The excursion to the Sahara, which every travel agency offers, is a rush of emotions and impressions from nearly 1200 km of distance traveled and an encounter with unique places and people. It is an experience that everyone feels in their own way. For me personally, it was magic, unearthly, but also cruel beauty, an example of the amazing human will and adaptability; simple, but charming elements in the life, food, culture of the local people; a unique contrast between the monotonous unfriendly natural landscape and the broad smiles of the people; a total lack of any vanity and the ability to live freely. The emotions after these two days for me are extremely saturated and stormy. And I realize how "robbed" we sometimes are - modern people of high technology...
Our route
The first stop on our adventure is the Ancient Theater in El Jem. An impressive Roman amphitheater and arena for gladiatorial battles. Its capacity of 35,000 people makes it the third largest Roman amphitheater in the world after the Colosseum in Rome and the theater in Capua.
Traveling south, the route passes through the city of Sfax - a major port city, to the city of Matmâta - a small, extremely impressive Berber city. The Berbers are the indigenous people of North Africa, and in Tunisia today they are only about 2% of the population. They are called “the free people”. Settled in hard-to-reach areas, the Berbers live by their own laws and rules, refusing even to have passports. Some of them, of course, have mixed with the local population over time.
Berber villages, carved into the sandy rocky slopes of the town of Matmata, are a true testament to the inexhaustible human capabilities for survival, its ability to adapt to the merciless conditions of nature and turn them into an advantage. The soft clay soil is the perfect insulation, saving the owners of these houses from the merciless heat of the desert. The hospitality of these people is famous. Smiling and friendly, the hosts open their doors to tourists, which gives them the opportunity to earn another dinar to the modest family budget (who leaves as much as they want), welcoming them with warm bread with aromatic olive oil and honey. It is surprising that these villages are inhabited by Berber tribes to this day. Here they find their freedom.
Our lunch included typical Berber dishes.
Brik – an appetizer or light dish made with very thin round crusts and a filling of egg and parsley. In many cases, tuna and onions are added, which are pre-fried. With great skill, the crust, folded into a crescent, with the raw egg filling in the middle, is slid into hot fat and fried in a deep fat bath.
Couscous with vegetables – this is a dish that is eaten literally every day in Tunisia. It is prepared with vegetables and various types of meat. It is cooked in a special container on two floors. The meat and vegetables are cooked below, and the couscous is steamed on top. A whole lamb with couscous is a must-have dish for wedding celebrations.
In Arabic cuisine, a paste made from red chili peppers, called "harissa", is often used. In addition to red chili peppers, the hot sauce also contains garlic, coriander, cumin, and salt.
Tunisian Fricassee (Fricassé) – Tunisian fricassee is similar to a donut, which is filled with boiled potatoes, diced, tuna, harissa, pickles, olives, hard-boiled eggs. The story of the creation of this sandwich is as follows. A Jewish woman was expecting guests and prepared a larger amount of bread dough. However, the guests did not come and the dough was left over. As a good housewife, the woman thought about how to use the dough. She made it into balls, which she fried in butter, cut in half and filled with products she had in the refrigerator. She treated her neighbors to these small sandwiches. People were surprised by the new recipe, liked it and started preparing it in their homes. At first, they called these sandwiches Jewish bread rolls, but later they named them “fricassé” from French. These small sandwiches are available in Tunisia as street food and also on the beach.
Sahara
Riding a camel among the sand dunes is a great and different experience. For about an hour, you see sand, sand and only sand in front of you. An ocean of golden fine sand. The animals, with unwavering calm, heads held high and grace, walk their "guests" through the vast expanse of their home. The children took up this challenge.
The day ends with a sunset in the desert, as if it were within reach. In a word, serenity...
Day 2: Lake Shot el Jerid
It's exciting to wake up at 3:00 a.m. with the anticipation of an adventure. It's an incredible feeling to welcome the sunrise in the desert, standing on the dried-up salt lake Chott El Djerid. The wind blows in your face, the horizon divides the infinity of sky and earth, you feel the numb salt surface under your feet. Cruel beauty!
The lake's area is about 7,700 km², and the landscape is truly from another planet.
It is no coincidence that the creators of the cult film "Star Wars" chose this otherworldly corner to recreate the surface of the fictional planet Tatooine. The small pearls of salt sparkle in the just-awakening sun, ready to embrace this part of the Earth.
Oasis "Chebika"
Another beautiful place on our adventure is the Chebika Oasis located at the foot of the Jebel el Negeb mountain. Today, only a few hundred people live in this town. Many scenes from the popular film The English Patient were filmed in this area.
Desert safari
The moment has come for our desert safari, which definitely got our adrenaline pumping. The feeling of flying at high speed through the timeless desert in the company of freely roaming camels visible in the distance is incomparable. The skillful drifts of the jeep drivers on the sand dunes create a high-speed experience.
The final stop in the desert is the Star Wars filming location with preserved sets that have been turned into a tourist attraction.
The last stop on our two-day Sahara adventure is the city of Kairouane. Kairouan is the fourth holiest city for Muslims after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. It is where the first mosque in Africa was built.
Unforgettable two days of this part of the Tunisia adventure…
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