It was complex. It was taxing.
It took a while. And in the end it has become a clear lesson in "be careful what you
wish for...." Got the stamp, which of course takes up a whole egotistical page. It's a transit visa, which we wanted, because it was only £30 for both, hundreds cheaper than the tourist option, and we wouldn't need to be accompanied by a guide inside the truck for the whole trip. But even though we asked for longer, and they do give longer, the gentlemen at the overseas representative office of the Libyan government have deemed that seven days will suffice. Seven days, nearly 2000kms and a thirty year old truck that doesn't like going above 70km/h. That's roughly 300km a day on roads that kill more Libyans than cancer. Seven days is nowhere near enough time to see the country properly and only just enough to pop in and look at Leptis Magna, Tobruk and Tripoli. Little enough time to pay a proper
visit to Rosie's ex-students and their families.
That Ice
Cold in Alex is certainly going to be needed after pushing the truck all that way in a week. That's if she doesn't pull her usual party trick and break down every 500km. Still, if she does at least we will be able to write about conditions in Libyan jails for illegal immigrants who violate visas....
Route, photos and more at www.thelongandwinding.co.uk
