Culture

The pace of change in Saudi Arabia recently is giddying with locals embracing never-before-seen levels of freedom. Local women, in particular, are being relieved of the burden that was the draconian laws regarding dress, driving, observance, overseas travel and seem to be rushing headfirst into a new era with gusto.

Planning an adventure always sounds full of excitement, a daring-do attitude and just a hint of spontaneity. However, planning a trip into the inhospitable reaches of Namibia puts one on the edge of one's seat. We had avoided dwelling upon the strong probability of getting deeply and irretrievably stuck in the fine, red sands of the Namib desert, that stretches for 81,000 km, or of running out of water in probably the oldest and most deceptive deserts in the world...

Upon the crest of a wave I see
hidden memories held within.
New ones created, from every bough
on every ship, that travels bound for some new pasture.
Such hope and yet such loss, 
is the ocean's promise.
It's force men think can be tamed.

Tignes is a group of villages that form a high-altitude ski resort in the French Alps, near the Italian border. With nearby Val d’Isère, it’s part of the Espace Killy ski area, linked by a network of lifts. Val Claret and Tignes Le Lac villages are lively hubs, with restaurants and shops. In summer, the area offers trails, golf and a bike park, plus ski runs on the Grande Motte glacier. Elevation: 1,810 m Area1: 81.63 km2 (31.52 sq mi)

La Niña is sometimes referred to as the cold phase of ENSO and El Niño as the warm phase of ENSO. These deviations from normal surface temperatures can have large-scale impacts not only on ocean processes, but also on global weather and climate.