Seasoned novices and beginners alike all over the world every weekend enjoy the simplicity of camping.

The idea of camping to some of you conjures up images that may make you cringe, especially those of you who have never camped as a child or have heard horror stories from friends and relatives, and have unfairly decided never to give it a fair go.

How much effort you put into adequately planning your camping trip will determine how successful (and enjoyable) your trip will be. Though some of these tasks may seem tedious and tiresome, the more often you put these tasks into practice the more fun you will have doing them.

Here are 30 Things You Must Know Before You Go On Your First Camping Trip:

1. Gather all your camping equipment in a corner of a room and keep adding to it as you think of it.

2. Use basket shelves in your car for easy storage.

3. Store your clothes in sports bags.

4. Make sure all heavy items are secure and are packed at the bottom of your car boot with lighter items on top.

5. Take one prepared meal in a freezer meal that can be easily reheated on arrival at your destination.

6. Make sure you have everything you need for a drink stop like tea bags, instant coffee, sugar, condensed milk, cordial, powder, biscuits, a two litre bottle of water, matches, kettle, wet wipes and tea cloth

7. If you are going away for a short trip prepare your hot dishes so that you have more time to relax at your camp site and enjoy yourself.

8. Stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables at every chance.

9. List everything you will eat on the number of days you are away.

10. Keep extras always on hand which includes flowers for cakes and breads, noodles, rice, beans and lentils.

11. Remember long life milk (two to three cartons of long life milk per day should be sufficient for a family of two children and two adults as a guide).

12. Try camping in your backyard to see how you feel about your tent and sleeping bags etc.

13. Your first camping gear does not have to be expensive. It is more important that it is durable and keeps you protected from all weather conditions. Bring a piece of ground cloth with you, a piece of plastic that goes under your tent. Tuck the edges neatly underneath the tent. The first thing you must consider when choosing the tent is the size ie the number of people your tent is going to house.

14. Take cutlery with you that is old and definitely won’t be missed if it doesn’t come home with you.

15. Keep cutlery separate from crockery by placing them in plastic containers with lids or in a tea towel in a plastic bag.

16. Here is a list of items of cutlery and crockery that may be useful for your next camping trip. A fork, knife, teaspoon and dessert spoon should be enough for each person. 17. Have a serrated edge knife that can also be used as a bread knife.

18. Vegetable peeler and knife.

19. Metal egg lifter.

20. A large aluminium coffee pot, the larger the better.

21. Barbeque tongs.

22. Egg rings.

23. A small meat mallet.

24. A sharp knife and sharpener.

25. Can opener.

26. Large serving spoon and wooden spoon.

27. Make sure you have an enamel cup, bowl and plate for every person.

28. Use an enamel plate next to the fire to warm food.

29. Use an enamel plate as a base for food in your camp oven.

30. Bring paper plates in case you are in an area where water is scarce, and be sure to take your rubbish with you.

Can you name the number one spectator sport in North America? It’s not baseball, figure skating or racing. It’s bird watching. That’s right, more people are watching birds than football and hockey combined. With so many people hoping to see a bird they’ve never seen before, it’s not surprising to see a clamoring for the latest tips and tools to get the job done. Here are my top five tips for getting the most out of your birding experience.

#1. Get to Where the Birds Are! This sounds obvious, but many birders spend the majority of their bird watching time and energy on poor locations. Some folk have the advantage of looking out of their windows into the back yard to observe nature’s best. The rest of us need to get moving. I would highly recommend visiting a National Wildlife Refuge. There are over 500 of them across the United States. To find one near you, visit http://refuges.fws.gov/

#2. Know What Species to Expect. There are approximately 900 species of birds in the United States and recognizing each of them is nearly impossible. So when you visit an area, do a little research first. You may find that perhaps only a few species actually inhabit that particular area. With a little preparation, you will be able to more readily identify bird species from each other. Keep a list of successfully viewed species – we’ll call this tip number two and a half.

#3. Get a Great Pair of Binoculars. Spending time and money to get to the right place can be totally wasted when your binoculars are inadequate. If you have an inexpensive pair of binoculars you are not getting the most out of your viewing. Today’s technologies come at a price and they provide crucial benefits in wildlife viewing. For instance, image stabilization will keep your view from shaking-very important when watching from a long distance. Other cool features include anti-fogging, low-light viewing and wide-view characteristics. Additionally, binoculars with built-in digital cameras enable you to identify birds once you get home. These benefits will definitely enhance your bird watching. A great pair of binoculars will turn a mediocre experience into a great one. You can count on it!

