Blogs from Libya, Africa - page 9

We spent the afternoon walking around the ancient roman ruins of Sabratha, located in Coastal Tripoltania. Frist we went to see the Amphitheatre which was set right on the Mediterranean and then drive along the Old Road to Oea to see the Antonine Temple, Judicial Basilica, Byzantine Wall, Forum, Temple of Serapis, and the Temple of Isis. It is quite a magnificent site, perched across such a large area and with a beautiful setting on the water, you can almost picture life as it was. We found it strange that there were so little people around! If these ruins were in Western Europem you would have to wait hours to get in! We were told however that as we were here in the "off season" that most of the European tour groups tend to avoid the ... read more

Arrived in Libya expecting a dry arid country, but I was very surprised by the greenery - Orange, olive and lemon trees near the coast, and palms in the interior. That is not to say that water is not a concern. Libya's huge project the Great (great artery of life) man made river brings water from the south to fill storage containers near the coast. Traffic circles often feature styalised wells or water containers. Tripoli- is a beautiful town, not too many cars, great for walking, and has real attractions such as the Red Castle, the old wall, Green Square with its coffee shops, and best of all the old Souq. The Souq comes with winding old alleys, interesting shops, it is right out of 1001 nights. The only downside is that coffee in Libya is ... read more