Early post, I'm out to Malta tomorrow (visa issues). Probably no post next week.
No photos this week, I’m going to describe the women’s party of a Libyan wedding instead. If I say the wedding cake was seven tiers high and the white wedding dress was so meringue-y the bride needed help getting up stairs and sitting down, you’ll think it was just a grandiose Western wedding. Westernised, yes (or why else wedding cake and wedding dress), but still very different.
We (a group of Blue Sun wives, many of which had not in fact ever met the bride, who works at Blue Sun; we received the invite via our partners, with less than a week’s notice and without being expected to RSVP) arrived over an hour after the supposed start time due to football (soccer) match traffic, but we were still relatively early. A few Libyan women arrived at the same time we did, delivered by their husbands or fathers, dressed in the usual dark cover of the hijab; inside was a different story – over a hundred beautifully made-up women, almost all uncloaked, dressed to the nines in the biggest range of dresses/skirts I’ve ever seen, covering around 50 years of fashion and not a few fancy dress themes.
The bride herself didn’t arrive until after 11; before that, they played modern Arabic music painfully loudly and belly-danced and ululated. But when the male chef needed to deliver the cake, there was a transformation from a loud, gaudy room full of music and dancing to a drab bunch of covered women sitting quietly at tables demurely listening to muted music. It was like something out of the Far Side (you can guess the one I'm thinking of).
The costumes were revealed and music and dancing started up again once he left, we were given a macaroon-style biscuit and a funny almond milk drink, and then the bride finally showed up with her new husband, who she had reportedly only met a couple of times before. Again, everyone except his sisters covered up (including one lovely young Blue Sun worker, who even face-veiled, which she doesn’t normally do, except at weddings apparently – she did the same at the last wedding the Blue Sun wives attended), the music turned to an instrumental medley heavily featuring the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and we were given meals (at 11.30, mind you) while the bride and groom were video-taped (literally, they were using a massive video camera with full VHS-sized tapes) and photographed, sitting and standing on a little flower-laden platform.
We left after midnight after they cut the cake – not that this received the same attention as it would at a Western wedding (logically, since the cake is a Western thing; I think perhaps the candles on every table must be a Western thing too, because they stayed in their plastic and unlit), but I mention it because they used what looked like a samurai sword so they had the reach to cut the top tier, it was cool. But no speeches or anything ritualistic; the actual marriage contract was signed amongst the men a few days previously (the entire wedding goes on over seven or so days). I am guessing that the husband would have left shortly after we did, and then the real party would have started, but us early-rising Westerners didn’t have the staying power.
No photos, because the bride, despite having camera and video camera on her from the instant she entered the room and never a second’s respite, did not want us taking photos of her with our own cameras – in case we showed them to men.
Oh, and a nice touch – a treasure chest of Ferrero Rochers for the guests as they entered.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Things that have surprised me
That they have shiny new fire engines that respond really fast to fires (no, not me again) even though there’s no addresses; this wouldn’t have surprised me before I came, but it sure surprised me after a few months here.
How docile camels are. Stick four of them in the back of a ute, they just sit down and chew their cud and wait to go to slaughter. And how versatile utes are for animal transport: camels, cows, sheep, horses, all of them just get shoved in the back of the ute.
By sheer fluke, the car makes visible in the photos are real - there's a lot of Tayos and Suzys around here.
That these desert-descended people do not understand how precious and rare water is (e.g. the phenomenally wasteful practice of using water to wash every grain of sand off the marble terraces; it just blows straight back in, people). They’re rapidly exhausting their fossil water reservoir (laid down by the last ice age, it’s not replenishing next time it rains…) and yet flaring off ‘waste’ natural gas that could be used to run desalination plants. I fear for their future if they don’t learn water management. Including managing drainage for heavy rains – that’s a flooded pedestrian underpass.
That rubbish collection is voluntary; you pay 5-10LD a month if you want your rubbish taken away. Of course, everyone produces rubbish, so if you’re not paying, you’re dumping it on the side of the road or into the dry riverbeds. Hey, who cares what it looks and smells like and that rotting trash is a health hazard for the city, particularly when it rains, at least you’re saving a massive 2LD a week, right? But to some people, that is an onerous cost – the government supplies free housing and subsidised bread, it wouldn’t hurt to add rubbish collection to the list and not only provide employment for the poor African immigrants who sit on the main roads all day with the tools of their trade waiting for any kind of work, but also clean the place up for tourists and for the general wellbeing of its inhabitants.
That Robert De Niro has been here; our driver, who used to work for the hotel, had his photo taken with him. Tourism is becoming more and more common – these cruise ships in the harbour are near-daily sight. Note the traffic in the foreground; anywhere, even main roads, can become a parking lot if you just park there.
That it’s safer to step out into traffic here to cross the road then it would be Perth; here the cars will almost-invariably stop (or at least slow down) for you. Not that we make a habit of stepping out into traffic, but sometimes the only way to get across a road is to just start to cross. Which means that when driving you really have to watch out for pedestrians stepping out into traffic.
