Tunisia chapter ten
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.
Firaz picks us up and drives us a short way to the ferry. There’s already a line of cars, but we’re there early enough to assure that we’ll make the first one. We alight and Boutheina leads me to a coffee shop where we order tea and coffee and snacks.
Boats line the pier just on the other side of the shop and I walk out to take a look. Fishermen prepare nets and tackle, gearing up for the day.
After wandering around for a bit I head back to the shop to finish my tea. People mill about on the street by their automobiles or nap in their seats, waiting for the ferry to start.
When the ferry opens for business we can hear cars start their engines, the sound approaching as one triggers another. We climb back into the car and inch forward to the gates.
We exit the car and cross onto the ferry on foot. Firaz drives the car across. I climb to an upper level for the views, able to look out over the sea and down into the well of the ferry.
It’s a slow passage on steady seas. The day brightens as we slip across the channel to Jorf. It’s a pleasant morning and a lovely way to start the day.
On the other side we hop back into the car and begin the 300+ kilometer drive to El Jem. There, we’re to visit the second-largest colosseum in the Roman world, and the largest in North Africa.
Along the way we pass towns and villages. At one point I see a pile of jerry cans by the side of the road and ask Boutheina about them. She tells me its petrol brought over from Libya and sold by makeshift filling stations.
We pause in a small town to pick up snacks before continuing on. As we head further north we pass large olive tree farms. Here and there we can see small groups harvesting the fruit to make olive oil.
In El Jem, Boutheina leads me to a hotel where we take lunch. We sit next to the courtyard where a small swimming pool. It’s a warm sunny day and the water looks inviting, but there’s not time enough for a dip.
We walk to the colosseum, through the modern city of El Jem, once Thysdrus in the Roman province of Africa. The streets are bustling; shopfronts crowd the sidewalk. The colosseum looms at the end of the road, a monument to the city’s historical past.
It’s a massive structure. Built around 238 AD by the local proconsul Gordian, it served as a fotress in the Middle Ages. It has an estimated capacity of 35,000 and appears in Monty Python’s Life of Brian as well as Nike’s “Good vs. Evil” ad from the 90’s, directed by Tarsem Singh.
We stand at the entrance to the arena floor as Boutheina tells me about its history before setting me loose to explore on my own.
I walk first across the arena and then along the ruins of the lower galleries before climbing the stairs up to the highest point.
From the top galleries I look down to the courtyard we crossed in order to enter the colosseum as well across the colosseum to the city beyond. It’s amazing how the eye captures centuries in a single gaze.
I walk around the upper galleries before descending back down towards the arena floor. Arches and gates form natural frames and I delight in discovering different frames for my photos.
Crossing the arena, I climb the steps to sit upon the better-preserved seats on the northern side of the amphitheater. Families sit together sharing food and drinks as they take in the view, taking breaks from touring the site.
I run out of time before I’m quite ready to leave. I take one last look around before exiting to find Boutheina waiting for me in the courtyard before the entrance.
It’s a smooth drive back to Tunis and I have Firaz drop me off at the Porte de France. Boutheina asks if I need to be lead to my Airbnb and I tell her no, I know the way. I thiank her for her time and her knowledge and she thanks me for joining them on this trip. I wish her a Happy New Year, shoulder my bags, and head into the medina.
It’s a lovely apartment with a roof deck, set on a main street set a few hundred meters from the gate. I watch the sun set on 2024 from the roof before heading out into the street. There are no large celebrations for the western new year in this part of town; large hotels will have parties, but there doesn’t seem to be any public gatherings planned.
I walk to the clock tower just to check and find a demonstration before the municipal theater. I’m not sure what it’s about and decide not to linger.
Back in the medina I have a chapati at Dkik & Zit and walk further up the street to sit at a cafe. It’s relatively warm and I linger over a coffee, writing postcards, waiting for the new year to arrive.
It’s a laid back evening, and it’s almost hard to believe that the year is ended. 2025 feels uncertain, and the quiet contemplative night matches my overall mood. I pay for my drink, leave a few coins for the waiter, and head down an alley at random, lost in my thoughts, looking to lose myself in the last few moments of what’s been an incredible year of new experiences. For which I am and will be forever thankful. 🇹🇳
31 December 2025