#4. Practice Before You Go. A key to viewing wildlife, and especially birds, is to have the ability to very quickly put your binoculars on target. Many people have difficulty finding a full moon in a pair of binoculars-but alas-learning to focus on a bird in a bush or track a bird in flight is easy for someone who has practiced prior to their outing. Try this before you go; lower your binoculars to your side and very quickly raise them to find and follow a jet airliner across the sky. After only a few attempts, you’ll get good at quickly acquiring your target. Quite often, birds are visible for only a few seconds, practice to become proficient.

#5. Take Someone with You. Life is always better when shared. Not only do you get to spend time out of doors with someone you like, but they might alert you to the “Number One Sight of the Day.” Share your birding experiences with your friends and family. Pass the birding excitement to a child.

The best part about wildlife viewing is that you the viewer, control almost every aspect of the experience. The more you are prepared, the more rewarding your time in our backcountry will be.

Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!

Does the thought of buying a gift for a friend or relative make you smile or does it stress you out? Is there a hiker or camper on your gift giving list? What can you give to the someone who already has everything? The secret of gift giving is not always the “what.” Many times the “why, when and how” make an ordinary gift the Perfect Gift. Continue reading to discover 5 sure-fire steps to giving the perfect gift to the outdoor enthusiasts in your life.

Step 1: Do Your Homework. This is the toughest of the 5 steps. Doing your homework means thinking about your outdoor enthusiast and what he or she likes about being in the backcountry. Are there any current or past outdoor interests? Perhaps he likes to fish or she likes to climb. Maybe you overheard the comment “I remember when I used to go camping every long weekend. I miss those days.” Our personal shopper service receives hints like this all the time. Chances are you already know their interests, so take a few minutes to think prior to shopping. There are loads of great outdoor gifts available.

Another part of your homework is to understand the relationship between you and your gift recipient’s outdoor hobbies. Last year I was camping with a dear friend who got mildly lost. After about an hour, he showed up in camp a little embarrassed – but safe. So the perfect gift for him before our next trip was a GPS unit. I also included a hand written coupon good for one free lesson and an extra set of batteries. The relationship we had allowed me to have a little fun with the gift giving. I did provide him with a quality gift and he uses it all the time.

Step 2: Speaking of High Quality. The best way to get the most enjoyment out of our backcountry experiences is to have good gear. When giving a backcountry gift, be sure it’s high quality. There are two gear buying rules to live by. First, only give gear you would use. And secondly, buy the best gear you can afford. Nothing derails good times in the great outdoors like bad gear.

Step 3: The Right Way to Give Certificates. Gift certificates can be an excellent choice for a gift. Here’s a great use of a gift certificate – I was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of this story. A friend living across the country knew I loved to hike. He also knew from his own experience that you can’t just buy a backpack for someone else. Backpacks are a very subjective purchase. Instead of buying a me a pack and giving me the task of returning it in order to get the right one, he sent me a gift certificate AND he told me what to buy with it. So now I get the backpack I want and my friend has proven once again how well he knows me. I loved the gift. When giving gift certificates, tell the recipient what to buy with it.

Step 4: Seek Out Customer Friendly Retailers. This is especially important when purchasing a gift on-line. Make sure you are purchasing from a store with visible customer satisfaction and return policies. If your gift recipient needs to exchange or return a piece of gear, the process needs to be hassle-free. If the return procedure is clunky, the perfect gift just became imperfect.

Step 5: Timing is Everything. The best time to get “the birding binoculars I always wanted,” is not on your birthday or at Christmas time. The best time to get them is just before you go birding. The new backpack is a more thoughtful gift just prior to hiking the Grand Canyon than it is for graduation. The value of a gift is greatly increased when given at the right time. Surprise someone with a perfectly timed present.

Giving the Perfect BackCountry Gift is easy to do. Determining “what” to give is important, but so is knowing “why, when and how” to give. Make your next gift giving experience a good one. The outdoor enthusiast in your life is counting on it.

Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!

There is no need to get 4 season tents for gentle summer camping. Even if there is a heavy downpour, the use of sleeping pads combined with adequate planning should keep everything fairly dry. The important thing is to not camp at the bottom of a hill, to make sure the rain fly is secure, and to take advantage of natural cover.

But, a four season tent can be a nice thing to have for extreme conditions, and if you have the money to spend on one, it is a luxury that can really improve your camping experience.

