F
Downstairs I ask whether it is OK for me to join
the guys for dinner. Ahmed assures me that,
because I am a western woman, it’s no
problem.
The spaghetti we ordered come with a plate of
couscous, a big salad and a plate of fries. There
or more than two hours Youssef is so much food on the table that we have
takes us around Leptis Magna. The city is
difficulty eating it all. When Billy manages to
especially well preserved, as most of it was
empty his plate of spag hetti, Ahmed shouts
hidden beneath a thick layer of sand for a long some orders to the kitchen. Another full plate
time. Only in the early 1920s were the first
of spaghetti is brought to our table and put in
buildings discovered. The important sites have front of Billy. Although he tries to politely
been uncovered, but it’s estimated that more
refuse, Ahmed insists that he accepts it. Billy
than half of the city is still underneath the
had already had enough, but he nevertheless
sand. Youssef leads us past houses, through
attempts to finish the kindly offered second
alleyways and over the main road. He shows us serving. After seeing him struggle, we leave a
the sewer system, the baths, the market square bit of our spaghetti on our plates and instead
and a beautiful theatre. It’s amazing! The
enjoy the tea Ahmed offers us. After dinner
highlight of the tour is the amphitheatre, an
another photo session follows. We take turns
huge round building that could seat up to
to be in the group picture and give our best
16,000 people. The acoustics are amazing;
smiles. When we want to pay, Ahmed only asks
from the top row we can hear the people on
for a fraction of the actual bill and gives each
the ground talking even if their voices are not
of us a packet of chewing gum for the road. It
raised. It must have been so impressive to be a does not stop!
spectator at one of the Emperor’s games and
see the wild animals and gladiators in the
It’s already quite late when we leave for
arena. It is so well preserved that even today it Youssef’s house. There are no streetlights
would be a great location for an event!
along the road and it’s pitch dark. We usually
After the tour, we ask Youssef directions to a
hotel. Again we witness Libyan hospitality first
hand when he invites us to his house. On our
way there, we first stop at a friend’s restaurant
to have dinner. We had not eaten anything
since breakfast and desperately wanted to
visit the bathroom, so we are happy to arrive at
the restaurant. We are welcomed by Ahmed,
the owner. The guys ask where the toilet is and
are pointed to a door in the back. When I
follow them, Youssef and Ahmed stop me. The
women's toilet is on the second floor. Once
upstairs, I realise I am in a secluded area of the
restaurant especially for women. It is not
customary for women to enjoy
their meals in the same room as
men who are not their husband, so
if women eat here, they will sit in
these areas separated from the
men.
avoid riding at night, especially in areas that
are not considered safe, but today we have no
choice. Youssef has turned on the hazard lights
of his car so we can see him in the dark, but at
the same time he drives so fast that we can
hardly keep up with him. We follow him at high
speed, avoiding parked trucks and potholes.
Not a fun ride and I am happy when he slows
down and leaves the main road. We follow a
dirt road and enter a garden with a small
orchard. We park our bikes in front of a big
house with multiple stories. Youssef explains
that it’s his family’s house and that he lives on
the first floor. He takes the men and their gear
to a room upstairs. When I go in the same
direction Youssef stops me. It takes a split
second before I understand that I am not meant
to go upstairs with the guys. Even though Peter
and I can stay in the same room, I cannot share
a room with Billy, Ross and Youssef and should
stay downstairs with his sisters instead.