| Pages | ||
|
Libya '80 Since the discovery of oil in 1959, the country suddenly became rich. No one had to work anymore. Everything could be imported including labor. Food was abundant but the lack of governmental planning meant supply was not reliable. Also, under strict Islamic law, women were confined to their homes. They were hardly seen in public and when they were, covered under burqa from head to toe and only one eye peering to see.
| |||
| Tripoli | Gharyan | Sabratha | |
| Father was assigned to Libya from 1977 to 1980. The country was under Gadhaffi's rule with his idea of 'Jamahiriya'. However, this meant that there was actually no government and the country was in disarray. Everyday life was difficult and my mother developed ulcer and requested my help. I quit my jpb in Osaka and went to help (more like moral support) for half a year until they were assigned to their next post. | |||
|
Tripoli was the capital of Libya. It was not a bustling city. People mostly stayed indoors for fear of getting in trouble. The roads had very few street signs or traffic lights, and not lit very well. The manholes often lacked lids so one had to drive really carefully. There were dead cars everywhere. In fact, those cars were often used as markings for roads that lacked signs. On TV, when it was on, they showed people being sentenced for some crime or another by the People's Court. It almost seemed like China during the Cultural Revolution. The only reliable source of news came from BBC short wave radio.
| ||
|
_ds191103153513.jpg Ambassador's residence, Tripoli.  |
_ds191103153607.jpg Produce market  |
_ds191103153700.jpg  |
|
_ds191103153754.jpg  |
_ds191103154256.jpg  |
_ds191103154359.jpg  |
|
_ds191103154452.jpg  |
_ds191103154546.jpg  |
_ds191103154830.jpg Tripoli Port  |
|
_ds191103154923.jpg  |
_ds191103155018.jpg  |
_ds191103155113.jpg  |
|
_ds191103155342.jpg  |
_ds191103155436.jpg  |
_ds191103155524.jpg  |
|
_ds191103155617.jpg  |
_ds191103155859.jpg  |
_ds191103155954.jpg  |
|
_ds191103160047.jpg  |
_ds191103160142.jpg Many new housings were being built in the outskirts of the city, mainly by the foreign companies (mostly European) hiring forein labor (mainly from Egypt and South and Souteastern Asia). These housings, however, lacked infrastructure due to lack of governmental planning.  |
_ds191103164045.jpg  |
|
_ds191103164139.jpg  |
_ds191103164232.jpg  |
_ds191103164326.jpg  |
|
_ds191103164628.jpg  |
_ds191103164721.jpg  |
_ds191103164815.jpg  |
|
_ds191103164909.jpg  |
_ds191103165125.jpg  |
_ds191103165220.jpg  |
|
_ds191103165314.jpg  |
_ds191103165407.jpg Agricultural institution affiliated with the university?  |
_ds191103171646.jpg  |
|
_ds191103171740.jpg  |
_ds191103171833.jpg  |
_ds191103171927.jpg  |
|
_ds191103172157.jpg  |
_ds191103172251.jpg  |
_ds191103172344.jpg  |
|
_ds191103172438.jpg  |
_ds191103172724.jpg Leptis Magna is one of the cities the ancient Romans built along the Mediterranean coast in North Africa. It is near Tripoli and I was amazed how well preserved it was, among the best Roman ruins I've seen.  |
_ds191103172818.jpg  |
|
_ds191103172911.jpg  |
_ds191103173005.jpg Roman public toilet. In those days, water was running in the ditch below.  |
_ds191103173351.jpg  |
|
_ds191103173445.jpg  |
_ds191103173537.jpg  |
_ds191103173631.jpg  |
|
_ds191103173851.jpg  |
_ds191103173945.jpg  |
_ds191103174038.jpg  |
|
_ds191103174132.jpg  |
_ds191103174441.jpg  |
_ds191103174536.jpg  |
|
_ds191103174629.jpg  |
_ds191103174724.jpg  |
_ds191103175011.jpg  |
|
_ds191103175105.jpg  |
_ds191103175200.jpg  |
|
|
Gharyan, a small city south of Tripoli. I don't remember why we went there. It is possible a Japanese company was building a satelite station there. I was more interested in the underground dwellings of the Berbers I happen to come across.
| ||
|
_ds191103175254.jpg Most of Libyan inlands was desert.  |
_ds191103175915.jpg  |
_ds191103180009.jpg With no shade or facility to picnic, we had to resort to spreading on the dirt ground.  |
|
_ds191103180103.jpg Pottery store?  |
_ds191103180156.jpg The big hole on the left was underground dwelling.  |
_ds191103180504.jpg  |
|
_ds191103180557.jpg Barbed wire warns people not to fall in. They also seem to have TV connection.  |
_ds191103180653.jpg  |
_ds191103180748.jpg  |
|
_ds191103181158.jpg The master of the house with our translator.  |
_ds191103181251.jpg Their dwelling was much cooler than ouside.  |
_ds191103181346.jpg  |
|
_ds191103181441.jpg Their livestock was separated in different rooms.  |
_ds191103182021.jpg  |
_ds191103182119.jpg  |
|
_ds191103182213.jpg A sattelite station was being build by a Japanese company?  |
_ds191103182307.jpg  |
_ds191103182558.jpg  |
|
_ds191103182653.jpg  |
_ds191103182748.jpg  |
|
|
Sabratha was the westernmost citiy of the "three cities" of the ancient Romans. The three tiered theater was magnificient and the mosaic floor was well protected.
| ||
|
_ds191103182842.jpg  |
_ds191106162951.jpg  |
_ds191106163045.jpg  |
|
_ds191106163138.jpg  |
_ds191106163232.jpg  |
_ds191106163533.jpg  |
|
_ds191106163626.jpg  |
_ds191106163719.jpg  |
_ds191106163829.jpg  |
|
_ds191106164254.jpg  |
_ds191106164351.jpg  |
_ds191106164446.jpg  |
|
_ds191106164543.jpg  |
_ds191106164852.jpg  |
_ds191106164945.jpg  |
|
_ds191106165038.jpg  |
_ds191106165132.jpg  |
_ds191106165549.jpg  |
|
_ds191106165643.jpg  |
_ds191106165737.jpg  |
|