Bine has prepared delicious beef roulades back in Germany and jarred, thats what we get tonight. Alexandra makes dumplings, we have wine and thus nothing can prevent us from having a cozy Christmas Eve under palm trees.
The restaurant of the camp contributes splendid typical Tunisian salad, what more can we expect.
We spend a pleasant Christmas Eve and it is taken a far-reaching decision. Bine and Bodo have decided go to with us to Cape Town. We are very happy, because we understand each other well and we say(make) a toast. We end the evening with a few glasses of wine.
Christmas in Gabes – Our FriendsChristmas in Gabes – Eric and Alexandra
We liked the trip and the very next day, we are planning an overland travel by truck to Zraoua, an abandoned desert village.
In the early morning hours the Mercedes is made ready to go. Tara must stay behind, for cats and dogs in the truck would certainly end in disaster.
overland travel the truck
Bine directs the truck out of the lot. It is a former army Mercedes, four-wheel of course, with a large cabin that the two have changed into a living room. Bodo controls the vehicle between the palm trees. Because of the size it is not so simple. Our vehicle is left behind of course. We are still waiting for the pressure switch.
One difficulty with the heavy vehicle is the height. Tunisia’s towns and villages are simply not designed for such high vehicles. And so it happens frequently, that Bine must get on the roof of the truck in order to lift wires and power lines, so the truck can pass through below. A dangerous business, because you never know exactly how the electricity was installed and how the cables are secured. This is just thank to God only flags on a ribbon.
Finally, we are through and can go.
In brisk ride we come to the hilly landscape. The view from the truck is good, because you sit high up. Today it has to prove itself, because we will go through rather rough terrain.
After some doubts, we finally find the exit and already the difficult part of the trail starts. We do not know much about the road. It runs in constant ups and downs through the hills – often winding,- heavily washed out, section by section with high rock steps and strewn with coarse gravel .
It becomes increasingly clear to us why that village was abandoned 10 km away from the main road. The supply of the place is pretty difficult on such roads, so the residents were relocated close to the asphalt road.
Considering that only walking speed can be driven, you need from the new city to the village about three hours. Yes kilometres have no meaning in Africa, so distances are also given in time. When asked how far away is this and that, instead of mileage you get hours of travel in response.
The time has not stood still here. Was it possible for people to supply themselves in the villages , the situation changed by the increased needs of life. Now, goods must be transported on such roads, which drives up prices and the migration became a necessity.
After about two hours travel time, and seven miles later, the village comes first into view . Picturesquely situated on a hill scattered throughout the desert landscape. We are surprised. We would not have imagined that big.
We take a break and enjoy the silence of the desert and the magnificent view of Zraoua.
overland travel Zraoua
The village is virtually abandoned. One or two houses are still inhabited. Here we see not only ruins, but an almost intact, though abandoned village. Small lanes, alleys, archways and courtyards, multi-storey residential buildings and mosques. Much has decayed or dilapidated, with sagging floors and crooked walls.
overland travel Zraoua
We end our trip and return to Gabes. It is 24th of December, Christmas Eve and we want to prepare a nice Christmas dinner.
Matmata is the destination for the day. While we’re on sightseeing tour, the mechanics are working on our car. The injectors were installed, but the message of the workshop is devastating. The car is still stopping after five kilometers. Now it can only be the pressure switch on the engine, the mechanics think, which of course has to be organized from Europe again. Again waiting. Meanwhile, we are already here for two weeks.
In the evening we sit around the campfire with the Berlin couple. We consider to return back to Europe. If we already have such problems here, how will that be in East Africa? Bodo and Bine think in a different direction. They think about to come with us to Cape Town. For us, the situation suddenly looks different. When we travel together, we might dare with this car. But first the vehicle must get moving again.
The next morning we set off on the public bus to Matmata. There we will visit the cave dwellings.
Wonderful situated are the caves in the rugged hilly landscape. In the valley the cave village extends. Here the residents have dug dozens of caves into the soft clay soil with tunnel access . Most of the 400 year old caves are no longer inhabited. Because around the old cave village, a 3000 population large city has emerged. From here come the tour guides, offering to guide visitors to the caves.
