|
Which is really the
world's oldest profession? War, or prostitution. Both are based on commercial
advancements, whether its the attainment of power and land by force, or by an
honest exchange of goods for financial gain.
Throughout history we've
witnessed man's destruction of man. From Old Testament struggles and
Chinese military history that dates from 1,600 BCE to more familiar wars
known to western historians dating from 800 BCE—those in ancient Mesopotamia
and the records of the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans through to Medieval crusades.
The Early Modern
Period achieved great advancement through exploration and colonization
ultimately resulting in the fight for independence of conquered and enslaved
peoples. And, today, we see horrific ethic cleansing as we continue to
bear witness to humanity's dark side.
It is said that if we
do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. We continue to exploit
differences that do not exist. Children see no difference between each other—black, white, Hindu, Christian, Islamic
or Jewish. But we all learn from our first
experiences—for example, that fire burns. Why, as adults do we not see what unites us,
rather than divides? It's the stuff of philosophy—or, as some see it,
religions, and not for us to decipher here, except for it's effect upon
travel. What we wish to do instead is modestly herald some of the places and events that
marked the divisions among. Maybe in doing so we all can help a bit—through understanding
from tourism—just a bit, to bring us
closer together for paths to the future.
In celebration of the
brave men and woman who have fought and given their lives for the freedom of
others, I encourage you to review our May 2003 issue
which features
Ten of the World’s Great War Memorials.
This
month's tour hosts review:
|
Valor Tours, Ltd.
Pick of
the Month |
|
Location: Pacific,
Europe |
| Specialty:
WWII related tours |
| Why
We Like Them: For nearly 30 years Bob Reynolds has lead tours for
veterans and military buffs to visit the sites of WWII.
Bob's in-depth knowledge of the Pacific Theatre battle zones was
recognized by Clipper Odyssey Cruises for whom
he is planning theme tours through 2014. This month's Pick, features a past
interview of Mr. Reynolds—The Man Who Saved Corregidor. |
|
Article:
"The Man Who Saved Corregidor." |
| |
|
Asian Footsteps |
|
Location: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Mongolia, Tibet,
India |
| Specialty:
Exceptionally designed itineraries and knowledge of the
regions and native cultures. |
| Why
We Like Them: Carefully designed itineraries, both set departures
and custom, show you the best that the region has to offer.
From the spiritual Bhutan, India and disputed Tibet, to the
past sites of the Indochina Wars, your visit will be filled
with the best of the past and the future. In Mongolia follow
in the paths of “devil's horsemen” of Genghis Khan and the
nomads that continue to live as they have for centuries in
some of the world's most amazing scenery. |
| |
|
Indochina Travel Company |
|
Location: South East Asia |
| Specialty:
Custom designed, hosted or independent travel |
| Why
We Like Them: Vietnam as well as other S.E. Asian countries are
actively redefining their image from a war zone to a lively
cultural and arts scene. Indochina Travel
Company is leading the way in reshaping the image
Americans have of this unique, and until recently, underdeveloped travelers
paradise. |
| |
|
The Traveller |
|
Location: Worldwide |
| Specialty:
Educator lead tours throughout historic periods |
| Why
We Like Them: Over 100 tours to all ends of the earth, many lead
by current and past staff of The British Museum and other
expert lecturers, assure that travelers looking in-depth
knowledge and facts of their location will not be
disappointed. Tours range from hosted weekend getaways with
local experts to fully escorted multi-week trips. A past
Pick of the month, their web site has complete information
on all their tours and experts. |
| |
|
GeoPassage Specialty Travel |
|
Location: Japan, Philippines, Europe |
| Specialty: Military Tours as well as a wide variety of other
themes |
| Why
We Like Them: Offering scheduled departures as well as an
expansive opportunity to create custom tours, GeoPassage also has city
tours for the independent traveler. Ranging from Ancient History, Arts and
Literature to Cultural History, a wide variety of options
are available. |
| |
|
Travel Agency Three Whales |
|
Location: Russia |
| Specialty:
Battlefield, Museum and History tours |
| Why
We Like Them:
Moscow based Three Whales provides escorted tour
services for groups and individuals traveling throughout Russian. They offer
a selection of battlefield tours that visit main battle sights of World War
Two on the eastern front including Stalingrad (now Volgograd) and Kursk,
main battle sights of the war against Napoleon armies in 1812 and Borodino
battlefield with re-enactment.
They also offer day and weekend tours to
such sites as the Tour of Armed Forces museum, Aviation Museum In Monino,
Kgb And Boarderguard Museums. |
| |
|
