Syria in 2011-12 is in upheaval, rebellion and civil war with hundreds of thousands of ‘rebels’ battling against government military forces to end the dictatorial repressive regime of the ruling Assad family. The land itself is beautiful with historic Roman ruins and peaceful valleys. In the market souks of Aleppo and villages life continues as it has for hundreds of years.   Posted Homs Governorate, Syria.

Antigua, Guatemala is more like an outdoor museum than a living city, overloaded with colonial Spanish architecture, yellow-ochre-blue walls, tiny specialty shops full of artwork, paintings and local jewelry, touristic but charming cafes serving quiche or dark chocolate drinks and dozens of old church ruins–and functioning ones as well–rough cobblestone roads constantly under repair, high-end and low-end hotels. It is clearly a destination place for locals and foreigners, for craftsmen, laborers, big spending visitors and Mayan vendors. At the core is Central Park with its dribbling mermaid fountain surrounded by palatial arcaded buildings, a downsized wedding-cake cathedral and horse-drawn carriage taxis. The whole place looks like a movie set for an Ivory-Merchant film of genteel by-gone Latin American life.   Posted Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez, Guatemala.

Bahrain has a reputation as a relatively liberal and modern Persian Gulf. The government  has encouraged tourism development which is a significant source of income. Despite a recent period of political liberalization including some changes in the criminal code, in 2011 during the ‘Arab Spring’ major protests against government policies led to massive street protests. The law is silent on private, non-commercial sexual acts between consenting adults. The law therefore allows homosexuality and it is not criminalized in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Traditional religious mores view homosexuality and cross-dressing as signs of immorality, which may impact how the legal system deals with LGBT-rights. Law enforcement agents and the courts have broad discretionary powers to issue fines and or jail time for any activities deemed to be in violation of traditional morality.   Posted Al-Muhafazah Al-Janobiyah, Bahrain.

Kuwait is a constitutional emirate with a parliamentary system of government, with Kuwait City serving as the country’s political and economic capital. The country has the world’s fifth largest oil reserves. It is the eleventh richest country in the world per capita. In 2007, it had the highest human development index (HDI) in the Arab world. Despite its wealth and high standard of education, living openly as a homosexual carries dire consequences. In recent years, Kuwait has become more aware about homosexuality. The subject has been addressed more than once on television. Preachers condemn it as a big sin.   Posted Al Jahra Governorate, Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia is a complex, mysterious, fundamentalist country with much wealth from vast oil fields. It boasts the most modern standards for the middle and upper classes. However the form of Islam practiced there is backward and repressive that does not allow much personal freedom of expression, especially for women. Salafism, also known as Wahabbism is a fiercely puritanical strain of Islam that gained prominence with the rulers of the Arabian peninsula. When the modern kingdom was established, Salafism became the only brand of Islam espoused by the government. Under the strict legal system gay people live with danger of imprisonment or execution if caught with a same-sex partner, even in the privacy of a home.      Posted Al-Quwayʿiyah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Tunisia’s area is almost 165,000 square kilometres (64,000 sq mi), with an estimated population of just over 10.4 million. Its name is derived from the capital Tunis located in the north-east. Tunisia began the famous ‘Arab Spring’ of revolution in 2010 with an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began when Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year old Tunisian street vendor, set himself afire on 17 December 2010, in protest of the confiscation of his wares and the humiliation that was inflicted on him by a municipal official. This act became the catalyst for mass demonstrations and riots throughout Tunisia, North Africa, Middle East and Arabia, in protest of social and political issues. Anger and violence intensified following Bouazizi’s death on 4 January 2011, ultimately leading longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down on 14 January 2011, after

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven states situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf. The seven states, termed emirates, are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. Dubai is the most well known due to its progressive financial policies and daring architecture. There are harsh and discriminatory laws that condemn homosexuality and promote homophobia in the name of religion. A native or foreigner must consider the risks of being out or obvious..   Posted Aliso Viejo, California, United States.

