The result is the formation of hills, mountains or islands as in the case of Hawaii, depending on the pressure of the eruption. These islands were first inhabited in the 900s by the Polynesians, these were settlers coming from another remote group of islands in the South Pacific. These are Tahiti and the islands of French Polynesia. The islands existed in splendid isolation for over 500 years. The men were wonderful shipbuilders, navigators and sailors who followed the stars at night, ocean currents and sea birds in daylight, setting out to explore the oceans. The women on the other hand were highly respected and played a significant role in society as healers, priests, and political advisers to the chiefs of the islands. Men and women ate separately and often had no communication for days because of different problems that had to be dealt with. Hawaii is located close to the Tropic of Cancer. There are about 130 islands in total. For generations these people continued to move with their extended families. 

Carrying with them pigs, chickens, some livestock and a wide variety of plants, fruit trees, seeds and vegetables. In preparation for wherever they might reach land. Arriving on the Hawaiian Islands the climate was excellent for growing bananas, coconuts, pineapples, apples, potatoes, and a plethora of trees. The animals and birds thrived on the fertile soil. Culture and traditions of the Polynesian islands were upheld for generations but eventually adventurers started to move in. 

The island of Oahu, or the ‘Gathering Place’ so called because of the diverse people that populated this island from east and west, their cultures and traditions are a joy to observe and discover when you visit. Oahu has become a destination wedding venue. Having the license arranged, ministers or civil administrators booked, one can tie the knot on a beach with a romantic hut on a carpet of white sand, or why not balance yourself on a surfboard while exchanging vows with the celebrant asking you to repeat after me. 

Honolulu is the state capital, the closest city to Pearl Harbour, there’s a fantastic visitors centre here commemorating that fateful day in December 1941 when its Naval Base was targeted by the Japanese. The stories of this surprise attack are superbly illustrated and documented. Plaques and memorials with the names of personnel who lost their lives. This attack marks the date when the USA declared war on Japan bringing America into WWII. 

Hilo, the island that has 140 inches of rain annually. Hiking through 240 kilometres of rainforest with waterfalls cascading down, two active volcanoes, experience tracking on volcanic craters as you go through the Volcanoes National Park. In 2018 Kilauea last erupted, it is the world’s most studied volcano. Insects are plentiful because of the climate, and as an addition to this a variety of birds are plentiful because of the insects. 

Maui, this is without fear of contradiction, the best of the Hawaiian Islands to visit. A crystal clear ocean, beaches with black and white sands, that are a result of volcanic activity. The variety of marine species is delightful, when one is snorkeling the colours are a world of beauty. The cuisine that’s on offer is a gift for the palate.

Kauai, ‘The Garden Isle’, another of the islands that owes its variety of plants, trees and flowers to the rainfalls, most of the island can be described as a rainforest. The dramatic cliffs and mountains are a canvas for Hollywood filmmakers, names like South Pacific, Pirates of the Caribbean, Blue Hawaii, and Jurassic Park, just to mention a few.

The islands of Hawaii were all independent until in 1795, Kamehameha I conquered and unified the entire islands.

Captain James Cook, an English surveyor had led many expeditions to the South Pacific. Having been to Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti, he arrived on the island of O’ahu in Hawaii in January 1778, with two ships, the H.M.S. Resolution and Discovery. He was the first European to have been there. The islanders were fascinated by the iron ships and treated these visitors as some Gods that had arrived among them. Celebrations went on for weeks. Trading was done, with iron and metals being introduced for use as tools, there were goats, pigs and different species of seeds swapped, the natives had plenty of fish and fruit. The Hawaiians would have new items for themselves and in time to come, to trade with future visitors. Captain Cook and his ships sailed away but a tremendous storm did severe damage to the mast of his ship and he had to return to the island. This was a reality shock for the natives, after all the sailors had been treated as Gods yet the elements were able to subdue these deities. As the ships sailed towards the islands trouble began between both parties almost immediately. Captain Cook was armed with a pistol and tried to calm the situation by firing a shot, unfortunately this only increased the tension. The natives overpowered the captain and some of the crew. Captain Cook was killed in 1779 along with a good number of his crew. The ships did make it back to England some months later. Studies have shown that the population of the entire islands would have been half a million people back then. The census of 2019 showed the number is approximately 1.4 million.

The Pioneer Company of American Protestant Missionaries arrived in 1820, the first of such orders to arrive. Examples of Christianity had found their way here since the arrival of various explorers namely James Cook, but now there was a community arriving and intending to stay.

