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

Farewell with Tunisia During 10 days of our trip we are likely to have known and fallen in love with Tunisia, have made friends with all rally participants and to have been keen on old Citroens. All rolled on better than we've expected. The Tunisian ministry of tourism helped our film team and the French one as well as the journalists and photo reporters that had arrived to cover the rally broadly and heavily. Our trip passed in a surprising harmony and at an excellent understanding between citizens of the six countries. The majority of the travelers got acquainted with each other for the first time only here. A notice of major importance: there is no point in knowing where you come from, what your occupation is, how old you are. An invincible longing for adventures, curiosity and desire to learn about the world in which we live unite all of us. That morning of our leaving Tunisia, we were anxious to say to this marvelous country "see you later", instead of "adieu". We did it, without a prior arrangement. In fact, how many musts kept out of our journey! This is the legendary island of Djerba with its fortress Borj el-Kebir. And the city of Muslim relics - Kairouan with the most ancient African Great Mosque of Sidi Okba. And the resort town of Hammamet haunted by multicoloured tourists. And the museum-town of "Arabian Nights' Entertainments" where all fairy tales with their characters and personages are to come across. Hard to enumerate all of them. As well as any other country, Tunisia isn't believed to have been explored at first sight. To understand and take a liking to it, you should visit it many times, experiencing all by yourself. Luckily, this friendly country conceives only one danger. You can easily put on a lot of weight gaining some extra kilograms, as the dishes are very tasty, to say nothing of the locals that have a natural gift to treat. The true cult of meals reigns here. A traveller would have always been evoking in his memory oriental tables piled high with dishes to start with seafoods, a wide range of salads, never-ending meat dishes, vegetables, mountains of candies, dessert and nice local wine. What a pity, it was the off-peak period during our trip, and the sea was cool. Certainly, some people like our photo reporter Tatyana didn't get frightened of it. She was enjoying swimming in waves at the Frenchmen's emotional admiring exclamations, but the others preferred pools. Even the smallest hotels hold them to bathe. Additionally, some of them are warmed up specially. Though, on the other hand, when do we face an opportunity to ramble at a desert beach collecting the cockleshells that are scattered in huge amounts on the coast? At this moment we are taking away with us souvenirs, emotional outpourings and recollections. For example, about almost a full lack of street advertising that struck us. About a large number of schools, colleges and universities in every town. About smiling schoolboys, waving hands cheerfully on our way. About remainders and ruins of ancient cities corroded by the time standing silently. About oases and salt lakes, mirages and camels. But the most important that induces to mind is about these cordial and helpful people - Tunisians that combine all best features of East and West in a superb manner. In fine: "Good-bye, Tunisia, we shall do return!" To the start: >>>  The expedition diaries

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