You are surprised that Iraq is in the number 1 spot? Venture into the Sunni Triangle and it is like taking your life with your own hands. If you really want to visit Iraq you should go to the north of the country, where Kurds are a little less dicey for the adventurous traveler. I doubt if Iraq will ever leave my number one spot.

Afghanistan

This country is one of the top most dangerous countries, following the promise of good times to come. A few years ago two Japanese teachers were killed after venturing into the wild southern regions. Many parts of Afghanistan are falling back under the sway of extremists and it is very likely that you will experience its own fair share of terror attacks.

Somalia

Remember the movie by Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down? It is a movie that bought the ugly conflict in Somalia for mainstream viewing. It is also good to mention that they have no central government and that has been happening since 1991. Somalia is a nice country but if you are planning to travel there, I suggest that you hire your own heavily armed guards. Daily rates for the guards vary from a couple of hundred bucks or several hundred bucks, depending on whom you hire. Failure to do so, may result in death.

Thailand

When we hear the name Thailand we usually portray a nice exotic country with wonderful beaches, exotic drinks and a good, cheap nightlife. But that is not the case. But don't take me wrong, it is not dangerous because of mobs and a high criminal rate (yes, you can find some). It is on the list only because of the Tsunami that hit a few years ago. Hundreds of people died and that made future tourists think twice before they plan to visit this exotic place.

Sudan

The ongoing tension with the government and rebels is what makes this country one of the most dangerous. Not to mention the government backed genocide. Murder and rapes are the two most common things that one can face in Sudan especially if you are in the area of Darfur. If you want to travel to the north make sure you get travelling permits, but for the south no. One should also mention that the south has finally come to peace after the tireless efforts of the late John Darang.

Indonesia

This country is not dangerous per se, but there are so many elements of danger that it made the top 10 list. A few years ago there was the Bali bombing and also the Tsunami hitting. If you are a journalist you have to be very careful, as usually those are the targeted people.

Chechnya

It does not get many tourists but sometimes journalists are forced to go there and it is a one country that journalists fear the most. A few years ago they captured a school and held hostages just to show how far they can go.

The Palestinian Territories

Despite efforts to make their country better, this country has been doing nothing but going from bad to worse and therefore it makes it a bad place to travel to. A few years ago two people who were there to educate children were captured and later released. Foreign aid workers have often reported being beaten by settlers. The military controls the human movement and curfews are to be expected.

Uganda

For a lot of years the Lord Resistance Army have made the region a no-go for travelers. The LRA are known for being the most evil, cold blooded murders on the planet. And it is good to mention that they force children to murder their own family members as part of the indoctrination.

Niger

Niger is the world's second most poor country. It is a famine stricken country and there are hundreds of people dying everyday due to malnutrition. The horror is not of being murdered or raped, but it is seeing all these children being starved to death, unless food aid arrives soon.

It was about a quarter before 09:00 when I climbed into my truck, eased away from the fuel island and onto the access road. The morning commute was almost over. So, I was hoping for no problems going from the north side of Oklahoma City through downtown and south to Dallas. Clear blue skies, pleasant mid-spring temperatures and no traffic should have made for a perfect day of trucking.

My clock showed 09:01 as I approached the N. E. 10th street exit. I was reaching up to turn my radio on when I caught a glimpse of black smoke just before the road dipped into a valley. As I headed up the next small hill in front of me an Oklahoma State Trooper blew past me on the left. When I topped the hill I had a longer look at the giant cloud of smoke that seemed to be billowing out of the north end of downtown Oklahoma City. The black and white state trooper’s car had already disappeared through the I-40/I-35 interchange. I figured he was headed to where the black smoke was coming from. By the time I went through the interchange onto I-40 and then splitting off to go south again on I -35 I had been passed by two more cop cars. These were Oklahoma City Police vehicles, and they too were headed for the area consumed in black smoke. And, by now, the AM radio was talking about a large explosion, unsure about the cause.

The thought hit me that I should turn around. I figured somebody was going to be needing a lot of help. But, I was driving 80,000 pounds of steel and frozen meat down the highway. If I drove my truck down into the mess I knew would soon be stacking up down there,,,,,,,,,,,. Anyway, my responsibility was to keep my truck moving, and stay out of the way.

It has been eleven years since that nightmare unfolded in Oklahoma City. And, I think about that day, and September 11, 2001 every single day. And, yes - I still weep for those who lost their lives, and those who lost their loved ones. And, it often occurs to me that, most likely, somewhere between the truck stop and downtown Oklahoma City, I may have been within a hundred feet of Timothy Mc Vey. As he drove north out of town we may have met on I-35.

I have visited the outdoor part of the Oklahoma City National Memorial half-a-dozen times since it opened. I have been there three times now with camera in hand. All of my visits were short due to time constraints. And, each time I leave I know that I will be returning as soon as possible.

I seem to always enter the memorial from the west side, which faces Walker Avenue. Along this street is a tribute fence, where visitors have placed mementos, letters, photographs, hand written prayers, and other tributes to those who died that day.

Visiting this memorial helps me sort things out, and puts life into perspective for me. I am almost 58 years old. I believe that if the events of April 19 and September 11 had not happened I would have gone to my grave not knowing the value of the time I am spending here. The Oklahoma City National Memorial is where I go to renew promises to myself of living a life of meaning.

Resource Box

There are approximately 30 photographs available to illustrate this article.

Note: Keith Birmingham is now a Las Vegas based photographer, writer and webmaster with a growing catalog of industrial, lifestyle and nature photography. Photography by Keith Birmingham is the online portfolio he uses to attract professional photo buyers.