Some Final Thoughts from Betsey

What an amazing trip!  We saw many incredible world heritage sites that are being preserved by Unesco.  Many are being over-visited with the possibility that it may cause some damage.  Our guide at Macchu Pichu, for instance, said that they are considering limiting the number of people who can visit during a certain time period to make sure the site is not worn down and destroyed.  On the other hand, the Egyptians not only have no limits, but they seem to have no desire to even keep their sites clean - there was trash all over the pyramids and members of our group saw men pissing on lesser pyramids.  Air pollution is also a major factor in some of the areas, especially the Taj Mahal and the pyramids.  It is a wonder that the people can survive in some of the polluted environments, let alone the monuments.  

We were also able to get a brief glimpse into the societies and cultures of the places we stopped.  One thing came through very clearly, and was even stated openly in Cusco, Easter Island, Cambodia and Tibet, tourism is a major economic factor in their communities.  It provides a major source of employment and brings in a huge amount of revenue.  As always, does the money go to those who need it the most?   Not usually.  There is still incredible poverty, children under-nourished, housing that is sub-standard even by third world standards, and women who are being oppressed.  One of the most vivid visual pictures we had of this was in Africa.  We saw a Masai woman, carrying a bundle of sticks on her back which she would use for a fire in her cow dung hut to heat and cook, and in her ear was a bluetooth headset.  

Another interesting observation was the reaction of other populations to the US election.  Many people whom we encountered were very happy with the results of our election.  I think that most people in this country have little understanding of how much other countries are interested in what happens here.  It sets a tone for how things will go with other governments.

Lastly, but certainly not due to importance, we met some wonderful people on the trip with whom we hope to continue friendships.  The group included many high-powered type A individuals but we all got along well, helped out when needed, and had a great time.  

This truly was an experience of a lifetime!