Libya

Libya was my 54th and final country in Africa, and in many ways, it felt like the perfect place to finish the continent. When I first began my journey to visit every country in the world, Libya was effectively off-limits to Americans. Things had finally begun to change, but obtaining a visa still required months of paperwork, back-and-forth communication with the embassy, and plenty of patience. That made finally boarding my flight to the capital, Tripoli, feel truly surreal.

My guide, Badran, ended up being the highlight of my time in Libya. He had absolutely no filter, constantly making outrageous, wildly inappropriate jokes. Within hours, it felt less like I was traveling with a guide and more like I was on a road trip with an old friend. As we explored the country together, Badran introduced me to a side of Libya that very few outsiders get to experience. One of the first things he pointed out was the price of gas. Thanks to Libya’s oil wealth and heavy government subsidies, it was actually cheaper to buy a liter of gasoline than a liter of bottled water. As we drove between destinations, we passed abandoned tanks and military vehicles left behind from the revolution and the years of conflict that followed.

Over the following days, we visited some of the country’s most remarkable historical sites. Sabratha, with its beautifully preserved Roman theater overlooking the Mediterranean, was incredible. We also explored Qasr al-Hajj, a centuries-old fortified granary built by the Berber people that looked unlike anything I had ever seen before. But nothing compared to Leptis Magna, often considered one of the greatest Roman archaeological sites anywhere in the world. I finished my time in Libya exploring Tripoli. Before arriving, I had expected a city defined by conflict. Instead, I found a lively Mediterranean capital with clear Italian influences, bustling cafés, and families gathering along the waterfront each evening. The effects of war were still visible, but they didn’t define the city nearly as much as I had expected.

Libya was extraordinary, but more than the Roman ruins or crossing the finish line itself, what I remember most is Badran. Before I left, he told me that if I ever returned to Libya, he would happily guide me again free of charge because he’d simply be excited to see me. That’s the Libya I’ll always remember. Not as the country where I finished Africa, but as the place where a complete stranger became a dear friend.