence which deafens you and the loneliness which abounds. Take a few minutes to absorb the silence, look out for the eagles as they hover high in the blue looking for prey, and if you look carefully you will see the occasional dassie watching you from his vantage point in the rocks.

Back on the road again you soon begin to twist and turn upwards until at 1087 metres you cross the summit of the pass and begin a steep, winding drop into the valley below. Pass the turn to Bushman's Kloof on your right and head onwards across the valley floor until you see a lonely clump of trees on the right hand side, about 19 kms from the grave. Although there is no marked spot for stopping, it is well worth pulling to the side of the road and walking into the shade of the trees where you will see, surrounded by an old and weathered fence, Englishman's Grave. There can be no lonelier spot to imagine the body of Lieutenant Graham Clowes being laid to rest after he lost his life in a skirmish with Boers in one of the Anglo-Boer wars. Far from his native land and buried in the middle of this empty valley, only the ever-soughing wind in the gums keeps him company.

Almost immediately there is a right turn onto a very minor road which leads to the Biedouw Valley and Wupperthal. For some distance the road is relatively straight and the surface reasonable until you begin the long descent into the Valley and the Heuning River, which you cross approximately 11 kms after Englishman's Grave. In August and September, the flowers in this part of the world are legendary, with whole hillsides covered in orange, purple, and white; unfortunately for the driver (who can do nothing else but keep his eyes on the road) the scenery is breath-taking. There is a turning to the left which follows the Heuning River through the valley until the road comes to an abrupt end at the Doring River. Although it used to be possible to follow this road to link up with the long road from Ceres to Calvinia, the ford was washed away some years ago and, to my knowledge, has never been repaired.

From the river the road begins to ascend quite steeply again as you leave the valley behind (in our family the Biedouw Valley has become known as the Valley of the Bidets - silly!). For some distance the road climbs until it runs along the top of Taaibosberg before, almost obscured beneath a pile of unsightly rubbish, is a large green sign warning you that you are about to enter Wupperthal. On your right is a pretty old farmhouse and, looking at it, you could well believe you have been transported back nearly two hundred years. From here the Koueberg Pass begins and the road drops in a dizzying fashion down the side of the mountain to the most remote of all the Mission Villages as it straggles along the banks of the Tra-tra River.

In 1829 the area was first mooted as a mission station by two German Rhenish missionaries, Baron Theobald Von Wurmb and Johann Gottlieb Leipoldt, who had first been to Genadendal to gain information on their plan. Missionary work began at Wupperthal in 1830, although the original farm (Riedmond) was bought from Coloured owners in 1832 for 20 000 Guilders. At first only seven families were involved in the mission, most of whom came from the farms Heuningvlei, Beukeskraal, and Biedouw. Baron Von Wurmb's involvement in Wupperthal was evidently minor as he died in 1834, aged only 33, but his co-missionary, Leipoldt, who was by trade a shoemaker (and Louis Leipoldt's grandfather), and who established the now famous shoe factory at Wupperthal, apparently went from strength to strength as the mission acquired fifteen farms in the area by 1885. As the abolition of slavery in 1838 allowed more and more people to travel, the inhabitants of the area grew and the mission itself became more and more financially strong (each inhabitant of the area had to pay an annual tithe of 3 Rijksdollars), so that by 1959 the Rhenish Mission Society owned an enormous amount of land in the area; agriculture and cattle farming had proved to be most profitable, as had the fact that, in terms of Apartheid legislation, no farm could be owned or operated by non-whites, or by a company consisting of non-whites.

In 1966, when Wupperthal was finally transferred to the Moravian church, it was the last (and probably the largest) of the Rhenish Mission stations although it had effectively been run by the Moravian church since the 1930s.

