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Welcome to my travel log! You will find here a lot more than in the travel reports, stripped from political correctness. Enjoy! 
Mar 30, 2010 04:00 PM Tunisia - El Jem
El Jem is an uninspiring, modern Tunisian town in the middle of the Sahel region. Yet, at its heart, world'ssecond largest ancient Roman aphiteatre stands.
Nothing else from the ancient Roman times remained, when I visited. It was obvious that the modern town had been built over the ancient city. According to certain records, the ancient El Jem was not big enough to fill all the colosseum's seats. So, spectators from other, nearby cities travelled for the bloody shows.
Entry to the colosseum was TND8 (£4), plus TND1 for a camera. Apart from the 'gem', there was also a museum (entry included in the price of the visit to the amphiteatre). It had a small exposition of mosaics.
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Mar 29, 2010 04:00 PM Tunisia - Gabes & Matmata
The morning formalities with the tourist police, the tour operator whose camel broke my arm, and my travel insurance took until noon. The insurance emergency call centre kept giving me contradicting instructions what to do. First they insisted on evidence why the operation on my elbow could not take place in the UK (ie free on the National Health Scheme). Then, probably after realising that I would need to fly back home early thus incurring additional costs, wanted me to undergo an operation in Tunisia, but would not want me to stay in a hospital over night. That was going to be unrealistic of course. I agreed that if they found an English speaking orthopeadic surgeon (my French is not good enough, and my Arabic is not existent), who'd operate me in a modern and hygenic facility, I'd allow for the operation. However, they neglected me since then (never called me back) and I had to make a decision. Travelling alone and being unable to tie my boots, dress or undress myself was no fun at all!
So, I went to Gabes to see a specialist in a private clinic. He told me that I should go back to England to have this operation done there, as it was going to be a complex one. I would require an airport metal detector setting off plates and screws inserted into my body. It was safe for me to fly and the operation could be done within a few days. He gave me a better tool to immobilise my arm and off I went to see Sfax.
I passed through the Star Wars country near Matmata, but missed a few opportunities to take photos of the troglodyte households. Too bad! I took a few shots of the surrounding desert though.
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Mar 28, 2010 04:00 PM Tunisia - Douz
The drive through the lake Chott el Jerid was quick. The scenery was slightly less spectacular than I thought, although the salt was clearly visible. Small parts of the lake along the road had some whater, which was incredibly pink. There was also a plant for salt extraction, which was nothing special, except for the piramidial heaps of salt around it, which drew attention. En route, locals set up a few shops selling souvenirs, mainly dersert roses. And I think it was them, who had built a few large salt sculptures in the lake representing camels.
Then, it was time to just sit down by the pool of the hotel and relax. I had until 6pm, before the camel trek was to start. My cyclist friends arrived right on time for the trek. It was good to see them after 2 years!
And then, maybe just two minutes on the camel, the other one, tied to one I was riding on, knocked me off. I fell and broke my left arm. It looked very strange. It did not hurt actually, but the feeling of frustration for not being able to use it was considerable.
Relatively quickly, after a few minutes of somewhat unnecessary deliberation, I was put in a car belonging to the camel station and brought to Douz's emergency room. They took an x-ray and I learnt that my arm was broken. They said that they could not fix me there and the car (as I resigned from taking an ambulance) took me to Kebili. A larger town, when they were supposed to fix me. They didn't. I needed an operation to make sure the bone is properly aligned. They couldn't do that there. I was informed they would put my arm in plaster to just immobilised it and after I could take a decision whether I should take the operation in Tunisia (and then where) or in Europe. They gave me a name of apparently a very good clinic in Gabes, which was on the way to Sfax, my next destination. My plan was to go there and find out a little bit more about my options.
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Mar 27, 2010 08:00 PM Tunisia - Sbeitla, Tozeur
I got up at 7 a.m. as I wanted to be in Tozeur at about 2:30 p.m. And there were 360 kilometres to do from Le Kef. Not in one go, though. I was stopping at Sbeitla (Sufetula) to see another site of Roman ruins.
The roads were in very good conditions and the traffic was low. From Le Kef, it only took just over an hour to reach the ruins. Sbeitla was considerably smaller than Dougga and Bulla Regia. It was set on a plain at a river. It must have been in a very bad state when discovered as relatively little remained except the restored theatre (right by the river), baths' mosaics, and the capitol. The city had boasted also a small amphiteatre, but nothing could be seen when I visited. And yet, Sbeitla received approximately 300 visitors a day, much, much more than Bulla Regia, though Bulla Regia was more interesting, larger and carried more significance for its unique underground villas.
