The expedition diaries Tunisia (15-28 April 2003)                            If you want to have photo or video materials about Tunisia - write us a letter.

Ghar El Melh Today's morning was the official start of the rally. All the rally participants were given the detailed map of the itinerary during the instruction at breakfast (every morning tradition). The map includes all the turns, stops, and aspects of roads within a kilometer. To lose your way is out of the question, even if you want to do it. In addition to the copy, every team gets a Tunisian banner and a long inscription in the Arabic language to paste on the windscreen. Of course, you don't manage to read it. That's why you should trust Eric's words (one of the organizers). He assures us smilingly that it gives us an idea about the overwhelming friendship. He doesn't forget to illustrate what side of the inscription to paste unless it is hung "head over heels". To tell the truth, a person not speaking this language is hard to guess where it is the top and where it is not. Our cars caravan reaches the first stop of our travel after some hours' drive. This is a town, located on the sea coast - Ghar El Melh. The most attention-catching must is a large ancient Spanish fortress built in the fifteenth century. We should mention some other fortresses not so large as this one. The Spanish had built lots of fortresses along the coast. Most of them are well preserved till now, surviving the Turkish conquest and other cataclysms. For example, this key fortress looks much younger than it is in reality. It is seen that it is being taken care of for curious tourists' benefit. The fortress towers above us in a glorious way, welcoming any visitors. The beauty traps you, offering to make a tour of the top floor galleries, to look out of the tight loopholes overlooking the sea, to touch meter walls. They had been a rampart for its inhabitants some centuries ago. In fine, the view is splendid. After visiting the fortress we find ourselves at the local port. Our cortege gathers heaps of gapers. They are gazing at the cars thoughtfully while we are having a meeting with the town Mayor. In fact, that is he who deserves being the real must, as he is so picturesque. He wears a long black coat, a tidy suit with a neck-tie (despite the heat), tinted sunshield spectacles (in spite of the lack of sunbeams in the room). He seems to be a perfect Sicilian godfather. His appearance and speech are in a proper manner - he is self-confident, to say nothing of a bulletproof dignity as the unique and real master of the town. We can't but interview him after the meeting. He tells that he develops tourism in his town welcoming everybody to go sightseeing and have a rest there. After a video shooting of the fortress and the port, we continue our journey. Greenery around us. Cactuses and olives. Olives and cactuses. The sea offers a splendid range of blue colours. The people on our way are smiling and waving hands, greeting us. Next: >>>  Dougga, ancient Roman ruins

e-mail:	Update: 12 July 2003	Support TV company "Svoy Krug"