As my friends would attest, I have been going on about the Mountain Gorillas for years. Finally, this past October 2006, I experienced the most amazing visit with them.

There are approximately 700 mountain gorillas in the Virunga Range of volcanic mountains bordering the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. I chose Rwanda as my destination. I have been drawn to it over the years in part due to its unbelievably sad past but also its beauty which I had only seen in books. And it truly is a beautiful country...

Mosques, carpets, rock castles, underground cities, the legend of Troy, whirling dervishes, kebabs, apple tea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean Sea, two continents in one country… Really, what more could you ask for?

I arrived into Istanbul on Nov 4th at 2am incredibly knackered but wide awake with excitement as I watched the city lights pass by on the way to my hotel. The next morning I was ready to go at 3am. Got to love jet lag! Finally at 8am I decided to give my map reading skills a try and venture thru the streets of this city waiting to be explored by me. I took one step outside of my hotel and SNOW! I could not believe it. Nor could I believe that my first purchase in Turkey was an umbrella but then took cover in one of the 8 wonders of the world, Hagia Sophia. This cathedral is spectacular....

Outer Mongolia: it sounds so exotic doesn’t it? I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when we landed at Ulan Baatar Airport, but I’m sure it wasn’t what I found!

The city itself is a sprawling mass of ramshackle houses and near-derelict apartments. However, the Tourist Department are working hard to attract foreign visitors, with new buildings such as the Art Gallery and Natural History Museum. The main square in the centre of the city is serenaded with classical music from loudspeakers, the circus was in town and the imposing statue of Genghis Khan is being restored.

The buildings and the people are an eclectic mix of European and Asian influences: some are very Chinese in appearance, others much more Western. However, the Mongolian women are without exception beautiful.