Matmata Caves
The Greek Herodotus reported in the 4th century BC of troglodytes, cave people, who lived in villages here under the ground. Probably the Berber chose this form of housing because it was easier to dig in the clay than to build up houses with this unstable material . The advantage of the caves is also the fact that they are well protected from the heat and keep the winter cold outside.
The apartments are shaft-dug into the ground. Most of them are 10 meters deep vertical shafts with a diameter of 15 meters. The shaft bottom is an open-ended courtyard, which was mostly used by one large family. The living rooms and stables as well, lead from the yard into the soil.
With the guide, we enter the courtyard of a cave dwelling. As the sun is already low, it is well-shaded and cool here.
Some of the apartments are even two stories high. The white lime paint protects the walls from weathering. Above there were mostly storage rooms, which could be accessed via a rope hanging or in clay carved steps. On the first level are the living rooms. The access from the outside into the yard is on a shaft that was dug through the outer wall and can be closed with a wooden door. The rooms are simply furnished and only dug out from the clay. Security may have played no role in the construction because the ceiling and the walls are not yet supported. The open courtyard was a risk, because they could be easily attacked from the crater rim.
The government is trying to make the residents live in a settlement, but many still hold to the traditional form of housing. Throughout the Matmata area, there are hundreds of inhabited caves. We look into the apartments, the owner receives a tip, of course, when we infiltrate her privacy. The Berber families living here are very accessible and improve their meager livelihood with the tips. In the village there is also a cave museum. It consists of several living rooms and displays traditional clothes and furniture, as well as tools for the kitchen and field work.
Famous is the Hotel Sidi Driss by the movie “Star Wars”. We want to visit that place, of course. The hotel was a film set, and of course there are still the buildings to see. Just a reminder, Luke lived here with his aunt and uncle. Before we enter the hotel, we take a look from above into the yard. Already here you can see some special buildings for the film. We enter the hotel through the reception and go into the courtyard. From the courtyard, you get to the individual hotel rooms. The complex is laid out nice, but we do not get a real Star Wars feeling.
The Berlin couple is traveling with a cat. It is also travel expierienced, enjoys the view from the truck over the campsite. Tara is visibly irritated, something she has never seen – a cat travelling, but Africa is very different, but travelling with a cat would never come to her mind.
We spend the waiting time on the campsite with the necessary work such as washing the clothes. Together with Bine and Bodo we go to the center of Gabes to have coffee.
Tunisia Oasis
In a sidewalk cafe, we enjoy the warm sun and talk about our plans to cross Africa by car. They also always had dreamed to do so, but somehow it never happened. Also, we are rather skeptical about whether we should continue on with this car alone.
Tunisia Oasis – Cafe
On the next morning we use the time to do a horse carriage ride through the oasis at Gabes with the Berlin couple . We start at the bus station, but for now we want to strengthen ourselves with delicious chicken sandwiches.
Two carriages are found quickly, we have to negotiate the price, a tough issue, but we agree and so we go.
Our coachman is a funny guy, speaks surprisingly good German and explains the use of different plants which are grown in the oasis.
Tunisia Oasis – Cafe
We enjoy the ride and are impressed by the beautiful landscape.
Widespread here is the date palm. Dates are one of the main crops that are harvested in oases. We can find them in different maturity stages.
Tunisia Oasis
For the first time we see the plant from which henna is made. It looks unimpressive and the derived powder surprisingly produces these rich colors.
Days go by and again we walk into the town and visit pretty much all the sights of the centre. We are already impatient, and the wait on spare parts is getting to our nerves. Just in time before Christmas the injectors arrive .
The Great Mosque is very strange for our liking. It is a modern building and we can not necessarily assume that this is a mosque. It reminds me rather of a hotel, or a town hall with tower.
It is late afternoon and the muezzins call, as in any city in the Arab world. We are surrounded by mosques and so the prayers are heard from all directions. Today, the muezzin does not climb the minaret, but uses modern technology. Through a microphone, amplifier and speakers, they praise Allah – Allah is almighty – they pray and call the faithful to direct their prayers toward Mecca.
From the market you can see the minaret of the Sidi Driss mosque, an old mosque dating from the 11th Century.
We return to the campsite, where the crew of the campsite had already gathered wood for an evening campfire, because the evenings are chilly here in December.