The road to Tozeur beyond Sbeitla kept going through increasingly more arid scenery. It was still in very good state, and it took just 2 hours.
I had heard so much buzz about Tozeur for a number of years that inevitably my expectations had built up. I am not sure that the town lived up to them, when I visited. The brand new (it had opened only three months before my arrival) Palm Oasis was my favourite spot. It was a very nicely done exposition about the date palmtrees and offered a number of tours around the palmerai. The shortest was 45 minutes (TND6) and included an explanation of the irigation system, the method of measuring time for watering without a watch, and a workshop of objects made from the palmtree. The latter showed the ways to make chairs, armchairs, 'wooden' planks (the palm is not a tree but a grass), woven bags and similar objects. The culmination of the tour was a showcase of date products, most of which were preserves. The butter made of white dates; date sirup mixed with hazelnut masse; and date jam mixed with lemon were divine! I got a jar of each!
Weather at the end of March was perhaps the greatest thing about Tozeur. It was about 32C during the day with a gentle breeze, and about 20C at night, so not too chilly. Very pleasant indeed.
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Mar 26, 2010 08:00 PM Tunisia - Dougga, Bulla Regia, Le Kef
Dougga, Bulla Regia and Le Kef. All in one day. The highlight would have to be Bulla Regia. It was not a site in Tunisia that was often visited. But it was also the site unlike any other in the ancient Roman world that had villas, palaces, mansions built underground and had mosaics left in sitiu! The size of the city was incredible and one neeeds a guide to visit it properly. Most of the significant mansions looked inconspicuous from the ground level and it was difficult to spot the entrance. There were also massive baths and a lovely theatre. Complete with a floor mosaic of a bear. And bears were not used in the Roman world in theatres or in colosseums!
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Mar 26, 2010 08:00 PM Tunisia - Le Kef, nightlife?
But where?? Oh, well. Nightlife in El Kef is virtually non-existent. The town seems very conservative and clubs of any kind and type are not heard of. I was hoping to experience a darker side if force at the Hitel Les Pins, but this was not so. There was no bar. The bar was the reception area, and the receptionist, who was friendly, but hardly spoke any English, was also the bar tender serving the only beer at hand, the Beer Celtia.
I was lucky though. A group, or should I really say a team, of footballers from nearby town came to Le Kef to play a Second League match. They were all about 20 years old and very funny. Some were clever to speak some English, otherwise I had to amuse them with my French. And there were a lot of laughs. They told me stories how, behind their coach's back, they had been doing Shisha pipe and beer! Most of the time at the lobby, they were browsing, or rather fighting for browsing, Facebook from a couple of laptops they had at their disposal. I let one of them use my iPhone, but he was so clumsy with the touch screen, that it broke more sweat that he had had at the training routine in the last fortnight.
Le Kef was nicely lit up, from
the Kasbah below. Although, I was too lazy to venture back
in town to take those night shots!
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Mar 25, 2010 08:00 PM Tunisia - Tunis
I could not sleep the first night. Actually, I could not sleep a few nights before the holiday. I was tossing and turning.
I read about Tunis a little from my guidebook.
So, I rolled off the bed much layer than I had planned. But my first day's itinerary was relatively relaxed and flexible as I waited for my friends to join me. I started with the Avenue Habib Bourguiba. My hotel was just 100 yards from it. Then, I walked into the UNESCO-inscribed medina through the Place de la Victoire. I wandered around the souks, stepped into a couple of cafes and tea houses, and exited the old town by the Kasbah. I snoozed a little at that side of town, took a few pictures, and went back in to check if there was more about the medina that I could see.
I found my way back to the Place de la Victoire and sat down at the Bab el Bahr, at the Cafe Dinar. Then, my friends arrived and we took off to see Carthage and Sidi Bou Saïd.
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Mar 24, 2010 08:00 PM Tunisia - country number 129, about to arrive!
I have made a number of attempts to visit Tunisia. I first started thinking about this country, when I met the Ambassador of Tunisia to Poland when I was at the university, who, incidentally, later became the President of Tunisia. I met his Excellency at the International Tourism Fair in Poznan, Poland. I learnt about a few interesting facts about this intriguing Northern African state. I was impressed with its somewhat secular attitude towards tourism and the clever way Tunisia decided to cash on visitors.
Then, rather strangely, Tunisia dropped down my priority list very dramatically. A few of my friends, and members of my family, who had visited the country, were not necessarily raving about it. So, I buried Tunisia under the pile of much sexier destinations, which I wanted to visit first.
