The blue and white country of Tunisia
Following our word to visit all visa-free resort countries, we are going to Tunisia this summer. What do we know about Tunisia? And almost nothing - the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the former French colony, Carthage, the old tourist infrastructure. Well, that's all, perhaps. No, more legends about the blue and white city of Sidi Bou Said.
It took a long time to choose where to go, which hotel to choose. With the exception of new branded five-star hotels (which we did not pull on the budget), there was nothing to choose from. The reviews were one worse than the other. Either lizards with ants in the rooms, then boorish staff, then collapsed furniture, then theft. In a word, horror. In the end, we chose such a Miramar hotel in the city of Hammamet, the center of Tunisian tourism. The photos are nothing, beautiful, the park was promised, the reviews are also more or less. A week before departure, I dug up such reviews about this hotel in the Russian net that I almost got an agency and did not ask to change the hotel for us. But, then I decided, well, let it be such an extreme. We will see what is so terrible in this four.
From the airport in Monastir to Hammamet, it takes about an hour to go. The first impression of the country is a gorgeous road. Nothing worse than the Boryspil highway. If you believe the map, then this road along the coast is, in fact, the only one, but what a one.
Yes, the hotel. I was determined to demand another room if they give me some kind of rout or 1st floor with lizards. To my surprise, the room turned out to be more than normal, and the hotel is completely super with a wonderful park, as promised. Evening. Let's go see the sea. The sea is wonderful. This, of course, is not the azure Adriatic, but also very pleasant. Pure white sand, a deserted beach 3 km in both directions, a gentle setting sun and an Arab with a camel trying to enter into verbal communication with me in English-French surzhik. I explain to him that I love animals and will not ride a camel for money. Having distorted the name of our country as Ukraine and Ukraine a couple of times, my uncle is content with a joint photo with me and a camel. In general, during the week of my stay in Tunisia, I noticed that there are few Ukrainian tourists here, and the word "Ukraine" sounds new to the local population. It's funny to hear Tunisians speaking Polish in the bazaars, trying to sell their consumer goods. We were taken for Poles at best. Basically it was Rush. Well, why Rush, and not Belorasha, for example, is unclear.
In Tunisia, of course, there are language problems. Or rather, their English is not very good, but our French is bad. I printed out a French phrase book and honestly wanted to revive my French from the dead, but I chose to torment the local population with English. Although it is very pleasant to hear in the purest French - deux caffe s'il vous pla
Tunisia pleasantly pleased with its difference from Egypt. The difference in terms of the cultural level of the local population, intelligence on their faces, architecture in the Moorish style, which is a pleasant white and blue contrast with the sea framed by a green wall of cacti. I especially liked this Sidi Bou Said. I immediately decided that this is the most ideal place for a wedding photo shoot. It remains only to find a victim. Seriously, this place is worth it to spend at least one day there from dawn to dusk.
As part of the tour, we were taken to the Bardo Museum - the world's largest museum of ancient Roman mosaics. They did it like that - all over the country they dug out the cubes of mosaics and assembled them again on the spot in the museum. Well, that's so educational. Each mosaic can tell a lot. In one of the halls, the restorers were calmly putting together another mosaic, sitting on the floor in white coats. Then we go to the center of the capital. We are thrown out on the central avenue - the local Champs-Elysé es with the best cafes and shops that run into the old city - the Medina. After ten meters along the central street of the medina, I demanded to go back, because the merchants here were not inferior in impudence to the Egyptians, and there was absolutely nothing to buy. Then it turned out that there are many more interesting things to see in the capital, but we were not taken there. But they carried a lot through the territory of the former Carthage, from which only the ruins of the Roman period remained, but very picturesque. In some ways, this place resembles our Chersonese, with the difference that we somehow have a more soulful and next to the reserve there is no residence of the President, which cannot be rented (although there is nothing to shoot there - a wall, trees and a flagpole). But on the other hand, at the exit from Carthage there are stalls where good and cheap souvenirs are. You can take plates there.
Tunisia is an agrarian country, there is some light industry, 10% of the total oil (Tunisians are very glad that they are not the object of interest of the sharks of world capitalism), the rest is tourism. The most remarkable thing is that in an Islamic country there is no religious fanaticism, moreover, they are fighting manifestations of Islamic extremism and say that religion is a personal matter for everyone. Which I personally like very much.
What I liked about Tunisia: quite intelligent local population, mild climate - unbearable heat and stuffiness in Ukraine, and it’s very pleasant there, local money dinars - coins are very beautiful, of course I took a couple (although not allowed), the famous mint tea with pine nuts, cacti growing weeds on the streets, fragrant soap, the smell of local jasmine, delicious fruits and local sweets, which are made individually and by hand (expensive pleasure), cheap and decent taxis, beautiful ceramics, local cats - thin, lean, everything one with muzzles elongated like cucumbers, red pepper paste (in cans or tubes) - a thing, colored tiles, Moorish-style architecture, on the way to Carthage, a bay with pink flamingos in the public domain.
What I didn’t like is that there is nothing like that, except that in the evening there is not much to do besides walking around the shops and sitting at the bar. Well, and as usual, our people, who allow themselves to talk to the waiters literally like this: “Hey, you, come here. Take it away, I told you. Fast! ". That's just terrible. A decent-looking uncle. Auntie brought it to me in a restaurant and in a ringing voice began to demand that I explain to her what kind of dish it is here. I pretended I wasn't Russian-speaking. Aunt was embarrassed and immediately asked forgiveness in Russian that she took me for her. Yes, God be with her.
In short, the country is not bad, it is quite possible to go again. The only pity is that, unlike the French and other Europeans, we cannot fly here in winter. So what if the air in winter is only + 15-20 and you can’t swim. But there is still a lot to see and you can just breathe the fresh air.
