Sahara

Day 82: Benghazi

Our day in Benghazi may have lacked sparkle, but the night is memorable for one of the most dangerous journeys I've ever undertaken. Our hosts had organised a trip to a local restaurant, not by car or pink coach, but in horse-drawn buggies. Though a battle-hardened film crew are perhaps not the best people to take advantage of such romantic transport, it all started well enough, until we turned off the quiet street, up a slip road and onto an eight-lane motorway. At one point it seemed as if our driver, who obviously thought his place was in heaven, had panicked. The horse certainly had. He swung his head from side to side, eyeballs staring manically skywards, nostrils pumping away like pistons as the traffic roared by.

Eventually, we found sanctuary in the crawler lane, and remained there for what seemed like hours, before we found our exit. The food was as good as anything we've had in Libya, but I did miss the alcohol that had been my only hope of surviving the journey home.

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PALIN'S GUIDES

Series: Sahara
Day: 82
Country/sea: Libya
Place: Benghazi
Book page no: 220

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