...is in town. And that's pretty darn amazing for this place.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Security at the Corinthia
Short and early post this week as I'm off to Paris tomorrow, yeah, it's a tough life, I know. No photos for this entry, the reason for which will become apparent.
Last week, Mr G met with the Egyptian president in the Corinthia Hotel. Either the Corinthia staff neglected to inform Blue Sun (based in the Corinthia's business centre next to the hotel) or they themselves were taken by surprise when a bunch of security people showed up and turfed everyone out of the hotel. The first the Ambassador knew about it was when he arrived at work and was not allowed to drive into the business centre carpark. No one was allowed to park anywhere within the complex for the day, and when the Ambassador left the office for lunch, it took some fast talking to be allowed back in (remember, his offices are based next to the hotel, not in it; they don't even share a common entrance).
One Blue Sunner snapped a photo of Mr G from his office window using his mobile phone. It turns out Mr G doesn't like candid photos; a security officer showed up a few minutes later and confiscated the phone. It's the second phone he's lost to officials here, the first being pinched by a police officer when he wouldn't hand over cash to pay a 'fine'.
Unrelated note: one of the pleasures of living here is how things you take for granted at home can just make your day here. My day was made today by: finding fresh mushroom and a decent brand of peanut butter, the appearance of my second cherry tomato seedling while the first one is thriving, and the opening of our first (so far, only) rose of the season; whatever the variety is, it's got the best scent I've ever encountered in a rose.
The weather, after a few weeks of random windy, overcast and/or humid days, has turned clear and hot, and I've taken my first swim of summer. Reading, and very much enjoying, The True History of the Kelly Gang. Watching 24, finally we're up the last few episodes of the season, which has felt very long and stupid. Knitting nothing at the moment.
No post next week.
Last week, Mr G met with the Egyptian president in the Corinthia Hotel. Either the Corinthia staff neglected to inform Blue Sun (based in the Corinthia's business centre next to the hotel) or they themselves were taken by surprise when a bunch of security people showed up and turfed everyone out of the hotel. The first the Ambassador knew about it was when he arrived at work and was not allowed to drive into the business centre carpark. No one was allowed to park anywhere within the complex for the day, and when the Ambassador left the office for lunch, it took some fast talking to be allowed back in (remember, his offices are based next to the hotel, not in it; they don't even share a common entrance).
One Blue Sunner snapped a photo of Mr G from his office window using his mobile phone. It turns out Mr G doesn't like candid photos; a security officer showed up a few minutes later and confiscated the phone. It's the second phone he's lost to officials here, the first being pinched by a police officer when he wouldn't hand over cash to pay a 'fine'.
Unrelated note: one of the pleasures of living here is how things you take for granted at home can just make your day here. My day was made today by: finding fresh mushroom and a decent brand of peanut butter, the appearance of my second cherry tomato seedling while the first one is thriving, and the opening of our first (so far, only) rose of the season; whatever the variety is, it's got the best scent I've ever encountered in a rose.
The weather, after a few weeks of random windy, overcast and/or humid days, has turned clear and hot, and I've taken my first swim of summer. Reading, and very much enjoying, The True History of the Kelly Gang. Watching 24, finally we're up the last few episodes of the season, which has felt very long and stupid. Knitting nothing at the moment.
No post next week.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Gharyan II, Take II
Tsk, tsk, Cafe Marcus, I plug you on my blog and the next time the Ambassador goes there, you can't do lattes, fresh fruit smoothies, or some of your paninis...end of the week supply problems, I see...
Anyway, on to what I tried to post last week, about the other major attraction up in Gharyan, the Berber underground houses, also known as troglodyte houses. These photos are of one up on the escarpment, which has been repaired, refurbished and decorated in traditional fashion. It's about two hundred years old according to a sign on the way in (the rest of the signs are in Arabic). It was, of course, created mostly as defense against the heat. This first photo is taken standing at the top looking down into the courtyard.
The first time I came here, I was finding my way by following signs, which petered out halfway through. I pulled over at some ruined ones (most have been abandoned now for modern homes), thinking they were what the signs referred to, only to have an old man come wandering down the road to beckon us on up to the end of the road, where he also had a young boy serve us tea in traditional Arabic fashion. The pit in the middle was for drainage; since this photo was taken, it's been covered up with decking and more tables and chairs have been arranged on it. It is a stop-off for tourists - we saw a busload arriving as we were leaving after our tea (it also has shiny, clean modern toilets).
You reach the courtyard level via a tunnel reminscent of Ghadames. This photo shows what one guide told the Ambassador is an escape tunnel, which leads to neighbouring underground houses should the occupants of this one fall under attack or otherwise need to visit without coming up to ground level. It would have been reached via a ladder arrangement.