Cattle had been introduced in 1793 by a Californian farmer, the slaughter of livestock was not approved of and so nothing was done with this herd. The Parker Ranch was started in 1809, this guy was a sailor from Massachusetts who, when he arrived, met and married a beautiful Hawaiian princess. They began domesticating cattle and wild horses, the dairy and beef farming became a thriving business, horses were used to cultivate the arable lands and crops were grown. Farm labourers came to Hawaii from Japan, China, and the Philippines. When the Gold Rush began in California in 1849 agricultural products from Hawaii were in high demand, some of the workforce also left in the hope of striking it rich. 

The coffee growing that began in 1813 led to the island of Kona becoming the finest coffee producer in the world. Farmers came to Hawaii and got involved in growing sugar cane, mango-trees, and most importantly of all, pineapples. This fruit was an astronomical success, machines to harvest the crops were purchased and in 1911, Hawaii was producing 80% of the world’s total consumption of pineapples. Due to the growth in production worldwide and competition costs with labour disputes and strikes over wages, the pineapple industry had come to an end by 2006 when the then owners ‘Del Monte’ closed their factories. Some pineapples are still grown locally for the home market. Rice, Macadamia nuts and other fruits are still produced.

The Robinson family purchased the island of Niihau, (no nothing to do with the family featured in the novel of 1812 by Johann Wyss: ‘The Swiss Family Robinson’, this family having been shipwrecked on an island of the coast of Australia had to adapt to island life), that island was New Guinea. The Forbidden Island is strictly private and off limits, it’s used for the preservation of traditional culture and language, the plantation of woodland and taking care of animals that may be in danger of extinction. Some invited guests, geologists and the US Navy Personnel have the right to dock and check on any unwelcome visitors that may have dropped in.

In 1959, Alaska became the 49 State of the USA. This territory had been purchased from Russia in 1867 marking the end of Russia’s efforts of expansion to the Pacific coast of North America. Some months later Hawaii became the 50 state of the US. Hence the term Hawaii 50. The US had annexed Hawaii in 1898 and it was adapted as a territory in 1900. 

The tourism industry is today the largest employer. Accounting for over 20% of the country’s workforce, the service sector, transportation within the country, not to mention airlines and airports staff. The support industries such as the agricultural sector, the construction sector to provide accommodation for visitors, the financial and insurance providers. In 2022 almost 10 million people visited the islands with a total spend of $20 Billion. 

In 2009, Barack Obama, who was born in Honolulu, became the 44th president of the USA. He has the distinction of being the first president of colour in the USA. 

The two rivers converge at Sudan’s capital Khartoum and empties into the Mediterranean Sea at the port of Alexandria. Named after the Egyptian Emperor Alexander the Great who invaded Egypt in 332 BC, there was no major battle for this takeover, as the Persians had overstayed their welcome in Egypt, with their oppressive regime. 

The descendants of Alexander ruled Egypt for the next three centuries. Queen Cleopatra VII, was the last of Alexander’s reign and the last of the pharaohs. Her status, her power and her love affairs shaped Egypt’s fate.

As the Roman Empire continued its advance into what we now recognize as Europe, Julius Caesar was looking enviously southwards at Egypt, to get a foothold in Africa. Cleopatra’s father had almost bankrupted the empire’s coffers and got a sizeable loan from Caesar. On her father’s death, she came to power, she had to raise funds for the country to survive. With a power struggle raging between her and her brother she had herself smuggled into Rome, for the sole purpose of meeting Julius Caesar. She charmed her way into his quarters, he became infatuated by her beauty, her voice and her personality. To seduce Caesar, was her main objective. Having achieved her goal the two became inseparable. He followed her to Alexandria and in time she gave birth to a son and named him Caesarean ‘small Caesar’. 

The Roman senate was perplexed, Caesar had no male heir and now an Egyptian was likely to take the throne in Rome. Brutus and his conspirators murdered Caesar on March 15th ‘The Ides of March’ as it’s referred to in William Shakespeare’s play. Mark Anthony now comes into the play with his oration at the death of Caesar “Friends Romans countrymen, lend me your ears”. Shakespeare’s words not Mark Anthony’s. Having fought with Caesar he believed he would become ruler of Rome, but he had a rival, Octavian. Julius Caesar’s nephew, Mark Anthony fled to Egypt seeking help from Cleopatra and her military might. He certainly got the help he needed. Captivated by her beauty the pair began a love affair that became the theme for many love stories, of novels and movies. Together they had three children. Octavian declared war on Egypt, in essence was a war on Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. This turned out to be the last civil war of the Roman Empire. The battle was fought at Actium, off the coast of Greece. It was a decisive victory for Octavian. Like true defeated generals in Roman times the act of throwing yourself on your sword didn’t go the way Mark Anthony had planned. Badly wounded, he returned to Cleopatra where having locked each other in an embrace she released a snake that bit them both. Death is recorded as suicide. Octavian returned to Rome victorious and declared himself Caesar Augustus the Roman Emperor.

