Tripoli: When the Fog Rolls in and Your Phone Dies

so i'm sitting in this tiny cafe in tripoli, libya, trying to type this up while my fingers are basically numb from the damp. i just checked and it's 8.37°c with 95% humidity right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the air feels like someone's holding a wet towel over your face, but somehow it's also got this weird charm when the old buildings disappear into the mist.

i heard from a guy selling tea near the arch of marcus aurelius that the best time to walk around is just after sunrise, before the fog burns off and the heat kicks in. he also said something about "not trusting the taxi drivers near the medina" but i was too busy trying to keep my coffee warm to really listen.

anyway, the medina here is a maze. someone told me that if you take a left at the third spice stall and then immediately right, you'll find a tiny shop selling the best baklava in town. i did that, got completely lost, and ended up in a carpet shop instead. the owner just laughed and gave me mint tea. i think that's how you make friends here.

if you get bored, benghazi and misrata are just a short drive away, though i've heard the roads can be... unpredictable. i met a photographer who said the ruins near sabratha are worth the trip, but he also warned about the checkpoints. honestly, i'm still trying to figure out which rumors to believe.

food-wise, i ended up at this place called al sadeer. no website, no sign, just word of mouth. the lamb was so tender it barely needed chewing, and the owner kept refilling my plate until i had to fake being full. someone else mentioned checking out tripoli old city on tripadvisor for more legit spots, but i'm more of a "walk until you smell something good" kind of traveler.

i keep thinking about how the fog makes everything feel suspended in time, like the city's holding its breath. maybe that's just the lack of sleep talking. or maybe it's the baklava.

anyway, if you come here, bring layers. and maybe a sense of humor. you'll need both.