Port El Kantaoui to go

2012-01-27T22:47:00.000Z

Booklist 2: Ratings: Total = 16 . Pass = 11. Fail = 5. Percentage = 80.

Dove Season by Johnny Shaw - Fail

Dove Season (Johnny Shaw)- Highlight on Page 3 | Loc. 93-95 | Added on Thursday, January 12, 2012, 06:28 PM

I grabbed a seat at the counter, not bothering to look at the menu. I kept to a strict policy with roadside diners: OOB. Only order breakfast. It was a safe bet and sometimes a pleasant surprise. Lunch and dinner could be a crapshoot. There’s always that one entrée that doesn’t belong.

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Dove Season (Johnny Shaw)- Highlight on Page 39 | Loc. 564-65 | Added on Saturday, January 14, 2012, 09:40 PM

Bobby cut in. “You ain’t in LA no more, brother. Besides, you’re thinking of strippers. Mexican hookers tend to use their real names. Fun fact.”

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Dove Season (Johnny Shaw)- Highlight on Page 164 | Loc. 2261-62 | Added on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 03:11 PM

As Pop had told me, “Boredom brings out the bingo in every old fart.”

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Dove Season (Johnny Shaw)- Highlight on Page 173 | Loc. 2382-87 | Added on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 09:29 PM

I reached past Pop and took the extra pillow. Pop laughed. I pressed the pillow over Pop’s laughing face with one hand, holding his hand with the other. He didn’t resist. Almost imperceptibly, he clutched my hand a little tighter. And I held the pillow, laughing and crying. I could feel Pop laughing underneath the pillow. Laughing as I held the pillow tighter to his face. His shoulders shook. Laughing the Big Laugh. The once-a-year laugh. Pop’s final laugh. And then nothing. Ten seconds or ten minutes, I have no idea. But it wasn’t until my own laughter died down that I realized that Pop’s had, too. I lifted the pillow from his face and set it at his feet. He was smiling. Pop was dead.

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Dove Season (Johnny Shaw)- Highlight on Page 356 | Loc. 4867-71 | Added on Thursday, January 26, 2012, 05:06 PM

“Let’s walk around, make sure,” Bobby said. I nodded. “Did you nod?” Bobby asked. “Cause in the dark, nodding don’t communicate dick.” “I nodded,” I said. “I just nodded back,” Bobby said, and then he walked deeper into the building, waving the light into the corners.

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Dove Season (Johnny Shaw)- Highlight Loc. 5163 | Added on Friday, January 27, 2012, 10:48 PM

I was very fortunate to be a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition in 2010.

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Dove Season (Johnny Shaw)- Highlight Loc. 5175-76 | Added on Friday, January 27, 2012, 10:49 PM

Johnny Shaw was born and raised in the Imperial Valley on the Calexico/Mexicali border.
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2012-01-12T12:48:00.000Z

Booklist 2: Ratings: Total = 15 . Pass = 11. Fail = 4. Percentage = 80.

Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) by Saffina Desforges - Pass

Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1068-69 | Added on Friday, December 30, 2011, 01:02 PM

“Please don’t argue, Ella. It’s not lady-like. And nor is travelling on buses. I was just explaining to Deimante how you would much rather go by taxi.”
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1202-3 | Added on Saturday, December 31, 2011, 02:01 PM

Farmer kept one eye on his visitor as he poured them both a scotch.
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1224-25 | Added on Saturday, December 31, 2011, 02:01 PM

The Huntsman placed his can gently onto the coffee table, uncrossing his legs and resting elbows on his knees.
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1226-27 | Added on Saturday, December 31, 2011, 02:02 PM

Farmer drained his can. He stood up, leaning across.
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1571 | Added on Sunday, January 01, 2012, 02:30 PM

“Speaking of tools...” Red raised a mischievous eyebrow. “How about we have a repeat performance of the other night?”
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1585-87 | Added on Sunday, January 01, 2012, 02:30 PM

“Tick-tock, girlfriend.” Red glanced at her watch. “Deimante will text me when she’s at the end of the road so we can look respectable for when Rubes arrives.” “It seems you’ve thought of everything.” “Everything. I’ve even bought new batteries.
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1620-22 | Added on Sunday, January 01, 2012, 02:35 PM

“You sounded pretty busy when I came in.” “Sounded busy?” Red felt her face colouring. “You mean...?” Ella shrugged. “Good job Deimante and Tues’ weren’t back then. I don’t think they are allowed to do things like that in Lithuania.”
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1692-93 | Added on Sunday, January 01, 2012, 04:21 PM

Superintendent Blake poured three mugs of coffee from the percolator.
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1698-99 | Added on Sunday, January 01, 2012, 04:22 PM

The Super took a long sip from his glass.
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 2014-15 | Added on Monday, January 02, 2012, 12:04 PM

“Same old jokes day after day. What does Jack’s other mum say when she arrests someone? Lesbian Avenue. It wasn’t even funny the first time.”
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 3558-61 | Added on Saturday, January 07, 2012, 01:13 PM

“Philippa Crichton-Ward, QC. Partner to Detective Inspector Rose.” “Oh, so she is here. Someone said Ms Rose had left?” “No, no, Cassandra is right here.” Pippa moved to one side, revealing Red hurriedly straightening her jacket. “Cass, it’s Mr Morris.”

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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 3573-79 | Added on Saturday, January 07, 2012, 01:17 PM

“Deputy,” Morris hastened to correct. “Deputy Assistant Commissioner. I’m afraid I’m a long way off my next promotion. Unlike Inspector Rose here.” Red looked up from her glass, focusing on Morris. “I’m sorry?” Morris beamed at Red, then at Pippa. “When you do rejoin us, Cassandra, we need to discuss your promotion.” Pippa burst into a huge smile, clutching Red’s arm. “Promotion?” Red screwed one eye shut, attempting to focus on Blake’s words. Her voice slurred, “What promotion?” Blake beamed a smile. “To Chief Inspector.”
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 3826-33 | Added on Sunday, January 08, 2012, 01:11 PMRed looked up at Blake, her mind racing. He was right on that point. “They must have an ID of some sort? The passport he used?” “Regrettably, no. He bought a foot-passenger ticket using cash. No identity checks are made for outward bound travellers.” “You’re joking!” “I wish I was. Seems our so-called anti-terrorism initiative doesn’t apply to ferry ports. Least of all people leaving the country. We only worry about those coming in.” “What about at Calais?” “Same thing. No-one checks passports at Calais. They just wave you through.”
====================

Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 4201-2 | Added on Monday, January 09, 2012, 02:26 PM

He wondered which one was Red’s, wondered which one he would kill her in. Maybe he’d fuck her one last time -for old times’
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 4917-20 | Added on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 11:34 AM

“No? She didn’t tell you about me and her? How I used to fuck her? She fought back at first, but when she realised I enjoyed that all the more she’d just lie there and take it.” “Like I had a choice, Nathan. You had a knife to my throat.” “At first, yeah. Until I got those kinky handcuffs to keep you still. Ironic she became a fucking copper, eh, girlfriend?”
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 5026-27 | Added on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 03:52 PM

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t. I...” He flung the gun into the pool, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves.
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 5030 | Added on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 03:53 PM

He looked from Richard to the gun on the floor and back to Richard again.
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Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) (Saffina Desforges)- Highlight Loc. 1585-88 | Added on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 06:14 PM

“Tick-tock, girlfriend.” Red glanced at her watch. “Deimante will text me when she’s at the end of the road so we can look respectable for when Rubes arrives.” “It seems you’ve thought of everything.” “Everything. I’ve even bought new batteries.”

==========

2011-12-30T18:23:00.002Z

Booklist 2: Ratings: Total = 14 . Pass = 10. Fail = 4. Percentage = 80.

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks - Fail

2011-12-07T18:28:00.001Z

Booklist 2: Ratings: Total = 13 . Pass = 10. Fail = 3. Percentage = 80.

Damaged Goods by Helen Black - Pass

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Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 188-90 | Added on Monday, November 21, 2011, 12:14 PM

He removed her grubby underwear, fumbling on the frayed lace, and turned her around to front the camera. He stroked the pale contours of her torso, starting at the hip and snaking upwards. Her breasts were not yet developed, just tiny buds.

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Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 3714-15 | Added on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, 10:39 PM

Lilly watched the smoke stream out of Candy’s nostrils and wondered if she had ever seen such an unattractive woman.
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Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 3963-65 | Added on Thursday, December 01, 2011, 11:46 AM

She raced to the bathroom, abandoning her clothes en route. The bath looked smooth and cool but she needed to be on a train in fifteen minutes and the Ferrari was in the garage. She made do with a Glasgow shower and squirted toothpaste onto her tongue.
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Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 4165-67 | Added on Thursday, December 01, 2011, 03:23 PM

Barrows decided to tell his wife he’d joined the group. Not only would she ask no questions, she would insist on total separation from it. Better still, he wouldn’t tell her, he’d just circle the ad and leave it for her to find. Things left unsaid and given room to fester usually took on a life and a truth of their own.==========
Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 4602-3 | Added on Friday, December 02, 2011, 05:45 PM

A few seconds went by, maybe four, maybe five. Enough time for Miriam to check the room and leave. Enough time to be forced down onto the bed and bled like a halal goat.
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Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 4957-58 | Added on Saturday, December 03, 2011, 04:55 PM

Lilly disliked his theatrics. As her mum had always said, ‘If a bird shits on your head you don’t stand under the nest and shout.’
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Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 4998-99 | Added on Saturday, December 03, 2011, 05:02 PM

‘It sounds like she used the old porno chestnut. You know, the name of your first pet and the name of your street.’
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Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 5330-33 | Added on Sunday, December 04, 2011, 10:42 PM

Lilly glowered. ‘They’re not pets, you know. These kids have problems. They set fires, wet themselves and nick anything that’s not nailed down. I’ve one client who likes to masturbate at the dinner table with her chicken nuggets and another who keeps his shit in a shoebox under his bed. A few cuddles and a bedtime story won’t make it all go away.’

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Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 6249-50 | Added on Wednesday, December 07, 2011, 11:50 AM

Then there’s Andrew. Husband, best friend. When I mentioned I might like to write a book you didn’t laugh. You bought me a laptop.

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Damaged Goods (Helen Black)- Highlight Loc. 6264-65 | Added on Wednesday, December 07, 2011, 11:51 AM

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2008 Copyright © Helen Black 2008==========

2011-11-23T11:14:00.001Z

Booklist 2: Ratings: Total = 12 . Pass = 9. Fail = 3. Percentage = 80.

Play Dead by Harlan Coben - Pass.

2011-11-22T11:36:00.001Z

Booklist 2: Ratings: Total = 11 . Pass = 8. Fail = 3. Percentage = 80.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes - Fail

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 13 | Loc. 180-82 | Added on Monday, October 31, 2011, 12:38 PM

All I could think of that night was dancing until I was numb, smiling and laughing at people with my new best friend, dancing in that red dress until I caught the eye of someone, anyone, and best of all finding some dark corner of the club and being fucked against a wall.

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 46 | Loc. 658-61 | Added on Tuesday, November 01, 2011, 09:08 PM

For a first time, it wasn’t very special. He smelled of engine oil and tasted of day-old instant coffee; his face was rough with stubble and he was heavy against me, but still I wanted him badly. Although he seemed to have forgotten that it might be an idea to use a condom, I wasn’t about to stop him now; it was fast and awkward, a tangle of legs and arms, and clothes still getting in the way. His breath was coming fast and rasping against my throat, and a few minutes later he pulled out of me and came over my belly

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 73 | Loc. 1047-49 | Added on Wednesday, November 02, 2011, 06:02 PM

‘You know yourself that there’s no logical reason why you need to check things more than once. You complete these safety behaviours because of the way you feel, not because something has physically changed to make things unsafe.’

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 243 | Loc. 3458-59 | Added on Thursday, November 10, 2011, 04:30 PM

With a sigh, he sat back heavily onto the sofa, his jeans now at mid-thigh, his cock hard – as though the sight of me broken and bleeding was turning him on – and told me to suck.

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 278 | Loc. 3963-69 | Added on Saturday, November 12, 2011, 03:40 PM

‘Fucking shut up,’ he said, ‘it’s good like this, you’re going to love it.’ While he fucked me, he took away the air from my lungs, my fingers at my throat, trying to relieve the pressure, the air burning my lungs, the roaring in my ears signalling that I was going to lose consciousness in just a matter of moments. Then, still fucking me hard, he’d ease the pressure and I’d cough and gasp, dragging air into my lungs. The only way to stop him was to give in. I screamed, as loud and as hard as I could, tears racing down my cheeks. I’d almost seen death. I was utterly terrified and screaming was almost involuntary – so I screamed. He didn’t try to stop me, didn’t put his hand over my mouth again, and just let me scream. It did the trick. A few seconds later he pulled out of me and jerked off over my face.

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 282 | Loc. 4018-20 | Added on Saturday, November 12, 2011, 03:48 PM

Lee was all the way back in Lancaster, I thought. He thought I was at work. He was five hundred miles away, and even if he found out I was gone now, I’d be safe on the plane by the time he got here.

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 326 | Loc. 4648-50 | Added on Thursday, November 17, 2011, 04:58 PM

‘I just wondered,’ he said, in that voice, that curious mixture of accents that I couldn’t place, ‘if there was anything you’d be looking for in your ideal candidate that I haven’t been able to demonstrate for you today?’

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 396 | Loc. 5675-77 | Added on Saturday, November 19, 2011, 12:12 PM

How did you decide on the structure of the novel? The structure was mainly to help prevent boredom and writer’s block. It’s very useful to have two stories on the go – if you’re bored with one, you just move on to the other.

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 396 | Loc. 5680-81 | Added on Saturday, November 19, 2011, 12:13 PM

Did you know how the novel would end when you began it? No. Writing a novel, just like reading it, isn’t nearly as much fun if you know the ending in advance.

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 396 | Loc. 5744-45 | Added on Saturday, November 19, 2011, 12:24 PM

Do you revise and edit your work as you go? No. Writing and editing at the same time is like trying to drive a fast car with the handbrake on.

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 396 | Loc. 5786-87 | Added on Saturday, November 19, 2011, 03:57 PM

Elizabeth Haynes grew up in Sussex. She works as a police intelligence analyst and lives in Kent with her husband and son. Into the Darkest Corner is her first novel.

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Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)- Highlight on Page 396 | Loc. 5788-90 | Added on Saturday, November 19, 2011, 03:57 PM

Copyright First edition published in 2011 This ebook edition published in 2011 by Myriad Editions

2011-11-03T18:55:00.002Z

Booklist 2: Ratings: Total = 10 . Pass = 8. Fail = 2. Percentage = 80.

Cross Dressed to Kill by Andrew Lucas - Pass

Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 100-103 | Added on Saturday, October 01, 2011, 10:41 AMIt wasn’t that it was raining or even cold, the sky was still blue and the air was still fresh, but queuing outside a shop, worse, queuing outside a takeaway first thing in the morning. Forget the time it takes, it’s just so demeaning, so bloody desperate. If Starbucks hadn’t been the only supplier of sharp lemon cake, I would have taken my three pounds an eighty-five pence and marched straight to the Columbian Organic Coffee Kingdom, or whatever it’s called.

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Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 146-47 | Added on Saturday, October 01, 2011, 10:52 AMAnd several years ago, I worked with a girl who’d spend the first half hour of every single morning sitting cross legged on her kitchen table with a magnifying glass and a pair of medical tweezers plucking her pubic hair.

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Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 561-64 | Added on Saturday, October 01, 2011, 03:13 PMAgain, apart from my niece’s sensibly laconic three-word speech when presented with her best student award - ‘Thanks very much’ - the occasion was a fiasco. Of the seven senior officers seated on the podium, two fell asleep, two couldn’t stop scratching themselves, and the most senior, a chief superintendant who looked like a bulldog and was supposed to be holding the event together, fell of his chair.

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Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 2175-78 | Added on Sunday, October 02, 2011, 05:08 PMThe second was better; it read simply, ‘I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.’ I quite liked that one… at least it made me smile. However, it was the third message that made me sit up and take notice. ‘Why did the transvestite enjoy a night out with the girls? Because he could eat, drink, and be MARY!’

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Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 2196-99 | Added on Sunday, October 02, 2011, 05:12 PMMake-up removal is never as easy as it should be. I’ve always sympathised with women, the agonies they have to suffer and the fuss they have to contend with. Forget pregnancy and childbirth. Hair, make-up, exfoliation, cleansing, toning, moisturising, that’s the real chore. Trannies might think it fun, but ask anyone with a real female chromosome, and she’ll tell you the truth.

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Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 2402-4 | Added on Monday, October 03, 2011, 06:38 AMI couldn’t believe it. For ten years I’d been a regular customer at the Starbucks on my High Street, ever since the wretched place opened - ten years! Spotty Julie had barely been working there for ten minutes, how dare she sell my cake!

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Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 2434-36 | Added on Monday, October 03, 2011, 06:48 AMI marched straight up to her, ready for a fight. Being five minutes early is one thing, positive punctuality if you like, but arriving almost half an hour before the allotted time just smacked of pushy impatience to me. Even on good days, I hated it when clients did that.

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Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 6600-6602 | Added on Sunday, October 09, 2011, 04:22 PMIn England, beyond a certain indeterminate age, people do that, they have falls, they do not ‘slip over’ or ‘tumble’ or even ‘trip’, no, beyond a certain age the wobbly English ‘have falls’.

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Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 6857-59 | Added on Monday, October 10, 2011, 06:08 PM‘Hide in plain view’ I recalled hearing an expert advise while being interviewed on some news programme or another, I think the ex military sort was talking about radicals at the time, and how they pass unnoticed in their home communities, but I reckoned the concept sounded fluid.

