Astronomy magazine’s trip to Tunisia with 22 of our readers, in partnership with Melita Thorpe of MWT Associates, started out fluidly as adventurers came to the African country from the United States and a few other regions on Saturday, March 19. By late Sunday, we were all in Tunis, the nation’s capital, having juggled a couple late arrivals due to flight connection difficulties and your editor’s suitcase, which arrived late from Paris.
Young Tunisians dance, bang on drums, and play a flute to celebrate their newfound freedom, Tunis, Mach 20, 2011. David J. Eicher photo
We spent the rest of Sunday looking at the area of Tunis that hosts the presidential palace, among other structures, where deposed president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali lived before the revolution that cast him out of office just months ago. As we walked through the marketplace streets of this fashionable area, near the celebrated ruins of the ancient city of Carthage (which we will visit later in the trip), we saw a group of young Tunisian men dancing through the street, blocking cars momentarily, jumping about, banging a drum, playing a flute, and shouting and celebrating freedom. It was something to see.
After some much needed sleep, we headed south on Monday, March 21, from Hammamet, the town where we had stayed, to explore the seaside fortress of this ancient city. The beaches here attract many visitors and so does the medina (the old town) and its central, fortified kasbah. The fort now holds numerous shops with a variety of souvenirs, as well as many eateries and places to catch a quick cup of coffee, mint tea, or freshly squeezed oranges. (Like olives and dates, oranges and tangerines are everywhere in this country, and they are magnificently fresh and sweet.)
This tea room in the kasbah of Sousse hosted Astronomy magazine’s travel group on March 21, 2011. David J. Eicher photo
We then struck south to see a much larger medina in Sousse, one of the country’s largest cities and a region famous for its vast groves of olive trees. The enormous medina and kasbah at Sousse occupied our late morning through early afternoon, and we ate a fresh lunch of fish as well. The incredible highlight of the day came as we continued south, however, reaching El Djem, the site of the third-largest Roman ampitheatre still standing. It was a simply amazing, well-preserved, slightly scaled-down version of the Colosseum in Rome. At its height, some 35,000 could be seated there, watching chariot races, feats of strength, and the inevitable fights between wild animals, slaves, and/or gladiators. It was an incredible sight to see.
On March 21, 2011, the most spectacular vision of the day was the Roman ampitheatre at El Djem, an amazing structure built around A.D. 238. David J. Eicher photo
We then rolled southward to our present location of Sfax, another large city, and Today, we take off in search of meteorites at Tatahouine, toward the Libyan border, having seen no indication whatsoever of what is happening to the east of us right now. Tunisia is a happy place full of kind people, magnificent historical sights, a rich history, and a palpable, celebratory sense of euphoria over its newfound, emerging democracy and freedom.
And be sure to check out the photos I post during the trip on our Trips and Tours page.