Yesterday we went out to visit a client in a hotel downtown near the Martyrs’ square…something was different! All around the square, buildings are being patched, repaired, and painted. New signs are being hung and the city is starting to be repaired. This is a great sign for the future of Libya and travel to Libya, however, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Graffiti
All over the walls along the main streets is anti-Qaddafi graffiti. Pictures that express their joy for freedom and the end of the regime. Although this graffiti is interesting and some are fairly creative, there is a lot of arabic writing and messy drawings which make Tripoli look like a gang neighborhood. We have noticed some projects to repaint main walls, but this seems to be done by private organizations or associations.
Garbage
Recently the garbage company has began to work again. A few time each week they make their rounds through the city, picking up the mounds of trash by the dumpsters. Although they are just maintaining right now, hopefully soon others will join in to keep the city clean. Compared to most post war countries, Libya is doing an amazing job.
From our vantage point in Tripoli, it seems like things are moving forward. Yes, there are the small flares of unrest and unhappy people, but again, compared to other countries…things are moving in the right direction. It will take time but one day will be a travel destination!
