Join us in this heartwarming tale of Ellie McFarland, an adventurous eight year old who likes to see new places and learn new things. Travel with Ellie as she visits the exciting bazaars of Cairo, rides a camel, climbs inside the Pyramids of Giza, goes to the ancient city of Luxor and finally ends her trip at the Valley of the Kings and Queens. This is an educational yet fun story that you will want to read over and over again.

Three middle aged sisters, Christine, Shirley and Ellen have an opportunity to take off on a trip of a lifetime to The United Arab Emirates and Egypt. This is the first time the three of us venture over to another country without our husbands or families. Ellen's Brother -in-law who is in the Australian army and stationed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, asks her if she and his brother Mark want to visit, he declines, so Shirley and I decide to take the plunge and go with her. Before we leave home our Aunty Sylvia gives each of them an angel pin with our birthstone to wear, hoping this little token will keep us safe while away from Aussie land. Little did they realise the powers they held!

There, we take a few days trip up to the north of the country for a dolphin cruise and mountain tour with Rodger and Louise and their two sons, then are dropped off in Dubai to spend a day and night exploring this great city. While here, we go to a water theme park where Ellen goes on one of the biggest slides outside of America, we visit a Gold Souk to buy some beautiful pieces of jewellery, Shirley and I get yelled at by a cranky taxi driver and are amazed at seeing The Burj, one of the most expensive motels in the world. Before we leave Dubai, our taxi driver, a friendly Indian guy this time, gives us a quick tour of the city before our drive back to Abu Dhabi showing us a man made island being built and their beautiful Marina. We were in ore at just how much construction was going on in this amazing city.

Travelled back to Abu Dhabi and visited the famous Emirates Palace and have afternoon tea with the Australian Ambassador's wife at the Australian Embassy. My sister Shirley always wanted to see the Pyramids so decide to include this in our itinerary and the three of us travel by plane there with a few embarrassing moments on the way. When we arrive in Cairo, it wasn't how we expected it to be, but overcame some stressful moments when we visit the Pyramids and Sphinx. Thought a camel ride and a dinner cruise down the Nile River would be fun but got more then we bargained for. Had a strange encounter with some really nice Egyptian guys in The Papyrus Museum.

Just the three of us took a road trip down the east coast of the country, passing through Muscat, Oman and Nizwa where we learnt to drive on the opposite side of the road, not to talk to strange men after a bad experience with an Arab guy when asking him for directions and manage to get lost in the hills for a couple of hours due to detour signs. Noticing a very low tyre on the car, manage to make matters worse trying to fix it while being helped by 10 young guys and somehow find ourselves stuck in a narrow lane while exiting a car park. Enjoyed looking around a number of souks (markets) buying great gifts and souvenirs. We certainly got used to flights being cancelled or delayed, but managed to keep it together after lots of group hugs, plenty of laughing, giggling and having a good cry. I believe the angel tokens we wore every day had some sort of power and did bring us home safe.

Three middle aged sisters, Christine, Shirley and Ellen have an opportunity to take off on a trip of a lifetime to The United Arab Emirates and Egypt. This is the first time the three of us venture over to another country without our husbands or families. Ellen's Brother -in-law who is in the Australian army and stationed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, asks her if she and his brother Mark want to visit, he declines, so Shirley and I decide to take the plunge and go with her. Before we leave home our Aunty Sylvia gives each of them an angel pin with our birthstone to wear, hoping this little token will keep us safe while away from Aussie land. Little did they realise the powers they held!

There, we take a few days trip up to the north of the country for a dolphin cruise and mountain tour with Rodger and Louise and their two sons, then are dropped off in Dubai to spend a day and night exploring this great city. While here, we go to a water theme park where Ellen goes on one of the biggest slides outside of America, we visit a Gold Souk to buy some beautiful pieces of jewellery, Shirley and I get yelled at by a cranky taxi driver and are amazed at seeing The Burj, one of the most expensive motels in the world. Before we leave Dubai, our taxi driver, a friendly Indian guy this time, gives us a quick tour of the city before our drive back to Abu Dhabi showing us a man made island being built and their beautiful Marina. We were in ore at just how much construction was going on in this amazing city.

Travelled back to Abu Dhabi and visited the famous Emirates Palace and have afternoon tea with the Australian Ambassador's wife at the Australian Embassy. My sister Shirley always wanted to see the Pyramids so decide to include this in our itinerary and the three of us travel by plane there with a few embarrassing moments on the way. When we arrive in Cairo, it wasn't how we expected it to be, but overcame some stressful moments when we visit the Pyramids and Sphinx. Thought a camel ride and a dinner cruise down the Nile River would be fun but got more then we bargained for. Had a strange encounter with some really nice Egyptian guys in The Papyrus Museum.

Just the three of us took a road trip down the east coast of the country, passing through Muscat, Oman and Nizwa where we learnt to drive on the opposite side of the road, not to talk to strange men after a bad experience with an Arab guy when asking him for directions and manage to get lost in the hills for a couple of hours due to detour signs. Noticing a very low tyre on the car, manage to make matters worse trying to fix it while being helped by 10 young guys and somehow find ourselves stuck in a narrow lane while exiting a car park. Enjoyed looking around a number of souks (markets) buying great gifts and souvenirs. We certainly got used to flights being cancelled or delayed, but managed to keep it together after lots of group hugs, plenty of laughing, giggling and having a good cry. I believe the angel tokens we wore every day had some sort of power and did bring us home safe.

An unplanned adventure finds Tara Sufiana amidst the Sufis of Egypt for five years. Immersed in their mystical practices, she discovers the dervish within, expressing herself through sacred dance and music at religious festivals throughout Egypt. Within the Sufi enclave, an unusual love story with a dervish sheikh unfolds. When not roaming with the Sufis, or off on her own wild escapades, Tara survives by singing and dancing for hotels, cruise ships, folkloric shows, TV and films, crowned by a dance on top of the Great Pyramid. The rich culture of a Middle Eastern society is revealed throughout this amazing odyssey.

     The portrayal of Iran as the source of regional instability and a threat to America's ally, Israel, and potentially to the world, has been an essential element in the formulation of America's foreign policies in the Middle East for far too long. It is time to rethink this strategy.
     Iran has been rapidly developing its resources, strengths and international connections in the face of economic sanctions by the West, pursued and enforced entirely by the United States, and quite clearly on behest of Israeli interests.
     As an unintended consequence of this policy, Iran has been gaining not only the status of an Islamic superpower in the region, but an increasing global recognition, as well.
     My travel to Iran, my conversation with a broad spectrum of people, and my observations and experiences there, did not invoke the need in me to redress my views and analyses of the Iranian situation as reflected in the opus of my writings and addresses in the past two decades. If anything, I am now even more convinced that the United States is dealing with an Iran that is justifiably and increasingly considering itself the powerhouse of the Middle East.
     This has led me to conclude that America's true strategic and economic interests in the Middle East would best be served through a rapprochement with Iran and the acknowledgement of Iran's own regional and global strategic interests.
     If we still need an enemy or a potential source of threat to serve certain other agendas, Pakistan is ready to replace Iran as that bogeyman. And, I believe we are already heading in that direction.

Kam Zarrabi