It was a long several days of travel from Yeuqing in Eastern China to Tunis: 4 hour high-speed train to Shanghai, a cancelled flight and an extra day spent in Shanghai, fly to Urumqi, Dubai, Cairo and finally Tunis – almost exactly 72 hours.
I continue to travel with a damaged passport (it accidentally got wet on Dec 4 and my passport picture is blurred) and Tunisia was the 16th immigration gone through with no problems. So much for the fear mongering from the Canadian Consulate in Dubai who said that my only recourse for further travel was a replacement (20 working days).
TUNIS (pop 1.29 MILLION)
Tunis is a good introduction to the wildly divergent culture of modern Tunisia. The medina’s tangle of souqs, squares, mosques and shuttered town houses is surrounded by the straight, colonial lines of the Ville Nouvelle. ‘French’ Tunis centres on Ave Habib Bourguiba, a wide, tree-lined street made famous by the scenes of Jasmine Revolution protest; its crowds are now again made up of shoppers and cafe-goers.
Apart from the medina, Tunis’ main attractions are outside the city proper; they include the wonderful Bardo Museum. For beach outings, interesting shops and night-time fun, join the young and well-to-do in the northern suburbs.
I always look for public buses at airports going into town rather than taking expensive and boring taxis. The one in Tunis cost 50 ¢ and was old and rattletrap.
Tunis was so unlike anywhere I had been for so long, it came as a pleasant and welcome surprise. As we walked from the bus station to the medina, I couldn’t believe the flood of people on the streets, the wide sidewalks full of tables packed with people sipping their espressos, the carless boulevard. Maybe it is like this every day, but this was a Saturday, so who knows?
Then we entered the medina, the old section of town full of an endless variety of shops selling everything. The “street”, Rue de la Kasbah on the way to the hostel was barely a meter wide. Merchandise encroached on the walking space – and the huge numbers of locals shopping and walking made a maze of humanity to move around. I’d been to crowded souks throughout the Gulf States and markets in Hongqiao that were full of people, but not this many people. This was much more atmospheric. And we were the only foreigners – January is not the tourist season here. Everyone we asked for directions was more than friendly and helpful.
Despite what seemed like a maze of tiny lanes, a sense of never being able to find anything here and a nagging fear of taking a wrong turn and getting hopelessly lost, the way was clear. Find Al Kasbah Street, then Al Slah restaurant and look for the promised signs for Aubergue el-Medina. All miraculously materialized and we turned down the shopless lane to arrive.
In an old palace, this place had a ton of atmosphere. Small couches lined walls tiled with bright Middle Eastern motifs, a courtyard under a large dome and the very welcoming old guy at the front desk. I had come with Xavier, a 41-year-old Spanish guy I met at the bus stop. On a one-day business trip from Shanghai where he has lived for 6 years, he had reservations at a much more expensive hotel and tagged along to see where I was staying. The old guy showed me the dorm room for 15 dinars (US$7.50) and then offered a single room for the same price as it wasn’t busy. My single room has a 25-foot ceiling, tiled walls and is very cute. Wifi was a dollar for the entire stay, and breakfast was included! Oh to be in the third world. Xavier returned as he had cancelled his 37€ per night room to stay in the hostel.
TUNIS MEDINA. This sprawling maze of ancient streets and alleyways is a national treasure. It’s home to numerous cave-like souqs selling everything from shoes to sheesha (hookah) pipes, lavishly tiled cafes, back streets full of artisans at work, and residential areas punctuated by grand, brightly painted doorways. Historic palaces, mosques and madrasas (Quranic schools) are scattered throughout. An atmospheric time to explore is early morning, when all is serene apart from the cafes and fragrant breakfast stalls. The main drag at any other time can be unbearably hot, crowded and noisy, but the crush soon dissipates a few streets either side.
We walked many streets of the Medina getting hopelessly turned around in the maze of lanes and shops. Everything looks the same. Street food is endless with a good lunch available for 50¢.
We joined up for dinner with a young French guy here studying Arabic. The transition in the medina from afternoon to 7 pm was surreal. All the shops were closed and the cobbled lane was 3 meters wide. And there wasn’t another soul about. The hostel guy had warned us that it wasn’t a safe place for a foreigner to walk at night. Out of the Medina, most sidewalk cafes were closed with the tables and chairs stacked under awnings. But we found a hole-in-the-wall and had sandwiches loaded with meat on a baguette and greasy French fries.
We had passed a bar – a big room with 35 tiny round tables covered in green beer bottles all occupied. After eating, we returned to have a few beers. The guy next to us gave us nuts to munch, another offered his help if we had any problems. This is certainly a different culture from the socially reserved Chinese one I had just left.
Youssef Dey Mosque (Al B’chamqiya). Also in the Medina, it was the first Ottoman-Turkish mosque in Tunis. Originally a public speaking venue, it became a real mosque in 1631.
