Africa on a shoestring [antikvár]

Introduction This vast and diverse continent of 53 countries stretching from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Cape of Good Hope and encompassing the world's largest desert and one of its most extensive rainforests is the adventurer's last frontier. Whether it's the stunning wastes of the Sahara Desert with its barren mountains, the inspiring beauty of snow-capped Kilimanjaro rising sheer from the East African plateau, the lush, mist-covered volcanoes and lakes of Kenya's Rift Valley, colourful tribal peoples, or the lure of ancient Egypt, this continent has them all. Perhaps nowhere in the world will you find such a variety of cultures, vistas, contrasts and contradictions, cities ancient and modern, and certainly not the sheer numbers of big game which still roam the plains of this fascinating land. Now regarded as the 'birthplace of humanity' as a result of the Leakey excavations in East Africa, Africa was also home to one of the cradles of civilisation. Pharaonic Egypt was to wax and wane over 5000 years until finally eclipsed by the rise of the Roman Empire. The monuments that the ancient Egyptians left are among the wonders of the world and the ideas which they developed strongly influenced other civilisations. Later, Christianity was to take hold of northern Africa until swept aside by the armies of Islam in the 8th century AD. Islam itself was to produce some of its greatest cultural achievements on African soil. Cairo was, for many centuries, the cultural and political centre of the Islamic world. Elsewhere on the continent, highly skilled and organised civilisations, empires and kingdoms flourished and foundered particularly in West Africa and southern Africa and not even the advent of the European maritime nations and the slave trade to the Americas, has succeeded in destroying completely the legacy of the past. Likewise on the east coast, there remains the fascinating legacy of the Shirazi/Omani coastal trading cities. What traveller to Africa would not want to visit Zanzibar? Yet Lamu is even more exotic and still totally unspoiled. It would be irresponsible to suggest that all African countries now enjoy political and social stability. There has been a considerable reduction in the endless round of political turmoil despite continuing conflicts in the Western Sahara, Sudan, Chad, Namibia/Angola, Mozambique and South Africa. You need to keep an eye on the newspapers, your wits together, your eyes and ears open and your mouth in check. Do that, and you're in for the adventure of a lifetime. This is no package tour. It requires determination, patience, stamina and a respect for the local custom. There's one thing you can be certain of in Africa there's never a dull moment! Always remember one thing: respect other peoples' customs and sensibilities and regardless of their politics, religion or whatever else is going down, you'll always have a friend. Hospitality is a synonym for Africa. This continent has a great deal to teach and offer to the other races of the world. Treat it and them with respect. Africa offers the largest game reserves in the world. Considering the pressures of population expansion, it is nothing short of miraculous that the governments of the countries concerned have chosen to maintain these sanctuaries and to spend scarce resources to pay for the wardens to keep poaching to a minimum. All things considered, there is no other continent even vaguely comparable to Africa. It offers you everything you could possibly conceive of. Go there and experience it.