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Cross Dressed to Kill: The 2011 'Summer Reading' Award Winner! (50% Off RRP) (Andrew Lucas)- Highlight Loc. 5129-36 | Added on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 02:52 PMOf course, the thing that I remember most vividly of all from that time is what I think of now as ‘the nothing’. I’d never experienced anything like it before and I hope that I never have to experience anything like it again. Thankfully, most people never have to experience it at all. It is quite simply, in my opinion at least, one of the most disgusting things for a human being to have to endure. ‘The nothing’ is not something that can be easily explained, it is, after all, sort of… nothingy… a waking emotionless sleep perhaps, a bland-middleness, a couldn’t-carelessness, an emptiness, a ‘Greydom’. When ‘the nothing’ first took me in, it consumed every part of my very being. While it is easy enough to understand the idea of misery or fear or even abject loneliness, all dreadful of course, with ‘the nothing’ well… there’s nothing much to get a handle on. I couldn’t tell you that I felt suicidal or even especially wretched, because really I didn’t. Somehow, it was even worse than that. I just felt empty I guess… nothing.

2011-10-22T18:36:00.000+01:00

Booklist 2:Ratings: Total = 9. Pass = 7. Fail = 2. Percentage = 100.

The Lovers by Vendela Vida - Fail.

The Lovers (Vendela Vida)- Highlight on Page 11 | Loc. 156-57 | Added on Thursday, September 29, 2011, 09:21 AMThe third floor was smaller, with only a single bedroom and a balcony. On top of the bed, a piece of exercise equipment, complete with black straps and silver chains, had been laid out. Yvonne couldn’t identify its purpose.

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The Lovers (Vendela Vida)- Highlight on Page 12 | Loc. 171-73 | Added on Thursday, September 29, 2011, 09:24 AMFrom the couch, she couldn’t see anything outside the window—only her own reflection. A brunette woman with pale skin and dark eyes removing pits from her mouth. At first glance, she looked younger than her fifty-three years.

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The Lovers (Vendela Vida)- Highlight on Page 15 | Loc. 218-20 | Added on Thursday, September 29, 2011, 10:50 AMShe lay on the bed with the light on, staring at a hook in the ceiling, directly above the bed. It was an eyehook, the kind used to hang a plant. Who would want to hang a plant from there?

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The Lovers (Vendela Vida)- Highlight on Page 56 | Loc. 775-78 | Added on Thursday, September 29, 2011, 12:30 PM“And your daughter?” Deniz asked. “Is she beautiful like her mother?” It was, Yvonne knew, the kind of compliment you received when you weren’t in fact beautiful. “Thank you,” she said, smiling. “We look similar, but she’s much prettier.”

2011-10-16T19:04:00.001+01:00

Booklist 2:

Ratings: Total = 8. Pass = 7. Fail = 1. Percentage = 100.

Slights by Kaaron Warren - Pass

He started wanting more of me, friendship, confession, emotion, and I didn't want a best friend. I didn't know how to tell him, so I just said he was a dud root. I didn't think I'd ever need him as a cop so I didn't care. He took it well, anyway. "I thought we had something," he said. "Maybe we could have," I said, to give him something to dream about, "but I just feel repelled by the shape of your penis. Not even hypnosis could help me get over that."

I could be proud of the scar, though. It made me scary for my first day at school. I had very short hair and my first teacher, Mrs Langdon, thought I was a boy and called me Steve. I made the most of it. Acted the bully, went to the boy's toilets, weed standing up. Glenn Guest had a good look once, and said, "You haven't got a willy," so I pissed on his feet.

2011-10-08T20:00:00.003+01:00

Booklist 2:

Ratings: Total = 7. Pass = 6. Fail = 1. Percentage = 100.

Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre by Rod Glenn - Pass

Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre (Rod Glenn)
- Highlight Loc. 15-23 | Added on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 06:06 AM

www.rodglenn.com. A Wild Wolf Publication Published by Wild Wolf Publishing in 2011 Copyright © 2011 Rod Glenn
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Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre (Rod Glenn)
- Highlight Loc. 37-42 | Added on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 06:08 AM

MORE TITLES BY ROD GLENN The King of America: Epic Edition The Killing Moon Sinema 2: Sympathy for the
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Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre (Rod Glenn)
- Highlight Loc. 71-75 | Added on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 06:12 AM

The horrific scenes you will bear witness to are not for the faint-hearted. And yet, there are no monsters or goblins, no vampires or werewolves. This is real horror. Real life. So take heed, and if you should hesitate, turn back now and pick up a Harry Potter. Ms Rowling’s wonderful books are positive and upbeat, with a real sense of hope that good will overcome. This ain’t. This is dark and dirty. Enjoy! Rod
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Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre (Rod Glenn)
- Highlight on Page 24 | Loc. 471-72 | Added on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 11:45 AM

Seeming to hover in the doorway, a picture of nerves, she took the hesitation as an opportunity to light up a Lambert & Butler with a trembling hand.
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2011-09-19T15:38:00.002+01:00

fishing
- Highlight Loc. 965 | Added on Sunday, August 21, 2011, 08:42 AM

Franz Kafka said: “one sees the sun slowly set, yet one is surprised when it suddenly becomes dark.”
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Omnibuses
- Highlight Loc. 22-24 | Added on Sunday, August 21, 2011, 09:31 PM

Some Stagecoach drivers seemed to be wearing baseball caps! Is this standard uniform? Even First seems to have dropped this dumbing down practice and such attire takes the shine off what are very customer focused drivers.
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Omnibuses
- Highlight Loc. 24-27 | Added on Sunday, August 21, 2011, 09:34 PM

Fares are high. I’m not suggesting that those charged are out of scale compared to general bus routes in the area. To attract impromptu parkers & riders, £10.80 for a couple just isn’t going to do it. Or £6 for an adult plus child (after 0930). Better to take the very A14 the busway tries to avoid to one of the regular Cambridge P&R sites and pay £2.40 return (via self-service machine; £2.70 on bus) and up to three children travel free.
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The Koran (Al Qur'an) (. Mohammed, J. M. Rodwell and G. Margoliouth)
- Highlight Loc. 3038-40 | Added on Monday, August 22, 2011, 03:10 PM

And one of his signs it is, that He hath created wives for you of your own species,6 that ye may dwell with them, and hath put love and tenderness between you. Herein truly are signs for those who reflect. And among his signs are the creation of the Heavens and of the Earth, and your variety of tongues and colour. Herein truly are signs for all men.
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2011-09-18T20:57:00.003+01:00

Booklist 2:

Ratings: Total = 6. Pass = 5. Fail = 1. Percentage = 100.

Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne - Fail.

2011-08-27T20:55:00.000+01:00

Booklist 2:

Ratings: Total = 5. Pass = 5. Fail = 0. Percentage = 100.

Bleed For Me by Michael Robotham - Pass

Preston is famous for terrorising his pathology students. According to one apocryphal story, he once told a group of trainees that two things were required to conduct an autopsy. The first was no sense of fear. At this point he stuck his finger into a dead man's anus, pulled it out and sniffed it. Then he invited each student to follow his lead and they all complied.

'The second thing you need is an acute sense of observation,' he told them. 'How many of you noticed that I stuck my middle finger into this man's anus, but sniffed my index finger?'

Urban myth? Compelling hearsay? Both probably. Anyone who slices open dead people for a living has to maintain a sense of humour. Either that or you go mad.

2011-08-12T16:15:00.002+01:00

Booklist 2:

Ratings: Total = 4. Pass = 4. Fail = 0. Percentage = 100.

Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra - Pass

Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 98-99 | Added on Monday, May 02, 2011, 11:01 AM

‘Mrs Pandey, I am Inspector Sartaj Singh,’ Sartaj said. ‘I’d like you to put down that knife, please.’ He took a step, hands held up and palms forward. ‘Please,’ he said.
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 2901-3 | Added on Saturday, May 21, 2011, 11:48 AM

It was unseemly, after all these years and years, this unvanquished and sullen spark rising from clothes on the floor, this small spurt of anger at having to always do things for men, always.
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 3306-8 | Added on Sunday, May 22, 2011, 02:46 PM

Mata-ji began to curse Muslims. ‘No one can ever live with these people,’ she said. ‘They are incapable of living peacefully with anyone.’ Her face was suffused with blood, flushed and thickened by it. ‘Dirty lying people,’ she said.
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Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 3465-67 | Added on Monday, May 23, 2011, 07:55 PM

‘Why? Why be quiet? I’ll shout it out loud. These Muslims are bhenchods and maderchods. If all their women were standing in front of me, I would hang them up and cut them open like goats. I would pull out their intestines with my own hands. With pleasure I would do it. Bhenchods. Maderchods.’

==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 4713-14 | Added on Thursday, June 02, 2011, 02:48 PM

I was tempted to believe. But early in my life, I had seen how belief was an inner rot that hollowed out a man and made him a eunuch. I knew faith was a convenient crutch for cowards and weaklings. No, I wanted no such disease inside me.
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 5064-65 | Added on Friday, June 03, 2011, 04:46 PM

‘You watch. One heavy rain and trains will stop. This chutiya central line, if ten schoolboys stand in a row and piss on the tracks, bhenchod service is disrupted.’
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 5239-40 | Added on Monday, June 06, 2011, 10:38 AM

‘The purpose, the meaning, the intent and the methodology of intelligence is the discernment of patterns.’
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 5242-43 | Added on Monday, June 06, 2011, 10:42 AM

‘The old saying goes: once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action.
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Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 5521-22 | Added on Wednesday, June 08, 2011, 05:17 AM

‘The spider weaves the curtains in the palace of the Caesars; the owl calls the watches in the towers of Afrasiab.’
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 5763-66 | Added on Friday, June 10, 2011, 06:53 PM

‘There is a name for the syndrome,’ Dr Kharas says, glad to provide structure. She is a great believer in empowering the patient through knowledge. ‘It is called the Charles Bonnet syndrome, after the man who first observed it. It is common among people whose eyesight is failing. Often old people who are suffering from cataracts, for example, report seeing things: people, objects, ghosts.’
==========

Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 8062-64 | Added on Friday, June 24, 2011, 08:07 PM

Dipu and Meetu were talking about women, about the prodigies of chodoing they were going to achieve when they got out. Kataruka was laughing at them. ‘You ganwars,’ he said. ‘You think those Lamington Road whores are women? They’re bhenchod worse than animals. You might as well chodo the next bitch you see nosing around in a garbage dump.

==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 11480-81 | Added on Monday, July 11, 2011, 05:08 PM

Giving a woman any information is a foolishness that I counselled my boys against. Whatever you tell will always be one day used against you.
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 11770-73 | Added on Monday, July 11, 2011, 07:56 PM

‘Baba, I said it’ll be a hit, no? All I’m saying is that it’s a certain kind of film.’ ‘Yes, it’s not the kind where you have three women jabbering at each other about how sad and put-down they are for one and a half hours, and then another two women ranting about how bad men are for another hour. Gaandu, you make a dozen television shows like that if you want, but you’re not going to shove my film down that smelly path.’
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 14486-88 | Added on Friday, July 29, 2011, 03:08 PM

Where would home be when home was gone? Could you have a home away from home when there was no home? What would you long for, what would you dream of when you settled into sleep? When somebody asked, where do you come from, what would you say?
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 14578-81 | Added on Monday, August 01, 2011, 08:54 AM

They followed her down Yari Road, and north towards Goregaon. They were in two cars and a van, and it took them just ten minutes to neatly box her in and drive along, with the van on the rear. Then the car in front of Jojo braked hard, and the van clanged on her rear bumper and pushed her forward for a gentle three-vehicle accident. They were travelling slowly, there was no danger of anyone getting hurt, but Jojo got out of her car spitting maderchods and bhenchods.
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 14737-42 | Added on Monday, August 01, 2011, 02:06 PM

‘A virgin?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘You idiot. How do you think she survived in this city before she came to you? You bhenchod men always pay more for virgins, so she became a virgin for you.’ ‘No. I saw the blood.’ She laughed so hard she had to hold on to the side of a table. ‘Gaitonde, of all the pompous, gaandu men in the world, you are the blindest. Arre, inside ten miles of here there are twenty doctors who will make any woman a virgin again. The operation takes half an hour, it costs twenty-five, thirty thousand rupees. And in three weeks the renewed virgin can be ready to spread her legs on a white sheet, so some tiny little Gaitonde can see all the blood and think he’s big.’
==========
Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)
- Highlight Loc. 46-86 | Added on Tuesday, August 09, 2011, 07:34 PM

Dramatis Personae

Sartaj Singh: a Sikh police inspector in Mumbai

Katekar: a police constable who works with Sartaj Singh

Shalini, Katekar’s wife

Mohit and Rohit, their sons

Mrs Kamala Pandey: a married woman and airline hostess with a lover, an airline pilot named Umesh

Kamble:an ambitious police sub-inspector who works with Sartaj Singh

Parulkar: a deputy commissioner of police in Mumbai

Ganesh Gaitonde: a notorious Hindu gangster and don, leader of the G-Company in Mumbai

Suleiman Isa: a much-feared Muslim gangster and don, leader of a rival gang in Mumbai

Paritosh Shah: a supremely gifted money handler for gangsters, including Ganesh Gaitonde

Kanta Bai: a businesswoman who deals with Paritosh Shah and Ganesh Gaitonde

Badriya: Paritosh Shah’s bodyguard

Anjali Mathur: a government intelligence agent investigating Ganesh Gaitonde’s death

Chotta Badriya: Ganesh Gaitonde’s bodyguard, and the younger brother of Badriya

Juliet (Jojo) Mascarenas: a television producer/agent for aspiring actors and models … and a high class Madam

Mary Mascarenas: Jojo’s sister who works as a hairdresser

Wasim Zafar Ali Ahmad: a social worker in a poor neighbourhood in Mumbai who has political aspirations

Prabhjot Kaur, ‘Nikki’: Sartaj Singh’s mother, originally from the Punjab Navneet, her beloved oldest sister

Ram Pari: the maidservant of Nikki’s mother in the Punjab Bunty:

Ganesh Gaitonde’s right hand man and organizer Bipin Bhonsle: a Hindu fundamentalist politician whom Ganesh Gaitonde helps get elected to public office

Sharma (aka Trivedi): Bipin Bhonsle’s ally who also works, through intermediaries, for Swami Shridhar Shukla

Swami Shridhar Shukla, ‘Guru-ji’: a Hindu guru and nationalist, a spiritual adviser of international renown, who becomes Ganesh Gaitonde’s spiritual mentor

Subhadra Devalekar: Ganesh Gaitonde’s wife and mother of his young son

K. D. Yadav (aka Mr Kumar): a pioneering Indian intelligence officer who ‘ran’ Ganesh Gaitonde and became a mentor to Anjali Mathur

Mr Kulkarni: the intelligence agent who runs Ganesh Gaitonde after K. D. Yadav

Major Shahid Khan: a Pakistani intelligence agent who masterminds a counterfeit money operation against India

Shambhu Shetty: proprietor of the Delite Dance Bar

Iffat-bibi: Suleiman Isa’s maternal aunt who is one of his main controllers in Mumbai

Majid Khan: a police inspector in Mumbai, a colleague of Sartaj Singh

Zoya Mirza: an actress and a rising star in the Indian film industry

Aadil Ansari: an educated but poor man from a small rural town who flees to Mumbai to escape the violent conflicts of his native Bihar

Sharmeen Khan: the high-school-age daughter of Major Shahid Khan, who moves to the USA to work in Washington, DC, and brings his family – wife, daughter, and mother – with him

Daddi: Shahid Khan’s mother, originally from the Punjab; to her family, she is a Muslim, but she hides a secret
==========

2011-08-11T20:57:00.002+01:00

Booklist 2:

Ratings: Total = 3. Pass = 3. Fail = 0. Percentage = 100.

the whole truth by David Baldacci - Pass

The Author's Note at the end of this book explains this story which I think was inspired by the events leading up to the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003...

The term "perception management" has firmly entered the public lexicon. The Department of Defense even defines perception management in one of it's manuals, so the military folks obviously take it very seriously. Many public relations firms now offer perception management, or "PM" as one of their services. However, it seems that not many of them do it very well. Apparently, if you want to be exceptional at creating the Big Lie, you really need to specialize in it.

PM's are not spin doctors because they don't spin facts. They create facts and then sell them to the world as the truth. And that, to quote the venerable Mark Twain (who would've has a field day with the PM guys), is the difference between the lightning bug and lightning.

Many of the techniques outlined in the story are standard operating procedures for these folks, even if I give them a different rubric. And by using these methods, a major untruth can be established so quickly and overwhelmingly across the world that no digging by anyone after the fact can make a dent in the public consciousness that it actually isn't true at all.

And that's precisely what makes it so dangerous.

...and...

By that evening, Pender had planted in several different but highly visible places on the Internet entries implying that a drastic turn of events regarding the London Massacre was about to be revealed.

"Startling new revelations," one fake blog entry proclaimed. "Insider's account to be revealed."

Another said that "global consequences are resting on the murders in England and what really happened there and why." and that it was connected to another recent murder in London. And that the story would be revealed in full any minute and the truth would be astonishing.

Pender had had these statements placed on sites that he knew most newspapers, including the scribe , trolled hour by hour for material.

2011-07-10T13:44:00.000+01:00

Booklist 2:

Ratings: Total = 2. Pass = 2. Fail = 0. Percentage = 100.

The Distant Echo by Val McDermid - Pass

2011-06-17T19:27:00.002+01:00

Booklist 2:

Ratings: Total = 1. Pass = 1. Fail = 0. Percentage = 100.

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson - Pass.

2011-06-05T17:57:00.001+01:00

FREE 25 Language Phrasebook from Mobile Reference (Mobi Travel) (MobileReference)
- Highlight Loc. 2528-34 | Added on Thursday, June 02, 2011, 09:57 AM

Basics Accha! OK? TK! One of the most useful words to know is accha. It is both an adjective and interjection. Its meanings include (but are not limited to!): good, excellent, healthy, well, OK, really?, awesome!, hmm.., a-ha!, etc.! If you learn no other word, remember this one. Another common all-purpose word is hik hai, pronounced and occasionally even spelled out as "TK". It is used in the same manner, meaning: OK/all right, yes/understood (affirmation), right/correct, etc. Sometimes shortened to just hik Hello (used esp. when answering the phone) helo Hello/Goodbye namaste Hello/Goodbye namaskar Hello/Goodbye (Hindu, respectful) pranam Hello/Goodbye (Hindu, colloquial) ram

2011-05-01T18:41:00.001+01:00

Ratings: Total = 100. Pass = 69, Fail = 31, Percentage = 69.

