To the Sahara and Back

Sandra and Chris (Pasha and main wife)

Monastir, Tunisia June 15, 2014

The tour group 8 )

The day after we arrived in Monastir, Tuesday, we met Chris and Sandra, who we knew from wintering in Marina di Ragusa. They invited us to join them on a road trip in a rental car to the Sahara desert, stopping at some interesting sights along the way.  We departed the next morning.

On day 1, our first stop was El Jem, the third largest Roman amphitheater that could hold 35,000 people. It was closed due to a strike but we perambulated the perimeter and took a lot of pictures.

El Jem

Gladiator and slave? reenactment

The next stop was the medina of Sfax, which was a highlight of the trip for me.  A medina is usually a walled-in labyrinth of small shops where the merchants will sell all the goods and services a bustling city needs.  Sfax's is large and the merchants don't pounce on tourists and try to drag them into their stall as is the case in other medinas.  It's wonderful to see the colorful array of shops and stalls where many products are still hand crafted and the locals conduct their shopping.

Sfax medina

Sfax walls

After that we went to Matmata, a village known for its underground, or troglodyte, dwellings.  As you are often reminded by the many would-be guides and souvenir shops, this is where some of the desert scenes for Star Wars were shot. We took some obligatory pictures in the hotel that served as a set for Luke Skywalker's childhood home.

Star Wars re-eactment 8)

The day ended with a stop in Douz - the gateway to the Sahara.  While driving from Monastir, you notice the terrain gradually growing more sparsely vegetated.  In Douz there is almost a distinct line where the dunes take over devoid of any vegetation at all.  We met Zou, a really nice fellow who took Chris and Sandra out for a sunset camel ride in the Sahara.  I didn't go because I feel too sad for any animal that would have to carry my bulk.

Riding off, on a camel!!!

Yup, that is the Sahara

We spent some very enjoyable time with Zou who made us feel very welcome.  We stayed in Hotel 20 Mars, which is friendly, inexpensive and right next to the souk, or open-air market.  The souk in Douz is certainly chaotic and the real thing.

From Douz we drove to Tamerza, which is an oasis town near the Algerian border.  Along the way one drives over a causeway that cuts through a large salt lake that floods for a few months every year and then dries out utterly.  The scenery is striking in its desolation.

Animal market, Douz

Graffiti in the salt lakes... really Chris

Douz market, spices

There is a new town in Tamerza, to which the town folk of the old town moved around 45 years ago. You see, the town was constructed from little more than sandy mud bricks, so when it rained for 30 days back in 1969, the town just basically eroded away.  It now looks like a sand castle that had been washed over by a wave.  Our guide, Besi, explained all this to us and then took us on a trek through the canyon in which The English Patient was filmed. At the end of it we were very hot and looking forward to checking into our hotel, Hotel Karim, back in Touzeur, which the ladies thought delightful.

Hotel Karim

Besi, Tamerza

Canyon, Tamerza

Another pleasant evening was passed in the company of our host, Fonzie, and we were ready for day three.  The plan was to go to the towns of Nefti and Karouin.  The former is an oasis in a deep gorge that protects the palm trees from the harsh winds.  It sounds nice, but unfortunately, the deep gorge also serves as a garbage pit for the locals who seem to have lost all sense of civic pride. So disappointed were we that we kept driving to our next destination.

Waiting in line for gas

Tunisian road side diner

Karouin is the 4th holiest place in the Muslim world. In it is the Grand Mosque that is very old and located in a large medina.  It is sounded promising, but again we were disappointed by the amount of trash lying everywhere in heaps throughout the medina.  We got there after afternoon prayers had commenced, so many of the shops in the market were closed.  The vendors that were open were somewhat ravenous in there eagerness to get you into their shops.  The atmosphere of the town dirty and desperate, or so it seemed in our disillusionment.  

Ladies only, make the rug

Carpet salesmen, oh and Chris

The only bright spot was our visit to the former Bey's house, which was now under the auspices of a company that sells Tunisian rugs.  The staff knew we weren't there to buy any carpets, but they good-naturedly gave us a tour and made the traditional pitch with the sweet mint tea and flattery.

After that it was a straight shot back towards Monastir. As we left the stark desert behind us and drove gradually into the more verdant north the depressing presence of trash never left us.  We heard that the tourism minister, a young and energetic woman, is strongly campaigning to get Tunisians to reclaim their home from the omnipresent garbage. I hope she succeeds.

With a couple of extra hours, we killed some time in Sousse with its UNESCO heritage medina.  It looked promising enough to come back for a thorough exploration.

In all, I am surprised by how much I like Tunisia since I had low expectations to begin with.  While we have much more to see, the country seems to be a study in contrasts regarding the land, its people and its culture. From bikinis to Burka's, from deserts to oases, and from trash-strewn countryside to pristine coastal beaches, Tunisia seems to have it all.

Branko

p.s.  See more pictures in the photo gallery - right