Gabes The group at the campsite
Together with the other crew of the group, we sit around the campfire and tell stories. But it is also heavily discussed what should happen if the spare does not bring the car to work. It is discussed whether we catch up with the group in Egypt, and how many days ahead are even possible to catch up. But for the time being we are confident that the part should arrive the next day at the airport on the island of Djerba, Peugeot promised to install it on the same day.
Early in the morning I find myself with Renate our tour guide on the ferry from the mainland to the resort island of Djerba. Djerba, because most planes from Europe arrive here .
Djerba is located about three hours drive away from Gabes. Djerba is not very large, it has an area of 20 by 20 km and is about 400 square kilometers large.
The ferry runs every half hour and so we do not have to wait long. The crossing takes only 15 minutes and we have concerns about the spare . Will we get out the pump from the customs without problems and will the freight department be opened, because it’s already Saturday morning.
We are lucky, after some difficulties we are able to get the part from the customs, and pleased we are on our way back.
The pump was installed, it was not the cause of the problem, we now need the injectors, same procedure again and so we are brought back to the campsite. Once again we have to wait for four days, the group moves on, we agree that we want to catch up in Egypt. But we did not know at this time that this was a farewell forever. We are left alone. Not really alone, because we meet a Berlin couple, Bodo and Bine, they intend to travel Tunisia for two months with their trucks.
We are somewhat frustrated, because now we’re 10 days in Gabes, without our car has moved a single meter. Also, our confidence into the workshop fades . The mechanics are all very nice, but what does this help – admittedly – there are worse places on earth where you can get stuck.
At the towing hook we reached Douz – the next workshop, where it became clear we had to be placed on a truck to be brought to Gabes. The group could not wait and continued without us hoping that we would catch up soon. After a nighttime accident of our towing vehicle, we arrived at dawn in Gabes and spent the night in the parking lot of the Peugeot garage.
Gabes – Campsite
At dawn, our vehicle was the first to be checked. We put great hope in the diagnostic device, which discovered an error in the injection pump. This part, however, must be ordered from Europe, which cost us 1000 Euros and transportation will last for four days. We can not remain in the parking lot and so the tow truck gets our moving home to the campsite in Gabes.
Meanwhile, our companion travellers returned and have made themselves comfortable on the very nice campground. For four days they can wait for us, the loss of time is thus limited, and can again be caught up.
Nevertheless, our journey with the group is uncertain because some of our friends must be in Cape Town at a certain time in order to get the flight back to Europe. Also, we do not have unlimited time, as my wife Alexandra must begin her work again in Austria after six months.
We spend the waiting time for the spare part with a visit to the oasis town of Gabes. The town’s symbol is the strange minaret of the Great Mosque. The city of about 110,000 inhabitants is a nice place and we enjoy a stroll around the streets in spite of our significant problems.
Gabes – Mosque
The souk is not very big, but still very interesting. Behind a huge pile of baskets, we discover bowls heaped with peculiar powder. We learn that it is henna, which the Arab women use for painting the hands and feet and also used it for dyeing the hair.
Gabes – Spices and Henna
The font is exotic, we can not read of course, but at least the numbers are readable for us, but anyway it makes no sense, as we do not want to buy henna.
Henna comes in various colors, wherein the color of the powder does not show the end result. There is red, neutral and black henna at this stall.
It is becoming clear that they have not found the error and Joachim and Renate tow us to the campsite at Douz; where there is said to be a good mechanic who would fix the problem soon.
Douz – being towed to Douz
But that will not be happen until tomorrow. So we spend a quiet morning on the very nice campground. We do not know yet that this is only the beginning of our great martyrdom.
During late morning we take the car to the mechanic, who lives and works just 100 meters from the camp but we are not in the mood to visit the oasis Douz sights.
Joachim is a true soul, waiting patiently with us for the diagnosis. I keep having stronger doubts. Was it right to take this tour with such a vehicle, will they find and fix the problem, must we return and tow the car to Tunis in the port and bring it back to Italy, hoping to repair it there or do we have to completely cancel the entire project.
Douz – Mechanics try their best
No sooner have I finished thinking, we received the diagnosis. Unfortunately, it is the same as in the last workshop, which has not really led to the desired success.
We let the mechanics continue and wait patiently on the sidewalk.