The Sun Sharer by Jack George Edmunson - Pass

The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 41 | Added on Friday, April 08, 2011, 02:47 PM

There’s a place I originally thought was beautiful in Cheshire called Tettenhill.
==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 55-57 | Added on Friday, April 08, 2011, 02:50 PM

The places in this story don’t matter but the people do. Because people make life, not places, not possessions, not things.
==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 79-80 | Added on Friday, April 08, 2011, 02:54 PM

Written by Jack George Edmunson. March 2008. Exactly fifty-four years after the day I was born in 1954.
==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 153-54 | Added on Friday, April 08, 2011, 03:07 PM

Jack was slightly tipsy when the guests arrived politely late. The need for a drunken stupor was brought on early by another nagging session shortly after the cool welcome home.
==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 347-51 | Added on Saturday, April 09, 2011, 08:17 AM

“Did you see the news yesterday about that dreadful earthquake in Pakistan?” Soul Shiner looked horrified. “Yes Martin, wasn’t it terrible?” “Awful, Harriet,” Martin said in mock revulsion and horror. “You know despite all of that devastation, I hear that IKEA are opening a new store in Islamabad shortly.” “Really? That doesn’t seem right,” she said innocently. “Yes, it specialises in flat pak furniture.”
==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 527-31 | Added on Saturday, April 09, 2011, 01:23 PM

Another waste of money and a further complication in his life but ‘names, names, names’, always expensive and fashionable brand names ruled their lives. The Miele coffee machine whirred to grind the fresh beans until an error message came up: ‘Please clean the main filter.’ “For fuck’s sake,” he said under his breath so Joseph couldn’t hear. “You’ve had your stupid friends round to talk about curtain fabrics or paint colours, drunk your cappuccinos and can’t even be bothered to clean up after yourself, you lazy fucking cow.”
==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 833-35 | Added on Saturday, April 09, 2011, 07:53 PM

“You know what will happen next weekend, as soon as you get to the M6 at Stoke, she’ll want the toilet and then again every thirty or forty miles whilst you are driving. How come a woman can hold piss in her bladder for five hours when shopping but as soon as she gets on the motorway with her husband she needs the loo every twenty minutes? Tell me that!
==========

==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 1843-46 | Added on Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 11:09 AM

Jack continued, “I used to enjoy big knickers on Melanie as well you know. When you could pull them back to see a tantalising bit of arse before shoving it up and then along came thongs. What a waste of time they are. Now I have to pull back the fat to find the thong to then move it over and get my dick up. Sometimes, it seems a waste of time; you might as well shove the thin bit of string in as well to add a bit of friction.”
==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 2210-15 | Added on Sunday, April 17, 2011, 08:00 AM

“Nim, you know when you have lost the plot, when you are listening to Radio Five live and after a quarter of an hour the stories cycle round again. You get about two minutes of extra news if you are lucky but only slight variations on the same stories to the previous cycle. You end up listening to it for two hours and know exactly what they are going to say next. What is even more annoying is that it’s recycled news from someone else’s website or Reuters and it’s all supposition and bending of the little known facts by some so-called expert who last visited the country ten years earlier before being thrown out as a dissident.”
==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 2312-14 | Added on Sunday, April 17, 2011, 08:16 AM

“Jack, when those people move just there, look be quick. There! They are getting ready to go. You take the umbrella and put it up in their spot and I will bring the towels.”
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The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 3106-7 | Added on Monday, April 18, 2011, 10:33 AM

He knew he had too many CRAFT moments and laughed at the term: Can’t Remember A Fucking Thing.
==========
The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 3828-30 | Added on Thursday, April 21, 2011, 05:09 PM

Every week for twelve months Jack had stayed in the Dodge House Hotel in Rosset and now felt the customer service team or CST as the manager called them was closer to him than his family. Jack thought the name was hilarious and often referred to them as cysts that were all waiting to be lanced, meaning shagged.
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The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 4737-38 | Added on Sunday, April 24, 2011, 03:12 PM

He liked the old Arab saying, ‘Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.’
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The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 4823-26 | Added on Sunday, April 24, 2011, 03:26 PM

As Jack scanned through it sitting under his tree by the beach he questioned the psyche of the population which meant such books were so popular. ‘Live for now, nothing else exists. Don’t plan the future it may never come. Don’t look back at the past as you can’t influence it.’
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The Sun Sharer (Jack George Edmunson)
- Highlight Loc. 5544-47 | Added on Thursday, April 28, 2011, 01:31 PM

“Health is the most important thing in life my lovely and certainly not money. Everyone says it and knows it but no one thinks about it or lives to that principle until something happens to them or their immediate friends and family. Then after a few weeks they forget that health is the most important thing in life and do nothing to improve it because they are too busy.”
==========

2011-04-12T19:43:00.001+01:00

Ratings: Total = 99. Pass = 68, Fail = 31, Percentage = 71.

Stone Cold by David Baldacci - Fail.

"Now let's try the name thing one more time. What's yours?"
"Oliver Stone, like I told you the last four times you asked."
"Let me see some ID."
"And as I told you four times before, I don't have any."
The other agent said incredulously, "How does anybody in the twenty-first century not have ID?"
Stone looked at him, bemused. "I know who I am. And I don't really care if no one else does."

2011-04-05T17:19:00.000+01:00

Ratings: Total = 98. Pass = 68, Fail = 30, Percentage = 71.

Ink & Kink For The Win by BJ Thornton - Fail

Ink & Kink For The Win (BJ Thornton)
- Highlight Loc. 933-38 | Added on Sunday, March 27, 2011, 10:00 AM

“They’re going to run tests next Thursday, but my doctor wants me to have another mastectomy, no matter what.” “And?” She moaned when he twisted her nipple. Shae shook her head against never feeling that sensation again. “I can’t go through this again.” “You’re gonna. Know why? I’m not letting you die on me, woman, if it can be prevented. I ain’t had nearly enough of you yet.” He pulled the rope against her pussy, quicker and harder than before. “Grind on it. I want to make you come.”

2011-03-26T18:22:00.000Z

Ratings: Total = 97. Pass = 68, Fail = 29, Percentage = 71.

Snowbound by Seth Daniels - Fail

Snowbound (Seth Daniels)
- Highlight Loc. 15-17 | Added on Thursday, March 17, 2011, 06:38 PM

Jessica turned the key again and still the car whined but would not start. The sun was going down and she knew she should not leave her car but she decided she could not make it overnight. She was going to have to try to walk to the house she remembered passing about a mile back.
==========
Snowbound (Seth Daniels)
- Highlight Loc. 31-34 | Added on Thursday, March 17, 2011, 06:39 PM

"Of course you can come in. Just as soon as you take all your clothes off." "Please sir, I need help." "I can see that. I need to see you without your clothes on if you want to come in this house."
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Snowbound (Seth Daniels)
- Highlight Loc. 145-49 | Added on Friday, March 25, 2011, 08:14 AM

He pressed the button and then waited. The smell of the wax heating up was very noticeable. It was a pleasant smell and somehow that relaxed Jessica. The first drop fell through the air landing on her stomach, just above her belly button. The striations in her well-defined muscles became very visible as her entire body tensed up. She let out a brief scream as she felt the burning on her skin. The wax continued to drop down on her sometimes hitting her arms other times dripping down her thigh before hardening.
==========

2011-03-14T14:25:00.002Z

Ratings: Total = 96. Pass = 68, Fail = 28, Percentage = 71.

Sugar & Spice by Saffina Desforges - Pass

Sugar & Spice (Saffina Desforges)
- Highlight Loc. 558-60 | Added on Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 02:21 PM

“You used to have your own ice-cream van. Mr. Whippy, wasn't it?” “Yes, but it didn’t work out.” “Just a front to get close to little kiddies, wasn’t it? How did it work? Show us your knickers, little girl, and I’ll let you play with my ninety-nine?”
==========

Sugar & Spice (Saffina Desforges)
- Highlight Loc. 731-34 | Added on Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 03:56 PM

Though a competent swimmer he never ventured into the water once during the three hours he spent there. He stripped to his trunks, spread out a towel and lay out on the window seat to enjoy the view, watching the little girls run past from the lagoon pool to the surfing pool, wet costumes clinging to young bodies. It was an enjoyable afternoon spent building up an appetite for delights yet to come.
==========
Sugar & Spice (Saffina Desforges)
- Highlight Loc. 751-55 | Added on Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 04:10 PM

When he put on his Tom Jones accent and said he'd like her to join him for the optional evening meal she was in seventh heaven. When he took to the upright piano in the guest's lounge after dinner and ran off a passable rendition of Delilah, followed by Green, Green Grass she almost wet herself. The other guests applauded loudly, adults and children alike. The little girl from Manchester sat on his lap, her parents looking on, delighted with the free entertainment. “You should be on the stage,” they said, oblivious to his hand beneath their daughter's dress. The child too excited to notice, too young to think anything of it if she had.
==========

Sugar & Spice (Saffina Desforges)
- Highlight Loc. 1801-5 | Added on Monday, February 28, 2011, 04:35 PM

“I see the doubt in your eyes, but the figures speak for themselves. In the Philippines alone there are estimated to be at least sixty-thousand child prostitutes. It's a similar story throughout the poorer countries of Asia and Latin America, and to a lesser extent even in the developed countries, in North America and in Europe. Eastern Europe especially. Yes, of course they're motivated by poverty, just like the adult sex-trade. But the trade can only exist because there is demand. Men, and women, travel from all over the world to take advantage of the service these children provide. Can so many people be wrong?”
==========

Sugar & Spice (Saffina Desforges)
- Highlight Loc. 1879 | Added on Saturday, March 12, 2011, 05:29 PM

No blame was attached to me for the girl's death. The inquest exonerated me fully.
==========

Sugar & Spice (Saffina Desforges)
- Highlight Loc. 1939-42 | Added on Monday, February 28, 2011, 09:20 PM

Every city has its red light district and every red light district has its under-age girls. For years now Nottingham and Cardiff had been his preferred options, but Cardiff was not on his route today, and after a close call with the police when he'd mistakenly propositioned a twelve year old on a street corner only to find she was waiting for her mother, he had not been back to Nottingham.
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Sugar & Spice (Saffina Desforges)
- Highlight Loc. 3424-30 | Added on Wednesday, March 02, 2011, 03:58 PM

“There are people out there who genuinely believe that sex with children is harmless fun and should be legalised.” “Legalised?” “You’ve heard of the Paedophile Information Exchange, surely?” “Sort of. But it’s defunct now, isn’t it?” “Officially, yes. It’s a legally proscribed organisation, but banning something doesn’t make the problem go away. I can assure you its members are still out there. Not just here, but worldwide. Have you ever heard of the Rene Guyon Society?” “Never.” “The original American Pie. They advocate the legalisation of what they call trans-generational sex. Their motto might appeal to you, Greg.” Randall popped his head round the screen inquisitively. “What is it?” Reynolds smiled at him. “Sex before eight, or else it’s too late.”
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Sugar & Spice (Saffina Desforges)
- Highlight Loc. 4430-32 | Added on Thursday, March 10, 2011, 09:24 AM

“So what brought you to Milton Keynes?” “Came to see the concrete cows one day and couldn’t find my way out.” He grinned. “Work, what else? No one comes here by choice! No, seriously, it's a great place, despite all the jokes. It's only a few years back unemployment was unheard of round here.
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Sugar & Spice (Saffina Desforges)
- Highlight Loc. 5226-30 | Added on Saturday, March 12, 2011, 05:05 PM

“When you see the screaming masses outside a Court when a paedophile is on trial do you think they care one jot about the victim? Of course not. All they're worried about is their own kids, just as they worry about their own house or car. About their own personal property. They scream and shout about child abuse, but in the next breath they're at home smacking their own little brats, making them breathe their cigarette smoke, feeding them junk food, palming them off on the cheapest babysitter they can find while they go out on the town.”
==========

The Koran (Al Qur'an) (. Mohammed, J. M. Rodwell and G. Margoliouth)
- Highlight Loc. 401 | Added on Monday, February 28, 2011, 03:59 PM

I have nowhere attempted to represent the rhymes of the original.
==========
The Koran (Al Qur'an) (. Mohammed, J. M. Rodwell and G. Margoliouth)
- Note Loc. 403 | Added on Monday, February 28, 2011, 04:03 PM

start of Sura's from here, some 5% into this book.
==========

2011-02-24T19:48:00.000Z

Ratings: Total = 95. Pass = 67, Fail = 28, Percentage = 71.

Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay - Pass

2011-02-07T19:33:00.000Z

Ratings: Total = 94. Pass = 66, Fail = 28, Percentage = 71.

Too Close to Home by Linwood Barclay - Pass

2011-02-02T11:49:00.003Z

Too close to home by Linwood Barclay

Fear the worst by Linwood Barclay

2011-02-02T11:47:00.000Z

No time for goodbye by Linwood Barclay.

2011-01-29T20:14:00.001Z

Booklist:

Ratings: Total = 93. Pass = 65, Fail = 28, Percentage = 71.

29/01/11 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - Fail

2011-01-14T09:27:00.001Z

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson .

http://itsmetoni.blogspot.com/2010/10/girl-with-dragon-tattoo-by-stieg.html
http://itsmetoni.blogspot.com/2010/10/girl-who-played-with-fire-by-stieg.html
http://www.starkinsider.com/2011/01/book-review-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo.html
http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/01/04/i-hate-the-dragon-tattoo-books-new-yorker/
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2011/01/10/110110crat_atlarge_acocella

Asperger syndrome wikipedia page.

2011-01-13T19:52:00.000Z

Booklist:

Ratings: Total = 92. Pass = 65, Fail = 27, Percentage = 71.

01/01/11 A Most Wanted Man by John le Carre - Pass

21/12/10 last man standing by David Baldacci - Pass

29/11/10 A Simple Act of Violence by R. J. Ellory - Fail

16/11/10 Ghostheart by R. J. Ellory - Pass

04/11/10 The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk - Pass

03/10/10 Wetlands by Charlotte Roche - Pass

28/09/10 Skin by Mo Hayder - Pass

15/09/10 The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry - Fail

25/08/10 The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer - Pass

10/08/10 2012 The Crystal Skull by Manda Scott - Fail

02/08/10 Saving Faith by David Baldacci - Fail

18/07/10 Absolute Power by David Baldacci - Pass

28/06/10 The Hanging Garden by Ian Rankin - Pass

27/06/10 Hide & Seek by Ian Rankin - Fail

26/06/10 Spyder Web by Tom Grace - Fail

25/06/10 The Genesis Secret by Tom Knox - Pass

23/06/10 Trapped by David McKeowen - Fail

04/06/10 The Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari - Pass

25/05/10 Equinox by Michael White - Pass

16/05/10 Dead Tomorrow by Peter James - Pass

27/04/10 The Truth by Peter James - Pass

13/04/10 Sweet Heart by Peter James - Pass

26/03/10 Digital Fortress by Dan Brown - Pass

16/03/10 Dreamer by Peter James - Pass

04/03/10 The Chamber by John Grisham - Fail

17/02/10 Faithless by Karin Slaughter - Fail

07/02/10 A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter - Pass

20/01/10 Kisscut by Karin Slaughter - Pass

01/01/10 Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter - Pass

19/12/09 The Associate by John Grisham - Pass

18/12/09 The Night of the Miraj by Zoe Ferraris - Fail

17/12/09 Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup - Pass

16/12/09 The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga - Pass

15/12/09 Codex by Lev Grossman - Fail

27/11/09 Angels & Demons by Dan Brown - Pass

11/11/09 The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason - Fail

30/10/09 The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - Pass

13/10/09 devil bones by Kathy Reichs - Pass

03/10/09 cross bones by Kathy Reichs - Pass

21/09/09 deadly decisions by Kathy Reichs - Pass

12/09/09 death du jour by Kathy Reichs - Pass

25/08/09 deja dead by Kathy Reichs - Pass

09/08/09 The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie - Fail

24/07/09 The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway - Pass

19/07/09 Hold Tight by Harlan Coben - Pass

07/07/09 The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie - Fail

14/06/09 Possession by Peter James - Pass

03/06/09 The Sunflower Forest by Torey Hayden - Fail

23/05/09 Ritual by Mo Hayder - Pass

22/05/09 Beneath the Bleeding by Val McDermid - Pass

21/05/09 Shock and Awe by David Isaak - Fail

03/05/09 Body of Lies by David Ignatius - Pass

24/04/09 fractured by Karin Slaughter - Pass

07/04/09 The Railway by Hamid Ismailov - Fail

23/03/09 Missing by Susan Lewis - Pass

06/03/09 bones to ashes by Kathy Reichs - Pass

22/02/09 Second Glance by Jodi Picoult - Fail

29/01/09 No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay - Pass

21/01/09 What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn - Fail

11/01/09 Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka - Pass

30/12/08 Dead Man's Footsteps by Peter James - Pass

10/12/08 Broken Skin by Stuart MacBride - Fail

23/11/08 The Woods by Harlan Coben - Pass

13/11/08 The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella - Pass

04/11/08 simple genius by David Baldacci - Pass

17/10/08 The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai - Fail

12/10/08 In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar - Pass

11/10/08 The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid - Fail

10/10/08 Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart - Pass

16/09/08 Avenger by Frederick Forsyth - Pass

20/08/08 Severed by Simon Kernick. - Fail

08/08/08 The Mission Song by John le Carre - Pass

23/07/08 The Hundredth Man by Jack Kerley - Pass

10/07/08 A Quiet Belief in Angels by R. J. Ellory - Pass

25/06/08 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - Pass

12/06/08 the collectors by David Baldacci - Pass

26/05/08 Animal's People by Indra Sinha - Pass

09/05/08 Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris - Fail

14/04/08 Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Pass

23/03/08 The Truth about Muhammad by Robert Spencer - Pass

07/03/08 Out by Natsuo Kirino - Pass

11/02/08 The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany - Pass

22/01/08 Deception Point by Dan Brown - Fail

02/01/08 Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie - Pass

14/12/07 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - Pass

10/12/07 The Last Testament by Sam Bourne - Fail

17/11/07 The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln - Pass

15/10/07 The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie - Pass

17/06/07 Margrave of the Marshes by John and Sheila Ravenscroft (John Peel) - Fail

17/06/07 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown - Pass

10/12/06 The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins - Pass

17/05/06 Pity the Nation - Lebanon at War by Robert Fisk - Pass

End of booklist.

