Cairo, Egypt

After visiting an ultra modern city like Dubai, I thought I'd visit a city where the old meshed with the new. Cairo is the perfect example of this. For example, you could be looking out the window of your five-star hotel room and see the Great Pyramid looming in the distance. I walked the same banks of the Nile that once gave rise to the greatest empires in ancient Egypt. Beyond the pyramids, in contrast to the bustling metropolitan area, there is nothing but the vast Sahara Desert. It was truly a magnificent sight, an ocean of sand rolling into the horizon. Cairo is a city of opposites, old and new, urban and desert. The whole city seems like a wonder of the world to me.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

In my mind, no vacation around the world is complete without stopping in Dubai. The United Arab Emirates is renowned as one of the wealthiest countries in the world. If you were to look up "a billionaire's playground" in the dictionary, you'd find Dubai. The city boasts the third most skyscrapers in the world, as well as the tallest, the Burj Khalifa. The numerous resorts and man-made islands are also a perk of visiting Dubai. However, the luxury shopping Dubai has to offer is unmatched by any other city in the world. The downtown shopping district in Dubai is worth over 20 billion dollars. Dubai is truly the land of excess. 

Cape Town, South Africa

My second destination in Sub-Saharan Africa was Cape Town, South Africa. It is known mainly as a port town, but has so much more to offer. Table Mountain borders Cape Town to its north and offers spectacular sights of the city. Cable cars have been set up on the side of the mountain and are a very relaxing way to spend a few hours of down time. But, not every aspect of Cape Town is positive. One of the most notorious prisons in the country sits just off the coast on Robben Island. The prison is now a living museum because the prison was home to Nelson Mandela for 27 years. There is never a dull moment in South Africa's largest city, and one of its three capitals.

Nassau, Bahamas

The second stop in the Caribbean on my journey would have to be none other than Nassau, Bahamas. Not only is it one of the most beautiful vacation spots in the world, but it also has boatloads of history

 (pun intended). It served as a hotbed for pirate activity when Blackbeard and other salty seadogs roamed the seven seas. Nassau is also a popular cruise ship stop, making it a great place to meet new people and participate in fun activities while on vacation.  

Lagos, Nigeria

I thought it would be interesting to see the largest city in Sub-Saharan Africa, so the next stop on my journey was Lagos, Nigeria. It's not only one of the largest cities in Africa, but one of the fastest growing as well. I've seen and heard about Lagos from movies and shows, but I wanted to know first hand what Lagos was like first-hand. The climate in Lagos is warm year round, but has a wet and dry season. The wet season lasts from April to October, while the dry season spans from October Through March. One of the first things I noted when I arrived was how crowded the streets were. Not only were there vehicles on the roads, but people and vendors also roamed the roads. It was quite the culture-shock seeing this type of city.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

The next destination on my trip was to a place a little closer to home. I decided to travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico because it is not only gorgeous, but it also holds a great deal of history within its city limits. The most prominent of the historical cites being Castillo San Cristobal. It was the largest fort built by Spain in the Americas. It survived multiple sieges by the English, Dutch, and even the USA. There is also tons of beautiful Spanish style architecture. Puerto Rico's weather is also constantly around eighty degrees fahrenheit year-round. It was a tremendous and enjoyable experience taking in the culture. Being a part of the U.S. now as well as Spain previously, Puerto Rico has a culture unlike any other country in the world. This was the perfect Caribbean paradise for a history buff like me.

Medellin, Colombia

For the fourth destination of my adventure, I decided to stop by Shakira's home city of Medellin, Colombia. But it's more than just the birthplace of the greatest woman to ever sing, it is also one of the largest cities in Colombia. It not only has the beautiful Andes mountains outside of the city, but it also has some magnificent sights to see in the city. It is home to a metro transit system like no other. It has a cable car which takes you from one area of the city to another (which I took full advantage of).

Las Vegas, Nevada

The next stop on my journey took me back north to the good ole' U.S. of A. I decided to check out some casinos like the MGM Grand and Caesar's Palace. It was especially beautiful at night with all the signs lit up and the light shows on full display. I also wanted to check out the famous Gold and Silver pawn shop where the show Pawn Stars is filmed. But my favorite part of Las Vegas had to be meeting all sorts of crazy characters from american magicians to Chinese blackjack dealers and even some Swedish chefs.