Off Road, Again - On my eco-tour, my guide was called "Spirit Walker." It seems that each guide is given a suitable nickname after completing his or her intensive three-month training. For Jay Brown, aka Spirit Walker, he has lived in Palm Springs area for over 46 years and is a walking encyclopedia for flora, fauna, geology, history and just about anything else you ask him.

The spirits of first inhabitants, Cahuilla Indians, are alive and kicking and well represented by Jay. Aside from being a very down to earth decent human being, he cares about this natural desert environment and loves to share it with passengers on his Jeep CJ-8. He commandeered this rugged Jeep for me, another guest coincidentally named Jay, along with his girlfriend from Buenos Aires and led us to path less traveled.

Imagine land selling for $250 - $500 per acre way before late 1950's when rat pack was escaping from Los Angeles to sip martinis by pool in hip hideaway known as Palm Springs. In fact, United States government declared Coachella Valley area to be a wasteland as they sold off hundreds of acres and gave away 2 ½ acre parcels as a result of Homestead Act. With its natural beauty, desert certainly isn't for everyone with its contrasting harsh climate. Thanks to Wilhelm Family Trust, over 900 acres purchased in 1960's were set aside as an undisturbed natural environment to study natural beauty and artifacts left behind by hundreds of generations of Cahuilla Indians. It's on some of these pristine, undisturbed acres that Desert Adventures led us for our Indian Cultural Tour.

To get there, we passed some of 75,000 acres of agriculture: peppers, carrots, lettuce, artichokes, broccoli, grapes, and dates. This agricultural goldmine reaps over $600 million dollars in annual income. Desert wasteland? I don't think so. With only four inches of annual rainfall, it's amazing how only native fan palm tree, Washingtonia Filifera or California Fan Palm, prospers as each sucks more than 30 gallons of water every day from underground aquifers. This palm tree is largest of 2,500 species of palms worldwide and thrives in this desert location that is more than 400 feet below water table.

California palms were used by small groups of Cahuilla Indians in a number of ways: as roofing for their thatched huts; berries were boiled and mashed into a jelly and used as food; fronds were used as sandals to protect sensitive feet from scorching sands; for fire tinder and woven into baskets for storing items; and most importantly, as a gathering and habitation site. Of course, these desert palms grow by underground springs, or oases, which, generally were along earthquake fault lines like these here by San Andreas Fault.

Tough Times Call for Tough Measures. Natural desert flora includes Arrow Weed, from which dried stems were used for, guess what? Arrows. Rocks were ground into arrowheads and used primarily for hunting, since Cahuilla Indians were a peaceful tribe, unlike other tribes. Palo Verde Trees provided bean pods, which allowed Cahuilla Indians sustenance when boiled and ground into paste. Tempted by fruit of another? Be sure and try some of Mesquite Honey Bean, which was a storable, staple food that is as nutritious as barley.

I am no MD, nor do I play one on television, but it's not recommended that you drink a whole lot of water from an oasis, since it is heavily mineral laden and if consumed in large quantities will wreak havoc on your digestive system and cause diarrhea. With limited food and water supplies such as these, Cahuilla Indians were fairly mobile in order to hunt and gather. Read this entire feature FREE with photos at http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/usa02/CA/psprings/redjeep/redjeep.html

By Tateras - Jetsetters Magazine Correspondents at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

Traditional dishes include koshary, a savory blend of lentils, chick peas and rice in a spicy chili sauce, or dish shami, local equivalent of pita bread, made before your very eyes, spread with baba ghanouj, a tasty dip made of purreed eggplant.

Whether it is during day or night, one thing is consistent, constant sounding of horns by drivers who are always in a hurry. It is safer and easier to take a taxi to go anywhere, do not ever consider driving or renting a vehicle on your own. Signals are almost never used, but you wonder sometimes whether driver of these vehicles ever take their hands off horns. What is truly amazing is fact that accidents rarely occur.

The Egyptian Museum

The first activity on eight day Pyramids and Nile Cruise package is at Egyptian Musuem, housing greatest collection of Egyptian antiquities that evoke considerable interest. The ground floor traces history of ancient Egypt. Security is very strict and all cameras, camcorders, or digital cameras have to be handed over to Security outpost. Upon entering check-in area, a whole concourse opens up, revealing sarcophagi and boats in enormous sizes and descriptions.

Included are some of most important items from time of unification of Upper and Lower Egypt some 5,000 years ago, including famous slate palette of King Narmer, one of first documents of Egyptian history. Also on display are small masterpieces of sculpture, many over 50 centuries old.

Also depicted are a diversity of small statues from Old Kingdom depicting individuals, families, and people at work.

On second level there are thousands of smaller items from span of Egyptian history. The treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb occupies a an area filled with chariots, gloves, jewelry, and famous mask.

King Tut

Tutankhamun’s tomb stored four gilded shrines nested one inside other. All four of these shrines are on display and attract such curiosity that one can hardly get a good view for quite a while. The innermost of covers a stone sarcophagus which remains in tomb. Inside stone sarcophagus are three coffins, innermost being made of 110 kilograms of solid gold. Inside that lies pharaoh himself, wearing famous gold mask. Two of these three coffins are on display in same room as mask, along with jewelry that stuns imagination.

Read this entire feature FREE with photos at http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/adventure/egypt/nile/pharoahs.html

By Edwin Ali - Jetsetters Magazine Editor - at www.jetsettersmagazine.com