Geographical articles from February 2005

Geographical archives from February 2005

Turtle responsibility.(From The Editor)(Editorial)
February 1, 2005... In this month's edition of Geographical, we travel to Malaysia to report on a conservation project run by the Earthwatch Institute that aims to protect the future of the green sea turtle in that part of the world. Unfortunately, as Christian...

Riding in the New Year.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... I was most interested to read about freak waves in Quizzical in the November 2004 Geographical. On 31 December 1994, I was captain of an offshore support vessel working in the northern sector of the North Sea, about 120 nautical miles (222...

Troop error.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... About 300,000 Allied troops were evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk, not 30,000 as quoted in the otherwise interesting article Pilgrimage to war in the December 2004 issue of Geographical. Peter Grant, Twickenham

Crafted article.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... I could not have been more pleased with Jenny Balfour-Paul's article about remembrance travel in the December Geographical (Pigrimage to war). She has produced a highly professional and readable piece--crafted with great skill. She has captured...

Ewan's wrong way round?(Spirit Of The Age)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... I was very interested in your article about Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's journey from London to New York on motorbikes (Taking the high road, January 2005). I'm sure that this must have been a deeply rewarding experience for the two...

To haggle or not to haggle.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... Can I ask you or my fellow readers of your excellent publication whether there is finally some sort or accepted protocol when it comes to haggling or tipping in developing countries? Travellers are forever being told by holier-than-thou types...

Not so great?(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... Your recent, Late great geographers piece on Sir Francis McClintock (Worldwatch, December 2004) did a great disservice in perpetuating the claims that he discovered both the fate of the Franklin Expedition and the Northwest Passage. While in no...

Lost in the post.
February 1, 2005... This venomous snake is found throughout the continent from which this stamp originates. Its venom affects the coagulation properties of blood and can be fatal. The stamp's country of origin is landlocked between six others and is about twice...

Farmers who were told to mix a sugary syrup with pesticides are using Coca-Cola and Pepsi.(India)
February 1, 2005... Farmers who were told to mix a sugary syrup with pesticides are using Coca-Cola and Pepsi because they find the soft drinks cheaper and believe them more effective in killing pests.

Remains of a tiny, previously unknown species of human--dubbed Homo florensiensis--have been discovered on the Indonesian island of Flares, where it lived until at least 12,000 years ago.(Indonesia)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Remains of a tiny, previously unknown species of human--dubbed Homo florensiensis--have been discovered on the Indonesian island of Flares, where it lived until at least 12,000 years ago. The Australian archaeologists who unearthed the remains...

The Stones that Fell from Above, an exhibition of photographs by Paul Harris from Chile inspired by the poetry of Pablo Neruda.(UK)
February 1, 2005... The Stones that Fell from Above, an exhibition of photographs by Paul Harris from Chile inspired by the poetry of Pablo Neruda, will run from 13 January to 7 February at Canning House, 2 Belgrave Square, London. * Info: www....

The ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are to establish a joint fund.(SE Asia)
February 1, 2005... The ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are to establish a joint fund to support environmental projects in the region.

Bullets to boughs.(UK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A half-tonne, three-metre-high sculpture made from pistols, assault rifles and other decommissioned weapons goes on display in the British Museum's Great Court this month. Commissioned by the museum and Christian Aid to coincide with the Africa...

The unlady-like ladybird.(UK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A new ladybird species--the world's most invasive--has arrived in Britain. Known as the harlequin or multi-coloured ladybird, it poses a serious threat to a variety of native insects. A single harlequin ladybird found in an Essex pub garden...

Opium for the masses.(Afghanistan)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The UN has warned that Afghanistan could become a 'narco state', after opium poppy cultivation increased by 64 per cent in 2004 to 131,000 hectares. A report by the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found cultivation of the flower has...

No banks, no prosperity.(Global)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... More than a billion people--90 per cent of the world's self-employed poor--lack access to basic financial services, depriving them of the means to improve their incomes, cope with emergencies and achieve security, according to the UN's...

Northern Uganda crisis a 'moral outrage'.(Uganda)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The civil war in northern Uganda constitutes the world's most neglected humanitarian emergency, according to the UN's top envoy for humanitarian assistance. Since the early 1980s, the rebel Lord's Resistance Army has been forcing children...

Top 10 the world's largest deserts.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2005... THE WORLD'S LARGEST DESERTS TOP 10 Area ('000 sq. km) 1 Sahara, Northern Africa 8,600 2 Arabia, SW Asia 2,300 3 ...

