Tunis, Tunisia November 18 – 23, 2017

So far, in our journey, we had traveled to our destinations by air and by land: airplanes of varying sizes, buses, trains and rented cars. Until now, we had not yet traveled by sea. We purchased our Palermo, Italy to Tunis, Tunisia ferry tickets online a few weeks prior, through Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) shipping company, once the Sicily plans with Blair W. were set. To survive the 10 1/2 hour crossing, we had opted for an exclusive-use cabin with porthole, including bunk beds and shower.

With tickets in hand, we made our way to the Palermo port at 7AM – four hours prior to departure – as instructed, to clear immigration and customs. With no signs and very little assistance, we finally found the GNV embarkation location. To complete ticket authorization, customs and immigration, it took only one of the required four hours at the port; the rest of the time was spent waiting… and waiting, with no designated waiting area, only a cold concrete curb to sit on. By 10:30AM, we were boarding the ferry, only to wait another 90 minutes for the ship to finally leave port. We were grateful that we had chosen the upgraded cabin, as many passengers were laid out on benches, in hallways or underneath stairs. At 10:15PM, almost an hour and a half later than the scheduled arrival, we were in another city, another country, and another continent.

During our week in Tunis, we explored its medina (UNESCO World Heritage Site), walking its narrow streets filled with merchants, restaurants and artisans. On our first day, we were guided (unsolicited) to a carpet merchant under the guise that it was the final day of some national carpet exhibit. The shop’s rooftop had a breathtaking view of the entire medina. Despite its charms, we did not take the bait to purchase a hand-made rug. Unfortunately, we were caught off guard by our “guide” who brought us to his father’s perfume shop. Four vials of scented oils and 45 Euros later, we walked back to our apartment, still uncertain of what had just happened.

Tunis was a good stepping stone to North African medinas and culture. Highlights of the medina were its entrance at Place de la Victoire, the grand mosque Zitouna, the souks and the ‘grand marché’ – that felt more like a large flea market, in certain parts – with its large vegetable, meat and fish stands.

Another highlight of Tunis was the day trip to Sidi Bou Said and Carthage. That morning, we walked the 20 minutes to Tunis Marine, where we boarded the TGM (Tunis-La Goulette-La Marsa), a small suburban train that has seen better days. During the trip, young boys were fooling around, hanging off the moving train’s opened doors – yep, you can open the doors while the train is moving. After the excitement of a dozen or so TGM stops, we had arrived at our destination. Sidi Bou Said is a small enclave of houses and shops, all painted white and blue, giving the town a Mediterranean resort atmosphere. Approximately 30 minutes away by foot, we arrived at Villes Romaines, part of a series of archaeological sites spread throughout Carthage. After Athens, Sicily’s Valley of the Temples and Tunisia’s Dougga (see below), it would be difficult for any other site to impress us. In late afternoon, we took the TGM back to Tunis, and made our way to one of the few places that sold alcohol for a couple of Tunisian beers. Later, we walked to our favourite malfouf shop, Why Not, for a cheap and tasty dinner. The Tunisian malfouf, unlike its Lebanese homograph, is a wrap stuffed with a variety of meats and vegetables, the obligatory omelette, and harissa sauce. Simple, but so delicious!

Dougga

On November 21, we took the metro (light train) to Bad Saddoun. From there, we walked a few minutes to the Gare Routiere du Nord, where hundreds of eight-passenger white vans were stationed – the drivers yelling out their destination – to find our louage heading to Tébousrsouk. Although one can find trains and buses to many destinations across the country, Tunisia has developed its own unique blend of private-public transportation: the louages are eight-passenger vans, each van set to a specific destination, mostly areas underserved by other means. The prices are state controlled, so each passenger pays the same, pre-determined amount to the driver. Guided by other louage drivers, we found the appropriate one and stood near it – we were the first of the passengers, and they would not depart until the van was full. As we waited, Dave was offered a cookie from one of the other passengers sitting beside him; he didn’t want it, but the old woman was quite insistent. Later, during the ride, she kept grabbing his leg, the reason still unknown. Awkward! After waiting for an hour, and only having reached a total of five passengers, we said we would pay for the remaining three spots (for a total of $16.00 CAD). Once we arrived in Téboursouk, our louage driver got us a taxi to take us the rest of the way to Dougga. We negotiated our price and asked him to return two and a half hours later.

We paid our entrance fee with an extra fee for cameras. A man in his seventies approached us and offered us a 90-minute tour for 40 dinars (approximately $20 CAD). We had read very good things about this guide on other traveler websites, so we took the tour. Our guide grew up in the ancient city of Dougga (now a UNESCO World Heritage site) until 1963, when the government built a New Dougga village and relocated the ancient city’s inhabitants. Dougga is one of the best preserved roman cities in the world, and our guide knew every stone and tile, and all the best spots for ultimate photo-taking. At the end of our tour, we walked around a bit more until the taxi arrived. When we got back to Téboursouk, there was a louage with two remaining spots waiting for us. What luck! We had heard that catching a louage back to Tunis was more difficult and that people often had to take the bus, a much slower option.

Now, with a feel for ancient medinas and lively souks, it was time to explore other areas of Maghreb.