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A Preview Of Africa

© Jane Stewart-Williams

Whether you know it as the Dark Continent or the birthplace of humanity, Africa conjures up magical and heartbreaking images in the mind. It is a land where droughts and famines are a way of life, where magnificent species struggle to survive, and where wars break out on an all too regular basis. On the other hand, it is a place where herds of wild animals still swarm across the parks, where snow-capped mountains adorn the plains and vast deserts stretch out for an eternity, and where names like Timbuktu and Zanzibar tell ancient tales of a magical past.

Northern Africa

From the coral reefs of the red sea to the markets of Marakesh, Northern Africa covers the region above the Sahara Desert. This largely Arab population is excluded from the rest of Africa by both history and culture.

Roman sights are scattered along the coastlines. The River Nile carves its way through the desert past the ancient pyramids of Giza "http://www.crystalinks.com/giza.html" and the tomb of Tutankhamen. And in the cities, the sound of a myriad of mosques will call its people to prayer from the early hours of the morning until dusk.

For tourists, the Sinai Peninsula, as well as being filled with biblical mysteries, offers some of the best diving resorts in the world "http://www.red-sea.com/". Felucca trips along the Nile are a relaxed way to spend a few days for those not bothered about comfort, and for those that are, how about a decent splurge on a Nile cruise.

Further west the snow-capped Atlas Mountains are a stark contrast to the barren desert. But for a sensual overload, wander the Marakesh souks with their apothecary stalls and colourful carpets.

Eastern Africa

The prototypical image of Africa, of elephants walking the plains beneath a backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro "http://www.africantravel.com/kilimanjaro...", can be found here in the east. This is safari country where leopards sneak into the cities at night and giraffes have been known to compete with airplanes for runway space. The Maasai and Samburu tribesmen adorn themselves in colourful robes and jewellery and fight the advances of westernisation with their continuing pastoral lifestyles.

But the east is more than these visions of nature programmes. The magnificent Simien Mountains and the hidden rock churches of Lalibela "http://www.casema.net/~apaansen/lalibela..." have recently come out of obscurity, as Ethiopia becomes a more accessible tourist destination. Its Coptic Christian heritage dating back as far as the Queen of Sheba is joined by the more modern religion of Rastafarianism, which makes for a very varied people and culture.