2021-01-11
Aït Benhaddou, Atlas Mountains, Morocco (© Alex Cimbal/Shutterstock)
At the eastern edge of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Aït Benhaddou stands suspended in time. The mud-brick 'ksar' (fortified city) was first built roughly 1,000 years ago, catering to travelers along the former caravan route between the Sahara desert and the city of Marrakesh. As a prime example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture, Aït Benhaddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It's no longer teeming with the large numbers of people who once lived there. But there are small markets and a few families within the city who cater to the visitors who come to walk its historic streets. As a symbol of Morocco's enduring history, Aït Benhaddou would be a fine place to reflect upon the events of January 11, 1944, when Moroccan nationalists issued a public proclamation calling for the independence of their country, an audacious action that sparked the movement that would end colonialism by 1956.
Aït Benhaddou, Atlas Mountains, Morocco (© Alex Cimbal/Shutterstock)
At the eastern edge of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Aït Benhaddou stands suspended in time. The mud-brick 'ksar' (fortified city) was first built roughly 1,000 years ago, catering to travelers along the former caravan route between the Sahara desert and the city of Marrakesh. As a prime example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture, Aït Benhaddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It's no longer teeming with the large numbers of people who once lived there. But there are small markets and a few families within the city who cater to the visitors who come to walk its historic streets. As a symbol of Morocco's enduring history, Aït Benhaddou would be a fine place to reflect upon the events of January 11, 1944, when Moroccan nationalists issued a public proclamation calling for the independence of their country, an audacious action that sparked the movement that would end colonialism by 1956.
2021-01-12
Antique iceboats on the frozen Hudson River near Astor Point in Barrytown, New York (© Mike Segar/REUTERS)
New York's Hudson River, winter of 2014: Temperatures were so cold for so long that sailors were able to take their antique wooden ice yachts out for a sail on this 20-mile stretch of thick ice. It was a rare sight for the area. Global warming meant that the Hudson River hadn't frozen thick enough for safe iceboating in years.
Antique iceboats on the frozen Hudson River near Astor Point in Barrytown, New York (© Mike Segar/REUTERS)
New York's Hudson River, winter of 2014: Temperatures were so cold for so long that sailors were able to take their antique wooden ice yachts out for a sail on this 20-mile stretch of thick ice. It was a rare sight for the area. Global warming meant that the Hudson River hadn't frozen thick enough for safe iceboating in years.
2021-01-13
Flamingos in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in Bolivia (© Art Wolfe/Danita Delimont)
Let's fly down to the Southern Hemisphere to enjoy a summer day at the Laguna Colorada in the southwestern corner of Bolivia. Also called the Red Lagoon, this 23-square-mile shallow salt lake sits at about 14,000 feet above sea level within the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in the Andes. At various times of the year, it can turn the shade of tomato soup due to microscopic red algae and sediments. During the rainy season from December to April, scores of flamingos flock to the area to dip their comb-like bills into the water to filter out delicious plankton and algae. You can find three of the six types of flamingos here—the Chilean, Andean, and the world's largest population of the endangered James's flamingo, once thought to be extinct.
Flamingos in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in Bolivia (© Art Wolfe/Danita Delimont)
Let's fly down to the Southern Hemisphere to enjoy a summer day at the Laguna Colorada in the southwestern corner of Bolivia. Also called the Red Lagoon, this 23-square-mile shallow salt lake sits at about 14,000 feet above sea level within the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in the Andes. At various times of the year, it can turn the shade of tomato soup due to microscopic red algae and sediments. During the rainy season from December to April, scores of flamingos flock to the area to dip their comb-like bills into the water to filter out delicious plankton and algae. You can find three of the six types of flamingos here—the Chilean, Andean, and the world's largest population of the endangered James's flamingo, once thought to be extinct.