From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:53 PM

Join explore founder Charles Annenberg Weingarten as he ventures to three of the holiest places on the planet: the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (known as the Blue Mosque), the Grand Mosque of Mecca, and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. At the Dome, he stands where Muslims believe Mohammed once ascended...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:53 PM

If you’ve never been swimming with wild dolphins, now is the time to start. Dip into the private underwater world of the spotted Atlantic dolphin. See how they playfully interact with each other, while also enjoying moments of grace and solitude in this quiet, meditative setting.

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:07 PM

Chital, or spotted deer, thrive throughout India. Like most deer, they are graceful and agile, but also nervous and always on the lookout for predators. Because of this, chital often linger below trees where gray langur monkeys live; the monkeys have a better view and eyesight and will raise a n...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:06 PM

The Kiran Centre is an oasis of learning and opportunity. Here, differently-abled children learn a wide range of skills and are given the tools to lead independent lives of their choosing. It is a place of hope, compassion, and understanding.

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:06 PM

On a trip to Rwanda, explore had the opportunity to visit four families of wild mountain gorillas, a species with only 720 remaining members. Their guide is Craig Sholley, who has been intimately involved in the preservation of African wildlife for more than 30 years. The team’s thrilling intera...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:06 PM

The Yangtze River, the lifeline of China, originates from a glacier in the Dangla Mountains of Tibet and runs for 4,200 miles, making it the third longest river in the world after the Nile and the Amazon. Throughout history, people have used the Yangtze for trade, transport, and tourism. Many Ch...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:06 PM

Students at Common Threads don aprons and chef hats and learn basic kitchen skills, cooking techniques, how to read recipes, and the importance of fresh ingredients from the organization’s Chef Instructors. In the process of preparing and sharing a healthy ethnic meal, they learn how to connect ...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:06 PM

Most of the children living in Dickey Orphanage have been orphaned by accidents, illness, or abandoned as a result of economic hardship. Each child at the orphanage is provided with education, medical care, and daily doses of love. Because none of the children know where or when they we...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:06 PM

Marked by towering glaciers and vast expanses of tundra and open sea, the astonishing Arctic landscape exudes a feeling of immense power. But the region’s ecosystem is actually one of the most fragile, and it is facing quick deterioration from man-made intrusions such as mining, oil drilling, an...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:06 PM

Inuktituk in an Inuit language spoken in parts of Canada north of the tree line. Most dialects have 15 consonants and three vowels, among which short and long sounds have different meaning. But with only 35,000 speakers, Inuktituk is in extreme danger of dying out, as English slowly becomes the ...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 3:05 PM

Built in stages over many centuries, the Great Wall of China stretches more than 6,400 kilometers, or nearly 4,000 miles through northern China. China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, began constructing the wall in the 3rd century BC to protect the northern borders of his empire from Mongolians a...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 2:53 PM

One of the poorest countries in Africa, Tanzania often struggles to maintain its education system. Using funds from the Annenberg Foundation, the African Wildlife Foundation built a new boarding school on a 44,000-acre working cattle ranch to give Maasai children a place where they can learn and...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 2:53 PM

In rural China, making dinner is a family-wide effort. Follow the painstaking preparations of a Chinese family in the Wolong area of Sichuan province as they treat the explore team to some down-home hospitality.

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 2:53 PM

At Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, epic waves mean epic rescues. Charles Annenberg Weingarten hits the waves with the Terry Ahue, President of the Hawaiian Water Patrol, and learns firsthand how struggling surfers are brought to safety. When the waves are at their biggest, Hawaii’s jet ski ...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 2:53 PM

In the Occupied Territories of the West Bank, barriers to communication inevitably mean barriers to peace. In this compelling video, Charles Annenberg Weingarten and his crew make their first venture into the West Bank, landing in the contentious border town of Gilo. When Charlie attemp...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 2:53 PM

You don’t have to be a kid to play with yo-yos! Watch an elderly Inuit woman show off her skills in this lighthearted clip.

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 2:52 PM

Amidst the San Juan Islands — an archipelago of more than 170 islands in upper Puget Sound — live several pods of orcas known collectively as the Southern Residents. Though the species is often referred to as "killer whales," this group of orcas eats fish, not marine animals. Scientists Kenneth ...

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 2:52 PM

Approximately 200,000 people in India use working camels to earn a living. The camels stroll alongside roadways and serve as living, breathing taxi services. The trip may take longer by camel than by car, but the camel’s height definitely makes for a better view.

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 2:52 PM

While in Istanbul, Charles Annenberg Weingarten has the unique opportunity to discuss Christianity with the Patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church. The Archbishop shares the story of his path to the priesthood and explains why "faith and hope are like the wings of love."

From: explore on Mon, Dec 07 2009 2:52 PM

In addition to cooking classes, Common Threads also offers a summer camp with lessons in dance, organic gardening, and cultural traditions. As part of its cultural program, the organization brings low-income and at-risk youth out of their neighborhood on field trips to cultural events. On a trip...