2005-06-28T19:42:00.000+01:00

I am back from my holiday in Tunisia and have finished writing my report. I enjoyed reading what other people have put onto the internet so here is my contribution...

My wife and I paid £568 each to First Choice for a 14 night All Inclusive holiday at the Abou Sofiane hotel in Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia . We paid a little bit extra to have premium seats with extra legroom on the flight which also gave us an extra 10 kg of luggage allowance each plus a free drink and ear phones on the plane. We flew out from Bristol Airport at 07.00 on Sunday 15th May 2005 after parking our car at the airport for £49, having booked in advance over the
internet.

The coach transfer from the airport to our hotel in Tunisia took around 50 minutes. You see the outsides of the other hotels that holiday makers are staying at. Your first impression is that the further north from the airport you travel, the better it looks. The buildings look more impressive and the whole environment more affluent. After driving through the busy city of Sousse you arrive at Port El Kantaoui when you start to get a good feeling about where you have come.

On arrival at the Abou Sofiane hotel you are asked to sit down in the lounge and fill in a registration form. No sooner are you putting pen to paper when a waiter appears and gives you a glass of the hotel Abou Sofiane cocktail to drink. You are given the key to your room and details of the facilites available by staff who all speak English as well as French, German and their native Arabic. This hotel has 370 rooms on 3 floors with 2 lifts for the lazy and obese. We made our way to our room on the 3rd floor, which had a balcony looking over the gardens below and had a tiled floor and plenty of storage space. Like most holiday hotels it had 2 twin beds which were comfortable and supportive that were pushed together and sheeted separately. It was then time to drop our suitcases and go straight to lunch.

The food at the hotel is glorious. The choice is amazing - and with all-inclusive you simply help
yourself to as much as you want from the self service buffet style Le Doyen restaurant. Foods were labeled in English, French and German. There was something for everyone. Tunisia has not got a frozen food supply chain like in the UK where our food travels in refridgerated lorries all around the country. This is not the pub food fayre in the UK that comes in microwaveable boxes or freezer to fryer food. This is fresh local produce that is cooked in the kitchen at the back of the restaurant. I did not hear of any upset stomachs while I was there. Food hygiene
appeared to be good and all the food counters were worked thoroughly. Nothing looked abandoned or dodgey. You sit wherever you like, first come first served. Non smoking on the left and smoking on the right. The smokers on the right did not bother the non smokers on the left or the food serving areas.

Breakfast is served from 06.30 to 10.30 and there are 4 fruit juices, 2 cheeses, salads, cereals, yogurt, fruits, hot food stuffs, bread, rolls, croissants and pancakes. For an omlette you put the ingredients on your plate and pass it to the chef on the hot plate who also does the fried eggs.

Lunch is served from 12.30 to 14.30 and there are 2 soups, meats, fish, vegetables, salads followed by 3 ice creams and various cakes and puddings. There are the usual soft drinks plus beer and wine to drink with your meal.

Dinner was served from 18.30 to 21.30 and was similar to lunch but the 2 soups were always different.

You are given two meal tickets to use in the a la carte restaurants. The Tunisian in the Abou Sofiane and the Italian in the Riviera hotel next door. Both restaurants have 2 sittings, 18.30 and 20.30

The Tunisian is nice with a guy in the corner playing a mandolin. You are shown to a table and chose from a menu. Your waiter brings you the food and drink. The food is similar to the self service restaurant but feels special and different because you are being waitered upon.

The Italian is nice, bright and airy giving a nice change to the serve yourself restaurant being served at a table.

Both restaurants reinforce the beauty of having all-inclusive rather than having to battle daily with menus in restaurants gambling on what you will get for your money.

The main bar in the reception area was called La Source and was open from 10.00 to 23.59 serving soft and alcoholic drinks. They have a range of coctails to choose from and use locally produced spirits. The red wine is very drinkable and the native Tunisian spirit called boukha, which is distilled from figs, is a refreshing change to familar spirits. There is only one beer brewed in Tunisia and it is called Celtia. It is brewed in the capital Tunis and is 4.5% ABV. It is
drinkable and a typical continental syle lager but if it was available in UK supermarkets you would not go out of your way to buy it. It is served in heavy 300ml glasses. Some holiday makers thought the beer was weak or watered down - I did not think it was either but that drinkers psychologically thought they were drinking pints - 568ml, rather than the actual 300ml which is a little over a half pint. If you are drinking halves then it will take twice as many
glasses to get drunk.

There is a bar by the swimming pool called Le Village which serves soft and alcoholic drinks from 10.00 to 16.59 and help yourself food from 12.00 to 15.59 which is great for pool lovers who do not wish to get dressed for lunch. It does seem rather naughty dressed only in a pair of swimming trunks sat at a table in the snack bar or outside under the canopy by the pool eating your dinner. This snack bar is also open forfood for the late night crowd if they get an attack of the munchies from 23.30 to 00.59 - too latefor my appetite but others enjoyed it.

There is also a beach bar called the coco-loco which is open for the same times as the pool bar and offers exactly the same - with the exception of no alcoholic spirits, only beer.

The service in all the bars is prompt, efficent, friendly and polite. All the staff switch seamlessly
from speaking English to French and German. All the staff wear a uniform with a photo ID name badge. There is a big range of uniforms for different job grades with the managers wearing grey suits. Staff discipline is strict, you will hear managers barking at their staff - you will wonder why they are making a fuss but standards are high and managers ensure there is not a slippage of quality. Every Monday at 14.15 around the pool is the managers cocktail party. All the managers are there, they each are introduced over the PA and then have to serve cocktails and food off a tray by walking around the pool to all the sunbathers. They are reduced to humble waiters before finally having to line up like school children to do the hotel dance to the pee pee song with the Animation team. Can you imagine this at your workplace back in the UK?

The swimming pool goes from 0.48m to 1.74m deep and at a guess appears to be about 25m long and 12m wide.

There are some lovely gardens within the hotel which are home to a lot of cats who are fed and looked after by the hotel. This feline presence gives the hotel a nice homely feel.

There is a range of facilities at the hotel for the guests to use including an indoor pool, gym, sauna, mini golf, volley ball, archery, tennis, a games room with arcade machines and a hairdresser.

The cashier is open from 09.00 to 12.59 and 17.00 to 20.59 and he will exchange your money into Tunisian Dinars. The government sets the exchange rate on a daily basis and it is the same rate wherever you go in the whole country, so there is no point in going anywhere else. We had an exchange rate of 2.306TD to the pound. The only place that you can change your Tunisian Dinars back into Sterling is at the airport. Try not to change any more currency than you need
because the airport exchange desk will charge you 30% commission and Tunisia is a closed economy, you cannot take any Dinars out of the country as it will be confiscated at Passport Control. The hotel cashier can also give you use to a safety deposit box in your room, which cost us 35TD plus a 20TD refundable deposit. You can also have the use of hotel beach towels rather than use your own by buying a card for 5TD for the whole of your stay.

There are also 3 little shops within the hotel to keep the women happy.

The Animation team is responsible for all the entertainment and organised activities. The
entertainment is just OK - these guys try hard and are at it all day, saying everything in 3 languages. There are a number of different set dances that they like the holidaymakers to adopt and the style is very happy clappy. They play lots of silly games around the pool and every night at 21.30 they put on a show in the aircraft hanger. The night show is for 2 hotels, the Abou Sofiane and it's sister hotel next door, the Riviera. You sit on platic garden chairs and before the entertainment starts it has the atmosphere of a car auction. You get your drinks in plastic glasses from the Riviera pool bar. The music starts and it is lots of mime and dance. The Animation team are all good dancers and take on many identities and costumes. There is a lot of humour, mostly expressed through mime due to the 3 languages constraint. The entertainment will amuse you, it is not brilliant and most people take the view that they will wander in if they are not engrossed gossiping in the main bar. It stimulates discussion later amongst the guests in the bar. Do not bother going out of the hotel at night looking for entertainment as almost all the
entertainment is within the hotels.

The hotel is clean and appears to be in good structural and decorative order. Walking around the hotel grounds you notice a lot of security guards patrolling around and you are sure that only the hotel guests are inside the hotel complex. This adds to the feeling of comfort, relaxation and security in a foreign land that is much appreciated by female guests.

Outside of the hotel there were taxis. yellow in colour and cheap, the Marina in Port El Kantaoui for 3TD and Sousse for 6TD. There is a tourist noddy train that runs from the hotels into Port El Kantaoui and onto Sousse that is a novelty. The service buses used by the local people are in fact articulated bendi-buses but as with the louages - community taxis, like 8 seater MPV's operating on fixed routes - the destinations are only displayed in Arabic script, not French. This is odd, as all other signs, road or business are in Arabic script and French. The centre of Port El Kantaoui is just a 20 minute walk from the hotel whether you walk along the beach or along the
road. If you walk along the road then the Marina is hidden through an arch, you would not know that the sea and the Marina are beyond the arch, which is confusing to newcomers including me!

The resort of Port El Kantaoui is civilised, clean and purpose built in 1979 - no local people live here. It has a French style to it, which is not that surprising as Tunisia was a French colony until independance in 1956. This is not Costa Del Blackpool or a typical European town, there are no global chains - you feel as though you have gone away. It is not Ibiza either, there are some cafes and restaurants but no nightclubs or amusement arcades. All the buildings look impressive and are low rise - this is not Birmingham by the Sea. Around the fountains the traders give a
little bit of hassle by encouraging you to come into their shop by offering best price, Asda price, cheap as chips etc. They are into the Arabic culture of haggling on price and can appear pushy. Inside the Marina it is different, more relaxed with fixed price shops where you can browse with ease.

The beach on the right of the hotel runs all the way to the marina. You will see traders walking along the shoreline offering goods for sale. If you are sat on a the beach they will not bother you, they will turn your way and simply smile. If you actually want to look at what they have, you must walk over to the shoreline to meet them. It is good that you are not hassled like a lot of tourists are in many other countries. The beach on the left of the hotel runs forever, with the hotels along the shoreline finishing and the beach being almost deserted on the day I walked in that direction. After about an hour I stopped and sat on the sand, admiring the beach and looked out to sea. I then walked past some houses onto the main road of the village which is called Chott Meriem . It is very different to the tourist resort of Port El Kantaoui and looks like a typical Arab village with all it's local life. You now feel that you have walked into normal Tunisia and it was only when I got home that I found out on the internet that in October 2004 a boat of 75 illegal migrants - 70 Moroccans and five Tunisians - broke into pieces off the town of Chott Meriem. There were at least 28 confirmed dead in this tragedy. I walked back towards my hotel along the main single carriageway road, past some small shops used by local people and from the end of the village it was just farmland. Then the road opens out into a dual carriageway and the dust stops. It is like walking into another world as this is the start of the resort of Port El Kantaoui with it's many hotels.

One day I went on a two hour quad bike ride on a Yamaha 125cc Grizzly . There are plenty of outfits offering quad bikes on the main road turning right outside the hotel. This was the first one we came to but I think they all charge about the same. This cost me 30TD and I went with a friend I made at our hotel. A leader led us over scrubland and into the countryside far away
from the resort. This is basic farming land with the odd house here and there. It does look a bit bleak and barren but the feeling is great to be out in the sticks. These quad bikes are easy to use, are remarkable tools and a joy to ride. We paused for a brief break at a cafe that was little more than a tent and a beer crate! What a lovely contrast, riding around in the dirt, not knowing where you are, no roads, no signs, just follow the leader. It was a buzz and one I would like to do again.

On our second day at 11.30 Anthony Hill, our First Choice rep, gave us a welcome meeting. This was simply not just a chance for him to pitch the excursions to us but was an excellent presentation all about Tunisia, our hotel and the local resorts. You could tell that Anthony really liked living and working in Tunisia and that it is now his home. He told us pretty much all anyone would really want to know and none of his talk was boring.

The government has tight control on tourism and every day life. The excursion prices are set by the government so there is no point in shopping around for a better offer. Before we left home we found out that Tunisa local time was the same as British Summer Time but on arrival at Monastir Airport we found that the clocks were one hour ahead of BST. Anthony explained that this had been done at short notice by President Ben Ali, he had done it before and then changed his mind three days later, maybe he was bored and fancied a change.

The excursions available were - you can only pay in Tunisian Dinars...

2 Day Desert Safari 155TD
3 Day Desert Safari 220TD
Tunis, Carthage & Sidi Bou Said 60TD
Dougga 60TD
Kiarouan, El Jem & Mahdia 50TD
Nabeul Market 24TD
Boat Cruise 32TD
Catamaran 27TD
Bedouin Feast 37TD
Ostriches & Friguia Zoo 38TD
El Jem (half day) 34TD
Pirates and Gladiators 53TD
Welcome tour of local resorts 19TD
Camel Caravan 27TD
Hammamet 27TD
Cabaret Night 30TD

We decided to go on the Kairouan, El Jem and Mahdia trip for 50TD each. We were picked up at 07.35 by an English speaking guide on an air conditioned coach. We picked up some other tourists at hotels in Sousse and Monastir getting the same impression as when we arrived that the better hotels were the ones further away from the airport.

I noticed a lot of posters of President Ben Ali everywhere. Advertising hoardings with the President waving and smiling at you wherever you go. President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali won re-election for a fourth five-year term on October 24 by 94.5 percent of the vote. Imagine posters of President Tony Blair smiling at you in the UK, not just at election time but all the time.

I was also surprised at the number of Police check points on the roads stopping drivers at random. Human rights defenders, like dissidents generally, are subject to heavy police surveillance, sporadic travel bans, dismissals from work, interruptions in phone service, and police harassment of spouses and family members. Tunisia’s press remains largely controlled by
the authorities. None of the print and broadcast media offer critical coverage of government policies, apart from a few low-circulation independent magazines that face occasional confiscation of their issues or problems at the printers. The government’s rhetoric promotes electronic communication as a vehicle of modernization, yet it blocks certain political or human rights websites. Human rights in Tunisia are limited and are quite a shock to what we enjoy in the UK. We do have an open society in the UK but we can wonder if our much trumpeted democracy is only a fragile veneer. We have just the one vote every four or five years to elect representatives whilst the real power is held by a small number of businessmen who employ the population and pay the wages. Yes, we have a free press and internet access but look at the
influence that the big boys hold. Tunisians cannot criticize their very powerful government for fear of harrassment but what can the average man in the street back home in the UK actually achieve?

Our first stop at Kairouan was at the Aghlabite water tanks. The 9th century was the golden age of Kairouan. In 800, Ibrahim bin Aghlab, an Arab from Algeria, seized the city and thereby half of North Africa. The Aghlabite dynasty constructed an extensive irrigation system that brought water from the mountains to encircle the city in a green belt of parks and gardens. Aghlabite princes built the Great Mosque in its present form and, along the coast, erected and endowed the ribats —fortresses that were also a kind of monastery and were garrisoned by men as dedicated to prayer as to battle. These water tanks are no longer used for domestic water but as a tourist attraction and by some locals for swimming as the nearest beach is a long, long way, away.

Our second stop at Kairouan was a walk into the Great Mosque where our guide explained it's long history and use. Kairouan is the 4th holiest city of Islam (after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem). Our guide assured us that for Muslims 7 visits to the Great Mosque in Kairouan is equal in Islam to 1 visit to Mecca where every Muslim aims to make a pilgrimage to in their
lifetime. This becomes a much cheaper alternative for Muslims in North Africa. Legend tells of a warrior's horse that stumbled on a golden goblet buried in the sands. This goblet was recognized as one that had mysteriously disappeared from Mecca some years before. When the goblet was dug from the desert sand, a spring miraculously appeared and the waters of this spring were said to issue from the same source that supplies the sacred Zamzam well in Mecca. The power of these three miracles - the mysteriously lost and then found Meccan goblet, the miraculous gushing forth of the spring, and the source of that spring - exercised a magnetic effect upon the early North African Islamic people and thereby established the site of Kairouan as a pilgrimage destination for ages to come. The Great Mosque, also known as the Sidi Oqba mosque, had its
simple beginnings in 670 AD, during the time of Uqba ibn Nafi, the original founder of Kairouan. As the city expanded during the following three hundred years, the original mosque was torn down and rebuilt in 703, again in 774, and then significantly enlarged by rulers of the Aghlabid dynasty in 836 and 863. By the end of the 9th century the mosque had attained the size and proportions that it exhibits today, though numerous renovations and ornamentations were conducted during the 13th and 14th centuries by the Hafsid dynasty rulers and during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries (when the region was controlled by the Turks) by the Mouradite and Husseinite rulers.

Our fourth visit in Kairouan was into the Barbier Mausoleum, in which is the tomb of Abou Dhama, nicknamed Sidi Sahab - "Carrier of three hairs" of the prophets sublime beard. He was a contemporary companion of Mohammed. This tomb attracts a lot of visitors wishing to pray because of the religous significance.

