So I'm back from the south. For those who feel like checking out the background map I ventured to Kairouan, Touzer, Douz, Tatuine [the location for some starwars scenes], Matamata, and Djerba Island.
All was fun, minus it being EXTREMELY hot as we went south and not having air-conditioning in the land rover I was in on the way down. Listened to some awesome tunisian music when I got to ride in a different car. Rode a camel [جمل] which was fun, and visited lots of old roman ruins. Saw an OLD synagogue and some OLD mosques as well, and even met some berbers. Also managed to get my first sunburn of the trip but its barely noticeable and just on my face, so not too bad.
Todays our last day in Tunis for a bit. This afternoon I'll be visiting Carthidge, and then head out at lovely 6am tomorrow to Jerba and then keep going until we reach the Sahel for some desert camping.
*Hopefully* my new Tunisian arabic will help me ask for directions while im there.
So the Medina [or basically downtown esk area] in Tunis was lots of fun! [pictures will come later]
We had our own personal guided tour by an ex-journalist who grew up there. So rather than just exploring the more touristy parts, or the souks we actually got to see what the area was like [and even go into a shop and onto the roof and have a view of the entire area. One thing that I've decided is amazing about Tunisia--everything is SO CHEAP.
هده المدينة
For example. Lunch/dinner costs typically 2 dinar MAYBE 2.500 dinar after a drink--which roughly translates into $1.40 to $1.75. And even better the program gives us 20 dinar/day to spend on food. Which means lots of money left over to shop. While I haven't made any real purchases yet, *hopefully* I'll be headed back to the Medina this afternoon to buy a purse or something. [Tunisias --surprisingly high quality fake purses, scarves, etc.--are [depending on how good of a haggler] are between 2 and 15 dinar, and at .7 dinar to a dollar thats pretty cheap] Basically, I now completly understand why tunisia has a pretty sizable jewish popluation for being in the middle east.
I've also enjoyed chatting with Tunisians in 'not english'. One shop we decided that we were hispanic. And only chatted with the shop keeper in spanish [which was actually a success despite our broken spanish] Another shop we decided to be french tourisits who knew a bit of arabic. Over all quite entertaining.
After the Medina a few of us took the TGM to the beach and went and had fresh fresh fresh fish that was delish; however we were pestered forever by this little kid who was probably 6 or 7 who wanted us to buy these jasmine flower things. But over all fun experience--minus not getting back to the hotel till 10:30ish and begining my paper for today, but all was done and *hopefully* it will be successful.
Despite having a ticket--Delta thought it would be a brilliant idea to kick me off. Basically, they 'randomly' selected me and 6 other people and decided that we would 'involuntarily give up our seats' since they had decided to oversell the seats on the plane.
On the plus side I made $800 from delta--on the down side they put me standby, on a full flight, with no promises of getting on a plane until the next day.
Thankfully. Luck improved and I got on the next flight, made my connection, and got to my next flight as it was bording. Only down side is my cell phone had zero service all through the Paris airport.
Next arrived in Tunis, met some Tunisians on the plane etc. etc. Got to Tunis [phone still has no service] met up with people on the trip and went to wait for bags.
Naturally. My bags do not show up. So I got to go chat in arabic/french/english and find out that for what ever reason airfrance thought my bags should go on the flight after me, and that in Tunis, they do not deliver bags so I made my first taxi trip [with someone else who's bags were lost and arriving on this flight] and then after much chatting in arabic/french/english with the security guards got to wait. for nearly an hour. for the flight to show up and luckily my bags arrived.
Went and had a Tunisian diner of chili-paste and bread, followed by breek [which I have no idea how to spell] which is tuna and runny egg in a fried thin thin thin breaded schpiel that you eat like a burrito, and spagetti?
Today I had a delish sandwich of cheese and chili-paste and salad. And this afternoon is off to the embassy.
Tomorrow I start my trip to Tunisia--kind of. Technically tomorrow is a day in Atlanta.
If all goes accordingly...
I'll go to Atlanta tomorrow, Saturday fly from Atlanta to Paris, then from Paris to Tunis and get to my hotel some time around 12:30--Sunday. *Hopefully* I'll even have luggage and no flights get toooo delayed.
So, I've decided that I shall be a copy cat and join in the 'start a blog because I'm leaving the country' club and share my adventures while in Tunisia.
Thus far my 'going to africa prep' has consisted of searching for a 'stick' version of bug spray. Not sure if it exists, but I've been recommended to find one to ward off malaria mosquitos? Hopefully it will be a successful search--catching malaria is not on my 'to do' list, and I'm not planning on adding it to any sort of bucket list--ever.
Note: Anyone who wants a post card send me your address somehow and I'll be sure to send one to you straight from Africa.
