Africa

For centuries, the source of the mighty River Nile was shrouded in mystery in the dark heart of Africa. In Roman times, the phrase caput Nili quærere, "to search for the head of the Nile", was used as a metaphor…

It’s Volcano Week 4 here at GSS. Volcanoes, about a week. You know the drill! Volcanoes probably aren't the first thing you associate with Ethiopia, but Erta Ale is a particularly fine specimen. It may only be a little over…

Remember lying on the grass when you were younger, staring up at the sky, allowing your imagination to twist and shape the clouds into an elephant being chased by a mouse or a dragon being slain by a cat? Now…

After the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt's next most visited historical site is the Karnak temple complex just outside Luxor. Karnak was constructed over a period of 1300 years by approximately 30 different pharaohs, and eventually grew to become a collection…

Welcome to the second annual GSS Desert Week! In time-honoured tradition, we’ll mostly be posting about deserts. For about a week! Even by Saharan standards, the Ténéré region of northern Niger is pretty desolate: a vast sea of sand, broken…

Nestled amongst the highlands of Northern Ethiopia, the town of Lalibela is a destination for Orthodox Christian pilgrims drawn to its famed monolithic Churches. Dated to the 12th and 13th centuries, but still actively used for worship, the Churches are…