The number of records collected by the Census of Marine Life, a ten-year global collaboration to identify and catalogue life in the oceans now in its fourth year, has increased exponentially from 1.1 million to 5.2 million.(Global)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The number of records collected by the Census of Marine Life, a ten year global collaboration to identify and catalogue life in the oceans now in its fourth year, has increased exponentially from 1.1 million to 5.2 million. Scientists using the...

Police in London and Gloucestershire have seized ivory products.(UK)
February 1, 2005... Police in London and Gloucestershire have seized ivory products with a value of more than 25,000 [pounds sterling] and around 80kg of raw ivory.

An outbreak of anthrax has killed 194 hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park, in western Uganda.(Uganda)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... An outbreak of anthrax has killed 194 hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park, in western Uganda. It took months of tests to confirm the cause of death after the first animals died last summer. Scientists are now struggling to develop a quick...

The government is to increase spending on flood- and coastal-defence projects in 2005-06 by 90million [pounds sterling].(UK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The government is to increase spending on flood and coastal-defence projects in 2005 06 by 90 million [pounds sterling], bringing total spending to 570million [pounds sterling].

SMART-1, the first European spacecraft to orbit the Moon.(Space)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... SMART-1, the first European spacecraft to orbit the Moon, is currently mapping chemical elements on its surface to help test theories on its birth and evolution.

Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) Irish-born explorer Ernest Shackleton contributed to several Antarctic expeditions but is best known for his heroic survival effort during his final expedition.(Late Great Geographers #52)
February 1, 2005... What was his background? Ernest Shackleton was born in Ireland on 15 February 1874. From an early age, he knew he would become an explorer and not the doctor that his father urged him to be. He left school at 16 and went to sea, travelling...

50 years ago today ... Geographical Magazine, February 1955.(Worldwatch)
February 1, 2005... The second issue of 1955 contained a charming article entitled The disguises of moths and their larvae, featuring colour plates from a forthcoming book, Moths, by the story's author, EB Ford. As its title suggests, the article explored the many...

Midwife toad on the mend.(Spain)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Mallorcan midwife toad has been reclassified from critically endangered to vulnerable on the IUCN's Red List, thanks to a captive-breeding programme carried out by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. The number of toad populations has...

Egypt.(Geographical Flags Of The World)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Description Three equal horizontal bands of red, white and black with the national emblem--a golden eagle above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic--centred in the white band. History The first national flag of modern...

Following months of speculation, a 5,680 sq. km national park, comprising peat swamp forest between the Sebangau and Katingan rivers, has been created in Central Kalimantan.(Indonesia)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Following months of speculation, a 5,680 sq. km national park, comprising peat swamp forest between the Sebangau and Katingan rivers, has been created in Central Kalimantan. Sebangau National Park will protect one of the most important...

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.(Geographical Organisations of Note)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... When was Kew founded and how? During the early 17th century, the Capel family developed the first gardens in Kew Park. In 1731, King George II's son, Frederick, Prince of Wales, leased Kew Farm. He died in 1751, before his plans for the...

Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has driven into trouble.(UK)
February 1, 2005... Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has driven into trouble after his ascent of Scottish peak Ben Tongue in a 4x4 was condemned by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland for causing lasting damage to fragile peat bogs and heather and encouraging...

Meantime Brewing Co and Union Coffee Roasters have launched Britain's first Fairtrade beer--and it's coffee flavoured.(UK)
February 1, 2005... Meantime Brewing Co and Union Coffee Roasters have launched Britain's first Fairtrade beer--and it's coffee flavoured. The beer is brewed using coffee beans grown by smallholders in Rwanda. * Info: www. meantimebrewing.co.uk

Thieves have stolen almost a dozen colonial-era iron bridges from the 500km North Australian Railway.(Australia)
February 1, 2005... Thieves have stolen almost a dozen colonial-era iron bridges from the 500km North Australian Railway, which linked Darwin with several Northern Territory gold mining towns, but closed in 1976.

A shortlist of three concept designs for the British Antarctic Survey's new Halley VI research station has been chosen.(Antarctica)
February 1, 2005... A shortlist of three concept designs for the British Antarctic Survey's new Halley VI research station has been chosen. The three teams will visit the site early this year and the winning design will be announced in September.

Winds of the world.(Weatherwatch with BBC weather forecaster Helen Willets)
February 1, 2005... How do winds affect our weather systems generally? The direction from which the wind blows and where it has been before it arrives has a bearing on what the weather will be--one can imagine the wind as the transportation system that...

Haiti in need of help.(Haiti)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A joint report by the interim Haitian government and the UN has painted an extremely bleak future for the Caribbean nation. The findings cover the final years of the Aristide government, and hence don't take into account the devastation caused...

