The island where we now found ourselves was destitute of trees. We were, therefore, obliged to depend upon the wood that the sea brought us to build our cabins and warm ourselves. We gave to this desert place the name of Bering island, in honor of the chief of our expedition, and it was there [...]
All over the Kingdom store windows display huge replicas of the latest perfume. They beckon invitingly with unspoken words of glamour and fulfilment, mystery and excitement. Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest consumers of bottled fragrances; but this is perhaps not so surprising when one recalls that it was in this part of [...]
But the most startling sights were the massive sarcophagi, bearing eloquent testimony to the wealth of this rocky, remote and waterless city, and to the dedicated perseverance of the people who worked this hand-hewn rock, creating a silent tribute to the departed. Long since pillaged by ancient robbers, one can still see the carefully created [...]
We parked the car in the pine-shaded parking lot and began the trek up the narrow path, actually ‘The King’s Way’, the main access to the city. A glimpse through the trees revealed an ancient propylon — a building constructed in honour of the Roman Emperor Hadrian about AD 130. This early view whetted our [...]