Kasbah Mosque. Built in 1230, it was the first mosque to be built in Tunis after Al-Zaytuna Mosque and was initially only for the rulers who lived in the Kasbah. Later it became a public mosque for the Friday prayer of the city.
Zaytouna Mosque (Grande Mosquée).At the medina’s heart lies this beautiful mosque, its forest of columns scrounged from Roman Carthage. Non-Muslims can only enter the courtyard, but it’s still deeply impressive.
Dar Houssein. This old palace in the Bab Mnara district of the medina was the house of many princes, deys and beys for centuries. Each one of them added his personal touch and extended it more.
Dar Lasram. A palace at 24 Tribunal Street of the medina built from 1812-19, a good example of a large traditional Tunisian residence, the warehouse on the ground floor contains and the service area, family on the first floor, guests on the upper floor. Today it is used by the Association de sauvegarde de la médina and the Tahar Haddad Club.
Dar Othman. Another palace at 16 El Mebazaâ Street in the south of the medina of Tunis. Built in 1595, nowadays, it is the headquarters of the preservation of the medina of Tunis.
Xavier left to fly back to Shanghai and I returned to the Medina. A man started to walk with me offering all sorts of tourist advice. We ended up at a carpet shop and took the stairs up to the roof for panoramic views of the Medina. Then came the sales pitch as the carpets, bed covers and sequined pillowcases appeared. I said I would not buy anything and we promptly left. Then we went to a perfume shop where I was virtually forced to buy some natural oil (a small vial for $15 eventually reduced to $10). I was made to feel that I had cheated the “tour guide” when I didn’t buy something I had no interest in. I eventually escaped. I guess the best recourse when people act friendly (as there is inevitably a sales pitch for a shop coming) is to politely refuse any “too friendly” advice at the very beginning.
Bardo Museum. The country’s top museum has a magnificent, must-see collection that provides a vibrant vision of ancient North African life. The original, glorious Husseinite palace now connects with a contemporary addition, doubling exhibition space. Highlights are a huge stash of incredibly well-preserved Roman mosaics, rare Phoenician artifacts and early Islamic ceramics. The Bardo is 4km northwest of the city centre on Metro line 4.
One afternoon, I visited the Bardo, the national museum. I took the “metro”, actually a trolley system of above-ground trams with six lines. I think I was the only one who had bought a ticket, there was no one to collect them and the trolleys were packed in the middle of the day. During the rush hours, with the commute to and from work, the tram *cannot* be used, because it is physically *impossible* to board. The tram is full; absolutely packed. You will either have to walk or take a taxi, or wait for the rush hours to pass. Taxis can often be impossible to flag down, too, since they’re all full. You only know which station you’re at by using GPS and a phone map (or simply ask someone) – none of the stations are named or marked and there were no announcements.
The Bardo is in the old king’s palace with a new addition. It has the most amazing collection of mosaics, hundreds on every wall, some huge and from all over Tunisia. It is a maze of rooms with no clear order of visiting just like the Louvre or Hermitage. Some of the old rooms were spectacular with Italian ceilings and spectacular incised plaster, but there wasn’t a word mentioned about the architecture, except which king (Bey) built it. Ancient Carthage with its Phoenician roots, and Greek and Roman influences were all represented.
Ksar Said Palace. This old palace is located in Bardo, near the Bardo Museum. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens with an orangery and thousands of golden apple trees. In 1915, it became a hospital (called the Aboulkacem-Chabbi in 1957). All the walls are covered with Italian ceramic tiles, white Carrara marble columns, and windows. capitals, door frames and pavements. All ceiling paintings are also Italian, as well as furniture, drapes and furnishings plus large historical paintings,
I walked the 5kms back through a lot of depressed areas but didn’t get lost.
Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul. It is the episcopal see situated at Place de l’Indépendence in Ville Nouvelle opposite the French embassy. It opened in 1897, The number of Roman Catholics in Tunisia fell rapidly following Tunisian independence from France.
Tunisia Palace. In Nouvelle Ville, this hotel is just outside the medina.
There was a big crowd mainly congregated around two bandstands with entertainment. The national anthem, songs praising the Prophet Mohammed and Tunisia, speeches extolling the need for economic progress and women’s rights, and then a pop music band. It was not so interesting as I understood little but still worthwhile to see.
I stood beside two women in hijab both who spoke good English and told me what was going on. They are all unhappy with the present government as they are not better off. The economy, like the rest of the world and especially those dependent on oil, has not done well and they expect the government to fix it all, despite there being little industry or entrepreneurial spirit and thus few well-paying jobs. They complained of inequality. One of the women thought the answer was an Islamic government as Islam is a democratic religion that espouses equality. I could not convince her that it was important to have a secular government where religion and the state are separate. She destroyed her argument when she said the Shiite Muslims weren’t Muslim – so much for equality and tolerance. Even though Tunisia is supposedly 98% Sunni Muslim, one fellow in the hostel said that 50% of Tunisians were atheists.
