In 1978 when I was...well...a lot younger than I am now, growing up in the rural South-west of England was an idyllic if slightly dull experience. The nearest town of any size was Exeter, some 40 miles to the south-east, which was accessed via a tortuous, winding road where progress was often blighted by farm vehicles, herds of sheep and cattle, and floods. We took family trips to Exeter two to … [Read more...]
Matmata, Tunisia, Day 271
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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 … [Read more...]
Ksar Hadada, Tunisia, Day 272
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The one thing neither Christi nor I had expected to find in cave #17 of the Sidi Driss hotel was mosquitoes, but there was a bunch of the noisy little buggers last night. Fortunately, they stood out easily from the whitewashed walls and were easy prey for my weighty Lonely Planet guide to Africa. And as is usual in desert environs, it got darned chilly during the night and both Christi and I were … [Read more...]
Houmt Souq, Djerba, Day 273
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The island of Djerba is the largest island in North Africa, and Houmt Souq is the largest town. The island is connected to the mainland via a causeway that we crossed yesterday and also by ferry from the town of Ajim. Legend has it that Djerba was an island of lotus-eaters, a plant which appears to have narcotic properties, rendering those who ate it relaxed and apathetic. Sounds like they had … [Read more...]
Ajim, Djerba, Day 274
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With some sketchy notes culled from the Lonely Planet guide and some online detective work, I have a rough idea of the whereabouts of two more Star Wars locations. Whether I find them or not this will by my last Star Wars day. I leave a very happy Christi to upload a huge backlog of photos to Picasa at a fast internet cafe and set off for the town of Ajim. Ajim is a small fishing port 20 km … [Read more...]
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