How docile camels are. Stick four of them in the back of a ute, they just sit down and chew their cud and wait to go to slaughter. And how versatile utes are for animal transport: camels, cows, sheep, horses, all of them just get shoved in the back of the ute.
By sheer fluke, the car makes visible in the photos are real - there's a lot of Tayos and Suzys around here.
That these desert-descended people do not understand how precious and rare water is (e.g. the phenomenally wasteful practice of using water to wash every grain of sand off the marble terraces; it just blows straight back in, people). They’re rapidly exhausting their fossil water reservoir (laid down by the last ice age, it’s not replenishing next time it rains…) and yet flaring off ‘waste’ natural gas that could be used to run desalination plants. I fear for their future if they don’t learn water management. Including managing drainage for heavy rains – that’s a flooded pedestrian underpass.
That rubbish collection is voluntary; you pay 5-10LD a month if you want your rubbish taken away. Of course, everyone produces rubbish, so if you’re not paying, you’re dumping it on the side of the road or into the dry riverbeds. Hey, who cares what it looks and smells like and that rotting trash is a health hazard for the city, particularly when it rains, at least you’re saving a massive 2LD a week, right? But to some people, that is an onerous cost – the government supplies free housing and subsidised bread, it wouldn’t hurt to add rubbish collection to the list and not only provide employment for the poor African immigrants who sit on the main roads all day with the tools of their trade waiting for any kind of work, but also clean the place up for tourists and for the general wellbeing of its inhabitants.
That Robert De Niro has been here; our driver, who used to work for the hotel, had his photo taken with him. Tourism is becoming more and more common – these cruise ships in the harbour are near-daily sight. Note the traffic in the foreground; anywhere, even main roads, can become a parking lot if you just park there.
That it’s safer to step out into traffic here to cross the road then it would be Perth; here the cars will almost-invariably stop (or at least slow down) for you. Not that we make a habit of stepping out into traffic, but sometimes the only way to get across a road is to just start to cross. Which means that when driving you really have to watch out for pedestrians stepping out into traffic.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Leptis II
I lied last week – those weren’t photos of the old forum, but the new forum, the Severan Forum. The head photo from last week, taken in the Severan Forum, is an example of a Gorgon head, which were mostly representations of the goddess Victory, but also there were some sea nymphs, and indeed some Medusas. The Hercules Fresco photo was taken the actual old forum, which was smaller and further from the heart of the city (or where the heart of the city changed to when Severus built his new forum).
Now, this week. First the hunting baths, looking decidedly like something out of Star Wars. These are quite a walk along the beach to the west of the main city, and are not open to the public (and are gradually disappearing back under the sand), but you can get in around the back, and there are some wonderful frescos and mosaics inside.
This, for example, is a fresco of hunters and animals in the amphitheatre, which gave the baths the name (they were not used by hunters, they just depicted hunters).
Back to the city, this is the Leptis theatre, not as impressive as the Sabratha one but still one of the oldest and largest stone theatres of the Roman world.
Near the theatre are these octagonal structures, thought to be markets – the nearer one in the photo for selling fabric (there’s a copy of a stone tablet for measuring lengths next to it), the other for fruit and vegetables. There would have been stalls set up all around the two structures. Possibly a fish market too, given the decorations on these pillars.
Beyond the markets, this game is etched into the stone; the idea, apparently, is to flick a marble from the edge along one of the grooves into the centre hollow.
This is an example of a type of sign you will find all around the city. According to our guide, these were good luck signs, but we had children with us – the other theory is that they pointed to the way to prostitutes.
Lastly the amphitheatre, which once held 16,000 people and hosted all the typically Roman stuff – the lions vs chained criminals or Christians, the gladiators. This is just amazing, not least the restoration work it would have taken to get this thing dug up.
Now, this week. First the hunting baths, looking decidedly like something out of Star Wars. These are quite a walk along the beach to the west of the main city, and are not open to the public (and are gradually disappearing back under the sand), but you can get in around the back, and there are some wonderful frescos and mosaics inside.
This, for example, is a fresco of hunters and animals in the amphitheatre, which gave the baths the name (they were not used by hunters, they just depicted hunters).
Back to the city, this is the Leptis theatre, not as impressive as the Sabratha one but still one of the oldest and largest stone theatres of the Roman world.
Near the theatre are these octagonal structures, thought to be markets – the nearer one in the photo for selling fabric (there’s a copy of a stone tablet for measuring lengths next to it), the other for fruit and vegetables. There would have been stalls set up all around the two structures. Possibly a fish market too, given the decorations on these pillars.
Beyond the markets, this game is etched into the stone; the idea, apparently, is to flick a marble from the edge along one of the grooves into the centre hollow.
This is an example of a type of sign you will find all around the city. According to our guide, these were good luck signs, but we had children with us – the other theory is that they pointed to the way to prostitutes.