So, in the heart of the barren and wild Cedarberg mountains, far from any other form of civilisation, there has been a thriving little industry for at least 150 years. The village today consists of three terraces of neat thatched cottages above a narrow and fertile valley full of gardens of fruit and vegetables; palm trees wave in the light breeze and children play in the dusty streets. When you enter the village you will find, on your right, the large church and the school, and on your left the residential area. In between lies the village store, the post office, and a small tea-room. It is charming and can quite realistically lay claim to being a place where time has stood still - except, of course, for the satellite dishes which have sprouted on most of the roofs allowing the electronic sound of televisions to mar the tranquillity, and the many bakkies and cars which now seem to crowd the streets. When I first saw Wupperthal in the late 1970s, donkeys were the main form of transport and wagons still moved around the area. I personally cannot help but feel that thirty years ago, life in this idyllically almost hermetically sealed environment was better and more wholesome; today, if you look around carefully, you will notice that many of the younger people have moved away, lured by the promise of riches and excitement in the cities.

Looking from the centre of the village across the causeway over the Tra-tra River, you will see to the south the almost vertical track which leads out of Wupperthal in the direction of Eselbank. If you have a 4x4 vehicle, this is your exit; if not, retrace your steps once you have wandered around the village, and head back towards Clanwilliam up the Koueberg Pass. Please remember, although the town is only about 70 kms away it will take you all of two hours to drive there.

For the lucky ones, here is the rest of the route: follow the track out of the village, over the river, and up the almost vertical hillside. From the top of this climb there is a wonderful view back over the village and the valley, an oasis of greenery and quietly flowing water, hemmed in as it is by the brown hills and ridges of the edge of the Cedarberg. The track makes its circuitous way over riverbeds and rocks to the small settlement of Eselbank about fifteen kilometres to the south. After Eselbank the track winds slowly through the mountains for about 30 kms until it joins one of my favourite roads at Matjiesrivier. To your right is Kromrivier Farm and the road up over the Cedarberg Pass to Algeria; turn left here and drop down to Uitsig where the road crosses the Krom River, then wind upwards again over the top of the Groot River Heights and down Varkkloof between brown, conical mountains to the Groot River where there is an excellent and picturesque settlement known as Mount Cedar. There is overnight accommodation right next to the river, which runs all year round, and an excellent restaurant.

Here the Cedarberg offers great sweeping vistas of flat-topped mountains striated with lines of rock, and you can see the road stretching like a white ribbon high into the distance both to the north and south. Climb up the steep Blinkberg Pass and continue through the mountains for about 35 kms until you reach the road to your left which leads to Kaggakamma over the Katbakkies Pass. Continue straight with the gravel road, which shortly becomes tar, and you will see on either side the lush citrus farms of the Koue Bokkeveld until the road reaches a T-junction at Op die Berg. Here, at last, is a petrol station!

After this small settlement the tar road leads, almost straight as a dye, until it suddenly falls over the edge of the Gydo Pass and down into the Warm Bokkeveld and Ceres. From here onwards it is an easy and scenic drive to Cape Town. Civilisation is once again all around you, but behind lies a kind of magic that you will either love or hate, its barrenness and silence will have kept you company for many hours and you will have seen sights which few of us are able to enjoy, but you will know that there are still places on this earth where there is something else to think about than tonight's TV schedule or the rough-and-tumble life which most of us are forced to lead at the mercy of the ever-present cell-phone. You will be pleased to know that things like cell-phones are of little use at all in the places where you have been - there is no reception!

Colombia's most important export crop is coffee beans. Its largest city is Santa Fe! de Bogota. More than 10% of the worlds species live in Colombia and its 40.3 million people that live there are of mixed Spanish indigenous and black origins.

History

Around the year 1500, the Spanish began settling in Colombia. This land was soon part of New Granada which also encompassed present day Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. The Spanish rule grew in the late 1700s until 1810 when nationalists claimed independence, but true independence came in the year of 1819, when a man named Simo!n Bolivar assembled an army to defeat Spanish troops at the Battle of Boyaca! .

