One month in Tunisia.
My introduction to Tunisia was through the windshield of my father’s Dodge Dart.
We were at a drive-in, watching Star Wars. From the darkness of space and then the corridors of a pristine spaceship, we found ourselves on a bright desert planet. This was Tattooine, the deserts of Tunisia transformed by movie magic.
Later, in high school, I’d be introduced more formally to the country through the pages of our French textbook Nos Amis. Chapter 21 brought us deep into the souks of a medina where we learned how to bargain in Dinars. The French lessons didn’t quite take, but the desire to visit did.
22 December 2024 – 11 January 2025
1.
Arrival in Tunis and an introduction to the medina.
Nos Amis, chapitre 20: Aziz Slim et son frère Ahmed marchande dans les souks.
2.
Two free days in Tunis before the tour.
Breakfast at La Chambre Bleue is a spread, the table laden with jam and honey and granola and yogurt.
3.
Christmas morning in the Medina de Tunis and the Bardo Museum.
I write this while listening to the Charlie Brown Christmas album. It’s Christmas Day in Tunisia.
4.
Christmas afternoon in Sidi Bou Saïd and Carthage.
We head back to the car for the drive to Sidi Bou Saïd, where we’ll climb the hill for the views. Bouthine tells me it’s considered the Santorini of Tunisia, and I’m to see why when we arrive.
5.
Tetour, the Roman ruins of Dougga, and the holy city of Kairouan.
Bouthine meets me downstairs at 0800. We’re to drive to Dougga to visit the Roman ruins there before continuing on to Kairouan, the fourth-holiest city in Islam after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. We’ll overnight there.
6.
A morning in the holy city of Kairouan and an afternoon in Tozeur.
Boutheina picks me up in the early and we drive off into town. The sun is barely in the sky and the streets are dim.
7.
Chebika, Mides canyons, the Tamerza waterfall, and Ong Jemel, and Mos Espa.
At breakfast the owner of the hotel asks me where I’m from. He’s thrilled when I tell him. He’s planning a trip to New York in January and asks me where he might stay. The hotels all seem so expensive.
8.
ATVs, camels, and a night in the Sahara desert.
In the morning I say goodbye to my host. He thanks me for my advice; his son has managed to find a reasonably-priced hotel thanks to my suggestions. I wish him well.
9.
Sunrise over the Sahara, a Berber house, Star Wars locations, The Seven Sleepers Mosque, and the Chenini old town.
My alarm goes off before the dawn. I pack my bags and carry them with me to the mess tent. It’s dark, the doors are locked. I find a bench, sit down, and wait.
10.
Morning in Djerba, the amphitheater of El Jem, and back to Tunis.
It’s a beautiful morning in Djerba. We haven’t seen or done much on the island, having arrived in the evening. And it’s another early morning start to catch the first ferry.
11.
A New Year’s Day stroll through the medina de Tunis.
It’s a quiet morning when I step out into the medina. The door to my apartment is on a small alleyway, but the main street is steps away. From the roof I can look down upon it.
12.
Bizerte and Cape Angela, the northern-most point in mainland Africa.
It’s a beautiful morning in Djerba. We haven’t seen or done much on the island, having arrived in the evening. And it’s another early morning start to catch the first ferry.
13.
Bizerte back to Tunis, and beyond.
I take breakfast at the guesthouse, a delicious spread of breads and jams with a hard-boiled egg. A French couple appears as I’m finishing up and I say hello before heading up to my room to finish packing.