Our fifth visit in Kairouan was to a restaurant as lunch was included in the price of this excursion. This restaurant was obviously contracted by the tour operators and we were not the only coach pulling up for lunch. The atmosphere was basic and workmanlike, like a transport cafe back in the Uk. A 3 course lunch was served, there was no choice but it was very eatable. Conversation with the other tourists at the tables was simply "What do you think this is we are
eating - do you know?". We later gathered from our guide that the meat was Turkey. You cannot complain and it simply added to the adventure of foreign travel - a culinary lucky dip.

That was it for Kairouan whose main industry is carpet manufacture and our coach then took us to El Jem.

Along the way our guide explained the way of life for the local people, their problems and why their homes appear half built. Money is tight so people buy a plot of land and then build as they can afford it, room by room. That is why you see flat roofs with steel poking upwards.

On arrival outside the Amphitheatre at El Jem you initially think so what? Is this just a boring old ruin? It does not look that impressive compared to the modern stadiums we have today. However, when you have walked all around from the coach park and gone inside through the gate you get a totally different impression . It seems at lot bigger inside than outside. It also appears to be a lot taller and then you can imagine how in the 3rd century AD it held 30,000 spectators. It is possibly the third or fourth biggest in the Empire after the Colosseum (or Coliseum) in Rome and that at Capua. Its 427m outside circumference is 100m shorter than the Colosseum. This is why it was chosen as the location for the film Gladiator. It is amazing how they built to this standard so long ago. You are free to roam about the whole site, climbing loads of stairs, playing hide and seek with your partner whilst enjoying the views from the tops over the flat terrain on all sides. You can see why this is an UNESCO World Heritage site.

We then travelled onto Mahdia which is one of the few towns on the central Tunisian coast that has managed to escape being turned into a tourist trap. It's a beautifully relaxed place, founded in 916 AD and set on a small peninsula some 200km (125mi) southeast of Tunis.

The town's main attraction is its old medina, already established by the time the famous historian Ibn Khaldoun visited in the 14th century and called Mahdia the jewel of the Barbary Coast.

Life is very different in this traditional seaside town. You get a slower pace of life with men sat in cafes gossiping over soft drinks. There are no signs of any nightlife like in binge-drinking Britain.

We did another coach trip for 24TD to Nabeul. This is on a Friday as this is Market Day. We picked up at some other hotels and then went to Hammamet where we stopped at a fixed price pottery shop for 20 minutes. This was good because you could see a guy making pottery, there was no pressure whatsoever to buy and you then had a guide price for pottery items at the market later. Our English speaking guide gave us a lovely commentary along the way before we parked up for 90 minutes in the coach park which is at the end of the long street where the market is held. It is a very busy market popular with locals and tourists. Most prices are negotiable, if something does not have a price attached then you will have to haggle, do not be hassled into paying too much as there will be busloads more tourists next Friday for the traders to latch onto. Some items and stalls are priced so you will be unable to haggle but their prices appear fair.

Obvious warnings are for pick pockets in such a busy and crowded area, we did not become a victim to this. My wife was walking in front and said that if I wanted to look at something to tap her on the shoulder. She was about half a coach length in front of me when she went into a stall and stopped. I caught her up and asked her what she wanted. She thought that I had put both my hands around her hips and guided her into this stall to look at something of interest to me. I
explained how far back I had been when she stopped and we were both at a loss to the mystery person who had guided her in. Was it someone who wanted to get passed and she was in their way? Was it the stall holder looking for a customer? Was it a chubby chaser gauging her size and weight?

After the market we went back to Hammamet and stayed by the medina for 60 minutes. This was ample time to buy a basic snack in a cafe at the side of the medina that overlooks the beach. Being used to All-Inclusive it is still a shock as to just how much you could spend on little snacks throughout the day. My impression of Hammamet from driving through on the coach and walking around the medina and it's beachfront was that it is an established busy resort. It is quite commercial and very well developed and was the first mass tourist resort in Tunisia. It looks down-market compared to Port El Kantaoui but does have history and local colour.

This was a lovely, relaxing and refreshing holiday. I would be happy to go back to Tunisia and this hotel again. This is not a holiday for the 18/30 disco clubbing living it large crowd but does give you good value for money if you want a quieter, chilling out holiday.

2005-04-23T21:00:00.000+01:00

Human Rights Watch gives this overview of the human rights situation in Tunisia...

Tunisia

World Report 2005: Index

Tunisia�s intolerance for political dissent continued in 2004. The ruling party, the Constitutional Democratic Assembly, dominates political life, and the government continues to use the threat of terrorism and religious extremism as a pretext to crack down on peaceful dissent. The rights of freedom of expression and freedom of association are severely restricted. Critics of the government are frequently harassed or imprisoned on trumped-up charges after unfair trials. Following the conditional release of some eighty political prisoners in early November, about four hundred remained incarcerated, nearly all suspected Islamists. There are constant and credible reports of torture and ill-treatment used to obtain statements from suspects in custody. Sentenced prisoners also face deliberate ill-treatment. During 2004, as many as forty political prisoners were held in prolonged and arbitrary solitary confinement; some had spent most of the past decade in isolation.

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President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali won re-election for a fourth five-year term on October 24 by 94.5 percent of the vote, having gotten the constitution amended in April 2002 in order to remove the previous three-term limit. The same amendment also granted permanent immunity to the head of state for any acts connected with official duties. Two of Ben Ali�s three opponents endorsed the incumbent. Authorities prevented the only genuine opposition candidate, Mohamed Halouani, from printing and distributing his electoral platform. Halouani�s supporters were permitted to hold a protest march in Tunis on October 21, 2004 the first such public opposition rally in recent memory. Halouani received less than 1 percent of the vote, according to the official tally. Several other parties boycotted the elections as unfair. The ruling party captured all of the 152 district seats in parliament � thirty-seven additional seats are reserved for members of other parties � ensuring the continuation of a rubber-stamp legislature.

Human Rights Defenders
Tunisia�s two leading human right organizations operate in a legal limbo. The Tunisian Human Rights League (Ligue Tunisienne des droits de l�Homme, LTDH), founded in 1977, remains under a court decision nullifying the 2000 election of an outspoken executive committee. In the case of the six-year-old National Council on Liberties in Tunisia (Conseil National pour les Libert�s en Tunisie, CNLT), the government rejected its application for legal recognition. Other, newer human rights organizations have applied but failed so far to get legal approval, including the International Association for Solidarity with Political Prisoners, the Center for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, and the Association to Fight Torture in Tunisia.

Human rights defenders, like dissidents generally, are subject to heavy police surveillance, sporadic travel bans, dismissals from work, interruptions in phone service, and police harassment of spouses and family members. Human rights lawyers and activists have been assaulted on the street by plainclothes security personnel acting with complete impunity. Sihem Ben Sedrine, a founder of the CNLT and editor of the dissident magazine Kalima, was assaulted and punched by unidentified men outside her home in downtown Tunis on January 5, 2004. On October 11, former political prisoner Hamma Hammami, whose party urged the boycott of the October 24 presidential elections, reported being assaulted in Ben Arous by men in plainclothes who punched him and broke his glasses. The property of human rights activists and dissidents has been subject to vandalism, and their homes, offices, and cars to suspicious break-ins.

The Justice System
The Tunisian judiciary lacks independence. Judges frequently turn a blind eye to torture allegations and procedural irregularities, convicting defendants solely or predominantly on the basis of confessions secured under duress. For example, a Tunis court on April 6, 2004, sentenced six men from Zarzis in the south of the country to nineteen-year prison terms for plotting terrorist attacks. The defendants claimed they had been tortured into confessing and into implicating each other and that the police had falsified the place and date of their arrest. The judge refused to investigate these allegations, even though these �confessions� constituted the main piece of evidence in the file. On July 6, an appeals court reduced the sentences to thirteen years.

The government uses the courts to convict and imprison non-violent critics of its policies. Jalal Zoghlami, editor of the unauthorized leftist magazine Kaws el-Karama, and his brother Nejib, were jailed on September 22, 2004, after a disturbance in a Tunis caf� that they claim was staged by police agents. They were sentenced on November 4 to eight months actual time in prison for damaging property. Former political prisoner Abdullah Zouari served out a nine-month prison term imposed in August 2003, after a rushed and politically motivated prosecution. Zouari had earlier that month helped a Human Rights Watch researcher to meet families in southern Tunisia.

Tunisians residing outside of the country have been arrested while visiting Tunisia and imprisoned for political activities that were not crimes in the countries where they took place. Salem Zirda, whom a Tunisian court convicted in 1992 in absentia for nonviolent political offenses, was arrested upon his return to Tunisia in 2002. On June 29, 2004, a Tunis military court sentenced him to seven years in prison. The evidence presented at the trial suggests he was prosecuted solely for nonviolent association while abroad with Nahdha party members.

Tunisia�s policy of placing some political prisoners in strict, long-term solitary confinement is one of the harshest holdovers from the severe prison regime of the 1990s. Authorities generally provide no official explanation to prisoners why they are being segregated, for how long, or how they may appeal the decision. The isolation policy as it is practiced violates Tunisian law as well as international penal standards, and in some instances may rise to the level of torture.

The government has not allowed independent observers to inspect prisons since 1991. An April 20, 2004 statement by Minister of Justice and Human Rights B�chir Tekkari hinted that Tunisia might accept prison visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), but as of late November 2004 no accord with the ICRC had been announced.

Media Freedom
Tunisia�s press remains largely controlled by the authorities. None of the print and broadcast media offer critical coverage of government policies, apart from a few low-circulation independent magazines that face occasional confiscation of their issues or problems at the printers. During the campaign for presidential and legislative elections in October 2004, all of the major media accorded disproportionate and highly favorable coverage to Ben Ali and the ruling party candidates, while giving limited space to candidates of other parties.

The government�s rhetoric promotes electronic communication as a vehicle of modernization, yet it blocks certain political or human rights websites. In 2002, the authorities arrested Zouheir Yahiaoui, editor of a webzine that ridiculed President Ben Ali�s rule. He was released in November 2003 after serving most of his two-year sentence on trumped-up charges. Given Tunisia�s systematic suppression of a free media, and limits on the Internet in particular, human rights organizations have criticized Tunisia�s designation as host to the World Summit on the Information Society in November 2005.

Counterterrorism Measures
Following the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, Tunisian authorities claimed that they had long been in the forefront of combating terrorism and extremism, alluding to their long-running crackdown against the once-tolerated Islamist Nahdha movement.

Since 1991, the one deadly terrorist attack to occur in Tunisia was the April 2002 truck bomb that targeted a synagogue on the island of Djerba. The suicide bomber was Tunisian, and al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the attack.

In December 2003, Tunisia adopted an anti-terror law containing a broad definition of terrorism that could be used abusively to prosecute persons for peaceful exercise of their right to dissent. The law provides harsh penalties and allows for the referral of civilian suspects to military courts.

Key International Actors
The United States actively monitors human rights conditions in Tunisia, but its criticism of those conditions has been undercut somewhat by Washington�s persistent praise for President Ben Ali�s counter-terrorism conduct. Still, Secretary of State Colin Powell, after he met with President Ben Ali in December 2003, spoke publicly about the need for �for more political pluralism and openness and a standard of openness that deals with journalists being able to do their work.� In February 2004, when President Ben Ali visited Washington, President Bush publicly expressed the desire to see in Tunisia �a press corps that is vibrant and free, as well as an open political process.� However, the administration�s public expression of disappointment with the lack of genuine contestation in the October 24 elections was exceedingly mild.

Tunisia�s Association Agreement with the European Union continued in force, despite the country�s poor human rights record. While E.U. officials have conveyed concern about Tunisia�s human rights conditions, they have yet to suggest that violations would jeopardize the agreement.

President Jacques Chirac of France remained Europe�s staunchest supporter of President Ben Ali. On a visit in December 2003, he deflected concerns over political and civil rights by declaring that the �first� rights were food, medical care, housing, and education, and praising Tunisia�s achievements in this regard. President Chirac sent his Tunisian counterpart a message of congratulations immediately after his victory in the patently unfair elections of October 24.

2005-04-23T20:31:00.000+01:00

Looking forward to my holiday and enjoying the freedoms of the internet at home I have come across this report on afrol News that states that Tunisians do not enjoy the media freedoms that we have in the UK. Reading this I will have to be careful what I say, write or read whilst on holiday in Tunisia...

Criticism of Tunisia not allowed at UN meeting

HANA / afrol News, 24 February - The Secretariat of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) will not allow civil society to distribute a report at a preparatory meeting currently taking place in Geneva, Switzerland. The report describes freedom of expression violations in the upcoming WSIS host, Tunisia.

The sixty page report, compiled by the IFEX Tunisia Monitoring group, is critical of human rights abuses in Tunisia, the country designated to host the second phase of WSIS in November this year. The report details the imprisonment of individuals, the blocking of news and information websites, police surveillance of emails and internet cafes, lack of pluralism and media censorship.

IFEX is an international consortium of media organisations that campaign for the freedom of expression and against human rights abuses all over the world. Several IFEX members earlier have strongly protested designating the Summit to Tunisia because freedom of expression is not granted in the country.

During a media caucus meeting in Geneva this evening, Steve Buckley, world president of the World Association of Community Broadcasters (AMARC) informed stakeholders that the WSIS secretariat had banned them from distributing the document in any meetings or rooms except the one assigned for the civil society plenary.

- They want us to sign a statement saying that we shall not distribute the report in any of the designated conference venues except civil society, Mr Buckley reported. "They maintain IFEX is not accredited, but IFEX is not an organisation - it is a consortium of organisations accredited by the WSIS."

Mr Buckley views the banning as double standards because the response from the Tunisian pro-government delegation criticising the IFEX report is being circulated as an official document at the conference.

- This is a delaying move, he holds. "If we don't get a response from the secretariat by tomorrow, we shall be left with no choice but to give the WSIS secretariat a deadline to have the report distributed because it was submitted to them with a covering letter with the five organisations that compiled the report and are accredited by WSIS."

He adds that delaying the distribution of the report is typical of the Tunisian censorship techniques. According to Article 13 of the Tunisian press code, a declaration must be lodged with the ministry of the interior before the publication of any periodical.

In exchange, the Ministry must hand out a "récépissé" (receipt). The declaration must include: The title of the periodical, the details of the publisher, the details of the printer, the language(s) in which it is drafted. By virtue of Article 14, before the printing of any periodical, the printer requires the receipt delivered by the ministry of the interior. In practice the receipt is almost never issued, thus preventing the creation of a certain number of periodicals in Tunisia.

Mark Bench, executive director WPFC refers to the situation as government censorship made possible by the UN. "I understand there was a rule at UN that if a government wishes to block any communication of an NGO, they may do so because who are we? However, coming from a country where one can say whatever they want, because this is guaranteed in the constitution, we find that this is government censorship here at the UN. We are accredited, why can we not say what we want to?"

Luckson Chipare, director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) who presented the IFEX report to the conference on yesterday, says "We are registered to be here, when we were printing the report they didn't inform us of a second decision of whether or not to have the report circulated."

The IFEX report details "the state of freedom of expression in Tunisia and the conditions for participation in the WSIS." The report sets out the findings of a mission to Tunisia of freedom of expression groups. It makes a series of recommendations to the Tunisian government.

The main recommendations of the report are that Tunisia should release all prisoners of opinion, end arbitrary administrative detentions, release cyber-dissidents, end harassment and assaults on human rights activists, stop blocking websites, end censorship of books and newspapers, open up the press and broadcasting sector, respect freedom of movement, assembly and association, and allow independent investigation of alleged cases of torture by the security forces.

By Angella Nabwowe (HANA)

2005-04-21T20:52:00.000+01:00

The actual terrorist warning from the U.S. Department of State reads...

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

This information is current as of today, Thu Apr 21 2005 20:50:15 GMT+0100 (GMT Standard Time).

Tunisia

April 19, 2005

This Public Announcement is being issued to alert Americans to the potential for terrorist actions in Tunisia. This Public Announcement expires on July 19, 2005.

The United States Government has strong indications that individuals may be planning imminent terrorist actions in Tunisia. We have no further information on specific targets, timing, or method of attack, or capabilities of these individuals.

In the past, terrorists have not distinguished between official and civilian targets. As always, we take this information seriously. Terrorist attacks may occur on or around dates of religious significance, such as the Moulid holiday in the third week of April. U.S. Government facilities remain at a heightened state of alert. Americans in Tunisia are urged to remain vigilant with regard to their personal security and to exercise caution.

This Public Announcement supplements the Middle East and North Africa Public Announcement of March 14, 2005 and the Worldwide Public Announcement of March 8, 2005, both available at http://travel.state.gov.

Americans living or traveling in Tunisia are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy. The U.S. Embassy is located at Zone Nord Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette Tunisie. The phone number is (216) 71 107 000 and the website is http://usembassy.state.gov/tunis/. Current information on travel and security in Tunisia may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or, from overseas, 1-202-501-4444. U.S. citizens should consult the Consular Information Sheet for Tunisia on the Department's Internet site at http://travel.state.gov.

2005-04-21T20:28:00.000+01:00

I came across the latest Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice which gave ...

Still Current at: 21 April 2005

Updated: 20 April 2005

Tunisia

This advice has been reviewed and reissued with changes to the Summary. The overall level of the advice has not changed.

SUMMARY

There is a continuing threat from terrorism in Tunisia. There was a serious attack on a synagogue in Djerba in 2002, for which Al Qaeda claimed responsibility.
You should be aware that the US issued a public announcement on 20 April saying they had strong indications that individuals may be planning imminent terrorist actions in Tunisia. We shall keep this information and our own advice under review.
There is little violent crime and most visits to Tunisia are trouble-free, but visitors should watch out for petty criminals such as pickpockets, particularly in crowded market places.
We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Terrorism

There is a continuing threat from terrorism in Tunisia.

A group of German tourists was caught up in a terrorist suicide car bomb attack outside a synagogue on the island of Djerba on 11 April 2002, which resulted in 19 deaths. An al-Qa’ida spokesman later acknowledged responsibility for the attack. There have been no incidents since then.