Basically, the difference between 4 season tents and regular tents is that a 4 season tent is tighter, with heavier outer walls. When it is all zipped up, there is no space anywhere for the elements to get in.

In addition, 4 season tents are often stabler so that they can resist extremely heavy storms if need be. This does not mean, however, that you cannot use 4 season tents in nicer weather. Many styles of 4 season tents come with the ability to unzip the outer fly so that you can keep cool on summer days, while still braving near-arctic temperatures in the winter.

You will find, however, that the more extreme the conditions for which it was designed, the more specialized a 4 season tent will be. For example, some true mountaineering 4 season tents are not things that you would like to take camping on a warm summer night.

The ventilation panels are small, with the result that it will be stuffy and hot at night if you are camping during the summer with them. Additionally, they are made of heavier, stronger material, and as a result are an added burden for your normal camping trip.

And of course, good 4 season tents can be prohibitively expensive, running upwards of $500 dollars sometimes. Compare this to a 1-2 person summer tent that you might buy at your camping store.

I got mine for $30 dollars and, although it provides little warmth, it works alright during the summer when combined with a decent sleeping bag.

The truth of the matter is, it is important to think about what you will be doing before you go out and buy expensive mountaineering equipment and 4 season tents that you will not need. You must make sure that your equipment fits its purpose.

According to the latest reports from the tourism industry Turkey remains the number one emerging holiday hotspot despite recent cases of the human form of avian flu having been discovered in remote areas of the country.

The appeal of the country for those in search of a dream vacation destination stems from the following five key reasons: -

1) Turkey is a vast country with a rich historical and cultural background that offers the summer holidaymaker some of the most stunningly beautiful and unspoilt beaches on the Mediterranean Sea and some of the most exciting resorts which are becoming increasingly popular with European sports stars and celebrities.

2) The summer sunshine shines in southern Turkey from March until October giving tourists the chance to sample the delights of this inimitably interesting nation throughout the spring, summer and autumn.

3) In the winter Turkey plays host to winter sports fans and those in need of some après ski fun in a wide range of sophisticated ski resorts where prices are far lower than in Austria, Italy or Switzerland but where the quality of facilities and amenities are on a par with those of the best European winter sport resorts.

4) Prices for holiday accommodation to rent or even buy in Turkey are the lowest in the entire Mediterranean region and it’s possible for a family of four to rent a villa with sea views and a private pool for a tenth of the price of a similar property in Spain, Cyprus, Italy or France. Furthermore anyone wishing to buy a holiday home in the sun will save hundreds of thousands of dollars, euros or pounds by buying property in Turkey rather than buying property on the Greek Islands or on the Spanish Costas for example.

5) The accessibility of Turkey is improving all the time as more airlines open up more routes to and from Turkey from across Europe. One of the most recent developments in this area is a new regular British Airways flights from the UK to Dalaman and in terms of domestic flights within Turkey they are incredibly affordable which gives the holiday maker a chance to enjoy a dual or multi location holiday in the vast nation of Turkey.

A cruise ship provides a great, one price, vacation, and one of the main attractions to booking a cruise ship is that just about everything is included in the price.

When many people think about a budget vacation, they picture an intrepid traveler in a roach infested hotel room eating stale sandwiches and riding around on the city bus. However, one of the best ways to save money on a vacation is also one of the most luxurious and most thrilling – the cruise vacation.

Cheap Accommodation
In addition to a cheap place to stay, a cruise also offers unlimited food, including many amazing buffets that are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, the food on cruise vacation ships are often better-quality to those in all but the best land locked restaurants, and once again, the food is included in the price.

Traveling Off-season
Of course, it is possible to save money by traveling in the off-season, and this can often be a great plan. For instance, even though it is the middle of the winter and most people are not thinking about vacations where you are, it may be warm and tempting in many tropical cruise ship destinations.

It is important, however to check out the local weather, and to avoid the rainy season in the destinations you are considering. Steering clear of hurricanes, tropical downpours and other weather problems can help you get the most out of your cruise ship.

Cabins
If you have never taken a cruise ship before, it is a good idea to get advice from those who have experienced cruising. These people can give valuable insight on the best balance of cost and comfort for your first cruise ship experience.

The location of the cabin is another important consideration when booking a cruise ship. The interior cabins on the lower parts of the ship are generally the least costly, while the higher, larger cabins with ocean views are the most expensive.

Discounts and Cheap Cruise ship Deals
It is not always necessary to shop early, of course. Cruise ship lines have been known to offer some fantastic discounts at the last minute in order to move unsold cabins or avoid leaving with a less than full passenger load.

There are many last minute travel newsletters that provide details on these types of cruise ship deals, and these last minute travel deals are a big hit with retirees and others with the time to see the world.

Food and Gym
After eating all that food, you will probably feel the need to work out, and the cost of the cruise vacation also typically includes unlimited use of the gym, the weight room and the sports locations. While many hotels tack on a surcharge for the use of the hotel gym, with a cruise vacation it is generally included.

Shipboard Entertainment
The cost of a cruise vacation also includes all shipboard entertainment and classes. The entertainment options of a cruise vacation are often one of the best parts of the experience, and many cruises offer such things as movie nights, theatres, spas, nightclubs, discos, and even casinos.

There are also some great classes offered by cruise lines, in everything from origami to bridge to ballroom dancing. And again, these classes and entertainment options are included in the price you pay for the cruise.

Among the only things that are not included in the typical cruise vacation are alcoholic beverages and shore excursions. Many of the higher priced cruises even include these extras. If the shore excursions and drinks are not included, be sure to get a price list for shore excursions and drinks.

It is often possible to save money on shore excursions while on a cruise vacation by booking the tours locally at portside instead of going with the cruise line. Just be sure, however that the book it yourself excursion will get you back to the ship on time.

For all these reasons, cruise vacation can be among the best, and most economical, of all vacation opportunities. The ability to enjoy a week or two week cruise vacation at one low price is one more reason to love cruising.

Planning to go on a Caribbean cruise? You need to decide two things in advance – when you’re going and where. Read on for useful information to help you make those choices.

Many people say that the Caribbean islands are best enjoyed during summer, but keep in mind that Caribbean cruises during this time are usually jam packed. This is when families, tour groups, and even corporate assemblies prefer to visit the islands, so if you’re planning to join the pack, be sure to book your cruise in advance. The average cruise length is about seven days.

If you want to enjoy big discounts, though, then try Caribbean cruises during the fall. Rates are substantially lower (sometimes half the regular rate), and you usually don’t need to wait in line for slots to free up.

When deciding between Eastern or Western Caribbean, your decision should depend on what you intend to do during the course of the cruise. As a general guide, you should go for a Western Caribbean cruise if you want to spend more time sailing (rather than going on land for other activities). Western Caribbean cruises start in either in New Orleans, Texas, or Florida, and then make their way to Palaya del Carmen in Mexico, the Caymans, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica, among many other destinations. There are many things to do in a Western Caribbean cruise, and toping the crowd favorite are tours of the Mayan ruins.

If you want to do more shopping, though, then you might enjoy an Eastern Caribbean cruise better. This way, you get to see the shopping spots and fantastic beaches of the Bahamas and Puerto Rico (among others).

If you can’t decide, it might be a good idea to buy guide books to Caribbean cruises. Many books offer you great advice on the itinerary and the cruise ship to tally with your goals and interests.

Finding a hotel that suits your budget comes easy when you take into consideration the activities that you will be busy with, or what you want to achieve during your stay. If being extremely pampered and totally worry-free comes last on your list, then you’re welcome to try a 3-star hotel. This is not to say that 3-star hotels do not offer any degree of comfort or luxury; it just seems impractical to be paying for lavish amenities when you won’t have the chance to take advantage of them.

If you’re a business traveler, who intends to be primarily engaged in, well, business matters, and not that concerned with having a fun and relaxing time, then a 3-star hotel with provisions and facilities that are useful for conferences and business correspondence would be a good recommendation. Furthermore, the affordable price is more attractive if you intend to keep the business expenses low. Also, an in-house restaurant, bar or lounge eliminates the need to go elsewhere for lunch or dinner meetings, and thus saves you time that you can spend preparing for presentations instead.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the tourist spectrum, a weekend traveler who has a planned itinerary can find good value in a 3-star hotel that is within minutes of a popular tourist destination, such as Paris or Amsterdam. Just because you’re visiting a top tourist spot doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot on accommodations. For instance, three star hotels like the Hotel Windsor Opera in Paris (only over a kilometer away from the city center) even offers services such as a business center facility, room service, and a fitness center, with rates that are at least about fifty percent lower than the best hotels located in the heart of the city.

While 3-star hotels may be expected to offer more than basic accommodations, it may be best to assess them and make a choice according to your expectations and needs. For instance, you may deem access to a fitness center more important than room service, or prefer Internet access and a business center to availability of a swimming pool. Whatever you prefer, be reassured that you can consult with an online guide and make sure to ask the right questions that will ultimately lead to a pleasant 3-star hotel experience.

Here are other 3-star hotels that may be of interest: the Hotel Sylter Hof in Berlin, which prides itself as a good location for business functions, and is immediately accessible to the city’s major airports; the Hotel Diplomatic in Rome, which is within close range of the Spanish Steps and the Vatican, and boasts of a fitness center, a swimming pool, and impeccable service; the Kensington Close Hotel and Healthy Spa in London, which offers an indoor swimming pool, beauty treatments, a health and fitness club, and three restaurants; and the Circus Circus Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is a family oriented hotel that offers live circus act performances and boasts of the Grand Slam Canyon theme park.

If there’s one thing that many visitors at Disneyland find annoying or frustrating, is the long lines for the rides. You can literally spend several hours of the day standing in line to ride popular attractions. These lines can be avoided in one of five ways.

One way to avoid getting stuck in long lineup is to purchase FastPass tickets for the rides that offer them. Do this early to ensure that you get to ride those rides earlier in the day.

Second, ride many of the popular rides later in the evening, while the majority of people are enjoying the entertainment. Disneyland has nightly entertainment, and this is a good time to find shorter lines. Of course, it will mean that you probably miss the entertainment, so if you can use one of the other options for shorter lines at Disneyland, you should probably do so. Besides if you are deciding to stay in Disneyland for a few days, you can always plan to explore the nightly entertainment on the last of day of your trip, it’s great way to end your holiday.

Third, avoid going to Disneyland during busy times such as between Christmas and New year, spring break, the summer months, or on Saturdays.

Fourth, get to the park early. The lines are shorter in the morning when the park first opens. Instead of jumping in line for the first ride you see, head for the rides that you really want to ride the most – the most popular rides, which includes “Indiana Jones,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Matterhorn,” “Thunder Mountain,” “Haunted Mansion,” and “Splash Mountain”.

Last but not least there are websites that are so dedicated to providing informations on Disneyland such as mouseplanet.com or laughingplace.com. These sites can help you provide a better plan of attack sort of speak, by providing the best times to visit, which rides you should visit first, how to get cheap tickets and so on.

Planning your vacation to the happiest place on earth is becoming more critical every year to avoid long lineup as it will have tremendous impact on your overall experience and your wallet.

We arrive to the land of 1000 languages and 1000 gods. At the Intercontinental, the women in my group are welcomed with marigolds and branded with the typical red dot on our foreheads. This hotel is an oasis of luxury in a polluted city of 14 million people. Two days are spent touring Delhi. The obligatory sites include Gandhi’s Tomb and many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. No where else have ancient traditions blended with the modern on a scale so evident as in Delhi. Fat sacred Brahma bulls block traffic creating delays. In this Hindu land, cows rule. Dogs, monkeys and children cross at their own risk.

I love spiced food and begin each day with a 3 alarm-curry breakfast. We head by coach for Rajasthan, the beautiful desert state where cows are replaced by camels. The air is sweeter and everything more colorful. Here is a microcosm of all that India is. The people are genteel with a humility if spirit and still light up at the sight of foreigners. We continually wave through our windows to those who stare with curiosity and seem to say, “why have you come here?” As a fan of the third world, this place has been on my dream list for years. I now vividly enter that element of travel that provides me astonishment.

We’ve come to attend the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar that has taken place for a thousand years. As the world’s largest, it has at its peak attracted 50,000 camels with 200,000 traders. We unpack at our camp called Exotic Adventures. Our spartan tents did have ensuite toilets but toilet paper was at a premium. There was a 24 hour guard outside who stingily rationed our quota. In the desert, nights are frigid and afternoons sweltering. I confided to a guest there from the American Embassy that I felt like I was in an episode of “Survivor.” She laughed assuring me that it was all worth it. Soon my shock turns to awe as I enter the fairgrounds.

