There are several options for traveling around Tunisia, including train, bus, and louage. It seems as if every country in Africa has its own private competitor to the public transport system and in Tunisia it is the louage. As usual it only leaves when full, but unlike our previous misadventures with sept-places (Senegal) and grand-taxis (Morocco), the louage is the real deal: air-conditioned mini-vans where one person has a seat to themselves with 8 passengers maximum per vehicle. And unlike the public bus, which stops frequently, the louage is non-stop between destinations. In fact, as Christi and I plan our onward travel from Tozeur we are actively encouraged by the locals to use the louage because the minivans are faster and safer than the derelict public buses. That said our destination, the troglodyte town of Matmata, is not on any direct route. We have to do it stages, beginning with the 90 km crossing of a salt pan called Chott el-Jerid to the town of Qibili (5.5 Dinar [US$3.50]; 90 minutes). It rained during the night and the salt crystals are shimmering diamond bright. Barely do we have time to alight from the minivan when we’re bundled into the next louage for the 120 km (7 Dinar [US$4.50]; 120 minutes) journey to Gabes on the Mediterranean coast. The bus station into which we arrive in Gabes is not the same one from which connections to Matmata depart. We’re given vague directions. We hoist our packs onto our shoulders and trudge around repeatedly getting lost and having to stop strangers and ask in rudimentary French for directions. The correct bus station is more of a parking lot where louages stop to drop off and pick up passengers. This third minivan takes us 30 km closer to our destination (1.5 Dinar [US$1]; 30 minutes. Somewhat confusingly the town is called Matmata Nouvelle, which we are assured is not the right Matmata. That is a further 15 km away (2 Dinar [US$1.25]; 15 minutes. Our fourth louage brings us safely into Matmatat-Al-Qadimal (commonly known as Matmata) 250 km and 4 hours and 15 minutes after leaving Tozeur for about US$10 per person.
Matmata is a small, dusty town in southern Tunisia. It is home to a couple thousand souls who traditionally lived underground to avoid the oppressive heat. These people were called troglodytes (troglodyte means those living in caves). No doubt the locals were quite content to live their unique lifestyle in relative obscurity. But then Star Wars came along and things changed forever. George Lucas found the troglodyte way of life so unusual and out of this world that he featured it in his movie. Many people still choose to live in these caves, which are often extensive networks of tunnels and courtyards. Some of these dwellings have even been converted into hotels. Christi and I visit one of these (the Sidi Driss hotel), which is particularly famous because of its connection to Star Wars. The Sidi Driss hotel doubled as the Lars homestead on the desert planet of Tatooine (which is the fictional home of Luke Skywalker). Tatooine is actually another town in southern Tunisia, which does not appear in the movie, but George Lucas liked the name enough to immortalize it in his sci-fi epic.
The Sidi Driss hotel is very popular with day-tripping tourists. From 9 am to 5 pm the area in front of the cave entrance is a parking lot of tour buses. Despite this apparent popularity, though, only two people (bet you can’t guess who they are) elect to spend the night in their own private cave. Each cave is minimally appointed: there are three beds squeezed in and a single electric light bulb (not even a lampshade). As long as Christi and I are in the center of the cave we can just about stand upright; otherwise we have to stoop. There is, in case you are wondering about such practical matters, a separate ablutions block in one of the connecting tunnels. The block resembles a row of port-a-potties. (Note the courtyard in which we stay is one of five in the hotel, but is not the one used for filming Star Wars). After the crowds finally depart, it is wonderful to have these iconic surroundings to ourselves. Surprisingly the owners of the Sidi Driss hotel have let the place fall into disrepair (including the Star Wars set decoration), and once again there is not one single item of Star Wars memorabilia available (what is going on? How much power could George Lucas wield?)) The food and the service are not much to write home about, but the atmosphere is magical: eating dinner and staring up at a billion stars (And as far as I know George Lucas can’t charge you for looking at the stars – yet).
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching tale of love and test tubes.
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