The capital city of Egypt is Cairo. A thriving modern city, with a vibrant economy and a thoroughly diverse culture. When you look at the skyscrapers, the transportation and infrastructure it’s difficult to imagine that behind all this is the world’s oldest Islamic city. The mosques, temples, madrasas, and fountains, these and so many other attractions all carry us back to an age when Cairo was the envy of the known world. The Pyramids of Egypt and the Great Sphinx, the statue of Alabaster white stone, are outside the city of Cairo and are believed to be the most magnificent ever built. Of the seven ancient wonders of the world, only the Pyramids of Giza remain standing. There are guided tours of these beautiful Pyramids on offer every day. Cairo, clocking in at 22 million people it is the largest city in Africa and indeed the largest in the Arab world. Sampling the cuisine in Cairo is an amazing experience, the food courts are as if you were going through a Christmas market all day every day, the odours of spices, the array of ornaments, the colours of rugs, carpets, garments and the presentations, one thing is a must you have got to haggle, otherwise the traders will be disappointed with the lack of challenge in the sale. 

Cairo and the Nile. Flying south to Luxor and joining the Nile River cruise. Hearing the stories of the burial places in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens of Egypt. Reading about Egypt in school and studying about Egyptian Pharaohs I was fascinated by their powers, their daunting presence and the command they had over their people. Tutankhamun, now there’s a name, nicknamed the Boy King, was crowned Pharaoh at the age of nine years, a huge task for a boy so young. He was helped by others for a few years, Tutankhamun was responsible for a rebirth of Egypt in a cultural revolution, restoring temples and monuments. He also had relationships between nations restored. That was about it for King Tut as he’s remembered, by the age of nineteen he was dead. The Pharaohs of Egypt had a belief, that they had an afterlife and so when they were buried they prepared for this.

In 1922 a group of archaeologists from England discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. The tomb had never been opened since the time it was built. The mummified remains of Tutankhamun were found in a solid gold coffin. Jewelry, bows and arrows, a chariot, food and clothing, in total over 5,000 pieces were discovered. Some of these artifacts are brought to museums worldwide now and then for exhibition purposes. 

Cruising on the Nile with visits to the cities of Edfu, Esna and Kom-Ombo, see the Temples, and gardens. Meet the local people, find out about their community, see the wealth that the river has brought to the region. When one gets to Aswan, one discovers why the river is venerated by the Egyptian religion. In the ancient calendar, the year began with the first month of flooding, the God Hapi was the deity of flooding and fertility. A dam was built in the early 1900s on the Nile for flood control. The Aswan Dam was built in the 1950s and what a wonderful exhibition of engineering genius this is. The river Nile is over 4,000 miles or 6,600 kilometres long, the Aswan dam is about two thirds of the distance from its source. The dam controls the water levels of the river basin, the amount of agricultural land that depends on the river is vital to the area. The dam acts as a reservoir for storing water in times of excess rainfalls, thereby reducing the risk of flooding, in times of drought the reservoir provides the capacity for irrigation systems to be used. The resulting feature of the dam is the decrease in food shortages and famine. 

The source of the river Nile has been a major topic of discussion and inquisitiveness for over a century and a half. The famous saying “Dr. Livingston, I presume” was issued by Henry Stanley upon locating Dr. David Livingston at Lake Tanganyika, in November 1871. 

David Livingston was a physician from Scotland, working in London, U.K. He was married to Mary Moffat, who was from a very prominent missionary family, in 18th century. David became involved in missionary work in Africa, while there his obsession to find the source of the Nile overwhelmed him. He had this belief that if he could solve this mystery he would achieve notoriety and people would respect his views on world affairs. David’s work was dedicated on ending the East African, Arab-Swahili slave trade. He had been sending back reports on his experiences and travels to newspapers in London that were very well received. Then for two years, nothing was heard from him, it was thought that he was dead. In 1871, Henry Stanley, an Englishman, working as a journalist and explorer in Africa had heard of a white man who was sick in a nearby village. Ironically he was being treated by Arab slave traders. Walking into the camp, Stanley with that savvy accent, didn’t just shout out “Hi David”, the term was “Dr Livingston I Presume”. Very British.

Dr Livingston named Lake Victoria after his sovereign Queen, Victoria of Great Britain. He died of malaria in Zambia in 1873. A statue was erected to remember the time he had spent there.