Only in 2006, did I started to plan to re-visit my priorities and give Tunisia a go. I even had a flight booked but the thick fog of Christmas 2006 closed down the Heathrow Airport. So, I ended up not going after all. Yet, at that time, I sketched a number of possible routes, mainly focusing on the UNESCO and the Star Wars sites.
Since then, I think I tried to go Tunisia about three or four times. Once or twice at Christmas and once for Easter. But it never worked out. For a number of reasons. Last time, it was work that kept me in London over Christmas 2009. It turned out well for me though, as one of my good friends visited me in London and we had great time.
Anyway, around mid February 2010, I warmed up again to the idea that I perhaps should try to eventually visit Tunisia. I looked up the calendar and the available flights, and it turned out that Easter 2010 looked like one of the most convenient opportunities.
The trick was to think of a suitable plan. Again. Since the last time I looked at the guidebooks on Tunisia, I noticed that the country rail network improved considerably. I also found the national rail official website, which provided information about the services, including timetables and ticket prices. (www.sncft.com.tn). In addition to the regular bus/coach services, the trains offered a great alternative to renting a car.
Allocating almost two weeks for the holiday, allowed covering the majority of Tunisia’s best places to visit. It is not a very large country, and many attractions are about an hour or two between one other. I opted for six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, mainly the historical Roman and Arabic places - the medina of Tunis, the site of ancient Carthage, ruins of Thugga, the amphitheatre of El Jem, the medina of Sousse and the holy city of Kairouan.
Hopefully, I will also have a chance to see the fringes of the Sahara, try some great dates (although not in season), walk a couple of beaches and sample Tunisian nightlife.
Tunisia will be my 129th country on my visited countries clock, 37th in Africa, and 4th in the Arabic world.
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Mar 23, 2010 08:00 PM Tunisia - checked in, here I come... tomorrow!
I have just checked in onto my flights with Lufthansa all the way from London to Tunis, via Frankfurt/Main. And I chose an environmentally friendly option. No printing! From either having an SMS sent with a link to a website holding my boarding pass and having one sent to my email on my mobile phone, I opted for the latter. I have not tried that before, and I am really curious to find out what is going to happen at Heathrow's Terminal 1 tomorrow, and how the procedures are going to work.
I have been avoiding London Heathrow airport with passion for a number of years. Successfully! Yet, this time round it just did not work. Somewhat, I cannot wait to see what changes have been put in place since the Terminal 2 had been closed down. Perhaps it has been taken down by now, I wonder.
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Mar 19, 2010 08:00 PM Tunisia - hotel booking...
I know it is a bit unorthodox under my own terms of travelling, but I got spooked seeing hotel rooms going so quickly in the supposedly low season. I checked a few options in the few places I wanted to visit in Tunisia, and on a number of occasions, the rooms I wanted to book on my visit went to other travellers, leaving me options to either booking other rooms elsewhere or changing my plans. That was not what I expected. I thought that Easter was still low season and that hotels were supposed to be in abundance in the country. I was obviously wrong (and this does not happen often, either - hahaha!)
Having a car to own disposal, meaning that a range of opportunities to seek many places to stay was supposed to be greater, did not help in Tunisia that much, really. As the myriad of places to stay was not that great to start with, it seemed to me. In places like Mahdia, Sousse, Bizerte and Kairouan rooms were going in their dozens on a daily basis. Literally!
So, I contacted a number of websites and booked all hotels I needed, except one in El Kef, which was not showing on any international hotel booking sites. I attempted to contact the hotel of my choice directly, but I am still waiting for a response...
I was torn inside with what I did. I so wanted to avoid sticking to specific dates and hotels that it almost made me nauseous. But at the other hand I almost felt happy that I had a roof over my head secured for all, bar one, nights of my holiday. I cannot say this was well balanced.
Therefore, I booked rooms in:
- Salammbo in Tunis
- El Arich in Tozeur
- El Mouradi in Douz
- Sango Syphax in Sfax
- Le Sphenix in Mahdia
- Mezri in Monastir
- Continental in Kairouan
- Residence Romane in Hammamet
- Jalta in Bizerte
The only place, where I have not secured a place to sleep is Le Kef, but something tells me that I should find something decent there on arrival.... It is not like Le Kef is necessarily invaded by tourists that much. And at any time of the year!
The strip of photos beside illustrates the following places from space (or from above, since the altitude from which these shots are zoomed was about a kilometre - far from space altitudes...):
- Le Kef
- Tozeur
- Douz
- Matmata
- Sfax
- Mahdia
- Sousse
- Monastir
- Bizerte
Bizerte was going to be my last stop in the country. I was obviously hoping for best weather, combined with a god beach, excellent bars and a historic old town...
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