back home! ... in tripoli, that is, at the corinthia. i'm getting far too attached to this hotel.
it initially seemed cruel to make us go from lavish indulgence to last night's well, let's be honest, dump in zliten (we were hunting for saran wrap to cover the beds.. i ended up making a cocoon out of a seemingly safe blanket from the closet). it just makes me appreciate this place even more.
and holy crap: i scored a junior suite this time. it's bigger than my apartment. just when you think it doesn't get any better... damn. let's compare:
zliten:
- cracked toilet seat
- stained bedspread
- no light bulb in the lamp
- dim, buzzing overhead lighting
- drip drop of hot water
- full stream of yellow cold water
- mosquitoes
- had to keep curtains wide open to get A/C, street light pouring in
- quarter-size dollop of sauce on my spaghetti
tripoli:
- TWO bathrooms
- TWO TVs, including a flat screen in the bedroom
- TWO seating areas beside giant picture windows with a 24th floor view of the sea
- L-shaped desk as big as my office
- high-class toiletries (all of which i will be stealing)
- real terrycloth bathrobes
- complimentary apples, nuts, and chocolates on the table
my job is hard sometimes.
this is really just to soften us up for what's to come: two night's of spartan accommodation before the camp out in the sahara.
Showing posts with label tripoli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tripoli. Show all posts
25 March 2006
23 March 2006
back to real time posting.. for now
Thursday, March 23 (I think..)
8:12 pm, Tripoli
I'm losing track of what day it is.
Tripoli has been FUN. Yesterday we got to explore the city, which was not only a welcome break from hiking over ruins all day, it meant a change of SHOES. Hello sandals!
We started off as a group at the Jamahiriya Museum, the national museum of Libya. First few floors are filled with archaeological artifacts found from throughout the country from way back when to not so long ago. It's a beautiful museum, very well arranged and displayed. But all of the labels are in Arabic... As is everything in Tripoli, and most of Libya. One of Qaddafi's edicts I suppose. Keep out the Western influence.
Qaddafi's VW bug
We had a guide through the archaeological floors, then we were left on our own. I wandered up to the top floor, history of the military and Libyan Resistance. Our guide insisted on coming with, and I see why. Gone were the loafing college kid museum guards. Up there, it's men in suits watching your every move. I was too self-conscious to take a photo. We were greeted by a gigantic photo of Qaddafi at the top of the stairs, then taken through the resistance against the Italian occupation and the rise of The Colonel. Helloooooo propaganda. There are two galleries devoted entirely to gifts given to the man. The next gallery is full of photos of him shaking hands with various world leaders and fan letters from his people (wish I could read Arabic...). Then there's the oil room. It was a little creepy, to be honest. Even creepier is that those galleries share the floor with the taxidermy, so in my attempt to flee the Libyan SS guards, I run into a gazelle being chewed by a coyote or something. No happy nature scenes here, folks. Our guide made a specific effort to point out the oddities case: two-headed cows, three-legged chicken, a sheep with no eyes. No thanks! Ran back to the lobby.
Then the fun began.
We wandered through the old city, where all the suqs and shops are located. Not as chaotic as the one bazaar we happened upon in Egypt, but this was primarily tourist stuff; that one was actual functional goods for everyday people. I finally got to flex my shopping muscles. Mohammad, one of our guides (actually, our only since Linda fired the other guy) came along with me to assist with the pricing... We tore through that joint. My arms were full in about 15 minutes. Still need to get some gifts for people though.
Tripoli is a lot more, eh, advanced than I expected. People here are much more stylish than in the rest of the country, and Egypt even. The clothing is much tighter. Women still wear headscarves, though not as much as in Egypt, and almost all are drenched in makeup. The catcalls have resumed. Maybe I should wrap my scarf around my head instead of my neck. Thinking about looking into a fake wedding ring, too. After touring today, we had the afternoon off. I hung out at home, as I've taken to calling our hotel, then went back to the suq on my own. (It's really close to the hotel.) Of course, everyone else in the group had the same idea so I strolled around with a few people once I got there.
Oh yeah, touring. The reason I'm here. We went to Sabratha this morning, one of the sites to see in Libya (the other being Leptis Magna, tomorrow's destination). It's another huge site, very well-preserved, right on the Mediterranean coast, as all of these sites are. The shining star of this spot is the theater, which has been impressively reconstructed. Three storeys tall, beautiful carvings and reliefs still in tact. The weather was once again amazing, so the beige stone really popped against the sea and the sky.
Wall mosaic at Sabratha
Now, I've just returned from my urban exploration. Thinking about taking a bath and ordering room service. Why not?? I'm getting a little sick of being around people, which is not to say that I want to go home (though I am counting down the days... 11 to go), I just want some alone time.
Tomorrow we drive east to Leptis Magna, where we'll be all day. It's far enough out that we're staying in a local hotel instead of coming back to the palace. Bummer. But we'll be back here the night after, which is the last night of the "official" tour before the extension into the Sahara begins. Some people will be going home. The rest of us will be heading south in 4x4s over the sand dunes.
8:12 pm, Tripoli
I'm losing track of what day it is.
Tripoli has been FUN. Yesterday we got to explore the city, which was not only a welcome break from hiking over ruins all day, it meant a change of SHOES. Hello sandals!
We started off as a group at the Jamahiriya Museum, the national museum of Libya. First few floors are filled with archaeological artifacts found from throughout the country from way back when to not so long ago. It's a beautiful museum, very well arranged and displayed. But all of the labels are in Arabic... As is everything in Tripoli, and most of Libya. One of Qaddafi's edicts I suppose. Keep out the Western influence.