Hour after hour goes by without evident results and I begin to prepare coffee. Tara is visibly bored, this is not her idea of Africa. Nor is it our idea, because now we are spending a lot of time in the workshops.
The boys on the roadside are watching the whole action, ready to help, because they really are helpful – the Tunisians.
Joachim reads a book, I prepare coffee on the pavement – a new experience. I offer the guys coffee, but they reject with thanks. Instant coffee, they would probably not like.
It is almost evening and it is clear that the problem is not solved. The car must be placed on the tow truck and be brought to Gabes, 149 km further. There will be a Peugeot specialist workshop, unfortunately not for Citroen.
Douz – Bringing the Van to Gabes
Halfway, in the middle of the night, we have an accident. On our tow truck, a wheel bearing brakes, and only a hair’s breadth, we do not lose the left front wheel.
We have to wait until a replacement comes. The night is cold, but the wheel bearing arrives and is immediately fixed.
Our guides had continued even in the late afternoon with the group from Douz to Metameur, there we are to meet when the vehicle is repaired in Gabes.
Soon we can continue our trip to Gabes and we spend the rest of the night in the parking lot of the Peugeot garage. Will we still catch up with the group?
We leave Tozeur to go to chott el djerid overland and a short time later, again our car just stops. Although somewhat annoyed we still enjoy the beautiful landscape of dry river valleys and interesting surveys. We hope that the car starts again, maybe it’s just become too hot, we are somewhat perplexed.
Heidi and Guido catch up. We advise on the car´s problems and they decide to stay with us in case of the worst-case scenario. Before we proceed we have delicious dates, which we bought in Tozeur.
Dates grow only in oasis gardens with elaborate irrigation. Here at Tozeur they harvest high quality. Only the best is exported.
In desert regions the dates are one of the most important basic foods. They are nutritious and are rich in vitamins and can be stored for long periods, and additionally taste delicious.
We drive on through the Chott el Djerid overland, the largest contiguous salt desert of the Sahara. This region has little precipitation, evaporation is 25 times higher than the rainfall. Streams from the mountains, enriched with dissolved salts and gypsum fill this sink. In the border zone after the rains often several meter deep salt marshes are formed. With increasing heat the salts crystallize and form a thick crust.
Chott El Djerid
The Sahara is the largest desert in the world. It is about as large as the whole United States of America. It stretches from the African Atlantic Coast beginning at Maroc up to Egypt. The Sahara is mainly stone desert. The percentage of sand is only 20 Percent. Temperatures range from up to 60 Degrees Centigrades during noon to minus 10 degrees during night. It is raining here as well, but only very seldom, some years not at all. It is inhabited by Arabs, Berber and Mauren. There are also small groups like the Tuaregs. 60% of the population is living in oasis, 40% are nomads or semi-nomads.
Below the crust the soil often remains muddy for long, which makes driving on it an uncertain adventure. Even in the 1970s, only one mud road lead through the Chott, because of the lack of maintenance again and again it was interrupted, and often was completely impassable. Since the completion of the asphalt road it is open year-round. For more than 40 km the road leads through the Chott and has lost its terrors for desert travellers.
A lot of stories rank around the Chott el Djerid. Writers of 14th century report that a caravan of 1,000 camels had disappeared in the Chott without trace, Karl May also reported on the dangers of the Chott.
In Kebili we come to a halt. Our motorhome doesn’t move any more. Not a single metre. We have to go to a workshop. The tour guide Joachim and Renate have already arrived at the scene.
Campervan broken
Many heads – many opinions. What is the problem, no one really knows. Large helplessness sets in, but also many theories to come. The most persistent is taken. We could have tanked bad diesel that was stretched out with water and therefore the whole system has to be cleaned. The tank must be emptied and washed out, the pipes must be cleaned, also allegedly a false diesel filter is installed. That makes me sceptical, but hope dies last. I look more closely at the workshop. On the ground is being broken down an engine. It belongs to a Peugeot 404, probably built in 1965. Are they able to cope with the modern Citroen?
It is becoming clear that they have not found the error and Joachim and Renate tow us to the campsite at Douz; where there is said to be a good mechanic who would fix the problem soon.
We turn off to the centre of Tozeur, the streets are narrow, the traffic heavy and we need a fairly large parking lot for our vehicles.