In the years from 1948 to 1957, civil war broke out between Conservatives and Liberals which led to a constitutional amendment requiring the presidency to alternate between the Liberal and Conservative Parties until the year 1974. The Medellin and Cali drug cartels and also various Guerrilla movements like M-19, F.A.R.., and E.L.N. began in the 1980s to cause unrest and violence. Some guerrilla factions eventually joined the democratic process in the 1990 presidential elections.

In 1990, Cesar Gaviria was elected president. He offered guerrilla groups the right to participate in constitutional conventions if they would disarm and renounce violence. Most of the groups accepted the offer, but some didn't. In the year of 1990, a national assembly was formed to rewrite the 1886 constitution, which then took effect on July 4, 1991. The elections in 1994 awarded Ernesto Samper Pizano of the Liberal party, a four year presidential term, but he was accused of receiving Campaign funds from the Cali drug cartel. Then in June 1996, Congress absolved Samper of wrong-doing. The scandal damaged the government's credibility, which contributed to an economic downfall, escalated violence among guerrillas, drug cartels, paramilitary anti-guerrilla groups and the military.

Thousands of people died from these groups' violence. Much of the kidnapping, killing, and extortion involved drug-related lands and money. In 1998, the government withdrew thousands of troops and police from the Southeast. Bombings and attacks by guerrilla groups continued. The government repealed F.A.R.C.'s safe haven. Now the violence continues to escalate and has now reached a level of all-out war

Food

Colombia n people eat 3 meals a day just like Americans. Their biggest meal is lunch. Breakfast is small and accompanied by coffee. Their lunch is always 2 or more courses, including a bowl of soup, a main dish of meat, fish or poultry, and sometimes dessert. Their preference is to eat with family, but in urban areas on weekdays, a family lunch is often difficult, so every city and town has a number of restaurants and cafeterias that specialize in serving the lunch meal.

Dinner patterns are the same as Americans. Their staple starches are rice, potatoes, corn plantains, and yucca. Meat is more common in the Highland areas. Fish is eaten more often on the coasts. Over the past decade, there has been a trend toward vegetarian food. There are not many vegetarian restaurants in the country, but they are growing.

Land

Colombia is located in the northwest corner of South America where the continents join the Isthmus of Panama. Their capital is Santa Fe! de Boyota! . Colombia has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It boarders five countries: Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Equador. Some islands in the Pacific and Caribbean are parts of Colombia's territory. Colombia can be divided into four distinct regions: the Andean highlands, the Carribean lowlands, the Pacific lowlands and the Eastern plains, separated by the parallel Mountain ranges, Cordillera Occidentas (western), Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental (eastern)

Climate

There are no distinct seasons in Colombia, but different elevations experience a variety of temperatures. Medellin, at 5000 feet above sea level averages 70"F. Bogota! (the Capital) at 8000 feet above sea level, averages 55"F. The coast is hot and humid. With such diversity in temperature, altitude, and rainfall, Colombia produces an incredible variety and abundance of vegetarian and animal life.

Recreation / Sports

Soccer has become Colombia's international sporting strength since it's team qualified for the finals of the World Cup Competition. The sport is followed with wild enthusiasm. Thousands of supporters who watch with groups of friends often crowd around the T.V. set to watch the games. Bars and restaurants are packed with fans of both sides. When a local national team has secured a victory, the streets are filled with a procession of cars and constant hooting of horns. You can take part of almost any out-door sport in Colombia. Facilities for most indoor sports are there for the people that can afford them.

Education

The children's school year starts in February and ends at the end of June. From the end of June to mid-July, there is a short vacation. Then students go back to school until mid-November, when the longest vacation of the year starts. Because of the same temperature all year-round, there is no need for summer vacation. The Colombian Constitution guarantees every child the right to an education. Many families prefer to send their child to a private school. Many of these are run by Catholic schools. Government has the authority over all schools. Children between 6 and 14 are expected to attend primary school. In the cities most do, but in the country side attendance is less often. Parents sometimes keep children out of school to support the family. Some students have to travel great distances because some families don't own cars. The students who do good in high school can attend Universities. The school hours depend on the climate. Colombian youngsters do study the same things that us North-Americans study.

