Blogs from Libya, Africa

The chances of dying in a road crash in Africa are 26.6 out of 100,000—the highest in the world. Next on the list are Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific countries, with respective fatality rates of 19.9 and 17.3. Avoid these two countries: For every 100,000 people in Libya , there are an estimated 73.4 road traffic deaths. The next most dangerous country was Liberia, with a death rate of 33.7. And I thought South Africa, home of Barry the V was dangerous? With information from 180 countries around the world, WHO determined that low-income countries have the highest rate of road traffic fatalities. About 90 percent of all road deaths occur in these low-income countries, even though they only have about half of the world’s vehicles. Western Europe has the safest roads. In the U.S., the ... read more

It's been a difficult couple of weeks in Tripoli. The International press has been sure to sensationalise the situation but even the unexaggerated version has been pretty grim. That's why we were delighted to be offered the chance to leave the city and travel to ancient Leptis Magna during our final weekend here. Roadblocks and security checks have all been removed now so the only thing stopping us from getting there quickly was the rain. And boy did it rain! We drove through some serious flooding to get there but our driver was very good. He even slowed down when he saw the floodwater!! Our friend Claudia had arranged for a guide to meet us at a nearby villa famous for its mosaic floors. Instead he met us at Leptis Magna to tell us that it ... read more

Libya is a spectacular country with breathtaking scenery and incredible ancient ruins. It should be full of tourists enjoying everything on offer. Sadly that's not the case, but for us it means the opportunity to explore the ancient sites in peace and tranquility. Our friend Claudia arranged with a driver to come and pick us up last Saturday morning. Then we drove some 70km to the West to the ancient Roman city of Sabratha. The roads were empty (in stark contrast to the return journey to Tripoli) and we made good time getting there. On arrival we were a bit worried that it was closed but it was simply that with no visitors whatsoever the guardian had to be found to get someone to sell us entry tickets. Once inside we had the place to ourselves. ... read more

As we approached Misrata there were burned out hulks of tanks, and the buildings were regularly pockmarked with bullet-holes, or burst open by shells, rockets, or bombs. The war that had ended two years ago felt close. It felt real. But it was this backdrop of armed revolution, the resulting lack of governmental structure or services, and and the instability of the country that served to highlight the generosity and enthusiasm of the people we were meeting. In Misrata we met Moftah, a friend of one of the Tripoli guys, and spent the evening with him and his uncle. Misrata was were the bulk of the fighting had taken place during the war, and we gained a first-hand account of what it had been like. The people of Misrata had decided to resist Gadaffi, which resulted ... read more

A very early good morning from 40000ft above the Sahara. Its been a pleasant flight thus far, watched Tintin as my first movie, and it was worth my time. I slept for about 3 hours, but I cant seem to find sleep right now. I scored it quite lucky with my seating placement; sitting at a window with no one between myself and the aisle seat. In the aisle seat I met Maies, a travel agent from Mountain View, California. Had a good chat about her experiences in Africa, South Africa, Kenya and so forth. She also invited me to the Air France Lounge in Paris as her guest, so that means free food and a shower, something that I wouldnt be getting in any other case, so that is a really nice gesture. In trying ... read more