Country guide

Argentina demands return of Falklands

The House That the Sheikh Built

In December, the 35th anniversary of the amazing state - the United Arab Emirates - is celebrated. Where else, one might ask, can you find a country where out of a population of about four and a half…

How Smokers Will Respond

Owners of nightclubs and pubs in the UK are dreading the summer of 2007, when a law banning smoking completely in these establishments comes into force. However, the active offensive against smokers…

Castles in the Desert

For centuries, the Berbers have honed the delicate art of survival. To defend against enemies, they devised an ingenious network of fortified structures, the secrets of which scientists are still…

Hungary's Open Doors

Officially, Hungary, along with nine other countries, joined the European Union on May 1, 2004. For Hungarians, this event had emotional and historical significance: the goal that the country had…

Mayan pyramids, tequila and sombrero

Mexico is three countries in one. The first keeps the silence of the gigantic pyramids and temples. Its inhabitants still call themselves Maya. They speak a language to which the conquistadors…

Mayan Pyramids, Tequila and Sombrero – 2

Born to Crawl – 2

However, most Indians, upon finding a snake under their roof, would never raise a stick against it, but would try to persuade it to leave the house peacefully. If the guest does not wish to heed a…

Born to Crawl

There are few places in the world where snakes feel as free as in India. You are not immune to encountering them not only in the jungle, on the bank of a river or lake, but also in the middle of a…

Tea is not vodka

Countries of Southeast Asia continue to deal with the consequences of the devastating tsunami that hit the region on the eve of the New Year. They are still counting the dead and injured, trying to…

Tea is not vodka – 2

Black tea at the Geragama plantation is produced the old-fashioned way – the very method the British taught the Sri Lankans. The collected leaves are brought to the factory, where they are subjected…

Hakuna Matata, or The Horrors of Kenyan Slums

My first impression of Kenya came to me on the London-Nairobi flight, which I rushed onto at the last minute, having run across the vast expanses of Heathrow Airport. Unlike the half-empty Boeing…