The central and southern regions of Africa contain dense jungles and rainforests as well as steppe land and savanna plains and the climate ranges from tropical to sub-arctic. Despite the harsh land and climate, and the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest region in the world, it is home to over 770 million people as well as some of the least developed countries in the world. Over the last 40 years there has been a significant growth in population - in some African nations, more than 50% of the population is under the age of 25. With a growth rate of 2.3%, the United Nations has predicted that the population will grow to 1.5 billion by the year 2050. However large the numbers may look on paper, Africa holds only 10% of the world's population, but includes 60% of all people living with HIV: 68% of adults and nearly 90% of children! According to the 2003 Human Development Report by the United Nations, the 25 nations ranked at the very bottom were all African nations - around 80% of Zimbabweans are unemployed. On the other hand, a few Sub-Saharan countries have done very well, primarily Botswana and South Africa. Botswana's capital, Gaborone, is one of the world's fastest growing cities and over 25% of the country's budget is used to continuously improve the city's infrastructure. Additionally, South Africa has the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (one of the major stock exchanges of the entire continent), and is the leading producer of gold and diamonds throughout the world.

Africa is the most multilingual continent in the world - most reports list at least 1,000 different languages throughout the enormous landmass. While most are of African origin, several European languages thrive as well. Of the four major language families found in Africa, the Niger-Congo language envelops most of the Sub-Saharan region and is most likely the largest language family in the world. The major subgroups of the Niger-Congo language are the Kordofanian, Mande, and Atlantic-Congo languages. Apparently, it is not uncommon for people to speak several African languages as well as one or even two European languages.

Political leaders and citizens generally have little or no experience in allotting resources, opportunities, and power fairly and efficiently, which has lead to widespread turbulence. Some 200,000 children and around 100,000 women are currently enslaved in the sex and labor markets, and these numbers do not include the children forced to work as soldiers. Agriculture is one of the major sources of livelihood within the continent, with nearly two-thirds of the population growing and producing their own food.

Excluding a tropical wet climate, North America experiences every major type of climate/weather. Most of the continent experiences a temperate climate, excluding Hawaii (tropical), Florida (tropical), and Alaska (arctic), with generally low winter temperatures in the northwestern United States. This climate is subject to change however, with the threat of many natural hazards such as tsunamis, flooding, volcanoes, earthquakes, forest fires, and hurricanes. The terrain is sporadic and includes a large central plain with mountains in the west, hills and low mountains in the east, rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska, and rocky, volcanic topography in Hawaii. There are many natural resources including coal, copper, lead, gold, and petroleum.

The languages found most often in North America are English, Spanish, and French, and the United States experiences a net migration rate of about 3.05 migrants per 1,000 people. Due to the religious freedom generally accepted throughout the continent, the North American population practices many different religions including, but not limited to, Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Unitarianism. Nearly 80% of the North American population lives in metropolitan areas, the largest of which are Mexico City, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami. The United States has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the entire world, with a per capita GDP of $46,000 in 2007.

North America depends heavily on agricultural success and produces wheat, corn, grains, fruit, vegetables, and cotton. Furthermore, North America provides a steady supply of beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, fish, and forest products. Following the trend of extreme consumption, the North American population is also the world's largest consumer of cocaine as well as many other illicit drugs.

