In addition to the Nile Valley of Egypt and the Tigris and Euphrates rivers of ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), the Indus River that now flows through parts of Pakistan and India was the third “cradle of civilization.” India is the home of a many-layered culture because civilization has... 
Few peoples in the world are able to infuse a modern culture with the spiritual essence of its ancient past as well as the Japanese. As one of the world’s leading economies, Japan is both a progressive country, helping to shape the future of the world, and a land of centuries-old mysticism that... 
Bolivia is a west-central democratic country in South America, named for Simón Bolívar, considered the George Washington of South America, leading its peoples in wars of independence from Spain. Part of the great spine of the Andes Mountains runs through Bolivia and was the home of a... 
Every season of the year is a time to visit Banff, a town nestled in the Canadian Rockies, and the jumping-off point for more adventure, action and activities to fill a lifetime. During the winter, Banff is a mecca for skiers, snowboarders and everyone who enjoys the clear mountain air and the... 
Everything about Yellowstone National Park is enormous, primordial and overwhelmingly glorious. Its more than 3,400 square miles spread across a large portion of Wyoming and smaller areas of Montana and Idaho. Although Native Americans have made it their home for a minimum of 11,000 years, it... 
Spend any amount of time in Tuscany and it seems all the elements of life – physical, spiritual and emotional – are mixed in a magical potion of happiness. No doubt, part of the reason is that enlightened peoples have populated this region for approximately 3,000 years, starting with the... 
It was only a bit more than 750 years ago that humans first settled in New Zealand while the first European didn't set foot there until 1642. Being 900 miles west of Australia and 600 miles south of major Polynesian island chains, its isolation has allowed for unique sets of plant and animal life... 
Humans have been living in Costa Rica for approximately 10,000 years, with evidence of agricultural communities 5,000 years old. During his last voyage of 1502, Christopher Columbus may have named this area, Costa Rica, or “rich coast” in Spanish, because he found so many native people with... 