Sunday 19 February 2012

Retail therapy in the souks of Sousse

There comes a point during any holiday, when any traveller, no matter how hardened, sucumbs to the lure, the joy, the shiny marvellousness of a spot of shopping!

Here's a few colourful pics of some of the sights on offer in the hectic souk of Sousse, a Tunisian coastal city.


Colourful textiles and clothing are a feast for the eyes and the wallet!

Piles of colourful spices and herbs entice your eyes and your tastebuds as you pass by.

                      
                          Carpets hang out on white washed walls catching the sun's last rays.



Looking a bit goofy in front of gorgeous painted tiles, a traditional art form of Tunisia, features the Hand of Fatama, a favourite subject that brings good luck.


And after a long day of browsing the shops, haggling and being badgered by shop keepers, what better than a glass of mint tea in one of the "authentic" Tunisian cafes in the town. I suspect this one is rather more stage managed than the actual establishments that the locals frequent . . .

Blue and white theme and Tunisian doors in Sidi Bou Said

Sidi Bou Said  is a pretty little village full of orange trees and enchanting blue and white buildings, full of artists and cats!

During the 1920s, Rodolphe d'Erlanger, a French painter applied the blue and white theme all over the town.



Here's an over grown jungle outside this particularly cosy looking homestead entrance.

Here's a door that seems to have escaped the regulations though! It sits at the top of its whitewashed steps inviting you to climb up and escape the sweltering heat in its cool interior.


And here's some of the curious and hungry cats that congregate whenever there is food around . .

Monday 13 February 2012

Salt flats, troglodytes and camels.

Here's me at sunrise at Chott el Djerid, a large endorheic salt lake in southern Tunisia. An eerie, atmospheric landscape of white, green and purple that shimmers into the horizon.
 
 
We visited it on route to Matmata a small Berber speaking town. Some of the local Berber residents live in traditional underground "troglodyte" structures.

The structures typical for the village are created by digging a large pit in the ground. Around the perimeter of this pit artificial caves are then dug to be used as rooms, with some homes comprising multiple pits, connected by passageways.

Here is the entrance to one of the traditional troglodyte dwellings that featured in the original Star Wars film.


                       
Stunning scenery on the way to a mountain oasis and hot spring.


And saddling up and riding out on camels in the desert at Douz - the gateway to the Saraha. My camel seemed to enjoy spitting at its companions and kneeling forward suddenly. Here I am in a rare, in control moment!! . .
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