A bit of a novelty, we got to sleep in today and to eat a leisurely breakfast with the rest of the holidaymakers. Because of the distance to Tunisia we didn’t get off the ship till 2.30 PM. This port was an interesting one as it is usually closed to westerners. Being a part of ANZUS (Australia. NZ. US) and with Tunisia being predominantly Moslem we are not on the most favoured list with the chance of us obtaining a Visa being zilch. However, with the pursuit of the elusive tourist dollar, if we booked an excursion from the ship we were allowed out under supervision. To show us who was in charge we all had to fill out an arrival form and produce a passport.
Africa is definitely an acquired taste. You see a light pollution cloud which makes the landscape hazy. It was very hot but Ok if you drank heaps of water. The buildings are stark white so there is a type of exotic beauty about them. I didn’t feel safe and thought that there were plenty of eyes staring at us. Our Guide was a real sleaze and like many of these types where corruption is rife, before our visit to Carthage he announced to our bus that in order to take photos we had to pay 1 Euro for the privilege of taking photos. That did not go down well and I guess was his ultimate downfall especially if you are part of a bus of English speakers/ There was a sign in the bus saying he welcomed tips. We were there to take photos so decided to pay the Euro, as this had now become his tip. The whole bus as one agreed. He then at all the spots told us the shops to buy in (his mates who were in on his wee scam) They missed out too as we bought at every shop except his mates.
Carthage was built by the Phoenicians about 800BC until they were invaded by the Romans who destroyed it then rebuilt it as a Roman Bath.They held onto it for 600 years. It was then destroyed by the Vandals.There is not a great deal left as the photos show. We visited the Birsa Church, which is a Christian Church but no longer used. Reading between the lines here I would say the Christian church has been driven under ground through persecution as the country is 98% Moslem, This lovely church is going to become a Christian Museum. Quite sad really.
We also visited Sidi Bou Said, a “typical” Tunisian village with white and blue houses. That was a highlight for us as you got to see how Tunisians lived. Glad to get back to the ship and into the cool. Malta tomorrow
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