Tunisia

May 6th 2004

Arrived in Tunis to blue skies after a 24hr ferry journey from Genoa, Italy on which Ranger decided to ‘drive the porcelain bus’ within the first hour. We slept for most of the crossing simply because there was nothing else to do. First night spent in Sidi Bou Said, a small part of Tunis, in a car park being kept awake by cats and, peering through the zip of the roof tent throughout the night, discovered we had parked in a lovers lane hot spot! - Get off Ranger!

May 7th 2004

From the Carthage in Tunis we drove down the coast to Sousse, walked round the historic old Medina (walled old town and world heritage site) and continued on to Sfax stopping to camp for the night in a ploughed field….roof tent up, tables out, cooking on, watching the sunset behind the mountains….then voices, firstly two young local boys asking us to join them for dinner, then later three Berber farmers; a worker, a small smiling one and a taller proud man all with puffy, hard handshakes. They fed us dates and sat with us and showed us which piece of land to camp – all so friendly – Tunisia as a whole. In the morning, we were given fresh apricots.

May 8th 2004

After a photo with the farmers, we left early for Tozeur in the west of Tunisia. An hour later, we stopped in a small town for breakfast immediately attracting attention from locals watching us struggling to boil water. The next minute we are both sitting with a family (a teacher, a banker, two young children and a baby) being fed bread, eggs, yogurt and coffee – again, so friendly. We continue on to Tozeur for lunch following the train track, dodging camels crossing with date groves either side. The drive to Douz was unreal crossing the salt flats with nothing on either side for the eye can see, then hitting a swarm of locusts the size of the your thumb and then a severe sand storm. We stay in a campsite in Douz for showers and beers!

May 9th 2004

After a leisurely breakfast in the camp site, we continue on to Matmata, the film set for Star Wars and Life of Brian, and more importantly the home for local troglodytes (cave dwellers). We were shown round a typical home with four doors set in the cave walls; we were shown three, the fourth having a satellite dish cable running under the door – who knows what else lies behind! We drive through mountain passes, past untouched villages on the road towards the coast and the Isle of Jerba linked to the mainland by a Roman Causeway. Unfortunately, after the lap of the island, we decide it smells, is a tourist trap with nasty beaches and want to leave as quick as we arrived – we camp in a rubbish tip, sip an Australian Shiraz watching the sunset, eat pasta and chat – although a rubbish tip, extremely relaxing.

May 10th 2004

Within touching distance of the Libyan border, we have two days near the border to wash clothes, write an update and email before crossing into Libya on Wednesday. We can both agree Tunisia has been most welcoming, friendly and hot – last cloud seen Friday morning!

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