Return to Africa: Tunisian surprise

I rarely procrastinate. Well, when talking about a trip to Tunisia, I did.

Having heard so many bad and ugly things about the northernmost African country, I tried my best to stay away. In the end, I could not resist an attractive long-layover ticket.

After the shock and disappointment in England [to be continued], we found tranquillity in Tunisia.

I like to observe. I look at people. Undoubtedly, they were extraordinarily polite to us, but they seemed kind to each other, too. You don’t have many opportunities to do that when you adhere to mass tourism. The Bezness focus their activities around resorts, chain hotels, and tourism operators. [I managed to watch this classic before heading to Tunisia.]

The only time I felt close to the atmosphere I expected to witness after reading tens of accounts about broken hearts and emptied bank accounts (hence the connecting piece) was in Monastir. About ten km of resorts (and a practically resort-linked airport) later, arriving in town to get some sweets, we stumbled upon male Tunisians who were arrogant and felt entitled.

Other than that, the dark and heavy energy of Morocco and the Bezness and scamming of Egypt and – for the memories’ sake – Jordan were not there. The aggressive vendors were lacking, too!

Yes, people are poor, but they’re still enjoying their lives; this makes them richer than others in so many ways!

They respected my clothing choices. I never felt stared at, rather pampered. Negotiations included at least a smile; the prices were friendly. The food was delicious (but a bit spicy for my taste).

Cats were ubiquitous. The shoreline was impressive!

We managed well in French [many people spoke English, too] everywhere we travelled except for the northwest, close to the Algerian border, where Arabic is the norm.

The thing I didn’t like? The garbage. The streets, parks, and surrounding areas of some medinas are full of litter. So are the roads close to the cities. Sadly, the public beaches are also affected. On our last afternoon in Tunisia, the beaches we visited were so dirty that we refused to go for a swim.

And even from this point of view, around Beja and almost all the way to Tabarka, the roads and scenery are spotless, green, and very pretty! Talk about surprises!  

 

Our conclusion? ‘micuL, I think we managed to travel around Tunisia in a non-commercial way!’