The city makes a very nice impression. We wind our way through the main street with restaurants, cafes and many shops. Woven carpets dominate the streets. Finally, we find a parking space in front of a bank.
We are fascinated by the old, slender minaret that overlooks the Old City. We feel as if we are in the world of Lawrence of Arabia or transferred into the tales of 1001 nights. On the main road there are shops one after the other – hidden under arcades to protect from the blazing sun. Here it can reach well over 50 degrees in summer. Here the horse cart is not a tourist attraction but is everyday transport.
Tozeur – Mud Brick Architecture
Elaborately decorated is the central fountain. On multi-story cylinders tiles are fixed, the well is built of mud bricks, which are strung together in a pattern. The fountain is a central meeting place for the people of Tozeur. Woven carpets determine the city. In all colours and patterns they are offered. Tunisia is famous for its carpets. This craft is one of the oldest of the country. They are produced within the craftsmens home, the chief merit is not with the weavers. There are woven and knotted carpets. An important factor of quality is the number of knots per square meter. Here dominates the so-called Mergoum, a very solid woven carpet. Also the kilim is common here. It is a woven rug or wall hanging with geometric or figural motifs, which are predominantly Berber origin. Luck symbols such as fish, eyes, but also landscapes are the motives.
Famous is the mud brick architecture in Tozeur. Layed in different scheme the ocher mud bricks form interesting geometric ornamentation. The style goes back to the 10th century, which was brought here by Arab immigrants from Mesopotamia. A quick look at the city map of the travel guide and we find a cafe to stop at. We sit together with Heidi and Guido at the cafe on the roadside and watch the interesting life passing by.
Although Tunesia is said to be safe, we like to have our camper van in view.
Before we head to Sbeitla we spend the day in the courtyard of the hostel of Kairouan.
The next morning at dawn we break up again. The route runs from Kairouan to Sbeitla and to Tozeur, and from there through Chott El Jerid further on to Douz. At dawn we leave the city. We can not find the correct exit road, we are still doing the lap of honour along the walls surrounding the historic centre. The traffic at this time in the otherwise very busy city is fairly quiet, inspite of that one must be careful, because here everybody goes back and forth and the pedestrians are often unpredictable. Otherwise, driving is no problem, we drive on the same side as most countries in Europe, this will change once reaching Kenya.
Kairouan we liked very well, a shame that we had just one day, there is still so much to be seen. We have a satellite navigation device on board with a map of a South African producer. The Tracks4Africa are a good help when navigating, although Tunisia still has some white spots in the map.
Finally, we have circled the city and are on the right road to Sbeitla. We enjoy the journey overland, for there are so many interesting things to see.
After a short drive we reach Sbeitla where the Roman excavations Sufetula are. Even from outside the excavation site, you can visit the Arch of Diocletian. Overrestored, we feel the theatre, with its charming location. But impressive is the archway that leads to the Forum and Capitol. The three arches Antoninus Pius Arch borders the 70 meters long and 60 meters wide forum. Particularly well preserved is the three-part Capitol temple, dedicated to the Roman gods Juno, Jupiter and Minerva. Especially beautiful is the front and the Corinthian columns at the temple of Juno.
Sbeitla
Continuing on we pass through Kasserine. The city lies between two mountain ranges and is a French foundation. The main street runs five kilometers through the village. Here exists denser traffic, and we progress slowly. In Kasserine, we left the ridge of the Dorsale behind us, which is a climate barrier and prevents the humid Mediterranean air masses from the central Tunisian savannah. It is hot and dry here. South of Gafsa begins the desert savannah and the Sahara. The road condition is good in Tunisia, the further you get into the South and in the hotter climate zones, the worse the asphalt gets, because it softens by the heat.
Since the last gas station our car has problems. It turns off the engine by itself. We stop at the roadside and replace the diesel filter. Then there is peace and it goes on. We arrive easily without problems to Gafsa and want to visit the Casbah.
From the building only the outer walls, some side buildings and three corner towers have survived. In the second World War, the French hold a munitions depot here, which flew into the air and damaged the Casbah.
From Gafsa, we head towards Tozeur. Guido and Heidi have overtaken us and we want to visit Tozeur and have coffee together.
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