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While exiting the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, I followed the sound of drums and came upon Whirling Dervishes. They were demonstrating the ritual dance; called sema, for a traveling U.S. group. Dervishes are Sufi Muslims, monks who follow Mevlevi, a sect of Islam who believes that by silent spinning, their souls are released from earthly ties and are free to joyfully commune with the divine. Normally, one must get permission to attend a sema prayer ritual dance at a designated spiritual center where shooting photos is forbidden. As this was only an outdoor demonstration, it was an exciting and rare opportunity for me to capture the moment. I stood in awe of their graceful, tireless precision. Certainly a high point of our Turkey trip!

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WHIRLING DERVISH DANCE
by Allan Scott, Hot Springs Village, AR

Allan's Dream Trip
South Africa

When my wife and I retired, our greatest desire was to spend time traveling. Fortunately, we have been able to experience many different cultures and view major world attractions; however, due to the cost of an African trip, we have always had to pass it by. Our dream vacation would definitely be one to Africa. Just once in our lives to be able to travel business or first class would be icing on the cake.

Often I have imagined standing in awe at Victoria Falls. I can almost hear the thundering waters and visualize a rainbow in the spray. I am also anxious to see the native animals of the Zambesi River area. The Mala Mala preserve adjacent to Kruger National Park in South Africa, in my view, offers the greatest safari excursions. A limited number of guests and unmatched viewing of the "Big 5" is their thrust. Photographing the animals at sunset cautiously drinking from a nearby water hole, or capturing with my camera, elephants, rhino, lions in their natural habitat would complete a life-long ambition of mine.

I know I would find it fascinating to visit tribal villages. Nothing is more interesting to me than seeing first hand how Zulus live. I picture myself trying to communicate with them to learn about their culture.

Of course, historic Cape Town is also on the list as it is full of wonderful scenery and diverse people. A Cape Peninsula tour around Table Mountain and then onto the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve would be exciting. Again, more animals, especially the famous penguins at the "boulders", a secluded area near the tip of Africa would be a must. Seeing Africa like that would be a dream come true for my wife, Linda, and me.

Alan's Travel Tips

• The first and last item I pack in my suitcase is a very large plastic garbage bag. Many times this has prevented my clothing from getting wet. It is also useful for separating dirty clothes from clean, and in a pinch can be used as a poncho or for some other emergency.

• Rather than carrying a bulky, awkward foreign language dictionary, use instead a 4 x 6 card with just a handy dozen or so words or phrases you might need, written phonetically to aid pronunciation. I include: hello, thank you, bathroom, how much, etc. on my "cheat sheet." Certainly makes for a more enjoyable trip.

• I carry ballpoint pens and a small notebook with blank envelopes glued to the inside covers to create pockets. These pockets hold emergency e-mail addresses, lost or stolen credit card and embassy phone numbers, and a few handy items like twist ties, safety pins, paper clips, Band-aids and rubber bands.