Interesting Things I've Seen in Tripoli

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Hello to ALL--well we've been here 9 days and I've seen a few interesting and unusual things along the roads and byways of Tripoli. The day after we arrived the driver, housboy and I were on the way back from my first shopping spree when I saw a camel sitting down in the back of a small lowbed pickup truck. I asked the "guys"" isn't that a bit unuaual for a camel to be laying/sitting in the back of a pickup truck?" They said no--he's probably going to be butchered and the meat sold--so I said--so you eat camel meat? They said yes and it's very good-that I should try it sometime---the houseboy said he use to work for some Americans from Oklahoma who loved the camel meat--okay enough said!!

The major street that is one block from our apt. has a lot of stores/shops of various kinds--from groceries to high fashion and furniture--so it's very busy--it goes to the center of the city and onward--it's not what I would call a "freeway"--just a major street--anyway the unusual thing about it is that there is NOT one stop light or stop sign and no speed limit signs posted anywhere--but the speed takes care of itself when there are a lot of cars/traffic and when there's not it also takes care of itself in that it becomes a "raceway"!!

We were out shopping for various things the other evening way past the center of the city--in an area which I can't spell or pronounce--let's just say that the driver said it was "east of Tripoli" kind of like "east of eden"--but a bit more fashionable because they did have stop lights---but never mind--we're waiting our turn at one of these "fashionable" lights and the car that is several cars behind us decides he is not going to wait so he just drives along beside everyone with his two right tires on the sidewalk and the other ones on the street and proceeded through the red light ahead of everyone else--yes, he made it through without an accident. This really adds new meaning to the bumper sticker I once saw that said, "If you don't like my driving then stay off of the sidewalk." WOW

Every morning I walk Maggie down to the Med. Sea side of our area--the sea is a beautiful greenish blue---the beach, however,needs Al Gore and his group to help---anyway--we're walking along the streets and byways above the sea and Maggie is smelling rather hard at "something"--so I look closer and it's a partial leg and foot of some animal--maybe a dog or a rather big cat---I pulled her away so quick that I really didn't want to stay and study which one it was.

Okay that's all for now hope you aren't turned off--as it's all just a GREAT ADVENTURE!! Sharon

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