LIBYA/2005

"American?" said the man drinking cappucino at the outdoor cafe,
" Welcome to Libya, we are happy to see you here!"
Our trepidation dissolved, as we were generously shown all that
this sleepy, yet modern country has preserved in it's 12,000 year
history of civilization. Tripoli, with it's white washed facades,
and Turkish mosques, is Mediterranean in flavor. We wandered
through the medina, marveling at the meandering alleys of the souq,
the buildings layered with evidence of Caravans, Ottomons and Romans.
Our first week was filled with warring Greek gods and Roman excess,
seen at the finest Roman and Greek cities on the Mediterranaean.
Leptis Magna, Sabratha and Cyrene produced mosaics, statues,
amphitheaters and baths at the artistic height of each empire.
The second week was spent camping in the Sahara desert. Our Tuareg
jeep drivers raced and bounced us over steep sand dunes, wrapped turban
shesh on our heads for our three day camel ride, then sang haunting
traditional love songs to a tribal drum beat, under a full moon and meteor
filled sky. We saw 10,000 year old rock art pictures of grazing giraffes, hippos,
and hunting stories on ancient wadi walls. We visited oases of water in the
middle of the Great Sand Sea, found ocean fossils, and bought jewelry from
Tuareg nomads. It was a truly magical trip!!





























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