Set on miles of shifting sand dunes with festooned camels and a flood of pilgrims, the scene looks totally surreal. Its like a State Fair on steroids. There is a flurry of horse, bullock and camel races, contests for milking, animal decorating, turban tying, tattooing as well as snake charmers, free carnival rides, mystics, astrologers and dazzling stalls of handicrafts at giveaway prices. The ground reverberates with activities. Thousands of Rajasthani woman have arrived dressed in their finest clothes in near neon colors. I watch trained monkeys, painted cows and cobra’s dance. No words can adequately describe how this helter skelter overwhelms my 5 senses. Others can have Europe with its cathedrals and museums. For me, this exotic exposure and cultural immersion is the ultimate travel!

Covered in dust, we return to camp. Each night there is entertainment under the stars with musicians, folk dancers, puppet show or fire eaters. No alcohol is allowed here and all meals are vegetarian buffets. An Ayurveda Center offers us treatments to cleanse body toxins. We decline them: induced vomiting, enemas, nasal drainage and blood letting.

We tour the holy city of Pushkar with its sacred lake created by Lord Brahma. Pilgrims come from afar to bathe in the ghats and worship round the clock. We learn about religions here: Zorastrism, Sihkism, the mystic Sufi’s, Jainists who won’t kill a mosquito, Hinduism that claims no absolute truth and the caste system. We tour temples at the lake; some are “blessed” by priests. Later, a highlight for me was a one hour Camel Cart Safari behind the scenes of the fair. Children line our route shouting to us “hi, hello, one pen please!” We see a camel slaughtered and half naked people washing. Back inside the grounds, we visit an orphanage and scatter individually to get lost in the feverish revelry. We ride huge spitting camels that provide us a heightened perspective of it all. I purchase a dozen garnet necklaces and silver ankle bracelets. Teenage boys approach Terry to photograph him. He’s 6’5’’. One politely as him, “Sir, what do you eat?”
Our group was wonderful!

There are endless food courts however we must pass all enticements to prevent “Delhi Belly.” I find the cacophony of chaos delightful. Pushkar is truly a party affair for the locals and we are just observant guests. I’m so grateful to experience such but time to proceed on with our busy itinerary.

We arrive to the famed “Pink City” of Jaipur, now more deep maroon from pollution. In touring its palaces, fort and architectural marvels, we learn of the great Amber rulers and maharajahs of the Moghul empire. History comes alive and I find myself so interested in that which I never cared about. And here is a shopper’s paradise for silk sarees, gems, jewelry and marble crafts. I visited an animal sanctuary called “Help In Suffering.” The worst cases of various species are treated here by volunteer veterinarians. Forty five stray dogs are sterilized daily and I witness a surgery. (See www.HIS-INDIA.com ) You can simply mail them a check to help.
At ‘Help In Suffering’ a dog spaying Making a donation Volunteer vets talk to Suzy

On to see the grand Fatehpur Sikri, “Ghost City of Akbar” that was abandoned due to scarcity of water. We finally reach Agra, a broken city of 2.5 million. Hawkers harass us. Chained bears dance for rupees in the street. Hungry children beg. We are thankful to lodge at the deluxe Sheraton here with its western cuisine and affordable massages at $20. It was like a galaxy change from the downtown.

After witnessing an eyeful of wonders along the way, we have saved the best for last at the world’s greatest tribute to love. Goosebumps rise as I enter the majestic gate to the Taj Mahal. Morning sunlight illuminates it like a flawless pearl…22 years to build by 200,000 men with 2 million pieces of inlaid semi-precious stones. After a lecture on why this perfect symmetry was created for Queen Mumtaz, we disperse to photograph what looks to be a mirage. It is poetry in architecture and as magnificent as can be imagined.

Back in Delhi, we all enjoy a free day of leisure to explore as we choose! Most go shopping as prices are extravagantly low but how many Pashmina shawls does one need? For our final evening we enjoy a show called “Dances of India” followed by a farewell feast of our Last (Indian) Supper.

I remises another journey well done with excellent guides, drivers, assistance and accommodations. I recall my favorite moment which took place at the fair when I hired two “body guides” to assist me through the crowds, Jamal and Ranshi. These two 11 year old boys bonded to me like barnacles and their beaming smiling faces will forever remain etched in my memory of India. This trip has renewed my curiosity of the world reminding me again that my love of travel proliferates itself. The more I see, the more I want to see.

This country is for the seasoned traveler. I am extremely impressed with the fortitude and patience of my group of 60 people in a land of erratic infrastructure. For some it was their first visit to the third world but they all persevered like pros. To witness suffering first hand is the fullest way to appreciate home. We saw things both appalling and joyful. The word “fascinating” however would sum up the entire trip. I must return again.