handwritten post, no. 3

Wednesday, March 22
3:38pm, Tripoli

Sitting in the lobby of the swankiest hotel I've ever been in, let alone STAYED in. Yowza.

RECAP!

I think we left off at Qasr Lebia, still in Cyrenaica/Susa. From there, it was on to Ptolemais, the site that the OI partially excavated in the 1950s, and that has only been 10% excavated overall. The sites here are leaving a bit more to the imagination than in Egypt, mostly due to the absence of inscriptions. You could have the same pile of rubble in Egypt, but there'd be hieroglpyhs scrawled all over.



We had a great guide through the site, a city founded by Ptolemy I. What was interesting about it (to me) was the clear evidence of of roads. People WALKED here. You can see the major intersections. Most of the area is reduced to rockpiles, save for some exceptional spots, but the roads persevered. Roman speciality, right? You could even seen the curbs sometimes. Oh, and the chariot wheel tracks were still visible! Really brought the place alive-- evidence of actual human USE. Towering temples and statues are great, but a bit sterile. There was also a swimming pool in the main palace. Guess the Ptolemies found time for leisure between their many scandalous escapades. The cisterns were the highlight, though. Vast cavernous underwater vats for fresh water storage. We got to go down exploring.



The little gift shop was also the first sighting of the famed Qaddafi watches. I held off, figuring I'd get a better price in Tripoli (and I have).

After Ptolemais, we went to Tocra/Taucheira. The only memorable feature of this site was our guide. He was FABULOUS, in the most fabulous sense of the word. Totally clad in traditional Libyan garb, flowing tunic and pants with a decorative robe over top, turban wrapped on his head, but completely Western accessorized. Ray Ban sunglasses (think 80s, Risky Business-era Tom Cruise), bling bling silver watch, constantly ringing cellphone, cigarette dangling from his lips. And of course, he's an actor! Knew every stone on the site though.



After the site, we drove to Benghazi, the largest city in the area. Ate dinner at a Turkish restaurant then were hustled off to the warehouse they call their airport for our flight to Tripoli. That was an experience.

It was nearly 11 when we got to our hotel in Tripoli, and I was all ready to crash. Then I saw my room. I feel like a little kid lost in a five-star hotel. Giant fluffy bed, sofa, arm chairs, desk, armoir, TV entertainment center, separate bath and shower, all brand-new, all marble, all smartly decorated, view to the sea. Chocolate on my pillow! I've been craving dark chocolate for over a week now.

And the best part: my cell phone service kicked back in. Return to civilization!