EXTRA TIME IN TUNISIA

 

Before we leave Tunis, we find a supermarket and then visit the Emirates office in Tunis. We have received an email cancelling our flights from Dubai to Brisbane and despite spending ages online we cannot contact them, but we have discovered that they have cancelled ALL direct flights to Brisbane. The very helpful man at their office manages to rebook us flights via Sydney, so we head out feeling relieved (fingers crossed for no more changes) It is too late to go to the Bardo Museum, so instead we head to Hammamet at the base of the Bon Peninsula. There is supposed to be a camp spot beside the fort in town. We head there, but of course the streets are busy and the centre of town beside the fort & medina are absolutely packed. It looks like it will be Plan B tonight. We continue along the coast until we spy a beachside carpark and pull in. Perfect!

We head off sticking to the ring road around Nabeul because the centre of town is a tangled maze of little roads and somewhere in that maze the local markets are happening. Scary chaos! Our first stop is at the Tazarka Lagoon, famous for its flamingos.  We walk to the rickety lookout and back along the beach despite the chilly wind. Our next stop is at the port at Kelibia where we look at the boats being built before heading up the hill to the fort. There isn’t much at the fort, but the views are great and the parking area perfect for the night.

The next day is still gray and cold, making a slow start. We continue through small towns, all very quiet because it is Friday, stopping at the ancient Punic site of Kerkouane right beside the sea. We wander through the piles of rocks that were once houses and reach the museum as the rain starts again. Then continue our drive along the coast. This area is the breadbasket of Tunisia and now the fields are full of crops. Later we reach the town of El Hauaria right at the tip of the peninsula. We want to drive right through town so we can go up to the Cape for views, but of course we must wind through a maze of streets and naturally a few streets are completely covered in market stalls. Finally, up at the top we wait for the clouds to clear for magic views down the peninsula. The wind is ferocious. Then back through town and out to the port at Ras Ed Drek beach to camp for the night. Between showers of rain we explore the port and beach.

We wake to sunshine (Yay) and head back through the town and on to the Grottos on the other coast. They are closed, but the fences are down and we can head in to explore. Unfortunately, we attract a local guide who accompanies us for a while but finally leaves and we can explore on our own. The huge limestone rocks needed at Carthage and El Gem were mined here, hauled out and shipped and then carted to both locations. An amazing feat! Then we continue south along the peninsula passing wild rocky beaches, aqua blue sea and lush green crops. Can’t help but take photos of horses ploughing the fields.  Later we turn off the main road and head to the coast again and down a steep winding road to the jagged waterfront to find the famous hot pools. We park and explore. The hot water (at 39deg) gushes out of the cliff and into a tiny pool before plunging into the sea.  There used to be lots more pools of varying temps but a landslide damaged them as well as the road that continues around the coast. We settle in the carpark and later walk to the tourist town of Korbous tucked in a rocky crevasse. Here the pools and numerous resorts are located.  Most of the resorts have long since died, but the local hamman is still busy.

The next morning, we drive to the end of the peninsula and decide to hunt down the winery area near Grombalia. As we get closer, we decide to check online – the winery we want is closed today so we try contacting them to see if we can tour tomorrow. (No reply sadly!) Again, onto Plan B - to head back to Hammanet to camp at the marina in the tourist area. It’s a great spot, but too far to scooter into the old town, so we drive in as close as possible and explore on foot. First stop is a house called Dar Sebastian and the surrounding gardens. Not worth visiting as the place has been sadly neglected. It is currently the Cultural Centre! Then into the Medina and Fort right in town. They are both rather renovated and touristy, but still make a fun visit and the views from the fort are great. Back at the marina we settle in for the night and are just heading to bed when…. yes, again we get the knock on the door. The Port Authority expect an exorbitant payment! We pack up, drive around the block and park free beside the beach.

