Years ago I had been in the Libyan Sahara Desert Benghazi for over 18 months working as a well site geologist. During that time I had made a mental "check it out list" of things in the region that deserved a closer look.

I was on a job about 200 miles southwest of Benghazi when I got my chance. About 7 a.m. one day, the drilling rig tool pusher told me he was going to drill another 50 feet, then make a trip to change bits. For the rest of the day the rig crews would be pulling out the drill-string of pipe to replace the drilling bit, and I would have absolutely nothing to do. It was my opportunity to play Richard the Libyan Tourist.

The rig was less than 30 miles from the coast, and I had noticed the remains of an old airplane on a ridge overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. That would be my first stop. I filled the tank of my Land Rover, told the tool pusher........

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