middle east changes

It's surreal to watch the news on the Middle East regime changes. 

Bahrain, Libya and the rest of the Middle East are places I've traveled through quite extensively. 

I definitely never imagined their "super" power Kings, Presidents, and Dictators could be toppled.

 

Traveling through Tripoli, these billboards of dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi seemed to be everywhere. He seems to be congratulating himself for oppressing the people for so long.

 

We stayed at the only government approved hotel in Tripoli. It was beautiful, lavish, ornate and also reportedly bugged. As in, watch what you say anywhere in the hotel because you're being recorded. That's what we were told prior to arrival anyways.... You better believe all I did was praise their food and their delicious "mocktail" juice drinks (no alcohol allowed in an Islamic state)!!

But once you left the hotel compound (via private driver and car only), you quickly experienced the conditions the rest of Libyans live in daily. As I've said in the past - think Blackhawk Down, Middle Eastern style.

 The gold souk was great, but I really fell in love when I stumbled upon what looked like the copper district. The mix of sounds and smells were intoxicating.  

Hammers smoothing out copper bowls, the call to prayer coming from a distant mosque, sacred sounding Arabic music echoing through the alleyways, the smell of metal being welded, cigarettes and mint tea. What a combination.

 If you turn your speakers up, you can hear the call to prayer. This melodic sound reverberates throughout the entire city.

I truly hope democracy follows quickly for these people. They are so ready and so deserving of peace, liberty and freedom.  

One of my favorite memories in Bahrain, was during a shopping trip to the souk, my leather sandal snapped and broke while walking down the street. Now, their streets are not lined with sidewalks and leafy trees where road sweepers clean trash up weekly. I'm talking dirty, dusty roads. My first thought, was "how am I going to get back to the hotel? I'm so not hopping home with one shoe."

Then out of nowhere, I look to my right and a man sitting outside his shop is approaching me quickly. Admittedly, it made me a little nervous.

This kind old man bent down, took my shoe back to his shop, nailed a small nail through the leather pieces, and brought me my fixed shoe back without saying a word.

I had broken my shoe in front of a cobbler shop(!!!) and this kind cobbler saw my dilemma and helped. I scolded myself for assuming the negative with my nervous thoughts.

Kind, thoughtful, sweet people. My prayers are with you in your journey to freedom.