You should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners. Please read "Risk of Terrorism when Travelling Overseas" and "Security and General Tips" pages on the FCO website for further information and advice.

Crime

There is little violent crime but visitors should watch out for petty criminals such as pickpockets, particularly in crowded market places.

There have been numerous instances recently where British nationals wishing to buy property in Tunisia have been advised to do so through a Tunisian "friend" on the pretence that it is illegal for foreign nationals to purchase property in Tunisia. If you are considering purchasing property in Tunisia, you should immediately consult a local lawyer who will be best placed to offer advice. Do not make private arrangements, which in themselves may be illegal and may result in large financial loss.

There has also been a noticeable increase in incidents of bag snatching in tourist areas and you are strongly advised to ensure that, when carrying bags etc they are kept close to your person at all times. Where possible, you should avoid carrying all your important documents, money etc in the same bag. You should take similar precautions to protect yourself and your belongings, as you would do at home.

Political Situation

You should be aware of the impact that the situation in Iraq, as well as the violence between the Israelis and Palestinians, has across the Arab world and the risk of public disturbance in response.

You should follow news reports and be alert to developments, which might trigger public disturbances. You should take sensible precautions for your personal safety and avoid political gatherings and demonstrations.

Local Travel

You should seek specific advice from tour operators or the British Embassy when travelling independently to the desert areas in the south.

You are strongly advised not to attempt to cross the border into Algeria as we advise against all but essential travel to some provinces of Algeria.

Road Safety

Driving in Tunisia can be erratic and sometimes dangerous. There is little lane discipline and pedestrian crossings are ignored. You should take particular care when crossing roads, even where there is a signal allowing you to do so. Driving tends to be fast, even in towns.

Roads are of a reasonable standard although large pot-holes can appear quickly following heavy rain. There are only two motorways in Tunisia, running from Tunis to Bizerte in the north and to Sousse in the south. These roads are in good condition and well maintained. Motorway driving can be fast, usually exceeding the 110kmph (68mph) speed limit. Further motorway expansion is currently underway.

Air Safety

Internal air travel is safe and airports provide a reasonably high level of security to passengers and aircraft.

Rail Safety

Rail travel is also safe, but passengers should ensure that they remain vigilant against petty criminals at all times.

LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS

You must not become involved in drugs. The possession of even a small amount of 'soft' drugs could result in a prison term.

You should also be aware that it is not permitted to remove antiquities from Tunisia without first obtaining permission from Customs authorities. Failure to do so could result in lengthy delays on departure, fines and/or imprisonment.

In the coastal holiday resorts and main cities, the dress code is very much like any European city or tourist areas. If visiting religious sites or more remote areas of Tunisia, you should dress more modestly and avoid any articles of clothing which may cause offence.

Only married couples are permitted to cohabit in Tunisia. Homosexuality is illegal.

You should avoid taking any photographs near sensitive political or military sites.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

British passport holders do not require visas for a stay of three months or less. On arrival, security checks are sometimes run on British passport holders who are not UK-born. This can take a few hours and such visitors are advised to be patient until clearance is given. There is unlikely to be a similar checking process or delay on departure. You should ensure that your passport is valid for the entire duration of your proposed stay.

Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the Tunisian Representation in the UK.

HEALTH

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.

There is no provision for free medical attention for non-Tunisians. All doctors' fees, medication and hospitalisation in private (as opposed to state run) clinics have to be paid for on the spot. These costs can be quite high. There are no serious threats to health in Tunisia, but you should contact your GP before travelling for advice on any inoculations which might be advisable.

For further information on health, check the Department of Health’s website at: www.dh.gov.uk

GENERAL

Tunisian regulations require visitors to declare on entry any large amounts of money being brought in. You will also be asked to declare if you expect to have more than £500 on you when you leave. The export of Tunisian dinars is expressly prohibited. You could be required to show the currency declaration on departure.

ATMs are widely available in Tunisia. Almost all ATMs will accept Visa cards, and many (most notably Bank of Tunisia and BIAT) will also accept Maestro (Switch) cards for cash withdrawals. Visa and Mastercard are widely acceptable for payment in shops, restaurants and hotels although there are frequent problems in obtaining authorisation for Mastercard purchases.

The Consular Section at the British Embassy in Tunisia offers a full passport issuing service. If you lose your passport while on holiday, you should immediately report the loss first to the nearest police station, and then to the Consular Section, who will advise on the arrangements for a replacement passport to be issued. An "Emergency Passport", valid for a single journey back to the United Kingdom, can normally be issued on the day of application.

You should carry a copy of your passport for identity and leave the passport itself in a safe place such as a deposit box at your hotel.

You should remember that Tunisia is a Muslim country and respect its laws and customs.

OTHER

Tunisia Country Profile

CONTACT DETAILS

Address:

British Embassy
Rue du Lac Windermere
Les Berges du Lac
Tunis 1053

Telephone:

(216) 71 108 700

Facsimile:

(216) 71 108 749 Management

(216) 71 108 789 Consular

(216) 71 108 779 Visa

(216) 71 108 769 Commercial

Email:

TVI.tunis@fco.gov.uk Visa

TunisConsular@tunis.mail.fco.gov.uk Consular

Office Hours:

GMT:
Summer: 0630 - 1330 (mon-fri)
Winter: 0700 - 1530 (mon-thur) 0700 - 1300 (fri)

Website:

http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/tunisia

2005-04-18T14:14:00.000+01:00

I came across the Access Tunisia English language portal of Tunisian websites today.

2005-04-07T20:25:00.000+01:00

Pete Hall writes...

Its been a while now since I visited Matmata, but the unique cave dwellings made it a place that I will remember forever. Three hundred miles south of Sousse, where we were staying made it one hell of a long day trip (about 18 hours) but it was well worth the hassel. Its worth noting that this was a Christmas holiday, thankfully, but in summer I think the heat would have been unbearable. We called at the 3 rd largest colloseum (at El Djem if I remember right) then at a large town called Sfax, that had the most unfortunate smell of sewerage, and we couldn't wait to leave. On to Gabes on the coast for a meal break and finally to Matmata. We did call in at an oasis on the way back, and somewhere else for a late meal but Matmata was definitely the highlight of the day.

Each troglodyte dwelling consisted of a large hole dug into the crown of a hillock. The hole was about ten metres diameter and probably 6 or 7 metres deep. A tunnel was dug through the sid of the hill to the bottom of the hole, sloping gradually to form the entrance to the home. Around the hole caverns were scooped out of the wall to form rooms, there was even a staircase dug into the wall of some dwellings, leading to an upper level of rooms. The walls of the rooms were whitewashed and the whole place was kept neat and tidy. There was a room to keep the goats in, and one where they crushed the olives, absolutely amazing. Most of the dwellings were no longer occupied (the government had provided free pre-fabricated homes on the edge of the village, with free gas and electricity) but the owners maintained them carefully because showing tourists around their "home" was their only source of income. Hoards of youngsters met the coach, all coaxing small groups to come and visit their home free of charge. True to their word, there was no charge to get in, but I'd defy anyone to try getting back out through that tunnel without making a "voluntary contribution". One contribut ion from a couple was not the best approach, they expected money from every individual. I'm sure what I gave them was only a fraction of what the experience was truly worth.

I believe they've made some sort of film there since, I do hope they didn't spoil the place for future visitors. There was a hotel there, but it was a most horrendous place that wasn't fit to use as a prison, maybe its better now. There are other villages in the area where different types of cave dwelling can be seen, but Matmata, as I understand it, was the only place in the world where people lived in this particular type of home.

2005-04-03T12:30:00.000+01:00

V o y a g e s L o i s i r s T u n i s i e gives...

Our excursion programmes
will enable you to discover and understand Tunisian civilisation, history, traditions, vestiges, thrilling landscapes and the various ways of life which characterize regional differences and particularities.
Departure from Sousse - Monastir - Mahdi
Tunis - Bardo - Carthage and Sidi Bou Said 1 day
El Jem - Gabes - Matmata 1 day
El Jem Afternoon ½ day
Hammamet - Nabeul ½ day
Hammamet - Nabeul - Kerkouane - El Haouaria - Korbous 1 day
Dougga - Thuburbo Majus - Zaghouan 1 day
Kairouan ½ day
Sousse - Monastir ½ day
Saharienne with 4x4 - Jeep 3 days
Gabes - Matmata Kebili - Douz - Tozeur (bus) 2 days
Berber Discovery 1 day
Maritim trip ½ day
Popular singing and dancing evening
Departure from Nabeul - Hammamet
Tunis shopping ½ day Carthage - Sidi Bou Said ½ day
Tunis Carthage - Sidi Bou Said 1 day
Hammamet - Nabeul - Kerkouane - El Haouaria - Korbous 1 day
Dougga - Thuburbo Majus - Zaghouan 1 day
Kairouan Sousse - Monastir 1 day
Gabes - Matmata - Kebili - Douz - Tozeur (bus) 2 days
Saharienne with 4x4 3 days Kairouan ½ days
Sousse - Monastir ½ day
Ksours 2 and 3 days Berber Discovery 1 day
Maritim trip ½ day
Popular singing and dancing evening
Departure from Djerba - Zarzis
Saharienne with 4x4 3 days
Ksar Ghilane 2 days
Gabes - Matmata (Bus or 4x4 drive) 1 day
Chenini - Tataouine (Bus or 4x4 drive) 1 day
Gabes - Kebili - Douz - Tozeur - Nefta 2 days
Island tour ½ day
Maritim trip ½ day Popular singing and dancing evening

SY Thetis had a great tour of Tunisia and this included a trip to Matmata. The whole website is a great read including this about car hire and Matmata...

Yesterday started rather well. We left the Mabrouk hotel, fairly early in the morning, and after looking at the map we followed a mountain road, marked as paved, to Matmata. I wanted to visit Matmata, the scene where some Star Wars movie scenes were shot, because of its underground troglodyte houses. On the way, we stopped at the Berber villages of Guermessa, Ghomrassen, Ksar Hadada, and Beni Kheddache. Up to that point the road was good and the scenery over the mountains was breathtaking while the villages themselves were rather nondescript.

At Beni Kheddache there were several roads going vaguely in a northerly direction but none of them was marked. We tried to ask for directions to either Matmata or Teshine, a village about half way to Matmata. We either got conflicting directions or blank stares. We followed one of the indicated directions (at least two people pointed to it) and we ended in a small ksar (village). Same story: no signs and conflicting directions. We followed a road leading west and we even saw a road sign: "Matmata 48 km" but it pointed to a dirt road and our map showed a paved one. We continued on the asphalt road but after a few kilometers it ended. Back to the sign, we took the dirt road. After driving 7 km there was another sign: "Matmata 35 km" with an arrow. We followed the arrow for about 10 km going past a very small village after which the road deteriorate completely. We asked a youth and he told us, in recognizable French, that we should go back. We had gone the wrong direction of the arrow.

We backtracked and followed the second fork. We drove for another 15 km past the sign. The road deteriorated and led us over several mountains. The scenery was terrific but we were afraid of getting stuck. A small truck came on the opposite direction. This was the only traffic we had seen since we entered the dirt roads. The farmer driving the truck told us that the road further down gets even worse and it would be impassable by our little car. He advised us to turn back and follow him. This we did for a long distance. He then pointed us at another, unmarked, dirt road which he promised will lead us to Matmata.

Tujaine

We went past Ksar el Halouf and the road improved from dirt to partly paved. On we went until many kilometers later we reached Toujane, a very picturesque ksar with troglodyte houses. Like every other ksar we went through, it too was full of garbage but its setting over the cliffs is magnificent. Just outside the ksar the road forked, a sign indicated two names none of which we could locate in our road map. According to our travel guides one of the roads leads to Matmata, after 28 km, but which one? We backtracked and asked a group of youths. One of them entered the car to "show" us. We followed his instructions. At the fork, he got off and asked for a tip. On we went past several small ksar, not shown in our map, when we reached a sign "Matmata 40 km." It seems that after all these hours of driving we had not gotten any closer to our elusive goal.

We followed the road, now paved, and we reached Matmata Nouvelle (New Matmata). All of our guides gave only the briefest mention of this village, and none mentioned that it was more than 20 km from old Matmata. One of the guides suggested that we hire a local kid to show us the underground troglodyte houses. We got one that seemed less aggressive and on we went. He indeed took us to a rather interesting house. These houses are built underground by excavating a shaft in the soft earth. They all have a large hole which creates a courtyard below ground level with rooms excavated all around it. A tunnel entrance from outside leads to this courtyard. After seeing the house, we gave some dinars to the proprietor, but our kid-guide refused to get back into the car and demanded a 20 TD tip. I gave him 10 but felt cheated. We drove into Matmata proper and walked around. On our way out we visited another troglodyte house, less impressive than the first, but not very different.

The Entrance to a Troglodyte House

The Courtyard of a Troglodyte House

The Bedroom of a Troglodyte House

2005-04-03T11:46:00.000+01:00

Is it worth getting a coach trip to Matmata ? The trip would include entrance fees...

On the slope of a hill the cave village of Matmâta is located. At this place the Berber people dig their homes out of the ground for more than 1000 years. There are more than 100 underground houses, there is even a subterranean hotel now.

It is very useful to build subterranean homes in hot arid climates. Underground, the temperature is always the same. At night when the desert is very cold, it is comfortably warm in the cave, and at day when the sun burns down, the caves are cool.

The houses are built around artificial craters, 5 to 10 meters deep, with doors and windows in the steep walls towards the crater. Those craters look like a patio or a Roman atrium, and the lower part of the walls is often painted white. Sometimes several of those craters are connected by a labyrinth of tunnels. But most of the houses are a single crater with several rooms around, used for living, sleeping or stooring food. This style of building cave houses is rather common in northern Africa,but nowhere so many nice examples exist.

Matmâta was one location for the movie Star Wars. At the beginning of the first movie, this was the location for the home of Luke Skywalkers Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen Lars, in the town of Sidi Driss on the desert planet Tatooine.

The scenes of the patio were filmed at Hotel Sidi Driss, which provides Berber-style accommodation for its visitors. Of course, the crater was filled with some technologic stuff, like droids and evaporators to make it look futuristic, but the style of the cave house was alien enough to make anybody believe it was on a remote planet.

The best way to visit Matama today, are organised coach tours, which include all entrance fees. They can be booked at many tourist hotels at the beaches or at local tour operators.

Lexic Orient gives...

MATMATA:
Star Wars setting

Matmata is so great that it is about to become destroyed. The town is a must-see for tourists to Tunisia, and from early morning till late afternoon bus load after bus load arrive in this small village.
Matmata's fame comes from the unusual houses – instead of building the houses, they were dug vertically into the ground.
Thanks to Matmata's attractions and many tourists, what could have been atmosphere is since long gone. The locals are not friendly, and the ones who seem to be, act with your money in mind. When a family invites you in, prepare to buy handicrafts, or at least pay for each and every photo you make!
But do not let this stop you, the trick of avoiding the thickest crowds is to spend the night in Matmata, and get up early. Until 9 o'clock Matmata is still tranquil, and not too hot.
Due to it's extraordinary form, Matmata was the location for disco scene in the first Star Wars film. Before you leave for Tunisia, try to see the film first, then you go on to experience Matmata.

MATMATA:
Going down the troglodytes

The dark entrance to a troglodyte house.

A simple version of a troglodyte. Except the chalk and the blue doors, it has no ornamentation.

Each house forms a circular crater that is really the courtyard of a family. You can actually stand on the edge and look down on them – and that is what most tourists do today.
Usually each crater is two stories deep, complete with doors, staircases and openings to nearby caves. But there are no windows.

A fancier and more elaborated troglodyte. Note that the walls that have been covered in bricks and the vaulted doors.

Looking back from one of the rooms in a troglodyte. There is nothing from this angle that tells that it is any different from any other old type of rural house.

MATMATA:
Interior of troglodytes

Entrance to one of the rooms in the most authentic troglodyte hotel in Matmata.

It is quite possible to enter many of the houses. After you have walked down the dark passageway, you arrive in the courtyard – often strikingly white, and quite remote from any cave-feeling.
The decorations are about as simple and basic as you would expect, but always with a great understanding of artistry. Watch out for the vaulting of the ceilings, the round shelves cut directly into the walls, and the effective use of strong colours together with the chalked walls.

Storage room for food and shelves cut directly into the walls.

Original food containers, with olives lying to the left.

Typical Matmata bedroom. With everything you need.

MATMATA:
The landscape

The landscape of Matmata is quite nice, with a couple of small table top mountains around it. Many areas appears to have been tested for creating new troglodytes, as they are unusually bumpy.

MATMATA:
Practicalities

HOTELS AND ALTERNATIVES
Matmata is the place to stay the night, and you should aim for one of the hotels where you can spend the night in a real troglodyte. One thing is to visit troglodytes during the day, another thing is to sleep in one, and wake up in it. The standard is basic, but no worse than what most Tunisia explorers easily could accept. The shared baths and toilets might be the biggest problem for some.
Matmata has a handful of more expensive options too. While these are good hotels, they are devoid of the natural charm of the ones mentioned above.

RESTAURANTS AND ALTERNATIVES
You eat your food in one of the hotels. In this case, going to the good hotels is the better choice. The reason is that the troglodyte hotels are basic in their cooking too. Not bad or unhealthy, just unexciting.

NIGHTLIFE
In the better hotels, you will find bars. Some of these hotels will arrange shows, but not every night.

CHANGE MONEY
The better hotels will change money, but they are not obliged to do this for non-residents. If you should find yourself stranded without Tunisian dinars, some friendly convincing will make the receptionist help you out. Early afternoon is the quiet part of the day, and also the time when they have best chances of giving such extra service.

