The Suez — one of the world’s true crossroads

If you’re thumbing through a brochure offering cruises try to find one that takes you through the Suez canal. Parts of this important world artery were dredged more than 2,000 years ago. The modern waterway extending a hundred miles from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea was opened in 1869 and widening continues today to meet ever-growing need. The Suez will give you some views of global commerce you can’t find any other way. It is a busy and vital link with a constant flow of heavy traffic. One day I counted 26 ships lined up and waiting for permission to enter the canal at the ... [Read More]

A salute to Arab architects

  One of the more unusual resorts we've found was at Djerba, Tunisia, on the edge of the Sahara. The gleaming white, windowless buildings feature parapets and domed roofs. It is easy to imagine that the clock has been rolled back, and you are approaching a French Foreign Legion post. (In fact, the site of one of the old posts is nearby.) The buildings actually reflect the talent of Arab architects to build structures that provide comfort despite the heat of African summers. Each cluster of units is built around a small oasis which uses a fountain and garden to create a microclimate. When you walk from ... [Read More]

A high-tech solution to a bat problem

  We got a warm welcome to the island of Lamu in the old kingdom of Zanzibar off the coast of Kenya in East Africa. Not so welcome was the bat, which flew into our room through an unscreened window one night. It proved to be a difficult quarry. When we turned the light on, it hid. When we turned the light off, it whizzed around looking for who knows what. We finally solved the problem by leaving the light on. -Mac Conway [Read More]