Ahmad Faruqi

The drive from the Cairo airport to Giza went past some incredible Ottoman architecture and then passed the older Salahuddin’s aqueduct. Gradually, we were diving deeper into history. And then, out of nowhere, the Great Pyramid appeared on the horizon. Like an apparition, it hung in the air, shivering in the afternoon light. It was […]

We flew into Berlin on Lufthansa and were surprised that the airport was a bit on the smaller side, for a city with such a grand history. Our first day began with a 15-minute walk along the Unter den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate, located in the Parisiner Platz. More than any other object in […]

After showing us the towering surf at the North Shore, the pilot of the blue chopper turned the craft around. We were now flying over a verdant valley that would take us through a mountain range toward Pearl Harbour. We were in the front row. The craft had taken off very smoothly. We flew past […]

I had spotted an endless cable car on Lantau Island near the airport during my last visit but was not sure where it went. This time I was determined to conquer my fear of heights and ride in it. So on one bright Saturday morning I found myself boarding the cable car. I was with […]

We spent five wonderful days in Seoul, the soul of Asia, as the Koreans like to call it. Their currency is called the Won and with a name like that, you know they are out to win your hearts. We saw three of the imperial palaces, two of the indigenous markets, one ultra-modern shopping mall, […]

Our plane banked on its approach into Beijing and the Great Wall swung into view. Like a dragon lying along the high peaks of China, it seemed to be sunning itself one final time in the late October afternoon sun before the winter winds would sweep in from the vast planes of Mongolia. Fighter jets […]

Philip Island is located 78 miles from Melbourne, Australia. But the only reason we were going there was to check out the penguins that had made it their habitat. So for us it became Penguin Island. We were told that the birds would put on a “parade” an hour after sunset, by wading ashore and […]

Ever since I saw the film ‘South Pacific’, I had wanted to tour the South Seas, if for no other reason than to watch their fabulous sunsets. So when the chance came to visit Fiji, I grabbed it. I wanted the island to remain a mystery until I got there. I had naively assumed the […]

In the darkness of the early morning, we were navigating the High Andes of Chile in a small German-made SUV with a tour guide and driver. Our destination was El Tatio. We had read that the geysers of El Tatio put on their best showing at sunrise, sending plumes of steam to heights in excess […]

In many ways my trip to Japan had begun years ago, when I was a little boy in Pakistan. It was a little island near northern China. As I grew up, I discovered Japanese prints, poetry, Zen, and the Samurai. Eventually there came the sad episode which began with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor […]