Mysterious Syria.  Sun-baked and defiant, the cities of this ancient country have long served as waypoints for weary travelers, devoted pilgrims, and enterprising merchants who plied their goods along the Silk Road.  Traveling here, we’ll follow their age-old footsteps to uncover archaeological delights and a rich history that reads like a highlight roster of the ancient days.

The true crossroads of the Middle East, the ancient kingdom of Jordan offers visitors a beguiling array of historical and archaeological wealth ... Jerash, an exquisitely preserved Graeco-Roman city, with so many of its remains still standing; Wadi Rum, the strange and haunting desert beloved by Lawrence of Arabia, ideally visited on camelback or four-wheel drive; and, most famous of all, Petra, the ‘rose-red city,’ whose treasury facade is known throughout the world, and is reached only by winding on horseback through the Siq, a tremendous crack in the stone between huge towering cliffs.

So much of what we know about the ancient Egyptians has passed down to us from the way they buried their dead... the mummies, the fabulous golden treasures accompanying the fallen kings to the afterlife, the great pyramids of Giza.  Yet to think of this civilization as death-obsessed when in fact it was life-enhancing would be a profound mistake.  Here in the valley of the Nile, farming as we know it was pioneered in strict observance with the cycles of the season; communities formed, culture spread, and the gods watched over everything.