Global population watch.(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The world population at the time of going to press was according to: the United Nations 6,494,788,681 the CIA 6,430,214,942 the US Bureau of the Census 6,415,994,280

Why does February have only 28 days?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... R Bass, Cork ANSWER: Fans of February can blame its brevity on the Romans. It ended up being the shortest month largely because it was the last to be added to the calendar that forms the basis of that which we use today. The Romans...

Which are the world's oldest and newest countries?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... R Bentley, Basingstoke ANSWER: The newest country to be formed and recognised by the UN is East Timor, a former Indonesian colony that won its independence in 2002. The country makes up about half of the island of Timor; the western half...

Other than the Bushes, are there any other cases of a father and son being elected heads of state?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... P Devaney, Cardiff ANSWER: Only one other family has seen both father and son as US president: John Adams was the second president of the USA; his son, John Quincy Adams, was the fourth. But politics has run in the family several times...

Do all of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots live on their respective sides of the Green Line?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... B Willis, Carlisle ANSWER: When the Turkish Army invaded Cyprus in 1974, after a military coup against the government of Archbishop Makarios in Nicosia, many Greek Cypriots moved to the southern part of the island. Although the coup...

Are bananas dying out?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... N Pratt, London ANSWER: Not exactly. But the sweet variety that most of us know and love, the Cavendish, is under threat from a soil borne fungus called Panama disease. Scientists fear that the Cavendish may go the same way as its...

Register now for the 2005 annual conference.
February 1, 2005... The theme for this years RGS-IBG annual conference is 'Flows and spaces in a globalised world.' The conference will run from 31 August to 2 September and will take place at the Royal Geographical Society in London. Session proposals are in, and...

Grant deadlines.
February 1, 2005... Several Society grants aimed at those planning fieldwork during the summer of 200S have imminent deadlines. The British Airways/RGS-IBG travel bursaries are offered to provide assistance to researchers undertaking tourism-related research or...

Different perspectives of geography.(In society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)
February 1, 2005... Most geographers would surely agree that visual representations of the Earth and its cities are extremely important to our understanding of human and environmental interactions. Maps have been used for hundreds of years to aid navigation...

RGS-IBG Picture Library goes online.(In society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)
February 1, 2005... The Society's Picture Library will be launching a new commercial website in February to promote its fantastic collection of photographs. For the first time, researchers will be able to view and search more than 4,000 of our images online. ...

A selection of February's Society events.(In society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Calendar)
February 1, 2005... 3 February, 7.30pm Globalisation, multinationals and regional development (LECTURE, LEICESTER) What role do multinational firms have to play in the changing regional geography of manufacturing in the UK? Dr Doug Watts will explore...

Mapping the forbidden city: rough sketch map of Lhasa, Tibet (1904).(Map Of The Month)
February 1, 2005... This simple black-and-white plan of Lhasa, Tibet, was issued with the Geographical Journal of March 1904. It formed a sort of 'tail-piece' to a major article, Notes on Tibet, by Douglas W Freshfield. The map was compiled by Laurence...

Geographical young geographer of the year 2005: is the UK in 2005 overpopulated?
February 1, 2005... Every year, we ask young geographers from schools across the UK to research and write about a topic that affects them and their families. The winners receive a great selection of prizes, including books, maps and rucksacks--with a fantastic GPS...

Postcards from a forgotten land.(Afghanistan)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Photojournalist Damian Bird has made three visits to Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. As well as assessing the recovery of a country that has been ravaged by decades of conflict, he has spent time with the British Army,...

Hatching plans to save the green turtle: the green turtle may be Malaysia's most abundant sea turtle, but its numbers have slumped in the past 50 years--and early conservation efforts may be partly responsible. Christian Amodeo joins an Earthwatch Institute project trying to stabilise its population.(Turtle Conservation)
February 1, 2005... Under cover of darkness, the army of green turtle hatchlings scrambles towards the surf in characteristically frenzied fashion, like a restaging of the Normandy landings in reverse. Their dogged clockwork-like flipper action and down-turned...

Desertification.(Geographical dossier)
February 1, 2005... According to the UN, an area of land equivalent in size to Sri Lanka dries up and turns into desert every year. The result of the interaction between global climate change and localised farming and logging activities, desertification is already...

Global warning: the local effects of desertification, most notably the generation of dust, could have global consequences and hasten the degradation of other areas.(Geographical dossier/Desertification)
February 1, 2005... The audience at the opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing could be in for more than just fireworks and big parades. According to Professor Andrew Goudie of the University of Oxford, the man-made spectacle could well be overshadowed...

