A Long Day in Libya

by Neil Harris

The giant cockroach that strutted across the floor as I used the facilities seemed to be in a good state of health, a reflection, perhaps, of the cleanliness of the squat toilet. There can't be many Englishmen who have been inside a Libyan police barracks in recent years; the fact that I was allowed in says something for Libyan hospitality.

It had been a long day. The hotel had neglected to wake me with the promised morning call at 0300hrs, so I was last, having risen, packed and run down the stairs to the coach in less than ten minutes. We left Apollonia at 0340hrs. We had expected to stay the night much closer to the eclipse site in eastern Libya, but Colonel Gadaffi had requisitioned our more convenient beds for his guests. Well, he is a dictator, isn't he?

French War Cemetery, Tobruk

We sped east along the coast road, stopping for coffee at a roadside café. Puddles filled the car park; thick fog had formed in the wake of overnight rain. We arrived at Tobruk in the mist; the British War Cemetery should have been our next stop. The Libyan police had other ideas. The coast road was closed: only guests of the Colonel were going to enjoy the coastal view. Luckily we were close to the entrance to the French War Cemetery. Oh well, we might as well have a look. Amongst the Frenchmen there were the graves of soldiers from Indochina, Senegal and at least one of Tunisian extraction. This was obvious from the flag on the tombstone. Alas, this grave had been desecrated. By whom? A Libyan political statement maybe?

We were sent inland on a road that led southeastwards into the desert. The mist turned back into thick fog. As a weather forecaster I assured my fellow travellers that it would lift. Thankfully I was proved right. About 100km into the desert, by now in bright sunshine and under absolutely clear skies, the Libyan police again stopped our progress. We were sent off piste into the desert past numerous Libyans camped out for the solar show. To our surprise in the 'middle of nowhere' a site had been prepared for the foreign eclipse watchers. A shaded area had been erected, also some facilities (the queue for the toilets was huge, cover being elusive in the flat gravelly expanse of the desert), a few souvenir shops and even Libyan scouts assembled singing revolutionary songs. Libyan TV was on hand to record the happy tourists. Some of our group were interviewed!

Eclipse-viewing in Libya

First contact produced an audible murmur, the light slowly changed to a shady hue, then totality arrived. A loud cheer erupted from the thousand or so assembled. Feverish activity followed as cameras clicked and telescopes were trained to greatest effect. Sunlight could be seen on the horizon, a weird sensation. Totality lasted for over four minutes, about as long as it gets. The conditions could not have been better. The overnight rain had laid the dust, while the sky was cloudless and visibility was excellent. A feeling of anti-climax arrived as the sun returned, though it was quite some time before the light returned to normal levels leading to an eerie aura for some time.

We ate our packed lunches, then encoached for the very long journey to Benghazi and a hotel room. This time we headed west across the desert on a straight road through almost totally barren ground, the only habitation on the three hour journey being a small hamlet with a coffee shop and police outpost. Not a popular posting, I suspect. After a powerful coffee I headed out to take some photos. The reaction from the police when I pointed a camera in their direction was not favourable, so I contented myself with a shot of the isolated cafe.

Dusk fell while we were still in the desert, so we arrived at the Gulf of Sidra after dark. After a lengthy search in the midst of a power cut we found food at a roadside restaurant; ever used a squat toilet with only a candle for light? When needs must!

We headed along the coast northwards towards Benghazi. At around 2100hrs we arrived at the police outpost with the cockroach on steroids. The police insisted that the road ahead was too dangerous for a tourist coach, so would not allow us to proceed without an escort. Two police cars were summoned. These accompanied us, fore and aft, with lights flashing, all the way to Benghazi. A little OTT. We arrived around midnight, very tired but elated after a memorable day. Tomorrow was to be another one; this time Leptis Magna beckoned, for me an even greater highlight than the eclipse, though this was not an opinion shared by my fellow travellers.

First published in VISA issue 72A (Apr 2007)