i mentioned a while ago that i always try to pick up a map in the native language of the countries that i visit. i never did get that egyptian map, but lately i've been really glad that i picked up a map of mali when i was there in 2001. it's hanging in our second floor hallway. when i bought it, i never would have guessed that the location of small towns like diabaly, hombori, and ansongo would be so important to understanding articles in the NYT (or that the times wouldn't bother to publish a friggin map that included those places).