Palestine is both a historic settled culture and a territory in transition and conflict. Situated at a strategic location between Egypt, Syria and Arabia, and the birthplace of the Judaism and Christianity, the region has a long and tumultuous history as a crossroads for religion, culture, commerce, and politics. The region has been controlled by numerous different peoples, including Ancient Egyptians, Canaanites, Ancient Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, the Sunni Arab Caliphate, the Shia Fatimid Caliphate, Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mameluks, Ottomans, the British and modern Israelis and Palestinians. Modern archaeologists and historians of the region refer to their field of study as Syro-Palestinian archaeology. (Wikipedia)    Posted Laguna Beach, California, United States.

Qatar has been ruled as an absolute monarchy by the Al Thani family since the mid-19th century. Formerly a British protectorate noted mainly for pearling, it became independent in 1971, and has become one of the region\’s wealthiest states due to its enormous oil and natural gas revenues. In 1995, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani became Emir when he seized power from his father, Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, in a peaceful coup d\’état.  The most important positions in Qatar are held by the members of the Al Thani family, or close confidants of the al-Thani family. Beginning in 1992, Qatar has built intimate military ties with the United States, and is now the location of U.S. Central Command’s Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar)      Posted Laguna Beach, California, United States.

Oman is a quiet prosperous, modern and progressive Arab sultanate where life has settled into a quiet place in the Middle East. Little is heard of it in the modern world except as a peaceful land of rugged beauty and friendly people. It is ruled by a benevolent Sultan who since his reign began in 1970 has brought the country into the modern era with increased education, health care, business enterprise a moderate form of Islam, which quietly tolerates a closeted gay community. Prior to 1975 the country was distressed with internal tribal warfare. In the 18th century the Omani Sultanate territories stretched all the way from Pakistan to Tanzania.    Posted Laguna Beach, California, United States.

Yemen has a land area of 555,000 square kilometers and a population of approximately 24 million (2010). Its capital and largest city is Sana’a. Yemen’s territory includes over 200 islands, the largest of which is Socotra, about 415 km to the south of mainland Yemen, off the coast of Somalia. It is the only state in the Arabian Peninsula to have a purely republican form of government. Homosexuality is illegal and the official laws are severe. But there is an underground LGBT community which keeps silent and hidden, especially since February and March 2011: an uprising against the government began, and clashes with police and pro-government supporters have steadily intensified. Many people have been killed in trying to oust President Saleh from his 32-year rule. Posted Laguna Beach, California, United States.

Downtown Centro Rio is inland from the beaches. It is the heart of the city where financial, legislative and political offices are located. These include Brazil’s first state-supported LGBT agencies that were set up to counter homophobia in the city–’Rio Sem Homophobia’. Their offices take up a whole floor of City Hall. Centro also includes parks, markets, colonial architecture, modern skyscrapers, the unusual Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral and the first electric trolley car in the country…and much more. Posted Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Santa Teresa is the name of an uphill neighborhood above Rio Centro on Santa Teresa hill. It’s famous for its winding, narrow streets along which ‘upscale slums’ are mixed with middle-class houses and artist studios. Among the buildings are some elegant mansions left over from the more opulent 19th century. In 1896, the Carioca Aqueduct, a colonial structure that used to bring water to the center of Rio, was converted into a viaduct for the Santa Teresa Trolley (bondinho). The historic tram line is still in operation today carrying passengers–students, workers, tourists. The track starts in the city center then crosses the old arched aqueduct and snakes through the picturesque streets with its wheels screeching at every curve. Posted Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Rocinha is the largest slum (favela) area in Rio. It’s situated on the hills behind the city with panoramic views of the mountains and ocean. The people are generally poor but life in the favela teems with energy, enterprise, domestic activity, artwork, music (we encountered a spontaneous dance performance by a 9 year-old), day care centers, charity groups, schools as well as mafia-style control zones where the drug trade is said to flourish. Small tourist groups are led through the narrow alleyways by an authorized guide, occasionally passing by a gang member armed with a semi-automatic rifle. Other favelas can be navigated independently by tourist on foot. Going alone was considered previously consider foolish, but some are now under control by the Police Pacification Units and are safe to visit, such as the Santa Marta or Cantagalo favelas. People are friendly, some with shops selling pastries or jewelry. Posted Rio

Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ on Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. It is 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall and 30 metres (98 ft) wide. The statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed between 1922 and 1931. Read more on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_the_Redeemer_%28statue%29) Posted Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ipanema Beach and Copacabana Beach are a paradise for people watching, sunbathing and socializing. On weekends the avenues along the beaches are closed to traffic and they become great long promenades of people dressed in every manner of attire–including uninhibited men and women dressed in tiny swimsuits. The atmosphere is mellow, respectful, playful and friendly with virtually no sign of the crime so often reported by the media. The beaches are miles long and accommodate tens of thousands of people; the crowds vary according to the weather. Posted Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

With over 20 million people in the metropolitan area, São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the western and southern hemisphere, and the world’s seventh largest city by population. Posted Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Sao Paulo has significant influence nationally and internationally, in terms of culture, economy and politics. It houses several important monuments, parks and museums. It is also home to the world’s largest gay Pride Parade that happens every June (separately from Carnival in February). The last parade, held on June 6, 2010, attracted about 3 million people. The Paulista-Caneca area is populated by many LGBT citizens with numerous bars, shops and cafes, Pictured here (first 5 photos) is Casarao-Brasil, one of many LGBT organizations in the city. The central city is generally accepting of same-sex couples who feel comfortable enough to hold hands in public (photo 6). Posted Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.

Botswana Okavango Delta The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Swamp), in Botswana, is the world’s largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea. Each year approximately 11 cubic kilometres of water irrigate the 15,000 km² area and some flood-waters drain into Lake Ngami. Posted North-West, Botswana.

Botswana Capital City of Gaborone Gaborone is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 195,000, about ten percent of the total population. (Botswana is a mostly rural country with only six cities.) Because the Gaborone had no major tribal affiliation, in ‘neutral territory,’ and was close to the fresh water in the Notwane River the city was planned to be the capital in the mid-1960s when the Bechuanaland Protectorate became the independent nation of Botswana from England. (It had been a British territory since 1885. Independence happened without warfare or a tyrant taking over.) The city is the economic and political hub of the country. It’s marked by a variety of architectural styles, from art nouveau to Bauhaus to colonial to sleek modern and has several modern shopping malls in the suburbs. Posted Gaborone, South-East, Botswana.

From wild animals to city streets, the two day drive from the Okavango Delta east to Francistown (2nd largest city) then south to the capital of Gaborone is a contrast in landscape, habitat and roadside attractions. It’s a long drive filled with a variety of animal and plant life in swamps, grass veld on and off paved/tarred roads. Posted North-West, Botswana.

                               Namibia Random Rural Scenes Namibia is a huge country almost the size of Western Europe. With over 824.000 square kilometers and a small population of just over two million it is one of the least populated countries in the world. It’s human density is a mere 2.5 people per square kilometer. (Contrast that with Hong Kong’s density of over 16,000 per sq km.)   Posted Aliso Viejo, California, United States.

                                                Namibian Capital of Windhoek Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It population is about 250,529. A population influx from all over Namibia has caused researchers to estimate the figure to be well over 300,000. It is a clean, modern, internet-connected bustling center with a range of architecture from Colonial German to art nouveau to mod chic. Due to its relative size Windhoek, in Namibia, the city is also the social, economic, and cultural centre of the country. Virtually every national enterprise has its headquarters here. The University of Namibia is here, as is the country’s only theatre, all ministry head offices, and all major media and finance bodies. The city of Windhoek’s budget nearly equals that of all other Namibian local authorities combined.   Posted Aliso Viejo, California, United States.

Luderitz City on the Atlantic Coast Namibia is one of the largest countries in Africa, about the size of Western Europe. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990, following the Namibian War of Independence. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek. It has a population of 2.1 million people and a stable multi-party parliamentary democracy. Agriculture, herding, tourism and the mining industry – including mining for gem diamonds, uranium, gold, silver, and base metals form the backbone of Namibia’s economy. It is the second least densely populated country in the world, after Mongolia. Approximately half the population live below the international poverty line, and the nation has suffered heavily from the effects of HIV/AIDS, with 15% of the adult population infected with HIV in 2007.   Posted Aliso Viejo, California, United States.

Etosha National Game Park Etosha National Park is one of Southern Africa’s and most important Game Reserves. Etosha Game park was declared a National Park in 1907 and covering an area of 22 270 square km, it is home to 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, one species of fish. Etosha, meaning "Great White Place", is dominated by a massive white mineral pan. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed around 1000 million years ago. The Etosha Pan covers around 25% of the National Park.   Posted Aliso Viejo, California, United States.