DANGER IN NORTHERN RWANDA

We enjoy a goat skewer, fries and Gatanu beer by the deadly Lake Kivu, just south of the Congo border. 

Wait, is overeating dangerous? 

Despite common misperceptions, Rwanda has been safe for visitors for years. Yet, in a small town at the Congo border near Lake Kivu in the far north, there are actually a few ways you could get an express ticket to the afterlife:

• First of all, there's the lake itself. Under the deep waters of Lake Kivu a giant bubble of killer methane and carbon dioxide lurks and is expanding by the day, just waiting for the chance to escape to the surface, as a similar bubble did in 1986, killing more than 1,000 people. Lucky for us, it wasn't our day.

• Then there's the political unrest less than a mile away in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Political instability and violence in the DRC has been threatening to slip across the invisible border into Rwanda, as it did late last year. 

• And last but certainly not least, there's the active Muhavura Volcano (photo at right). It's crater has seen recent rumblings, but scientists don't expect an eruption anytime soon. Of course, aren't volcanic eruption predictions about as accurate as weather forecasts?

Either way, we made it out safe and sound, just like thousands of other visitors each year. And we did it without even choking on our skewered goat or french fries. Now there's a tale of survival. 

PUSHKAR BEYOND THE CAMELS...MOSTLY

In addition to camels, Pushkar offers visitors some stunning scenery. Set between arid farmland and rocky hills, the  town of 16,000 (which swells to more than 200,000 during the Came Fair) is one of the top pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Temples surround a small lake, which marks the center of the city. The word "Pushkar" means blue lotus flower in Sanskrit, and residents paint the buildings and temples on the lake's waters accordingly.

Hindus, like the camel traders attending the fair (above right), travel for days and miles to reach Pushkar. Many of the travelers dress up for the occasion (above left, below center), so Kip thought he'd get in on the fun. Luckily, everyone we met seemed to get a kick out of seeing a 6'2" bearded foreigner with a handlebar mustache dressed in a turban and pajama. 

In addition to learning how to tie a turban, we also found out just how large a camel's toes are. Those are huge camel toes!

But mostly while in Pushkar, we experienced just how incredibly stunning a sight you get when you combine thousands of camels, a camel race, a couple hundred thousand people, and three ferris wheels in a semi-dessert surrounded by mountains and holy temples. 

Oh yeah, did we mention we saw lots and lots of camels?

PHOTO FRIDAY: BLUEST LAKE IN ASIA

It's hard to believe the color of Tibet's Yamdrok Lake is natural. But it is. 

The sacred, sapphire-blue water appears exactly as the photo above was taken...no touch ups or highlights added or needed. After this quick stop for pictures and some Himalayan views, we drove down the winding road to the lake's edge, where Liz, naturally, took off her flip flops and ventured into the chilly waters. 

At 14,470 feet (4,410 m), the lake is one of Tibet's highest and largest. The Yamdrok is also, according to local legend, a female guardian of Buddhism, and its shores trace the outline of a scorpion. No idea if the two are related.