A desert hot spot? The Sahel is recognised as the region most prone to desertification. But there is increasing evidence suggesting the process is being reversed in some areas.(Geographical dossier/Desertification)
February 1, 2005... When Band Aid 20 released its reworked version of Do They Know it's Christmas? at the end of last year, there were protests from aid organisations and others working in Africa. They complained that it looked as though nothing had happened to...

Local answers: after large-scale schemes failed to tackle the problems associated with the Sahel drought, the emphasis has switched to localised, small-scale solutions.(Geographical dossier/Desertification)
February 1, 2005... In the years that followed the devastating drought in the Sahel, aid agencies, NGOs and governments set up numerous large-scale schemes in the region aimed at changing the ways in which farmers managed the land. Organisations such as the UN...

Visions of Nepal: when the RGS-IBG launched its Unlocking the Archives initiative last year, one of the outstanding treasures made available to the public was a collection of watercolours depicting 19th-century Nepal. Barney Smith, former British ambassador to Nepal, discusses the significance of Henry Ambrose Oldfield's work.(Nepal Watercolours)(Critical Essay)
February 1, 2005... The extensive archives of the Royal Geographical Society are home to numerous items that recall significant episodes in world exploration and famous names in British history, from Robert Falcon Scott's diaries to David Livingstone's bible. But...

Last explorer of the Amazon: distinguished historian John Hemming profiles the career of Brazilian explorer Sydney Possuelo, who was recently awarded a Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) gold medal for his work with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon.(Geopeople--Sydney Possuelo)
February 1, 2005... The great oceanographer Dr Bob Ballard once said that if your expeditions don't have a scientific or humanitarian purpose, then "you're not an explorer, you're just wandering around". Judged by these criteria, 64-year-old Brazilian Sydney...

Africa's hidden rock art: David Coulson travels deep into the Sahara to Algeria's Ajjer Plateau to document some of Africa's most impressive and immense rock art.(African Rock Art)
February 1, 2005... Out in the middle of the Sahara Desert, in the Algeria's southeast, a three-metre-long oblong rock that resembles a massive grand piano lies balanced just above the ground on some smaller stones. Into its upper surface have been ground some 30...

A thousand years of Turkish delight: the Royal Academy of Art's Turks exhibition promises to be one of its outstanding events of this year. Drawing on some 370 works, many of them never before seen outside Turkey, the show depicts the everyday life and fantastical demons of mediaeval Central Asia.(Turks Exhibition)
February 1, 2005... They swept westward from the steppe and created a series of empires that held sway over Central Asia for more than a millennium. The deeds of their rulers--Tamerlane, Seljuk, Mehmed II the Conqueror and Suleyman the Magnificent--have passed...

Where East meets West.(Turkey)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... As the Royal Academy of Art's Turks exhibition clearly demonstrates, Turkey has a historical legacy of almost unprecedented richness. It has formed part of many of the world's great empires and civilisations, from the Greeks, Romans and...

Gertrude Bell: a Biography.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... Gertrude Bell: A Biography by HVF Winstone Barzan Stacey, hb, pp366, 19.95 [pounds sterling] Gertrude Bell was the first woman officer in the British military intelligence service to join the Arab Bureau Her biography, first published in...

World Textiles.(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... World Textiles by John Gillow and Bryan Sentance Thames and Hudson, pb, pp240, 16.95 [pounds sterling] Textiles have defined cultures for millennia. Since early hunters first draped their bodies with animal skins, humanity hasn't looked...

Historic Maps of Armenia.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... Historic Maps of America by Rouben Galichian IB Tauris, hb, pp220, 49.50 [pounds sterling] Armenia has a history that spans 2,500 years, during which time its size and shape have changed dramatically in response to the prevailing political...

Gunpowder.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... Gunpowder by Jack Kelly Atlantic Books, hb, pp320, 14.99 [pounds sterling] Gunpowder has had a remarkable evolution, from humble beginnings in firecrackers in mediaeval China to a prolific instrument of war. Jack Kelly chronicles not only...

World Heritage Monumental Sites.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... World Heritage Monumental Sites UNESCO/SKIRA, hb, pp384, 33.00 [pounds sterling] This is the second in UNESCO's trilogy of coffee table books on the 600-plus places it has designated as World Heritage sites. This volume is dedicated to...

John the Painter.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... John the Painter by Jessica Warner Profile, hb, pp298, 15.99 [pounds sterling] In 1776, American revolutionary sympathiser James Aitken--aka John the Painter--caused widespread panic by setting fire to Navy docks in Portsmouth and Bristol....

