Get the Kodak Advantix at the ready! (El Djem)

Member Name: Little Miss

Product:	El Djem
Date:	25/06/01 (118 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful

Disadvantages: People wanting money for anything and everything

As you approach El-Jem one thing dominates the sky line, the Colloseum. The site is amazing and I recommend anybody to go there.

El-Jem is in a way very much like the Colloseum in rome, probably because the Romans built it. I believe it is better preserved than the Roman Colluseum even though there has also been some renovations in parts. Also there is the fact of the gap at one side where the Turks attacked it when the Tunisians were using it as a fortress. But this really doesn't spoil it one bit.

To enter costs about 2 pounds and if you want to take photo's it's an extra 50p, they give you a voucher but once inside there appeared to be nobody checking if you had one, although I don't recommend not paying it as I saw numerous disputes with locals about paying for other things outside, ie you just took a picture and my camel was in the background so you owe me money and it wouldn't be worth the hassel. On the outside you are free to take as many pictures as you wish. Inside you can visit a number of levels, you can climb numerous stair cases to the side where all the arches are, this is highly recommended for getting some fantastic photo's as there are many peep holes and gaps which can be used to frame some great shots. At the other side you can take some more stairs up the an area of large steps which were used as the seating, again giving you some nice views. Then you can go down some stairs into the basement where the prisoners and wild animals were kept. And finally you can stand right in the middle of the areana and imagine what it must have been like to be thrown in there surrounded by 30,000 people.

With all the stairs I recommend an early morning or evening visit as being in land it tends to be a lot more humid here. A hat with a peak at the front is a must have to enable you to really see the views and also as it's easier to take photo's than when wearing sunglasses.

Also if you
've been to the colluseum in Rome you'll probably notice it lacks some of the atmosphere. In Rome there are people dressed as Gladiators on the outside who may want money to have your photo taken with them but they don't really hassel you, at El-Jem you'll be spoken to in every language they can think of until they get a response. They'll try to sell you an Ali Baba style head dress, and do watch out if you have children as they don't think anything about starting to fasten one onto a childs head even if the parent hasn't agreed, or even seen. Another trick is to tell females something is free and then go charge their, husband/boyfriend. This sometimes backfires if there is no accompanying male at which point they go back to the female demanding money.

Outside you may also take a camel ride, I urge you not to bother, the camels don't look so healthy and have rather a lot of protection around there mouths to stop them biting. Also you'll only get about 2 minutes on the camel. If you really want a camel ride go to Douz, you can get a camel ride into the Sahara at sunset lasting one hour and the camels are much happier. Mine was quite happy to let me pat it's head and was obviously well looked after.

Oh and I nearly fogot they also have a music festival inside the Colloseum, I can't remember exactly when but I believe it is in July, I'll see if I can find the exact date and update this.

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