TRANSPORT
Basic buses run between Matmata and Gabes. These are crampy and can be very uncomfortable in the middle of the day when the sun is hot. There are some shared taxis, but not many, doing the same stretch.
There are plenty of 4-wheel drives with tour groups running through Matmata, but they will often be full. Which is just as good: the people inside these cars always appear to suffer from little space and inhuman itineraries lasting from early morning till evening.

IMPORTANT
Summer is very, very hot in Matmata.
If you're not going with a tour group, try to explore Matmata in the early morning hours. Then the village is almost empty from other travellers and the morning sun light gives the troglodytes a dramatic appearance, which is lost through most of the day.

2005-04-03T11:38:00.000+01:00

Came across an account of a trip to Tunisia in 1990 by Bruce Ballard...

Tunisia 1990

Perhaps the most Westernised of the North African Islamic countries, Tunisia is rapidly expanding it's tourist infrastructure. Perceived in Europe as a relatively safe Islamic country, it has in recent years, like Jordan (now there's a tightrope act) steered a studiously middle ground between the Islamic extremism of Algeria, the peculiarities of Libya, and Western excesses.
As a result it's standard of living is higher than most Islamic countries and indeed, most oil producing countries.
Interestingly the last 50 years have shown that, in practice, the possession of abundant oil within a country's borders has not, in most cases, resulted in a sustained higher standard of living for the average person, which you would suppose it would. It is a savage indictment on the quality of politicians in the majority of these countries that the vast majority of this "found" wealth has fallen either in to foreign hands or in to a small kleptocratic elite.
Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib Bourgida ruled for 31 years and carefully navigated the country to an era of independent, diverse, secular economic stability, a pleasant exception to the more common disaster scenario.
Every day life, however, remains surprisingly French, although perhaps more in a colonial Beau Geste manner than in any way representing the steel and glass of modern France.

We stayed in Hammamet on the Northern coast, where during July (ah, for those long-lost days of holidaying cheaply during school holidays...) and, despite dire warnings to the contrary, it was hot but not painfully so due to the moderating influence of the Mediterranean sea. Further inland, we were to discover, this was not the case...

Hammamet is a crazy mish-mash of old Arab maze-like streets, suitable only for pedestrian traffic, a surprisingly well-maintained French-designed civil infrastructure and Government-funded civil engineering schemes designed to prettify places like the harbour, with mixed success. On the whole, it's pretty forgettable, but the souk is colourful and a great view is to be had across the harbour from the top of the old battlements.

The mixture of traditional Arab wares and French cuisine makes for a cultural collision harking back to French colonial days. This was the first ex-French colony I had visited, and the contrast with ex-British colonies was stark. Ex-English colonies play cricket and have strong judicial systems, ex-French colonies eat baguettes and have great railways. To this day, even modern Tunisian phosphate carriages are stamped with SNCFT (Société National Chemin de Fer Tunisiens). A powerful legacy.

Like traditional France, the men sit around outside cafés a lot of the time. It must be a strange, disconnected, life. The women keep the company of women the whole time, the men the company of men. So unlike the UK and America.

Tunisia's main exports are oil and gas, iron and phosphates, plus light mechanical goods. It also produces a lot of citrus fruit, and the markets are full of small growers and vendors with some healthy-looking fruit.

We don't normally take coach tours, preferring to be independent travellers, but for once we relented and visited El Gem to see the Roman amphitheatre. It is better preserved than the similar structure in Rome (less pollution and fewer stone thieves, one suspects) and has recently seen extensive renovations.

It is very impressive, if only for the way it dominates the skyline for many miles around and the very fact that it is still standing after 2,000 years.

Apparently a 100Km tunnel led to the port at Sousse to transport slaves and Christians for the Games held here. The Romans sure did build things to last... I mean, what have the Romans done for us? However, the views from the top are awesome...

Then we went on to Sfax (what a great name!), which is Tunisia's 2nd biggest city and famous for it's olive oil. It must have been memorable because apart from this street sweeper I took no other pictures of it!

Driving in Tunisia is interesting. They aren't bad drivers and the roads are reasonable (if narrow). But the traffic Police (known as "Scorpions") are prone to pulling people over for no apparent reason and accusing them of speeding with no evidence whatsoever, in order to extract a "speeding fine" in cash. If you do get stopped, smile and offer to pay, but demand a written receipt for the money. That usually stops them...
The coach, with absolutely brilliant female German tour guide (who spoke exellent English), continued to Gabès, then inland to Matmata to see the troglodyte villages made famous by a certain film maker. On the way, I noticed signs to the small town of Tataouine - now we know where the name of Luke Skywalker's planet came from...

In Matmata we ate lunch in an underground restaurant: the only way, before air-conditioning, to escape the midday heat, then headed off in to the desert for some sightseeing.

This wasn't the "real" desert of sand dunes and bleached bones, but sub-desert of rocks and parched plants. For real dunes we had to wait until the following morning. We did get to ride on camels, though, which is just like riding a horse with all it's legs on the wrong corners. So long as you roll with it, it's fine.

We slept at a hotel near Douz.. I thought the desert was meant to be cold at night, but our our hut was nearly 100°F at 2am. The locals slept outside on tables to catch the cool night winds, but we were too scared of rolling off in our sleep. We were warned to shake out our shoes in the morning in case scorpions had curled up inside. You can bet we did that...
Early in the morning we left to watch the sun come up over the dunes. Now that was impressive.
Then we headed over the Chott El Jerid, a large salt flat across which a causeway has been laid. Like the Bonneville salt flats, there really isn't much to see unless someone is breaking a land-speed record, but the Chott isn't really flat enough for that so they don't do anything at all with it. If it wasn't for satellite reconnaisance, it would be a great place for a Bond arch-villain secret base, with rockets and little electric carts like in Austin Powers. So I photographed the tarmac...

But of course they did use this for a certain film series' locations, although finding them is hard without a GPS.
Tozeur is a market town, and that's all you can say for it.

It was full of endless carpet salesmen and other tourist tat, at least the food market was genuine and untarted-up.

It was a strange mix of the ancient and modern - where else would you see a man riding a donkey at the end of the 20th Century?

We left the coach to take the Red Lizard train from Metlaoui up the Selja Gorge to Redeyef. This is a restored beylical train (no, I don't know either), and the views are great. The train stops for lots of Kodak moments, and apart from the very bright light (poor little Olympus meter) and the incredible heat (it was well over 110°F in the shade), it was well worth the ride.

After that, the return to the relative cool of the coastal region at Hammamet was a welcome relief.

We spent a lot of our fortnight on the beach at Hammamet, where the sand was too hot to walk on and the beach hawkers sold everything from ice-creams to jewellery to cannabis. We never felt threatened, although some people had stuff pinched. We are pretty careful when travelling.

Visiting Tunisia's capital Tunis was an experience.
We opted for the local bus to Tunis as it was cheaper than the air-conditioned tourist bus.
This turned out to be foul-smelling and badly-tuned 1970s MAN bendi-bus in very poor condition (I refused to sit anywhere near the bendy joint) which quickly filled with locals toting fruit, vegetables and live chickens with legs and wings trussed. This bus dropped us off at the Tunis bus station well outside the centre, so we picked up another bus in to Tunis. This filled up until there was standing room only, then another 50 people got on. I've never felt so constrained in my life. I felt hands feeling for my wallet, which I didn't mind because I didn't have one (money belt and shoes are the only safe places for cash) and bent a few fingers back to deter the would-be pickpocket. A satisfying click and a strangled yelp from further down the bus showed the effectiveness of my manoeuvre. He wouldn't be picking pockets for a while.

I held on to my camera for dear life as we inched through the dense traffic. The only thing I don't like about toting the Olympus (or rather now the Sony) is that whilst they take "better than your average" pictures, they are not exactly pocket-sized, and do tend to get noticed by people.
Fortunately, being 6'2", I don't often get hassled, but any potential mugger will get more than they bargain for when 2 Kilos of OM-2SP and lens catches them full in the teeth repeatedly until they learn the lesson. Ultimately, though, you have to assume that the camera is expendable and your life isn't. It isn't worth dying for 128Mb of replaceable images).
More and more people got on, and no one got off. In the end, neither of us could stand the crush any more and we left the wounded pickpocket and his associates to their mobile sauna.
Tunis is big, hot, crowded, noisy and has a great souk - so big, it is divided up in to sections, like a department store. It sells everything from fruit to baby buggies. We avoided the attentions of the many carpet-sellers (carpet-baggers?) and had a great time.

Apart from the souk, the The Grand Mosque is worth seeing, if only for the view from the top (ever wanted to know what a souk looks like from the top?)

Apart from that, Tunis is like any modern African city, with lots of street vendors, goggling North Africans (look, I'm English, OK? I'm not from Mars) and the heat.

We escaped to Carthage, which I always expected was in the middle of the desert but is in fact in a suburb of Tunis, reachable by a rather pleasant electric railway.
Bearing in mind that Cathage used to be a world power until Rome took over, there really is bugger all left. I suppose Rome decided to wipe it out good and proper when they did it.
Worth a visit, though. No one seems to go - it was absolutely deserted when we went. Sic transit gloria.

North of Cathage is the modern-day Tunisian equivalent of Nice: Sidi-bou-Said.
Oh yuck. New money.
So we went back to Hammamet on the bus with the clucking chickens and baskets of vegetables.

On reflection, Tunisia is a great place (for a man).
Nessie said the men pinched her bum in the souk (so maybe not so good for a woman).
I was offered 5 camels for her (which I understand is a pretty good deal).
As in most African countries, we were hassled by the traders. Westerners are not made of money, and we like to browse unruffled. Leave us alone when we shop.

On the last night of the holiday we had dinner in a restaurant up on the old Hammamet city walls, overlooking the harbour, and the sun went down behind the Atlas mountains, and our dinner arrived, and I went down on one knee and asked Nessie to marry me.

And she said "yes".

Which was nice.

2005-03-25T20:24:00.000Z

Costs of excursions.

Aspects of Tunisia suggests...

Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Saïd. Visit to the capital, including the Medina and the Bardo Museum (famous for its Roman mosaics), the Roman ruins at Carthage and the pretty Moorish village of Sidi Bou Saïd.
Full day: £28

Kairouan, Sousse and Port El Kantaoui. Tour to Kairouan, fourth most important city of pilgrimage in Islam, visiting the Grand Mosque, the Barber’s Mausoleum, souk and carpet factory. Return via Sousse to see the Ribat and Medina, and Port El Kantaoui.
Full day: £26

Cap Bon. Visit to the Cap Bon area including the stone-carvers’ workshop at Dar Chaabane, the Punic site of Kerkouane and the Roman quarry of El Haouaria.
Full Day: £22

Mini Safari. Overnight stay at Douz in the Sahara, on the way taking in the Roman Colosseum at El Jem and the cave dwellings of Matmata. Return via Chott El Jerid, Tozeur, Metlaoui and Kairouan.
Two days: £75

However, I cannot find any coach fares/timetables. Like it say's on Lonely Planet...

The national bus company, Société Nationale du Transport Interurbain (SNTRI, pronounced 'sintry'), operates daily air-conditioned buses to just about every town in the country. Their services are fast, comfy and affordable. In summer, they run at night to avoid the midday heat; book ahead at this time. In addition, there are regional bus companies that are cheap, but slower than SNTRI, and almost never air-conditioned.

That is it for today!

2005-03-25T20:19:00.000Z

Looking at distances between towns.

TUNIS / HAMMAMET : 70 Kms

HAMMAMET / KAIROUAN / GAFSA / TOZEUR : 380 Kms

SFAX / EL JEM / MONASTIR / SOUSSE / HAMMAMET : 240 Kms

2005-03-25T20:13:00.000Z

Thinking about getting around, cost, ease and options. Trying to get a perspective on time and distance.

Trains, a good guide is from The Man inSeat Sixty-One ...

Country information

Ferries to Tunisia:		Marseille-Tunis, Genoa-Tunis: SNCM & Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation (CTN) www.sncm.fr. Genoa-Tunis: Grandi Navi Veloci - www.gnv.it.
Train operator in Tunisia:		Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (SNCFT). No known website, but unofficial site.
Time:		GMT+1 all year round.
Currency:		£1 = approx 2.1 Dinars. Click here for a currency converter
Tourist information:		www.tourismtunisia.com. Recommended guidebooks
Visas:		UK citizens do not need a visa to visit Tunisia.
Page last updated:		14 January 2005

London to Tunis

You can reach Tunisia in less than 48 hours from Waterloo station - without flying..!

London to Lille by Eurostar ...

Travel from London to Lille by Eurostar, leaving London Waterloo at 16:39 and arriving Lille 19:29. Find a restaurant and enjoy some escargots, moules marinières and half a bottle of Châteauneuf du Pape...

Lille to Marseille by overnight train...

From Lille Europe it is a short and easy walk to Lille Flandres station. Catch the overnight sleeper from Lille to Marseille, leaving Lille Flandres at 21:25 and arriving in Marseille at 07:49. The sleeper runs daily from 30 April to the 4 September 2005. At other times, you must travel by daytime TGV trains and spend the night in a hotel in Paris or Marseille - see the London to France page for alternative train services from London to Marseille on dates when the night train doesn't run.

The Lille-Marseille sleeper has reclining seats, 6-berth 2nd class couchettes and 1st class 4-berth couchettes. It now has no sleeping-car. What are French sleepers and couchettes like?

(Above) 6-berth couchettes

Marseille to Tunis by ship ...

From Marseille, two companies, the French SNCM and the Tunisian CTN (Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation) sail to Tunis several times a week, year-round. Sailing times and dates vary, so visit the www.sncm.fr for up-to-date times and fares for both SNCM and CTN.

Ships have two classes: 'Eco' class, with couchettes and reclining seats, and access to a cafeteria, and 'Cabin' class in which all passengers travel in cabins, and meals with wine are included in the fare. Both French SNCM and Tunisian CTN ships are modern and comfortable with a full range of restaurants, bars, cinema, and so on.

(Above) SNCM's 'Liberté' boarding in Marseille.

Crossing the Mediterranean takes 24 hours. The ship sails out of the modern port of Marseille, past the Vieux Port and the infamous Chateau d'If (of 'Count of Monte Cristo' and 'Man in the Iron Mask' fame...).

Approaching Tunis you will sail into the Bay of Tunis, past the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage on Byrsa Hill.

It's a mile or two from the ferry terminal to the city centre - you can take a taxi or the light railway.

(Above) The Liberté sails into the Bay of Tunis.

How much will it cost?

From London to Lille, Eurostar fares start at £55 return 2nd class, £125 return first class (limited availability - book early. Non-refundable, non-changeable, Saturday night away).
From Lille to Marseille, the cheapest fare is around £58 return in a 6-bunk couchette (special 'Prems' internet fare, limited availability, book at least 14 days in advance). Regular fares are around £100 return in a 6-berth couchette, £215 return in 2-berth sleeper. You can check fares from London to Lille and Lille to Marseille online at www.voyages-sncf.com.
If you travel from London to Marseille by Eurostar and daytime TGV, London-Marseille fares start at just £109 return - but you will need to leave London earlier and spend the night in a hotel in Marseille to make connection with the ship.
From Marseille to Tunis, passenger fares (with a berth in a 4-berth cabin) start at £105 single, £195 return.

London - Tunis via Genoa

It is also possible to travel from London to Tunisia via Genoa in Italy - the ship may be a bit cheaper from Genoa to Tunis than from Marseille to Tunis, but the train fare from London to Genoa will be a bit more expensive than London to Marseille.

SNCM (French) and CTN (Tunisian) provide a joint ferry service from Genoa to Tunis once or twice a week, with fares starting at about £85 single, £155 return - visit www.sncm.fr to check fares and sailing dates.
Grandi Navi Veloci (Italian) also sail from Genoa to Tunis two or three times a week - see www.gnv.it to check fares and sailing dates.
For details of train times and fares between London and Genoa, see the London to Italy page.

How to plan your trip...

First, visit the shipping company websites, www.sncm.fr or www.gnv.it, to check sailing dates and fares for both the outward and return ship. You will need to decide whether to sail Marseille-Tunis or Genoa-Tunis, or you could always go out one way and back the other.
Then, check train times and fares from London to Marseille and back, or London to Genoa at back, using the London to France page or the London to Italy page.

How to book:

It takes just two phone calls to book a trip to Tunisia by train and ship.

Book the ship first. Check the sailing dates and times on the SNCM website, then call SNCM's and CTN's UK agent, Southern Ferries, on 020 7491 4968 to book.
Then book the train from London to Marseille. You can book online at the French Railways website, www.voyages-sncf.com. The 'English' button is on the left.

To get the cheapest 'Prems' fares, you must book in two stages: First, using the train times on this page as a guide, book from Lille to Marseille and back. Then book the Eurostar from London to Lille and back as a second separate journey. If you try to book from London to Marseille in one go, the cheapest 'Prems' fares within France will not show up. Special 'Prems' internet fares start at just 40 euro one way from Lille to Marseille including couchette.

If you select 'Great Britain' as the country in which you want to receive your tickets, tickets will be posted to any UK address. However, you must select 'payment online in euros' if you want to see the cheap 'Prems' fares, as these fares will not show up if you select 'payment in GBP by contacting Rail Europe in London'.
If you have any difficulty booking online, you may prefer to book by phone. Call Rail Europe on 0870 5 848 848 (lines open 08:00-21:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, 10:00-17:00 Sundays). Alternatively, you can book through any European rail-appointed travel agent such as Ffestiniog Travel (01766 512400) - click here for more European rail booking information.

Train travel in Tunisia

The Tunisian Railways - SNCFT - run modern, air-conditioned trains from Tunis to Sousse, Sfax and Gabès. There is also a branch line from Sousse to Monastir and Mahdia, and a couple of other branch lines. Tunisian trains have three classes of accommodation: 2nd class, 1st class and 'classe confort'. 2nd class is perfectly adequate, 1st class very comfortable. 'Classe confort' is very similar to 1st class, but with more space.

(Right) A Tunisian air-conditioned rapide at Sfax.

