Senses working overtime (Tunis)

Member Name: fizzywizzy

Product:	Tunis
Date:	26/01/06 (209 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very cheap, a feast for the senses

Disadvantages: Hassle to buy cheap junk

If Istanbul is the city where Europe meets Asia, then Tunis could be the place where Europe meets Africa. There are two distinct sides to this magical, mysterious and yet very cosmopolitan city; there is the old Moorish medina and the elaborate mosques and the New Town with it's French influences and architectural Art Nouveau styles.

I visted Tunis for just one day as part of a weeks holiday in Hammamet down on the coast. We had intended to take the train but, having arrived at the train station at Bir Bou Regba just outside Hammamet around 10.00am, we found out that Tunisan trains operate with the commuter in mind and there would be no more trains until the afternoon. We needed to find an alternative way of reaching the capital.

We decided to go native and go by louage. A louage is basically a minibus/taxi service. They leave from a louage station and you need to tell one of the drivers where you want to go. He will then direct you to a vehicle heading for that destination. The driver leaves when all the seats are taken or when he decides that he wants to wait no longer, whichever is earlier. It is possible, if the passengers are willing, to club together to cover the costs of the empty seats and since the fare is so cheap this is not a problem. We paid around three pounds for two people. (One way), a journey of around 50 miles.

Be warned that louage drivers go very fast; this is to maximise the number of journeys they can make during a shift. There are seatbelts and you should wear them, even if other passengers choose not to. There are posters on all motorway bridges reminding you to belt up.

The louage service is direct and makes no stops other than the final destination, unless agreed specially with the driver by a regular user. This means that it is a quick and easy way to travel as it means that you are not left unsure about where to get off.

The louage station in Tunis is on the outskirts of the city centre, next to the ring-road. From here it's just a short hop (across a frighteningly busy road - even when you use the crossings!) into town.

We were totally unprepared for what we were met with - the sights, sounds and smells. We made our way through a narrow street market with stalls selling everything. There were fruit and vegetable stalls laden with chilli peppers and pomegranates, meat stall with bulls heads hanging from lethal looking hooks behind the traders and then strange little tables with only one or two items on them or just a blanket on the ground bearing a few rusty old clock parts or an ancient digital watch the size of a new palmtop computer!

The noise was amazing - people shouting out the bargains of the day, the rickety wheels of ancient barrows on the pavements and, close by, the car horns of impatient drivers could be heard.

We entered the medina itself through a gate in the white walls and it really was like stepping into another world - like something from an Indiana Jones movie. The alley ways and passages of the medina are dark and narrow and it takes some time to adjust to the light when you leave the medina.

To some extent, the medina is arranged in sections according to the type of goods sold in that part (each section is known as a "souk")- for example, a section for household goods, clothing, carpets, etc. There is one section which is heavily geared towards souvenirs and the tourist trade but this is only one part of the medina. People still live within the medina walls so this is their shopping centre.

When you go into the touristy section you will be hounded by traders trying to persuade you to go into the family souk or browse their stall. Women should be firm if men touch them, even if just to guide you in the direction of some thing they want you to look at. If the other men think you will freely take a strangers hand, they, too, will try to do the same and it can become quite intimidating and uncomfortable.

HAGGLING
Some advice for first timers:
1. Do not be afraid to haggle - this is expected of you and is meant to be fun!
2.Do not mention any price you are not willing to pay. This is insulting to the shopkeeper. Do not waste his time unless you really can not strike a deal.
3. When the trader names his first price, you should then offer rock bottom. So if he asks for 10, you offer 1. This is so that there is plenty of room to move around. Don't be too timid. If he asks for 10 and you offer 8, he'll probably take your hand off. You'll have left no room to negotiate.
4. Don't worry if the dealer makes to faint or something similar. A great deal of play acting is involved in haggling here - remember they do it everyday with tourists from all over the world. They will try to tell you that they would starve if they accepted your offer, but stay friendly and join in.
5. If you still can't strike a deal and you want the item, try slowing walking away and pretend you're going to another stall. you may well find the dealer run after you and agree to your final offer.
6. Finally, don't be mean. Think about what you would be prepared to pay for the item if you were buying it at home. Do not insult Tunisians by thinking that they are so poor that they will be grateful for even the smallest amount of money. They are business men with homes and families to keep. Get the best deal you can without ripping him off.