Each arched doorway leads to living spaces, which appear to be combined living, dining and sleeping rooms - the sleeping area is the raised area at the back, with the cloth hanging up to act as screens when necessary. The kitchens/cooking fires were in separate, much smaller cubbyhole rooms; this house had two. I imagine each sub-unit of a larger kin-family had a room each, though I'm not entirely sure of that.
This house also has traditional handicrafts displayed, such as this loom. Since this visit, they've added the ultra-traditional sale of tourist t-shirts to their display...
The underground houses are of course not limited to Libya and most of you will recognise their general layout from Star Wars (filmed in Tunisia).
One interesting story the guide also told the Ambassador is that each Berber family is responsible for olive tree(s) and the health of the trees is directly related to the health of the tribe...apparantly this is a tradition dating back to when the olives trees were planted by the Italians - no, not the ones here last century, but the Roman ones from a couple of thousand years ago. This caused some scepticism, but it turns out olive trees really can live that long.
Knitting: a scarf in lovely Jo Sharp yarn. Reading: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. Watching: Control Room, a documentary. Spacing a bit funky this week, not sure what's going on there...
Anyway, on to what I tried to post last week, about the other major attraction up in Gharyan, the Berber underground houses, also known as troglodyte houses. These photos are of one up on the escarpment, which has been repaired, refurbished and decorated in traditional fashion. It's about two hundred years old according to a sign on the way in (the rest of the signs are in Arabic). It was, of course, created mostly as defense against the heat. This first photo is taken standing at the top looking down into the courtyard.The first time I came here, I was finding my way by following signs, which petered out halfway through. I pulled over at some ruined ones (most have been abandoned now for modern homes), thinking they were what the signs referred to, only to have an old man come wandering down the road to beckon us on up to the end of the road, where he also had a young boy serve us tea in traditional Arabic fashion. The pit in the middle was for drainage; since this photo was taken, it's been covered up with decking and more tables and chairs have been arranged on it. It is a stop-off for tourists - we saw a busload arriving as we were leaving after our tea (it also has shiny, clean modern toilets).
You reach the courtyard level via a tunnel reminscent of Ghadames. This photo shows what one guide told the Ambassador is an escape tunnel, which leads to neighbouring underground houses should the occupants of this one fall under attack or otherwise need to visit without coming up to ground level. It would have been reached via a ladder arrangement.
Each arched doorway leads to living spaces, which appear to be combined living, dining and sleeping rooms - the sleeping area is the raised area at the back, with the cloth hanging up to act as screens when necessary. The kitchens/cooking fires were in separate, much smaller cubbyhole rooms; this house had two. I imagine each sub-unit of a larger kin-family had a room each, though I'm not entirely sure of that.
This house also has traditional handicrafts displayed, such as this loom. Since this visit, they've added the ultra-traditional sale of tourist t-shirts to their display...
The underground houses are of course not limited to Libya and most of you will recognise their general layout from Star Wars (filmed in Tunisia).
One interesting story the guide also told the Ambassador is that each Berber family is responsible for olive tree(s) and the health of the trees is directly related to the health of the tribe...apparantly this is a tradition dating back to when the olives trees were planted by the Italians - no, not the ones here last century, but the Roman ones from a couple of thousand years ago. This caused some scepticism, but it turns out olive trees really can live that long.
Knitting: a scarf in lovely Jo Sharp yarn. Reading: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. Watching: Control Room, a documentary. Spacing a bit funky this week, not sure what's going on there...
Monday, May 07, 2007
Cafe Marcus
The computer spat the dummy and ate my post, so I've spat the dummy and am not going to re-create it until next weekend. In the meantime, for readers in Tripoli itself, let me give a little plug to the new (as far as I know, but I haven't bestirred myself to that area for months) cafe near the Arch (next to the 'Arch restaurant', which I know has a real name that I have never yet used) in the medina, Cafe Marcus.
Last time I went past, the courtyard this cafe is in was a ruined space locked up and full of rubble. Now it's been refurbished without removing all its personality, does cafe latte (!) and cafe mocha (!!), does strawberry and banana smoothies, does paninis (though we didn't try any of those, can't vouch for them), has a great atmosphere and a lovely view, and is in general an upstanding establishment.
Last time I went past, the courtyard this cafe is in was a ruined space locked up and full of rubble. Now it's been refurbished without removing all its personality, does cafe latte (!) and cafe mocha (!!), does strawberry and banana smoothies, does paninis (though we didn't try any of those, can't vouch for them), has a great atmosphere and a lovely view, and is in general an upstanding establishment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)