Why did we add Tunisia to our trip? Because we could! Staring at countless maps over the past few months, we were fascinated by the close proximity of Tunisia (and Africa in general) to southern Italy. Prior to arriving in Tunis, I knew about as much about the history of Tunisia as I know about Metaphysics. Nothing. Actually no, that's not true. I knew how to spell it. I knew the capital was Tunis. And I knew there was a bloody huge expanse of desert between this country and those in west Africa where the Ebola virus hysteria currently exists, and that I could therefore reassure my family that I wasn't going to die.
We arrived at the ferry terminal in Palermo with low expectations as a result of our previous ferry journeys. We were met at the ticket office by a mob of angry, aggressive Tunisian men who had surrounded the ticket counter and were shouting at and intimidating the ticket administrators. With sighs of resignation, we joined the queue and tried to stay as far away as possible from the horde. The ferry itself met all expectations. Trying to sleep in upright seats surrounded by screaming children was tricky. Walking through the corridor in a straight line was impossible unless you wanted to trip over the prostrate bodies strewn everywhere. And finding a seat in the cafe for breakfast? Forget it... the seats were being used as beds by the passengers who didn't feel the need to pay the extra cost for a chair. We were surrounded by men everywhere. Where were the women? This was a good question and became an ongoing theme throughout our time in Tunisia as a whole.
After twelve hours we arrived at the port of Tunis. The fight to get off the ferry was akin shoppers lining up for the Boxing Day sales, but we survived unscathed and after the two hour process of waiting for my visa, we were in.
Unsure about the security situation in Tunisia and the transport options around the country, we opted to join a group tour for our twelve day jaunt. (Un)luckily for us, this particular tour company attracted a clientele with little in common with us. Sorry, but we were travelling with some arrogant, stuck-up, rich, posh people, who only know how to complain about this that and everything. We sought refuge with Peta (from Perth) and Ruth (from Leeds) - the other normal passengers - and did everything possible to stay away from the holier-than-thou posse. And that's the end of my rant, I promise, because aside from our fellow tourists, Tunisia was just brilliant!
Tunisia is indeed a fascinating place to visit. It's a hybrid of Mediterranean, European and African cultures. It is a country trying to rebuild itself after its 2011 revolution, but unfortunately, the actions of the government and the reduced living standards, have made many locals jaded and pessimistic about their future. Startled by the lack of women everywhere we went, we quizzed our tour leader. Walking down the street, we saw literally hundreds of men of all ages sitting in cafes and restaurants, socialising, and genuinely enjoying their (seemingly endless) free time. The lack of women anywhere in public was obvious. The justification we were given was that women choose not to attend cafes or eat out in restaurants. We were immediately sceptical. After also being told that 52% of the population are women and that there are 44,000 more women than men in the country, we were trying to work out where they all were hiding. We were left to draw our own conclusions.
Tunis itself is dirty, loud and chaotic. The Medina is grotty, and you really get the sense that life is about the daily grind to make a living (at least for the men). It was eye-opening to wander the old city as we contemplated how life must have changed over the hundreds of years that the narrow alleyways and roads have existed.
The Medina
Tunisia is a haven of magnificently preserved historical sites and relics. A history teacher's dream! The Bardo Museum was a taste of things to come when we visited it in Tunis. It houses one of the best collections of Roman mosaics in the world. From there, over the duration of the tour so far, we have been lucky enough to visit many archeological sites (in varying stages of preservation), all with their original mosaics still intact on the floor, walls and pools. Just beautiful! The most famous site, Carthage, was founded in 1000 B.C.. Fantastic ruins built on a seaside location, it was once known as the 'gateway to Africa' and was a highly sought strategic post when the Romans conquered it in the third Punic War in 146 B.C. I can imagine that the old city must have once been amazing. We were also simply blown away by the Roman ampitheatre ruins at El Djem. The most impressive ampitheatre I've ever seen, with Richard comparing its grandeur to Rome's Colosseum.
Bardo Museum
Carthage
I've never taken much notice of doors in my life. But suddenly here in Tunisia, I fell in love with the bold vibrant colours and quaint architectural designs of the front doors on houses and buildings. Unique, pretty and quirky... who ever thought that a door could excite me!
Aside from Roman ruins and doors, Tunisia has a rich religious history. Now, a conservative Muslim country, the Islamic, Christian and Jewish populations have all had their fair share of the limelight. In Kairouan, the holiest city in Tunisia, we visited the Great Mosque, which is the fourth holiest Islamic centre in the world after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. We also visited the Mosque of the Berber, which was richly decorated with exquisite patterns and carvings. A Jewish community established itself on Djerba Island during Roman times. Here, we visited El Ghriba (Africa's oldest synagogue) and, completely unrelated to religion, we also visited a pottery workshop which distributes traditional pottery all over the Sahara.
The Great Mosque
El Ghriba Synagogue
Economically, the city of Sfax is the heart of Tunisia. Its people are obviously more wealthy and it is classed as a more sophisticated place to live. The twisting alleys of the Medina were pretty, and we enjoyed meandering through at our own pace. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some of the most basic living standards we encountered were in a place called Matmata. This 'invisible village' is camouflaged by the sandy undulating landscape, and situated within craters are around fifty hidden underground dwellings. Many of the surrounding caves are still in use today, and our accommodation for the night was housed in an ancient cave house dug out of the earth and rock. Richard and I were in our pure element and revelled in this unique opportunity, but we had to shut out the tantrums going on around us when some members of our group realised that there was no air-conditioning, shared showers, and a town water shortage. One night without showers or air-conditioning... oh dear, for some people it was as if the world had come to an end!
Matmata
Tunisia is hot! There is no surprise there. We've enjoyed daily temperatures in the mid forties, especially when we visited the Sahara and the Chott-El-Jerid salt flats, where we saw many mirages... and lots of salt and sand! Here, to the pure delight of some in our group, we visited two film locations used in Star Wars... the cave where Luke Skywalker met his step-father, and the magnificent canyon where one of the many airborne battles took place! From there, we briefly went 'sand duning' in four-wheel drives before heading to a local restaurant and eating camel kebabs for dinner.
Half way through our Tunisian jaunt, I'll now hand the blog reigns over to Richard for his perspectives. I am loving being in such a different country to those we've visited recently. The local people might speak French, but we seem a million worlds away from mainland Europe!
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