You will no doubt be approached by young lads who will inform you that the day you are there is the final day of a special exhibition of handmade carpets. They will try to take you there and will be very persistant. We went with one young man who took us to meet another man in a large souk who asked us if we would like to see the King of Tunisia's bed. We knew that it was a ruse to get us to look at rugs but we resolved to be firm. We were led up a rickety staircase and several floors later, arrived in a room which contained a very ornate bed, strewn with cushions of rich golds and reds, embroidered with gold threads. (I later read in a book that this bed did indeed once belong to the King of Tunisia) From here we were led up another flight of stairs and out onto the roof. All of Tunis was laid out before us. Far in the distance we could see the sea and beside it the massive skyscraper that is Hotel Afrique. We could see the golden domes and minarets of all the mosques and it was a tremendous sight, well worth the climb!

On our descent we were shuffled off into a room which contained a stack of rolled up carpets and a couple of chairs. We were asked to sit down and when we said we didn't want to buy a carpet the guys took no notice and started asking what colour our living room was, etc. However we stuck firm and told them that we could not afford to buy a carpet and they realised there was no point pursuing this. We thanked them for showing us the bed and for letting us see the view for the roof.

Lunch in Tunis was one of the best meals I have ever had. We ate at a tiny cafe in the medina; at first it looked like there were no tables but the waiter saw that we wanted to eat and beckoned us in, pointing to a little staircase which led to a tiny upstairs section with just a couple of tables.
There was no menu so when the waiter came back we simply explained in French what we wanted based on what we could see others eating.

The waiter disappeared with the order and returned a couple of minutes later with cutlery, a huge loaf of bread and an enormous bottle of mineral water. He ripped sizeable hunk off the bread which he left for us and put down some pieces of roughly torn white paper.

I had a massive serving of couscous with lamb chops and steamed vegetables in a delicious spicy sauce and my partner had a whole fish cooked in spices, eggs and chips.
Having eaten we followed the locals' example once again when we realised that the pieces of paper were to be used as napkins. However it was the kind of paper that is shiny, like that awful toilet paper schools used to have, so it served only to push the grease around your face!!

We were well and truly satisfied and strolled off for some more sight-seeing, this time in the New Town.

Avenue Bourguibba, named for a Tunisian Prime Minister, is the central thoroughfare in this part of town and is reminiscent of the French Riviera with palm trees and exotic flowers in the central islands between the two lanes of traffic. At the top of this street is the Catholic Cathedral which is worth a look for it's beautiful paintings on the exterior and just across the way are the National Theatre and the Musuem - much of which is devoted to Roman antiquities - hardly surprising when you think how near Carthage is, just a short train ride up the coast.

I would recommend walking up to the Rue Allemagne to see the food market - the fish section is particularly interesting with all kinds of fish you'd never see at home and do seek out the guy who sells his own blend of harissa - that hot sauce/seasoning for which Tunisian cuisine is famous. He will even give examples of how you can use it.

This is the area in which you will find the more conventional shops as we know them, in contrast to the souks in the medina. However, you will not miss much by not seeing them - they were not particularly special.

Given the French influence, it is not surprising that there is an abundance of patisseries/coffee shops. Be warned though that most of these have few seats as such. Tunisians like to eat on the move so these places often only have ledges around the windows where you stand and eat or drink, hardly comfortable after a days walking around the dusty medina!

Tunis is a city that hits you right between the eyes and doesn't let up until you leave. It is a full scale attack on the senses. If you come to Tunis after a couple of restful days on the beach at a resort you will find it hectic, noisy, dirty but beautiful, intriguing and addictive. You can't wait to find out what's around the next corner and one pair of eyes just isn't enough.

Go to Tunis and enjoy it for what it is. Be prepared to be hassled but just go with it. These are the charms of Tunis and it would be another city entirely if these things changed.

Summary: Africa meets Europe and assualts the senses