It is Monday and our ferry isn’t until Thursday, so we have been taking it slowly doing a mere 70 – 100 kms each day and we have finished the peninsula. More research is needed. We see that we can loop back to Tunis via Zaghouran and stop at a few more ruins. Our first stop is at Zriba Olia a few kms uphill from the new town of Zriba. It is an old Berber village tucked safely into the hilltop so that it is hidden from marauders. It looks amazing and we spend a few hours exploring. Then we head back to town and on to Zaghouran where we wind up another hill to the Water Temple. This is where the Romans accessed their water supply for Carthage using tunnels and aqueducts (sections of this 132km long aqueduct are still standing – but we will visit them later.) The temple itself is a bit underwhelming, perhaps because it has been renovated, or because there is a tour bus here or maybe even because it rains yet again. Anyway, onto more ruins at Thuburbo Majus. And these ones we really enjoy and spend a few hours wandering around the massive site. It is getting late, so we ask if we can stay in the carpark. Our guy says he will check with the police, but they say “No”. Just as we are ready to leave, he gets a call, “It’s OK, but the police will come to check your passports.” They never arrive.

Wake to rain. Well, that’s no good for walking more ruins, so we wait it out. Much later we head to the Uthina ruins. On our way we see long sections of the incredible aqueduct that carried water all the way to Carthage. Can’t resist stopping for more photos! The sun is shining when we arrive at Uthina, so we head off. There is a huge amphitheater, a few houses with tilework, a huge bathhouse and an imposing old Temple to explore all over 2000 years old. All are spread a long way apart, so hours later that we head back to GR3. But there has been more news. Earlier this morning we received a message from Grimaldi that our ferry has been cancelled due to stormy weather and we have been trying to contact them. Two different people have replied, one saying we can’t get on the next ferry and the other saying we can. Feeling rather confused, we decide to drive to the port in Tunis and check with the booking office. Eventually we locate an office, and they print out our booking. Phew that’s sorted, but now we have even more days to wait/fill in.  We head back to the carpark we used in Tunis over a week ago. It is jammed packed full, so we sit and wait. Finally, the cars thin out as the owners all head home from work and we tuck ourselves into a corner for the night.

It rains most of the night and all the next day, so we stay tucked away in GR3 doing chores, researching Sicily & Malta and relaxing. But in true Italian style and to confuse us even more, our booking agent contacts us to say we haven’t rebooked our ferry! So confusing. By the end of the day she confirms us on the ferry on Saturday night. Phew. We still have 3 days left to wait.

Thursday the rain has eased, so we catch a taxi to The Bardo Museum in the city. Much easier than taking GR3, and anyway by 9am in the morning the carpark is so full we can’t move. The Museum is huge and full of countless mosaics taken from lots of sites in Tunisia. And of course, hundreds of artifacts. There are signboards in every section, but with so much detail it is overwhelming. Totally “museumed” out and tired of huge tourist groups we head out to catch another taxi to the Medina. Here we spend a few hours meandering up and down the maze of streets surrounding the rather lovely Zitouna Mosque. The highlight for us is the freshly made stuffed chapatis at a street stall with all the locals. We make sure to ask for no harissa which is famous here but oh so hot! After a long touristy day, we head back to GR3 and our carpark.

On Friday we finally leave our carpark. Despite continuing bad weather we need to do something. We head off to get groceries and then park beside the beach. Then later move to the marina at Sidi Bou Said (we camped on the beach here previously). It’s a great spot, has awesome views, clean grass and plenty of water so we can do heaps of washing before we cross to Sicily tomorrow.

Our final day in Tunisia arrives. After lunch we head to La Goulette where all the wharves are. We fill up with cheap diesel, have pizza on the waterfront and head back to GR3. Now there are vehicles everywhere and people milling around and the ferry doesn’t leave until nearly midnight. John goes and checks in and then at 4pm the cars start jostling for position to get into the gate. We all stream through and zigzag here and there through various checks. First a big x-ray machine which we must go through twice, then customs and finally passports. A few hours later we are on the ship and head up to hunt down our cabin. As in true Northern Africa style any free space on the floor is taken up with mats, lilos, airbeds or stretchers. It looks like a ghetto! We slink to our cabin and settle in for the night. We are asleep before the ferry even sets sail.  Late morning we venture out for food. Everywhere is full, mainly with men, so after a quick snack we head out on deck. But annoyingly this area is full of chain smokers, and we are enveloped in a smoke haze and the ground is covered in butts. But the sun is shining and we can see the mountains of Sicily…..

We will be there in a few more hours.