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

Sousse, Mahdia, Monastir I don't know what other people think of it, but we have a pleasure to drive along the seacoast. We admire it very much after mountainous and desert landscapes. Still cold for swimming. Transparent. Amalgamation of blue, green, grey, bright blue colours. Smoothly flowing into a low sky. Today we are driving along the coast. A bit more and we'll be in Sousse. Beaches and balneological resorts of this coastal city attract plenty of Russian tourists. We know very much about it. First of all, Sousse as well as Tunis (capital) and Sfax relate to the three largest and major cities of the country. Besides, it enjoys a very nice setting - a big seaport, capital of the eastern Tunisia commendable for its olive plantations. A wide territory of 250 000 hectares offers 57 million fructifying olive-trees. Tunisian olives are beyond our admiration - they'll make you long for more. We eat greedily heaps of them every blessed day, regretting much that we will have soon neither dates, nor olives with couscous... The city is seen at first sight to flourish. Crowd of people in wide and steep streets. Around you - hotels, restaurants, shops. Boats and yachts along the coast. The look is quite modern, industrial and rational. We can scarcely believe that the city counts more than 3000 years. Scientists stress, that Sousse is older than the renowned Carthage. Like Carthage, the Phoenicians founded it. The years of existence brought Sousse under frequent enemy control before it changed both "owners" and the name many times. The Phoenicians called it HADRUMETUM. After the fall of Carthage the "free city" became a Roman colony keeping its initial name. Later conquered by the Vandals (that was only short-lived) and called HUNERIKOPOLIS. Byzantium took control over the city naming it JUSTINIANOPOLIS for the third time. But it was just a start. Byzantium gave place to Arabs. The 12th century saw a Norman occupation followed by a Spanish invasion four centuries later. The Frenchmen (how can we do without them?) occupied Sousse in the 18th century. This major port viewing its strategic location was repeatedly bombed during the Second World War. However the city continues to exist, getting on well nowadays. When Justinianopolis had turned into Sousse remained unclear to us, but this name fits it. MEDINA, the historical city center, embraces a usual mixture of "old" and "new". By the way, the word "medina" denotes in the Arabic language "city". We use to call by it old town, kept in the heart of every new city in the given context. Sousse's Medina is well-known for the Khalaf El Fata tower constructed in 859. It is said to have once served as a lighthouse-cum-signalling post to the ships. The 30 metre tower is worth going up affording an impressive view of the town. It's a priceless must for those who are fond of "impressive views". Nearby is the fortress El Ribat. This is a part of the entire "amalgamation" of similar buildings constructed by the Spanish along the coast for protecting this territory from invaders' attacks from the sea. In 821 a high watchtower was attached to it, and the Big Mosque erected by the amir Abu El Abbes in 850. This thick-walled example of Islamic architecture ends by battlements. Semicircular angular towers make it look like as if a legendary medieval castle. Bear in mind a maze of covered stalls "souk" - a multi-coloured open-air market that caters regularly to the needs of local residents in the old town. Here we familiarized with a subtle art to haggle over the price, purchasing keepsakes. The main is to have a lot of time at your disposal. Are you willing to do all quickly? Move forward to the shopping center. The price is fixed there, dollars are accepted, choose something, wrap it up, pay, and go off. If you undertake "shopping" in a serious way, screw yourself in narrow curved lanes of the endless market. Picturesque characters are coming across you at every step. Unlike the majority of the Arab and African countries, you aren't being grasped by your sleeve to a shop. No, you are invited in a fine-looking and polite manner not insisting on it specially. If you entered, you would set your heart on something by all means. It is impossible to guess, that kind of fancy article it will be. Maybe, tasty oriental candies with honey flavor. Or, if you are keen to master the art of cooking, exotic seasonings - saffron, karri, muscat, cinnamon, or fragrant mixes hard to identify. Are you willing "kabus" or called in Tunisia "shashia" - a black tasseled red fez? Or else do you feel like getting Berber trousers, similar to a skirt? Or a silver adornment on which one can engrave your name in the Arabic or other language? Take with you as a Tunisian keepsake a hookah, or narghile. Choose all to your liking. There are also drums, plates, camel's statuettes, and so forth. But it's not the ticket. If you have a high regard for something, for heaven's sake keep from revealing your concern. An enthusiastic look increases the initial price to pay through the nose for an article. Thus, put on an indifferent air, and while one is about it, inquire about the cost. Having heard "verdict", you are eager to act as if indignant (whatever the price might be): "You've made a fool of me!" Hand over the viewed object back to the owner. Don't hurry up to leave, go on bargaining. The retailer should ask you about your price. You divide the heard from him, by ten at least and verbalize your variant. Now this is his turn to be up in arms, mentioning Allah and playing hard-to-get. However, he agrees to compromise a little. You simulate going off (certainly, for fun) asserting, that the next shop displays just the same at a much lower price. You are being persuaded in exclusivity and high quality of the goods. Your price mounts slightly; he abates, etc. until you reach an excellent understanding. As you realize, there is no point in economizing money. The both parties are enjoying the process. The main is not to lose your temper being polite and smiling. If the seller is delighted with you and your behaviour, he is expected to give you an item at a derisory cost, just for the sake of art. Moreover, you might place a temporary henna tattoo to any part of the body in the market. It will last for a fortnight, depending on how often you'll go swimming or take a shower. The look is tremendous fitting to frighten your relatives when at home. Merely mention that the tattoo is true without being washed off. The entertainment park near Sousse gave us an opportunity to go in for karting on the real motor road before we went for a pull of PORT KANTAOUI to have an idea of the underwater world. We had a snack on board an ancient small ship made in the style of a piracy schooner. A short rest after a long drive, we say goodbye to Sousse, stuffed with souvenirs. Our next stop is another resort town of MAHDIA. It is famous for the eighth century Spanish fortress and a strange ancient cemetery, located directly at the seacoast. From time to time the surf waves overflow the stone gravestones that grew darker by the time. According to the indigenous people's words, MAHDIA refers to the most pleasing to the eye coastal towns but "not heavily visited" by sightseers unlike Sousse. The nature and the sea are very praiseworthy here. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, holidaymakers will get to know this small town in a short time. Our journey brings us to a finely-preserved example of the eighth century Spanish fortress (the town of MONASTIR). You can tell it from other places of interest by ideally clean streets, perfectly cut bushes and steep lines of palm-trees in parks. MONASTIR turns out to be the native land of the first Tunisian president (now deceased). Thanks to his efforts the country achieved independence. What is more, he enjoyed people's high regards as one of the most progressive Arab leaders. The new authorities and grateful compatriots situated his funeral mausoleum in MONASTIR. A big airport serves all nearby coast flights in MONASTIR. Besides, plenty of hotels and an advanced infrastructure contribute to a pleasurable "beach" rest. Next: >>>  Mysterious town Sidi bou Said

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