It's the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere, and many of us are already tired of the cold weather. 
The weatherman is predicting more frigid weather the next several weeks, and by the time March gets here, we will all be ready to escape to the south.
I thought one way to forget about winter was to dream about hot places I've traveled to. Some were so hot and humid, we were miserable. Others were just plain hot. All were fascinating, and I'd go back if the opportunity arose.
If you'd like to escape the freezing temperatures in North America and Europe this winter, think about traveling to one of these hot destinations. You'll love the sun, but will be looking for the comfort of your air-conditioned cruise ship cabin after a few hours (or minutes) outside.
I loved visiting each of these places, but when I started to think of the hottest places I had visited, these seven came to mind immediately. I'm sure any of them would warm us up this winter!
Amazon River (c) Linda Garrison
For most of January, while Europe and the USA were snowbound and frozen, Israel enjoyed spring sunshine, with flowers sprouting everywhere and people enjoying themselves on the Mediterranean and Red Sea beaches.
Those smart tourists who fled frozen parts of the world learned what we already know- that Israel has a superb climate.