This landmass is home to well over 700 million people, more than 10% of the planet's population, in 48 different countries - pretty impressive considering Europe's “small” size. Of the 48 countries that make up Europe, 27 of them are part of the European Union (EU). The European Union is a single market in which all member states must follow a system of laws guaranteeing the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital, and, of course, people. The 27 countries, or independent sovereign states, that make up the EU, also known as member states, are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Europe generally has what is known as a temperate, maritime climate. The temperate climate has four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter). The maritime climate means that the weather is affected by the oceans which help to maintain relatively stable temperatures throughout all four seasons. The combination temperate-maritime climate means that the winds generally blow from the west and that the westernmost countries experience the “truest” temperate-maritime climate. The westernmost countries of the landmass in question include Ireland and the United Kingdom. Europe is comprised mostly of mountains, uplands, and lowlands, which stretch from the east to the west in wide bands.

The largest, and most famous, mountain ranges in this part of the world are known as the Alps, which run from southern France and all the way through Switzerland, Austria, and Slovakia, finally ending in Romania, which leaves the mountains stretching across the middle of the continent. Since the Alps run east-west, the maritime climate also helps to stabilize the inland temperature. The North European Plain, specifically along coastal zones, is a heavily populated area, which runs all the way through Poland (east), including deeply populated rural areas as well as many large, industrial cities.

Following the Renaissance, Europe has been a major influence in culture, economics and social movements all over the world. Some major issues and concerns that have recently surfaced include religious emigration, economic immigration, race relations, and a declining birthrate partnered with an aging population. The United Nations' “population projection” increases Europe's concern regarding population, foreshadowing a drop to just 653 million in 2050. If this is true, the European population will have dropped from 11% of the planet's total population in 2005, to just 7%.

Finally, population issues aside, Europe currently has the largest economy in the world. Fifteen of the 27 countries in the European Union share a common currency (Euro) and a majority of the EU's trade takes place between India, China, Russia, the United States, and other European countries that are not EU member states. Many European countries have official religions but there are many prevalent religions across the continent, including several sects of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Rastafarian, and even Voodoo. Similar to the number of religions, many languages are spoken across Europe, but these can be grouped into three larger sections: Romance languages, Germanic languages, and Slavic languages.

This is the part of Africa that functions. And this Africa also needs media attention, if it's to have any chance of fully joining the global economy. Africa's media image comes at a high cost, even, at the extreme, the cost of lives. Stories about hardship and tragedy aim to tug at our heartstrings, getting us to dig into our pockets or urge Congress to send more aid. But no country or region ever developed thanks to aid alone. Investment, and the job and wealth creation it generates is the only road to lasting development. The images the media portrays does not always necessarily mean that Africa is a bad continent or the people from the continent are pathetic s, due to the instability of African background and scar marred deep into the continent, there are still so many issues the African nations are fighting like bad government, poverty e.t.c poverty cannot be erased but its getting reduced.
You have seen the images on the TV about Africa: the huts, the famine, disease, war but they never show Africa is so beautiful and not every part of Africa and people are poor.

An Africa woman with her child doing her trade and very happy about it.

The beautiful east coast of Unguja, Zanzibar.

The amazing Mifi Falls in Cameroon.

The breath-taking seimen mountains in Ethiopia.

Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, at night.

The longest river in the world, river Nile in jinja in Uganda which runs through Egypt and Tanzania.

The legendary mountain Sinai in Egypt, where it was recorded in the bible Moses received the ten commandments.

The highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The great city of Dar es salaam in Tanzania.

Kids bathing in the sea, outskirts of bosaso, Somalia. Beautiful.

The stunning pyramids of Egypt

An African queen displaying her fashion from Estella couture in Nigeria.

A church in Abuja Nigeria.

Kasubi tombs. Four Buganda Kings are buried inside this building....Kla Uganda.

University of Khartoum in Sudan.

These are places in Africa, there are loads of them which if continued will never end;
if the Western society have a little knowledge of great things about Africa and it's a wonderful and beautiful place to be. Africa has really and amazingly change, its sun has come like after the rain comes the sun and it is still rising high in the sky maybe this the moment young generation will do something to change the Africa they always show...so when ever the show Africa we can be proud and confident. And tell our kids that it was my generation that made the change and i was a part of that change.