Farthest North.(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... Farthest North by Fridtjof Nansen First published in 1897. Most recent edition published by Birlinn, pb, pp832, 16.99 [pounds sterling] When Fridtjof Nansen observed that the wreckage of a ship trapped in the ice near the Bering Strait had...

Beach Crossings.(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... Beach Crossing by Greg Dening, Miegunyah Press, hb, pp376, 25.95 [pounds sterling] Greg Dening, an eminent authority on the cultural history of the Pacific, notably the Marquesas Islands, has written 12 books. This one, however,...

Viewfinder: 100 Top Locations for Great Travel Photography.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... Viewfinder: 100 Top Locations for Great Travel Photography by Keith Wilson, RotoVision, hb, pp192, 24.99 [pounds sterling] In Viewfinder, Keith Wilson, editor of Outdoor Photography magazine, has selected 100 locations with at least one...

With Scott to the Pole.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... With Scott to the Pole Bloomsbury, hb, pp240, 35 [pounds sterling] Setting off to penetrate Antarctica in 1910, Captain Robert Falcon Scott's Terra Nova expedition included scientists from all over the Commonwealth. This book, produced by...

South Africa: the First Man, the Last Nation.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... South Africa: The First Man, the Last Nation by RW Johnson Weidenfeld & Nicolson, hb, pp244, 16.99 [pounds sterling] South Africa is a country of myths, a place where history is rewritten by whoever's in power at the time. Even the conflict...

Pioneer in Tibet.(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... Pioneer in Tibet by Douglas A Wissing Palgrave Macmillan, hb, pp352, 15.67 [pounds sterling] Dr Albert Shelton, itinerating evangelist, was a man of myriad guises--adventurer, missionary, surgeon, linguist, fundraiser, soldier, avid...

Geographical travel: this month, we catch up on some of the latest travel news, review the winners of this year's Responsible Tourism Awards and talk to Paul Miedema of award winner Calabash Tours.(Travel Photo)
February 1, 2005... Mitre Peak, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand In the far southwest of New Zealand's South Island, spectacular snow-capped mountains tower majestically over the icy waters of Milford Sound in an area of incredible natural beauty. One of the...

Tourism to cross the final frontier.(Travel news)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... In September last year, Sir Richard Branson announced that Virgin Galactic was in a position to commence a programme that will culminate in the world's first commercial space tourist flights in 2-3 years. Since the announcement, made at the...

Travellers urged to report animal cruelty.(Travel news)
February 1, 2005... The Born Free Foundation has launched an online campaign calling for travellers to report instances of animal suffering that they encounter while on holiday. The Travellers' Alert campaign is aimed at generating greater public awareness of how...

Unwelcome guests.(Tourism Concern)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Tourism Concern was present at the recent World Travel Market (WTM), the yearly trade show for countries, tourism attractions and hotels to 'sell their wares'. With promoters dressed in national costume and performances of traditional dancing...

Bradt has launched a new city guide to Cork to coincide with the city's year as European Capital of Culture.(Ireland)
February 1, 2005... Bradt has launched a new city guide to Cork to coincide with the city's year as European Capital of Culture. The guide will include a diary for the numerous European Capital of Culture events and the annual film, jazz, theatre and literature...

Coral Cay Conservation, a British not-for-profit organisation that works to protect, restore and manage coral reefs and tropical rainforests, has relaunched its website.(UK)
February 1, 2005... Coral Cay Conservation, a British not-for-profit organisation that works to protect, restore and manage coral reefs and tropical rainforests, has relaunched its website. The spruced-up site provides the latest news on expeditions, press...

Reaping the rewards.(Responsible Tourism Awards)
February 1, 2005... The Responsible Tourism Awards recognize individuals, companies and organisations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to the cultures and economies of local communities and are providing a positive contribution to...

Travel for a living: Paul Miedema is the founder of Calabash Tours, which offers guided tours of the townships of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and was a joint overall winner of last year's Responsible Tourism Awards. Tom Chesshyre talks to him about the company's philosophy and the future of South African tourism.(Interview)
February 1, 2005... How did Calabash begin? When I was a student, the driving force in my life was fighting apartheid. It was the big issue for me, and others like me. It was all-consuming: we existed to oppose this system. When it ended, I realised that I...

In conversation: Chief Newton Jibunoh is the veteran of two expeditions across the Sahara. He speaks to Christian Amodeo about his new book and the organisation Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE) of which he is the founder.(Interview)
February 1, 2005... What was your first experience of deserts? I crossed the Sahara alone in 1965. It was an adventure for a crazy young man who had finished his studies in London and was ready to face the world. The 1960s were the decade of the Space Race and...