Traveling Around Tunisia

After Dubai, a city full of riches, I think that now it is time for me to talk to you about my trip to a place which is completely different, a continent, a country and a city where poverty is more prevalent that wealth. That's why I chose Africa, and more specifically, Tunisia.

Tunisia is a small country in northern Africa, and it is also one of the central Mediterranean countries. It has a long history since in the second century B.C., the Greek historian Polybius talks about Carthage, now a suburb of Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia. The population is about 11 million, and the official language is Tunisian Arabic (and French). 

I will start with the first unforgettable impression, or to tell you the truth, the first unforgettable smell that struck me the moment I exited the plane. There was a heavy smell in the air, which took me the first two days to get used to. That smell became even heavier when jasmines, Tunisia's national flower, were closer to us. 

Sousse

The most popular tourist resorts are on the east coast, such as Sousse, Hammamet, and the historic city of Monastir. When I was there back in 1999, the hotels were very good, but not in the usual sense of luxurious hotels. I was disappointed to see that the sea was not clean and the water rather cold, and so we had to stay by the pool. 
I'm sure there are new and luxurious hotels now.

On the left, you can see Ribat, the most famous landmark in Monastir. It is one of the oldest Arab fortresses right on the Mediterranean coast. It was featured in Franco Zeffirelli's movie "Jesus of Nazareth."   



What impressed me most though was the hospitality of the locals. Only local men worked or entered the hotels, while local women had to always be accompanied by male members of their families. These local men were very warm and friendly while trying to persuade tourists to buy their local products.

When you are there, you should visit one of its marketplaces, where you can find pieces of local art, such as Tunisian traditional lamps, rugs, hookahs, vases, leather goods made of camel leather - if you can stand the smell. Spice markets are also worth visiting. 
Don't hesitate to bargain for some time before you buy your souvenir.

I will never forget the day we decided to travel south, an arid area merging into the Sahara Desert. It was the first time that I experienced what the desert feels like. After driving for more than three hours in a small, rented car without air conditioning, we arrived tired and sweaty in Kairouan, a sacred city and a place considered to be at the beginning of the desert. One hour later, the Sahara Desert was under our feet. Although we were wearing very light summer clothes and hats or caps on our heads, the heat was intolerable. I still remember that the temperature was 58 degrees Celcius or about 137 degrees Fahrenheit, not a very hot day there. Dust - or should I say sand, but it felt like dust - was everywhere around us and on us. 

As for poverty? Once a waiter I talked to every day in our hotel saw my leather wallet, and asked me how much it cost. When I told him the price in their currency, Tunisian dinars, he said, "it is four to five of my salaries, and I work a lot." You can now understand how poor people are there. But despite the poverty around us, we never felt threatened as potential victims of theft; actually, I can admit that I felt very very safe walking among local people everywhere. 

It is a pity that today Tunisia is not considered a safe place to visit any more due to terrorist attacks against tourists. It is a beautiful, small country which combines a long history influenced by many civilizations, the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea, and the awesomeness of the Sahara Desert. 


Where will our next trip take us? Let's see...