FOCUS - OCTOBER 2018 63 Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is an amazing sight. This month marks a very notable milestone in my travel career. I have just returned from visiting my 100th country (actually I am now at 102). The TCC, a US organization, is responsible for list- ing and tracking such information. I have visited at least 50 countries more than once and a few, like France and England at least a dozen times.Almost every time I do a travel presentation for a group, I am asked which country is my favourite. This has to be one of the most dif- ficult questions to answer, because ev- ery place I visit has its own uniqueness, charm and culture. Some do stand out from the rest, but not because they are better or more interesting. Usually it is because of the difference in culture and sights, from those to which I am accus- tomed. I have taken a trip down memory lane and listed what I consider some of my more memorable visits. My first on the list is the West African country of Namibia. About the size of Alberta, with a population of less than 2 million, Namibia offers a tremendous amount of sights to see and experience. In the south is the second largest canyon in the world. Travelling north along the Atlantic coast you experience the largest sand dunes on the planet, as well as the remnants of nineteenth century diamond mine ghost towns. The north has wildlife much more abundant than that of Kenya or Tanza- nia, and puts Kruger Park in South Africa to shame. Lions and zebras, rhinos and cheetahs, a massive elephant popula- tion and giraffe inhabitants, the numbers of which continue to surge, all roam free amid the terrain of the Namib Desert. Another country, which has captured my heart, is Egypt. I remember my very first landing in Cairo, at 10:30 p.m. and was whisked by taxi for 45 minutes through twisted streets, along a variety of houses, battling traffic, which con- sisted of donkeys, camels, cars, vans and bicycles. When I arrived in Giza I checked into my hotel and went to sleep. My emo- tions stirred the next morning when I opened the curtains and staring me in the face was the Great Sphinx. Words cannot explain the feeling of seeing the 4,500 year-old monument, as well as the rest of the pyramids, for the first time. Travelling to the Valley of the Kings, Lake Nassir and Abu Simbel, where the giant monuments of Ramesses II stand, is an unforgettable experience, and one I would highly recommend to anyone seeking a little archeological adventure in their travels. ...................... Please turn to page 64 JONATHAN VAN BILSEN JONATHAN VAN BILSEN COUNTRIES and counting The pyramids of Egypt have stood the test of time. Sharing some photos with children of the Himba tribe in Namibia.