The chicken is about 9.6 million square kilometers. The longitude and latitude runs parallel to that of the U.S. The land mass is also about the same size as that of the U.S. This large chicken has a population of 1.3 billion people. It is the third largest country in the world, behind Canada and Russia.

In the northwest region, you have the chicken's head facing east. This is where, Beijing is located - the political capital China. Thinking about it in terms of regions in the U.S., Beijing would be where New York is. This region is known for Beijing duck and Mongolian hotpot. China borders Korea and Mongolia in this region.

By the chicken's belly, the southeast east region, you have Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Fujian and Macau. In these areas, a different dialect is spoken from that of the mainland proper's Mandarin Chinese. Dimsum is a popular cuisine in this area. This is also the financial capital and the most economically developed region of China. Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia are located east of this region.

Getting close to the chicken's feet, you have the southern provinces including the most populated province in China - Sichuan. It is also known for its spicy food, pandas, dinosaurs bones and sugar cane. China borders India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Burma, Laos and Vietnam in this area.

Towards the back and the tail of the chicken, you have the Tibetan and Xinjiang regions. Tibet is the former home of the Dali Lama and Xinjiang is where the Muslim minority is located in China. China borders Russia in this area.

China has over 100 minorities making up 5% of the population located all over the country. The vast majority of the population lives in the eastern half of the country. Imagine taking all of the people in the U.S., multiplying it by four, and moving them east of the Mississippi River.

Five major rivers that run east to west in China are the Yangzi, Yellow, Heilongjiang, Huaihe and Pearl Rivers. From their numerous tributaries have sprouted many villages and small cities in China. The Yangzi River is the longest river in China and the third longest in the world. It has a total length of 6,300 kilometers.

Overall, Cuba is one of the most diverse sites biologically on earth. In addition, many of the foundation rocks of the island are toxic to plants. This means that a plant species to survive had to adapt to the harsh environs. Dozens of species of unique plants grow on surfaces which are known to be too toxic to support life.

ALEJANDRO DE HUMBOLDT NATIONAL PARK

The complex topography and varied geology has created a diverse set of species and ecosystems which is not found anywhere else in the Caribbean. Further, this tropical island is one of the most biologically diverse on earth. Within the park are numerous new species and conservation efforts for endemic flora is of high importance. In addition, a high number of vertebrates and invertebrates are endemic to the park as well as to the entire island of Cuba. This makes the Park a biologist and naturalist's dream site.

DIVING

The same features such as those in the seas surrounding the Bahamas and other West Indies and Grand Cayman make the waters surrounding the Caribbean reef systems likely to become more and more desirable as a diver and snorkelers paradise. Especially in the area to the south of Cuba such as Jardines de la Reina the reef systems are large and in a great state of preservation. The existence of spiny lobsters, coral fish populations, four species of sea turtles and of course the shy manatees will continue to be a draw to diving enthusiasts. The Guanahacabibes Peninsula has been named a biosphere preserve includes nearly forty sites where world class diving can be enjoyed, including a black coral colony.

VALLEY OF VIÑALES

This area is popular internationally and at the end of the last decade was declared as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO. It's also a national monument. The land is fertile and surrounded by pin-cushion shaped hills. The entire valley is an outstanding example of karst formations with limestone sinks, ravines and underground streams. One of the most extensive cave systems in Latin America is found here with some of the underground rivers navigable by boat.

The Indian's Cave is famous, as is the healing value of San Diego de los Baños. Hundreds of individuals come here to soak in the warm mineral springs and mud.

SOROA

Two attractions found in the Rosario Mountains within 45 miles of Havana are the Soroa Waterfall falling 72 feet. Travel by foot and by horseback in the area adds to the enjoyment of viewing the scenery at a leisurely pace. A second attraction in this area is the orchid garden. Here you can find species from all over the globe.