Small groups were surrounding soap box orators complaining of the lack of progress and their dissatisfaction with the government and the failure of democracy. Arguments were intense. It is refreshing to see the convictions of many being discussed actively on the street. One guy holding a big banner was starting a new political party – one based on eradicating poverty. They seem to have little insight into the world economic recession affecting many countries still, the effect of low oil prices on a resource-based economy and the role of education, entrepreneurs and innovation in jump-starting an economy – all things severely missing in Tunisia. Few speak English, still the language of business (a fact so well understood in Northern Europe). They thought democracy meant capitalism and growth when all it gave them was free speech and a choice in who governs them. They want a change of parties when what they have is the only progressive government in the Middle East area. Even tourism is dead at this time of the year. I am the only tourist I see although there have been a few people at the hostel but almost none are foreigners, only Tunisians visiting Tunis. It is warm with cool nights and I am comfortably wearing flip-flops and no jacket. I bought some lovely leather slippers, amazingly thin and perfect for backpacking to keep my feet warm in the evenings. The medina is a hubbub of people strolling, shops putting all their wares out in the narrow lanes, guys pushing carts of sweet cakes, odours and street food, but the shops are empty and no one seems to be buying much. Drinking espresso and smoking shisha is a national pastime.
It is easily the most atmospheric place I have ever visited. It’s a maze of old stuff and so easy to get completely disoriented and turned around in the curves and triangles that comprise any Islamic quarter – think Grenada, Cordoba or Seville in Spain. But the medina is huge – I haven’t begun to see it all. It is paved with large black flagstones or bricks with a centre trough. It is a joy.
But after 6:30 pm, it is a different story. The Medina is completely abandoned except for garbage and cats (eating the garbage), It’s dark and kind of spooky. The owner of the hostel constantly warns us about the danger of going out after 8 pm. I went downtown to have pizza – it was very good and with a Coke only $5. Tunis is a very cheap place to travel.
Back in Tunis for 2 nights before my flight to Beirut, I took it easy and headed out to
Sidi Bou Saïd is one of the prettiest spots in Tunisia. Thirty minutes up the TGM line, it has cascading bougainvillea, bright-blue window grills, narrow, steep cobbled streets, glimpses of the coast and is a tour bus favourite.
12 young Koreans (2 studying Arabic in Tunisia and 10 tourists) had invaded the hostel when I returned. Spending all 2 weeks only in Tunis, they sang songs all evening and wrote out serious dissertations on how they were feeling about things.
Leaving Tunis: At 5:30 on the 24th, I got a taxi to the airport (6TD). Exchange your dinars before passing through security – everything duty-free must be paid for in euros and the only place to spend them is an unbelievably expensive café (there are no money changers after security). This was the 18th immigration I have gone through with my damaged Canadian passport (so much for all the fear-mongering of our consulates and embassies).
I had a lovely 3-hour flight over the Mediterranean passing over the Greek Islands (there was a nice play-by-play map on the TV) and Cyprus to arrive in Beirut at 12:30 (lost an hour). The flight into Beirut must be the most spectacular anywhere – the route was just off the beach and you see all of Beirut and the ocean.
CARTHAGE
When in Tunis the first time, I took the bus out to Carthage.
This Punic and Roman site lies northeast of the city and is easily reached by the suburban train from Tunis Marine TGM station. Get off at Carthage Hannibal station and wander up to the top of Byrsa Hill for a fine view across the site and see the Acropolium. You’ll have to use a bit of historical sixth sense, as the ruins are scant and scattered over a wide area amongst houses, but they include impressive Roman baths, houses, cisterns, basilicas and streets. The Carthage Museum has monumental statuary, mosaics and extraordinary everyday stuff, including razors and kohl pots. The Byrsa Quarter, an excavated quarter of the Punic city, once home to 400,000 people and surrounded by 13m-high walls, is also in the grounds of the museum.
Acropolium or Saint Louis Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in Carthage on Byrsa Hill, near the ruins of the ancient Punic and then Roman city. Since 1993, the cathedral has been known as the “Acropolium”. It is no longer used for worship but instead hosts public events or concerts.
MEDITERRANEAN COAST
I did not go here. Places to visit are from east to west:
Bizerte. The most northerly city in Africa.
La Galite is an island in the Mediterranean NW of Bizerte.
Ichkeul Lake. 20 kilometres from Bizerte, this UNESCO-listed lake, the lake and wetlands of Ichkeul National Park are an important stopping-over point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds: ducks, geese, storks, and pink flamingoes. Dam construction on the lake’s feeder rivers has produced major changes favouring salt-loving plants producing a sharp reduction in the migratory bird populations.
Feidja National Park is located in Northwest Tunisia and has an area of 2,765 hectares (6,830 acres). It is home to many animals, notably, the Barbary stag, African golden wolf, and Barbary boar.