Qaddafi's VW bug
We had a guide through the archaeological floors, then we were left on our own. I wandered up to the top floor, history of the military and Libyan Resistance. Our guide insisted on coming with, and I see why. Gone were the loafing college kid museum guards. Up there, it's men in suits watching your every move. I was too self-conscious to take a photo. We were greeted by a gigantic photo of Qaddafi at the top of the stairs, then taken through the resistance against the Italian occupation and the rise of The Colonel. Helloooooo propaganda. There are two galleries devoted entirely to gifts given to the man. The next gallery is full of photos of him shaking hands with various world leaders and fan letters from his people (wish I could read Arabic...). Then there's the oil room. It was a little creepy, to be honest. Even creepier is that those galleries share the floor with the taxidermy, so in my attempt to flee the Libyan SS guards, I run into a gazelle being chewed by a coyote or something. No happy nature scenes here, folks. Our guide made a specific effort to point out the oddities case: two-headed cows, three-legged chicken, a sheep with no eyes. No thanks! Ran back to the lobby.
Then the fun began.
We wandered through the old city, where all the suqs and shops are located. Not as chaotic as the one bazaar we happened upon in Egypt, but this was primarily tourist stuff; that one was actual functional goods for everyday people. I finally got to flex my shopping muscles. Mohammad, one of our guides (actually, our only since Linda fired the other guy) came along with me to assist with the pricing... We tore through that joint. My arms were full in about 15 minutes. Still need to get some gifts for people though.
Tripoli is a lot more, eh, advanced than I expected. People here are much more stylish than in the rest of the country, and Egypt even. The clothing is much tighter. Women still wear headscarves, though not as much as in Egypt, and almost all are drenched in makeup. The catcalls have resumed. Maybe I should wrap my scarf around my head instead of my neck. Thinking about looking into a fake wedding ring, too. After touring today, we had the afternoon off. I hung out at home, as I've taken to calling our hotel, then went back to the suq on my own. (It's really close to the hotel.) Of course, everyone else in the group had the same idea so I strolled around with a few people once I got there.
Oh yeah, touring. The reason I'm here. We went to Sabratha this morning, one of the sites to see in Libya (the other being Leptis Magna, tomorrow's destination). It's another huge site, very well-preserved, right on the Mediterranean coast, as all of these sites are. The shining star of this spot is the theater, which has been impressively reconstructed. Three storeys tall, beautiful carvings and reliefs still in tact. The weather was once again amazing, so the beige stone really popped against the sea and the sky.
Wall mosaic at Sabratha
Now, I've just returned from my urban exploration. Thinking about taking a bath and ordering room service. Why not?? I'm getting a little sick of being around people, which is not to say that I want to go home (though I am counting down the days... 11 to go), I just want some alone time.
Tomorrow we drive east to Leptis Magna, where we'll be all day. It's far enough out that we're staying in a local hotel instead of coming back to the palace. Bummer. But we'll be back here the night after, which is the last night of the "official" tour before the extension into the Sahara begins. Some people will be going home. The rest of us will be heading south in 4x4s over the sand dunes.
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!
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!
22 March 2006
return of the internet!
Wednesday, March 22
7:16 am CST
3:16 pm, Tripoli, Libya
Well kids, I'm in Libya. The past three nights before Tripoli were spent in a town called Susa, in the eastern part of the country. The Libyan equivalent of the sticks from what I observed. Nothing, anywhere, for miles. Stunning scenery along the Mediterranean though. I wrote out a few entries about those sites (by hand, as my computer is dying and I'm afraid of Libyan voltage), which I'll transcribe later tonight.
The actual entry into Libya was more or less anticlimactic. Took us about two and half hours to cross the border on Saturday. What we crossed into was perhaps the most godforsaken land I've ever laid eyes on, exacerbated by the fact that we were driving right into a sandstorm. Hot, sandy, fierce winds blowing over barren, desolate desert. There was a collective drop in enthusiasm around the bus, as I'm sure we were all thinking, "what the f&*k are we doing here??"
Things could only get better from there, and they have. More to come later. Now: a visit to a few mosques, walk through the old town of Tripoli, and a shopping trip to the bazaars!
P.S. The Corinthia Bab Africa is the nicest hotel I have ever been in, and will probably ever be in, in my life. If the dark chocolate on the pillow wasn't enough, the free internet sealed the deal.
7:16 am CST
3:16 pm, Tripoli, Libya
Well kids, I'm in Libya. The past three nights before Tripoli were spent in a town called Susa, in the eastern part of the country. The Libyan equivalent of the sticks from what I observed. Nothing, anywhere, for miles. Stunning scenery along the Mediterranean though. I wrote out a few entries about those sites (by hand, as my computer is dying and I'm afraid of Libyan voltage), which I'll transcribe later tonight.
The actual entry into Libya was more or less anticlimactic. Took us about two and half hours to cross the border on Saturday. What we crossed into was perhaps the most godforsaken land I've ever laid eyes on, exacerbated by the fact that we were driving right into a sandstorm. Hot, sandy, fierce winds blowing over barren, desolate desert. There was a collective drop in enthusiasm around the bus, as I'm sure we were all thinking, "what the f&*k are we doing here??"
Things could only get better from there, and they have. More to come later. Now: a visit to a few mosques, walk through the old town of Tripoli, and a shopping trip to the bazaars!
P.S. The Corinthia Bab Africa is the nicest hotel I have ever been in, and will probably ever be in, in my life. If the dark chocolate on the pillow wasn't enough, the free internet sealed the deal.
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