Jenga

It's 35 years to the day since I first visited Benghazi, and the harbour is the exact site of my first experience of this city. I went for a bit of a wander around whilst tracking down a Western Union office to pick up some money to pay some bills. When I came here last time, photography within the environs of the docks was banned, so I have no pictures of that time. Things are much more relaxed these days:

The city is being spruced up in readiness for my birthday. All the trees are being trimmed of their scrappy cuttings, and the buildings are being given a lick of paint:

By coincidence, there is also a minor celebration happening alongside my own festivities, and new posters are being erected to celebrate the people's revolution. This poster shows, at the top, a confrontation between what look like Egyptian forces, and their Libyan counterparts, with the Leader leading from the front. Underneath, the Leader shares the successful conclusion to the earlier debate with his people:

In the course of the revolution, the people of this country have been guided on the way forward by the Green Book, some extracts of which adorn the lobby of the Tibesti Hotel where I stayed when I started this part of my contract:

It's 39 years since the king was overthrown in the bloodless revolution - he was out of the country at the time, and the time seemed right. It's Benghazi's turn to hold the prime festivities this year; next year, who knows, but they should be fun. Best to book a hotel now to get a ringside seat:

All the untidy bits of land are being tidied up with coatings of new sand and soil, so as I drive around the city on 1st September in my open-top car, well, with the sun roof open, all will be pristine. I expect I'll give all the students the day off so they can share in the fun but since Ramadan starts around then, it may all be a little muted: