Noshaq peak, sitting at 7492 meters above sea level, is Afghanistan’s highest peak and the second highest peak in the Hindukush range. Between 1960 and 1978, Noshaq saw 32 successful ascents and the first winter ascent of a peak greater than 7000 meters. In recent years however, Noshaq has been absent of mountaineers; the route […]
Countries celebrated or shared disappointment as the seven new wonders of the world were announced on July 7. The contest, the brainchild of Swiss filmmaker and adventurer, Bernard Webber, encouraged people from across the globe to vote for their favorite site from 21 options. Voting took place via voicemail, SMS, or email. Almost 100 million […]
In early July, the San Francisco International Program (SFIP), with the sponsorship of Amnesty International, Global Exchange and other organizations, hosted its 2007 Alumni Leadership Awards Ceremony to celebrate past program participants. According to SFIP, these people are making “significant contributions to promote peace, democracy, and equality in their home countries.” The San Francisco International […]
China announced plans to build a paved highway to Mount Everest to facilitate the journey of the Olympic torch to the top of the peak prior to the 2008 Bejiing Games. The current road to base camp–a rough path–will become “a blacktop highway fenced by undulating guardrails,” according to the Xinhua News Agency.The ambitious project […]
Hidden in the remote north Arctic are the Svalbard Islands, an archipelago that is part of the Kingdom of Norway, and which contains the northernmost permanently inhabited settlements in the world. Though not heavily visited, the islands receive some tourists to view reindeer, seal, walrus, polar bears and according to Wikitravel “to experience Arctic nature […]
Kenya is home to some of the world’s most exotic wildlife and the country is reliant on its wildlife-based tourism. According to the Associated Press, “a million tourists a year spend more than $580 million” to see and photograph wildlife. Over the past year, delegates have debated the fate of Kenya ‘s wildlife, as many […]
Historically, Kashmir has been known more for its violent conflicts than for its tourist attractions. As late as 2002, India and Pakistan were involved in a near nuclear standoff over the disputed region. Over the past 25 years or so, tens of thousands of people, some foreign tourists included, have lost their lives in the […]
In February, a group of 30 volunteers left from San Francisco to begin the first-ever U.S. Peace Corps mission to Cambodia, a nation in Southeast Asia recovering from years of war and upheaval. Volunteers will teach English to secondary school children as well as work within communities to help improve living standards. The 1970’s and […]
A recent United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report revealed that up to 30 percent of girls aged twelve to eighteen in Kenyan resort towns of Mombasa, Kilifi, Malindi and Kwale are involved in the sex industry. According to UNICEF, nearly half of all girls entered prostitution as young as twelve or thirteen. Much of the […]
