From Snow to Sand

Well, my arrival to Libya was a breeze. After waiting 4 weeks for my passport, and then another two for London to re-group from the storm of the century (8 inches), I arrived in Tripoli, my home for the next tour. I left the snow behind, but I did not leave the storms. As I landed, the Sahara was attempting to fill the Mediterranean with tons of airborne sand and debris. Hurricane strength winds were depositing sand, tents, and camels far offshore into the deep blue waters offshore. Nothing unbolted to the earth lay untouched. Tripoli was being covered by the encroaching dunes. But Libya has an answer to this and the unemployment issues.Teams of men, dressed in their sand scarfs, and bright orange uniforms were out day after day shoveling the sand from the streets to make way for the cars. But this was not a simple job. For the men ensured themselves of employment by taking their wheelbarrows from the street and neatly dumping them on the shoulder of the road. And you know what - they were out the following day doing the same. Ensuring clean streets and a long term careeer.
And then it hit me. The ancient civilizations were not conquered by armies, or subcumbed to disease. The perished for lack of shovels.