Côte D'Ivoire

A Prayer for Mariame ~ Twenty years ago, their lives crossed in West Africa. They were children back then, and the only language they shared was that of the clapping games they played. Since then Kari Masson's American life has diverged dramatically from her friend's back in the Côte d’Ivoire.

Zambia

Dusting the Mpanga ~ Journeying through Zambia towards South Luangwa National Park, Jessica Snow finds a land of light and shadows, where the earth meets the sky, and rain sweeps across the scorched earth of the mpanga (bush).

Egypt

Felucca Down the Nile ~ Adrian Cole sets off in the shoes of Thomas Cook, who began cruising the Nile in 1849, but decides to pass on the luxury floating hotels in favor of a more traditional choice of transportation. Cole finds that the slightly hardier traveler can hire a personal ship and captain and follow the dictates of the wind, but where exactly is the captain of this boat taking him?

Morocco

Marrakesh in a Time of Terror ~ Despite the warnings of her family and friends, Theresa Hunt arrives in Marrakesh and finds that the danger of war is not so thick in the air as she expected. Instead of being hunted down for her American nationality, she is welcomed into the marketplace and befriended by a musician in a local cafe.

Sierra Leone

In the Rough: Sierra Leone's Diamond Industry ~ Matt Brown explores both the official and underground diamond industry at the heart of Sierra Leone, and discovers that this legendary industry isn't all "whistle while you work."

Madagascar

Great Leaping Lemurs ~ Roderick Eime finds that Madagascar, with its huge variety of wildlife, has the added attraction of a large lemur population.

Swaziland

Volunteering in the Wild ~ Longing for a reprise from the bustle of London streets, Lisa Clifford set off for the wild. Her two criteria were Africa and big animals, and Clifford soon found herself eco-volunteering in the Swaziland wildlife reserve of Mkhaya. Through her up-close encounters with black rhino, elephants, antelope, and all manner of large beasts, Clifford found her escape from city life into tranquil paradise was not going to be as easy as she thought.

Senegal

The Man Who Returned Home ~ As a health worker trained on the job, Kari Masson had to learn Senegalese-style: first hand. But working with Daouda Mbengue, who gives his life to a tiny clinic in the fishing village of Lébou, couldn't have been more rewarding. Daouda teaches her how to diagnose and treat malaria, give injections, and even set up an I.V. cocktail in the desert.

Senegal/Guinea

Life Between Two Nations ~ Riding his bike from Guinea to Senegal, Matt Brown finds himself in what appears to be a small village--a collection of round mud huts--which seems to have no nationality. As he wonders whether this tiny town is Senegalese or Guinean, Brown explores the idea of national borders.

South Africa

Shark Alley ~ John Dwyer had retained a healthy fear of sharks ever since he first watched "Jaws," but he headed for Shark Alley in South Africa to come face to face with the most deadly fish, the Great White. Dropped into a flimsy cage in dangerous waters, Dwyer comes face to teeth with these deadly killers and lives to tell the tale.

Kenya

Beside the Jade Sea ~ Traveling through Kenya, Kathy Sharrad finds herself beside Lake Turkana, commonly known as the Jade Sea, a soda lake full of crocodiles, and among the Turkana people, who appear fascinated by her presence. Faced with a completely different cultural experience, Sharrad finds herself both warmly welcomed by the native children, and yet physically threatened by a local woman.