Lastly the amphitheatre, which once held 16,000 people and hosted all the typically Roman stuff – the lions vs chained criminals or Christians, the gladiators. This is just amazing, not least the restoration work it would have taken to get this thing dug up.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Leptis Magna I
Also Lepcis Magna. World heritage site, uncovered in the 1920s and still being excavated. It was originally founded by the Phoenicians, 10th Century BC, changed hands several times, became part of the Roman empire 1st Century BC, abandoned after various earthquakes and invasions around 500AD. One of best preserved Roman ruins anywhere in the world. A lot of people told us that once you've seen Leptis, Sabratha is a disappointment, but I still think that smaller city has its attractions, particularly its mosaics and theatre. Leptis is bigger, certainly - these photos I'm going to post can't show the scale of it. And there's so much detail, and more to show the everyday life, I think.
Leptis's big claim to fame as a Roman city is producing the 'cruel African' Emperor Septimius Severus. This is an arch erected at the major crossroads in his honour.
And a close-up of some of the detail of the arch - couple of thousand years old, remember.
This photo is back down the other road of the crossroads. It shows how much is still covered - on either side of this road, are buried homes and streets. It's sad to think of the city gradually being covered by sand, the last inhabitants bricking up doors and laneways trying to keep the sand out of the bit of the city still alive.
One of the major structures of Leptis, the public baths. In there were covered and open-air communal toilets, hot and cold baths, steam rooms etc.
This is the old forum. You can see this part has not been re-constructed yet (probably won't be, given the size of the task). We're standing on top of a temple to take this photo. We ate lunch up there too.
Scattered throughout the fragments are dozens or more of these heads - I call them medusa heads, but I think they are actually portraits of a goddess for luck (no Lonely Planet again this week, and I've forgotten what our guide told us).
Hercules was one of the patrons/mascots of the city. Here he is wrestling the lion in one of his tasks.
Griffins are also common.
Off near the ocean are these pillars - once they lined arcades in a typically impressive Roman fashion; during various years of European control of this area, pillars like these ones were shipped off to France, Italy, etc and can now be seen in such places as Versailles. These ones knocked down and dragged to the beach but no ship could be found to move them; here they lie a few hundred years later as an example of colonial pillaging.
Next week, the theatre, the hunting baths, the market, and the amphitheatre. And then I'm hoping I can post some everyday photos rather than constant touristy shots so you can see what life is like here.
Leptis's big claim to fame as a Roman city is producing the 'cruel African' Emperor Septimius Severus. This is an arch erected at the major crossroads in his honour.
And a close-up of some of the detail of the arch - couple of thousand years old, remember.
This photo is back down the other road of the crossroads. It shows how much is still covered - on either side of this road, are buried homes and streets. It's sad to think of the city gradually being covered by sand, the last inhabitants bricking up doors and laneways trying to keep the sand out of the bit of the city still alive.
One of the major structures of Leptis, the public baths. In there were covered and open-air communal toilets, hot and cold baths, steam rooms etc.
This is the old forum. You can see this part has not been re-constructed yet (probably won't be, given the size of the task). We're standing on top of a temple to take this photo. We ate lunch up there too.
Scattered throughout the fragments are dozens or more of these heads - I call them medusa heads, but I think they are actually portraits of a goddess for luck (no Lonely Planet again this week, and I've forgotten what our guide told us).
Hercules was one of the patrons/mascots of the city. Here he is wrestling the lion in one of his tasks.
Griffins are also common.
Off near the ocean are these pillars - once they lined arcades in a typically impressive Roman fashion; during various years of European control of this area, pillars like these ones were shipped off to France, Italy, etc and can now be seen in such places as Versailles. These ones knocked down and dragged to the beach but no ship could be found to move them; here they lie a few hundred years later as an example of colonial pillaging.
Next week, the theatre, the hunting baths, the market, and the amphitheatre. And then I'm hoping I can post some everyday photos rather than constant touristy shots so you can see what life is like here.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Nalut
These are photos of the fortified granary at Nalut (which we re-named Wali since its name in Arabic writing on the roadsigns looked like that), on our way to and from Ghadames, and mentioned in the Ghadames I entry. According to the Lonely Planet, this is not even the best of these granaries in this area.
This is the view from the front. There was sign in Nalut announcing some kind of tourist festival the weekend we passed through, but we didn't see any other sign of it.
And around the back, where you come up from the carpark. You can see less fortified around this way.
Inside, it's full of these storage holes in the walls, once with palm-trunk doors. A keeper would be able to remember which family was using which hole and what they had in there - and there's something like 400 holes. They stored grains, crops, oil etc. Some of the storage areas are big enough to walk into, and these were sometimes sub-divided.
This path took you around the granary, in more or less a circle.
And this was a millstone, moved by donkey probably.
We went to Leptis Magna a few weeks ago, so I'll post photos of that over the next few weeks.
This is the view from the front. There was sign in Nalut announcing some kind of tourist festival the weekend we passed through, but we didn't see any other sign of it.
And around the back, where you come up from the carpark. You can see less fortified around this way.
Inside, it's full of these storage holes in the walls, once with palm-trunk doors. A keeper would be able to remember which family was using which hole and what they had in there - and there's something like 400 holes. They stored grains, crops, oil etc. Some of the storage areas are big enough to walk into, and these were sometimes sub-divided.
This path took you around the granary, in more or less a circle.
And this was a millstone, moved by donkey probably.
We went to Leptis Magna a few weeks ago, so I'll post photos of that over the next few weeks.
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