tunisia

b - TUNISIA.

We had two holidays in Tunisia, the first being to Djerba then we went the following year to Monastir in the North.

DJERBA is an island joined to the Tunisian mainland by a wide causeway and we arrived in the early hours of the morning in a small people carrier with our suitcases on the roof. The road from the airport was long and winding and we could not see anything other than what was ahead of the weak headlights. However we eventually saw in the distance, slightly to the left, what looked like a miniature Las Vegas and as we got nearer we saw it was a row of large hotels on the left side of the road. To our right was total blackness. We arrived at our hotel the Miramar Cesar Thalasso Djerba and signed in. It was humid and we were glad to get to our "house" which was air conditioned. I say house because the accomodation was built like detached individual units. We, of course, crashed out.

Breakfast was a short way from our "house" and we certainly enjoyed the huge spread of food available.

The heat was typically African and we stayed round the pool in the shade, having the odd cocktail etc. We met up with a number of people during the time we were there and danced in the evenings on the open air stage.

We went on a few tours to see the scenery and to visit the markets. However, one day when Carole wanted to chill out at the pool I ordered a taxi and went out into the desert with a french taxi driver. We managed to converse and he showed me many things that the normal tourist would not see. The methods of getting water from "stones", little cacti that when squeezed produced a sap which one could drink, Also the date trees and pomegranates, so I came back to the hotel with the knowledge that if I were ever lost in the desert I could survive ! I met tribesmen who offered me camels legs (cooked) and a fiendish wine ! It was a super day and one about which I often tell my friends.........It was a very restful holiday and we drank, ate and danced most days and evenings. We found out that Star Wars and other epics had been filmed close by so we went to see the sets.

Our second visit to Tunisia was to Skanes, Monastir and we stayed in the Hotel Liberty....We arrived in dreadful weather with the rain lashing down. The bedroom was flooded since some prat before us had left the window doors open. We called the room service who cleared the water and by morning the room was dry but outside the roads were still flooded. The area was more "tourist" than Djerba and we were forever subjected to noise and activity. We again went on tours to markets in Monastir. However, one day, we had booked to go to a Bedouin evening but Carole had something that did not agree with her. She said she would go to bed if I went on the trip. Forever a gentleman I was concerned...but wwent with a bus load out into the desert where we witnessed a show with juggling, dancing and singing which we all enjoyed. We had a "typical" meal and some rough wine. I videoed the evening so I could show Carole what she had missed.

My other excursion was out into the northern desert to see where the Tank Battle had been at Kasserine.