Train times:

Tunis - Sousse - Sfax - Gabès


	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Mon-Fri	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily
Tunis		0600	0800	0905	1205	1305	1335	1540	1630	1735	1800	1845	2120	2220
Sousse (Kalaâ Séghira)		\|	0937	\|	\|	1451	1520	1735	1807	\|	1945	2040	\|	\|
Sousse (Ville)	x	0807	\|	1100	1415	\|	1527	1742	\|	1927	\|	2047	2325	0026
Monastir	x	\|	\|		1507	\|			\|		\|		\|	\|
Mahdia	x	\|	\|		1602	\|			\|		\|		\|	\|
El Jem		0900	\|			1538			\|		2031		0018	0118
Sfax		1000	1100			1640			1930		2118		0104	0203
Gafsa		\|				2025s			\|				0455	\|
Gabès		1202				1842			2125					0415

Sousse Kalaâ Séghira station is 8km to the west of Sousse and can be easily reached from the town centre by louage (shared taxi).

s = change at Sfax.

x = regular electric trains link Sousse (Sousse Bab Jedid station, 500m from Sousse Ville) with Monastir & Mahdia every hour or so throughout the day.

Gabès - Sfax - Sousse - Tunis


	Mon-Fri	Daily	Mon-Fri	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily
Gabès					0500			1115				1605	0005
Gafsa					\|			0815s				\|	\|	2320
Sfax				0525	0653			1325		1600		1825	0210	0250
El Jem				0613	\|			1411		\|		1901	0256	0337
Mahdia		x		\|	\|			\|		\|	1658	\|	\|	\|
Monastir		x		\|	\|			\|		\|	1800	\|	\|	\|
Sousse (Ville)	0550	x	0650	0721	\|	0845	1325	\|	1600	\|	1853	2021	0403	0444
Sousse (Kalaâ Séghira)	0558		\|	\|	0817	\|	\|	1457	\|	1724	\|	\|	\|	\|
Tunis	0756		0843	0911	0953	1036	1519	1642	1751	1900	2048	2211	0552	0634

Sousse Kalaâ Séghira station is 8km to the west of Sousse and can be easily reached from the town centre by louage (shared taxi).

s = change at Sfax.

x = regular electric trains link Sousse, Monastir & Mahdia every hour or so throughout the day.

(Right) 'Classe confort' seating on a Tunisian rapide. I confess that the feet on the seat in front are mine...

Tunis - Carthage - Marsa

There is a light railway (run by SMLT) linking Tunis centre, La Goullette (for the ferry terminal to Marseille and Genoa), Carthage (for the ancient ruins & Byrsa Hill) and Marsa Plage. Departures are at frequent intervals from 04:00-00:50 and the fare about 0.7 dinar (UK £0.35).

Tunis - Bizerte

98km, three trains per day, journey 1 hour 35 minutes.

Tunis - Kalaâ Kasbah

Trains leave Tunis at 06:02 and 14:15 arriving at Kalaâ Kasbah at 11:05 and 19:11 respectively. Returning, trains leave Kalaâ Kasbah at 05:45 and 12:45 arriving Tunis at 10:32 & 17:35 respectively.

Kairouan

There is no railway station at Kairouan, but regular SNTRI buses run from Sousse to Kairouan taking 1½ hours, and from Tunis to Kairouan every hour taking 2¼ hours. There are also shared taxis ('louages') from Sousse to Kairouan about every 30 minutes throughout the day.

How to check Tunisian train times:

Tunisian railways has no official website, but if you can read German there's also an unofficial timetable page at www.fahrplancenter.com/Fahrplan_SNCFT.html.

Fares & how to book

It's easy to book Tunisian rail tickets at the main station in central Tunis, and fares are not expensive.

Tunis to Sousse - approximately 10 dinar (UK £4.75) one way in 1st class, 6 dinar (UK £3) 2nd class

Tunis to Sfax - approximately 15 dinar (UK £7) one way in 1st class, 11.5 dinar (UK £5.50) 2nd class

Tunis to Gabès - approximately 20 dinar (UK £10) one way in 1st class, 15 dinar (UK£7) 2nd class

Tunis to Monastir - approximately 7 dinar (UK£3.50) 2nd class

Children aged 0 to 3 travel free, children aged 4 to 9 travel at 75% of the adult fare, children aged 10 and over pay full fare.

Return tickets attract a discount of about 10-12% over the cost of two one-way tickets. 'Grand confort' class is approximately 10% more expensive than 1st class.

Railpasses - 'Carte Bleue'

Tunisian Railways offer an excellent 'Carte Bleue' railpass for 7, 15 or 21 days for unlimited travel in 1st, 2nd or 'grand confort' class. Prices for a 7-day pass are around 19.5 dinar (£10) 2nd class, 27.3 dinar (£13) 1st class, 29.3 dinar (£14) grand confort. Prices for a 15-day pass are twice the 7-day price, 21-day prices are three times the 7-day price. Although the pass gives you unlimited travel, you still need to pay a small air-conditioning supplement for travel on any air-conditioned train, which means almost all the long-distance ones - in 2nd class the supplement is 0.7 dinar for up to 100km, 0.9 dinar for 101-160km, 1.4 dinar for 161-300km and 1.8 dinar for over 300km. Just pay this supplement at the ticket office before making each journey using the pass.

Railpasses can be bought at Tunisian railway stations - in theory you need a passport sized photo to buy these passes, but it is reported that showing your passport may be sufficient. Feedback is always appreciated.

So it is not a frequent service!

2005-01-25T20:51:00.000Z

FVW states...

Tunisia seeks new diversified image

In Tunisia, officials aim to diversify the country's image as a cheap beach destination for families with new, up-market products and resorts. This includes investment in new activities such as casinos or a new golf course in Tozeur, an oasis in the country's central desert region.

The top project, however, is for Yasmin Hammamet, a completely new tourist zone close to the popular resort of Hammamet. This 3 sq km resort includes a large medina for shopping, a casino, a Carthage theme park and a wide selection of restaurants. About 90% of the hotels are four- or five-star properties. Of the 45 planned hotels and other accommodation, 38 will be open by the end of this year, with 5,000 beds. "Yasmin is something for demanding and well-off customers," explained Naceur Mani, currently in charge of the project and from September the new Germany chief of the Tunisian tourist office. "At the latest after completion of the whole complex at the start of 2004 nearly all German operators will be offering it," he forecast. A new airport 25km to the south is due to be opened by 2010 with an annual capacity of five million passengers.

Tunisia is also working hard to improve its image after the terrorist attack on Djerba in April. German bookings for the country have slumped by 30-40% since then. German operators have told Tunisian authorities to accept the problem as real and to concentrate on restoring confidence in the destination as well as improve the product and its marketing.

The Tunisian tourist office in Frankfurt has had its budget doubled to EUR 4 million this year and expects a further 30% rise for 2003. In co-operation with tour operators, it has invited some 1,000 German travel agents on short fam trips to Tunisia this year.

2005-01-22T20:47:00.000Z

Tunisian beer gen offers....

In May, Dave Unpronounceable and I visited Tunisia. The visit was mainly for the superb traction to be found there, but there was also the small matter of 2 brewpubs to get in the book. The only information I had managed to glean about the beer came mainly from the rough guide which described two "German style brewpubs" and enthused that "Golfbräu is the best beer in Tunisia". That settled it; they needed to be investigated! With our "half board package tour" tickets costing a meagre £119 (cheaper than any flight-only offers we could find) that was that sorted. We would be staying in the tourist honeypot of Hammamet, conveniently located for visiting any part of the country, but I only had 3 days to research the trip as Dave booked the tickets on Tuesday for the Saturday departure!

Apologies for the next wad of text being off-topic, but I feel I must set the scene for what happened during the flight and transfer. Neither Dave nor I are used to "normal" holidays, the sort where you get a plane ticket and seat number rather than a simple confirmation number and the hugely entertaining free-for-all a la Ryotscare and squeezyJet. Consequently, turning up at the airport and collecting a plane ticket was a strange experience for both of us. To our intense relief, our fellow passengers were not shaven-headed union jack shirt wearing yobs but middle aged couples obviously off for some relaxation rather than with the ambition of being as spectacularly pissed as possible. The plane was an elderly Boeing 737-300 belonging to the exotically-named Karthago airlines and after a couple of hours tedious flying, only broken by getting a piss-poor meal that we hadn't paid for, we were at Monastir airport at about 22:00 on a Saturday night along with hundreds of other tourists although I suspect our motives for the visit were not replicated anywhere else in the terminal that night!

We changed some money getting a surprisingly good rate of exchange (which was compensated for by the spectacularly crap rate we got when leaving) and boarded the transfer bus (another alien experience for us) for the hour trip to Hammamet and our ridiculously named Hotel Bel Air – I expected to see that total tosser Will Smith leering out of the door every time we returned, but fortunately (for him) he didn’t put in an appearance. During the hour-long tedious bus transfer to the hotel, I comprehensively withered the rep as it seemed amusing at the time. She asked the busload of tourists, who had obviously never bothered to research anything about Tunisia at all, if anyone knew the Arabic for hello. I immediately piped up "Assalama" and she was visibly gobsmacked that anyone had actually bothered to learn a single word of the local language (I’d learned about 6 incidentally). "That’s the first time anyone’s known that…" she gibbered. When we finally arrived at midnight into the huge sprawling tourist ghetto of Hammamet we told her that we’d not be attending the "welcome meeting" (a rancid-sounding occurrence where the assembled tourists are told nothing useful about the country and sold crap excursions they could have done themselves for a third of the price if they had the nous to get off their lazy arses and arrange them) as we were travelling all over the country and using the hotel as a base. Exit one confused rep!

We spent the next day exploring around Tunis before presenting ourselves at the hotel for the inclusive evening meal. The food was a large buffet-style affair and adequate for it’s purpose, and we were actually quite surprised by the beer – called Celtia, it’s brewed in Tunis by Societe Frigorique et Brasserie and can be drunk anywhere in the country (or so it seems!). In bars everywhere it’s all we saw, although there is allegedly a beer called Stella too which we failed to find. Celtia is a pretty standard pale lager that is saved from mediocrity by a sweetish malt/cereal body and a suggestion of hoppiness in both taste and finish. Not a good beer, but far better than we expected although we tried Celtia again in the south of Tunisia later in the week and were distinctly unimpressed with it - maybe this was due to having visited Golfbräu earlier on!

After stuffing our faces at the large buffet, we found a taxi and headed off to the local brewpub, Le Berbère. When I say we found a taxi, this is very easy to do in Tunisia – you just walk outside and within a minute one will almost certainly appear, usually at a vastly excessive speed for the road conditions. It seems the default occupation for Tunisians is taxi driver and the yellow taxis outnumber cars in some areas – and that’s not taking the white fixed route taxis or mini-bus louages into account! Taxis are incredibly cheap, the 4km trip from the hotel to the local station cost a whopping 2.5TD (just over £1) and the journey to the brewpub was about the same. We found it easily; it’s a huge place next to the medina walls on Place des Martyrs with large illuminated signs on the roof depicting a beer glass or blazing out the pub’s name for all within miles to see. The brewing kit was obvious even from the street being situated in the front window and it looked like it was more than just show – the control panel was blinking away and the kit looked used.

Inside the pub resembled a café-bar with pine furniture and the décor was bright, clean and well laid out with the bar at the rear and brewery at the front with seating in-between. We found ourselves a table and, after waiting for a short while, decided that waiting for table service would result in us dying of thirst so I made for the bar. After a few initial language problems I ascertained that there were 3 beers on offer; a Weiss (wheat), a Helles (pale lager) and a Dunkle (dark lager) all, presumably, bottom fermented in typical German style.

We started with the Helles and immediately wished we hadn’t. It looked the part but that was where the positive aspects stopped – it tasted watery with a weird cereally taste and minimal hoppiness. Not a good start. The Weiss was better but certainly not impressive, yet again being a bit thin with a fairly bland flavour although as I’m not a massive fan of wheat beers anyway I have to say that I wasn’t surprised it didn’t hit many spots for me. The final beer, the Dunkle, was by far the best of the night but that’s not really saying a lot given the piss-poor quality of the 2 previous beers we had sampled; at least it tasted of something! It was a deep brown colour with a strong caramelly aroma, taste and finish that managed to swamp any other flavours that may have been lurking beneath. I’m not convinced this beer is authentically German but it was certainly the best one we had all night, although I’d much rather they brew with a bit of roasted barley than just mounds of caramalt as this seemed to be made with. This gives a sickly sweet beer to my tastebuds and stops any subtle flavours from being detected, but of course that assumes there are any subtle flavours to start with.

I felt a bit let down by our experiences in the Berbère, although it must be said the beer wasn’t of the best quality so maybe we were just unlucky? The Helles was the worst beer of the night that may have been a bad batch, the wheat wasn’t good even for wheat beers and the Dunkles had far too much caramel flavour for me, despite being of decent quality. However, I couldn’t really complain as we’d scooped 3 beers in a country not known for brewing and I’ve had a lot worse than that and I’m sure I’ll have a lot worse again!

The other brewpub in Tunisia that we knew about was the incredibly Teutonic sounding Golfbräu in Port El Kantaoui, a place that takes the concept of a tourist ghetto to the extreme. When you arrive on your air-conditioned transfer bus from the airport, you need never step outside the resort again; everything you could possibly want is there for you. This means that you never need to see the real Tunisia and get involved with all that drinking tiny cups of superb coffee, travelling on trains with a confusing 3 classes, attempting to speak Arabic, French or any of the other tiresome things that come with visiting a foreign country. Sterile, plastic, false, Legoland – all these things are true when describing Port El Kantaoui. I hate places like this where it feels like a home from home; I mean, why bother going on holiday!?!?! If the purpose of travel is to feed the mind, visiting tourist gulags like this are pretty arid pastures in my view. The people that go here should save their money, buy a sunlamp and lie on their couch at home and stop getting in my way and on my nerves! Tossers.

Anyhow, to the beer – I’m sure you don’t want to read me ranting on about how crap this or that place is. The brewpub is a fair distance from the ancient city of Sousse, about 8km, although in typical Tunisian style the taxi will only cost about 3 or 4 TD, a miserly £2 tops (unless you get a driver who likes to rip off gullible, rich tourists and conveniently forgets to switch his meter on and tries to charge you an unreasonable fare) and is situated on a roundabout next to the golf village just south of the resort centre. Being a tourist camp there are predictably other ways of getting there; a ludicrous "land train" (imagine something that looks vaguely like Ivor the engine on acid pulling unsafe looking trailers) that trundles between Sousse and Port El Kantaoui – and beware, there are several companies with different coloured trains…. You have been warned! There is also, inexplicably, an Indian style "tuc-tuc" motorised scooter that runs to the medina in Sousse and passes the pub. We refused his offer of a lift as we suspected the 2 of us in a 5-seater tuc-tuc would be a bad investment although it did look quite fun.

However you get there, get there as the saying goes. The pub is massive and has several floors, having a restaurant upstairs with the brewery in the middle which was installed by Salmbräu the Austrian brewplant manufacturers. We sat in the small downstairs bar where the beers are dispensed via a slightly tacky imitation wooden barrel, although they are such good beers I’d forgive Golfbräu for dispensing them from a tramp’s pustulent sock. Once again there were 3 beers available, Helles Weiss and Dunkle, exactly the same range as Les Berbères in Hammamet and a very Germanic array of beer which, presumably, is the main target clientele. The upstairs restaurant was closed at the time of our visit (noon) but the staff were very amenable and showed us round, even taking our picture next to the vessels. Cheers guys!

Once again, we started with the Helles. A massive assault of citrussy hop and malt billowed from the glass and the taste was excellent – a strange mix of dry German pils and rich sweetish Czech Plzen with good malt body and a bitter, lemony hop taste and finish. This beer would hold it’s own in any brewpub I’ve been to, it’s a real class act. I said previously that I don’t really like wheat beers, so unsurprisingly I didn’t like the Weiss, although it was so German I expected it to make a dash for the sunbeds outside. Loads of bread-like grain and intense banana and bubblegum merged to give a characterful beer that I appreciate is a good go at German Weiss – I’m just not a massive fan of the style.

The Dunkle, on the other hand, was my style of beer entirely. Almost black in colour, it had the sweet caramalt flavour but also the dryness of roasted barley which gave a superbly balanced and tasty beer. The flavour was strong in roasted bitterness and malt and some bitter hop came through in the rich, roasted and toffeeish finish. It reminded me of Pivovarský Dům Crno (the memorable Prague dark lager) in style although it was slightly too roasty to be as drinkable as that classic beer, even though my litre pot (how very German) went down rather too easily. All in all the beers brewed here are excellent examples of the styles and I’d defy anyone to say that they’re not, although people may not like individual beers – I don’t like the wheat beer that much.

You can buy beer in a range of sizes from 25cl to 1 litre and in addition a strange 3-foot tall plastic tube with a tap at the bottom. This unlikely contraption sits on a stand and allows the drinkers to help themselves from the beer inside which may be about 5 litres in quantity! I’ve never seen this before and would love to give one a go at Pivovarský Dům… The food served is a little on the pricey side for Tunisia (but then again, it’s a tourist camp stuffed with rich Germans) but is recommended, especially the ostrich steaks in beer gravy – a large portion and very tasty for about £6. In summary, Golfbräu is a cracking brewpub that excels in all departments and would be very welcome in Worcester thank you very much and may complement the Austrian pub already there!

Typically, we found out more information when we got back. There is an alleged "brew hotel" in Hammamet which features on lots of holiday company websites so if anyone is there then please check out the Yasmine beach resort at Boulevard de la Promenade! According to the gen I’ve read on the net it does 5 beers although it’s not clear if you can just roll up and drink there but I’d guess this is OK. Apparently it’s in a new purpose-built resort about 12km Southwest of Hammamet, that’s all I know about it.

All in all, I’d not really recommend Tunisia as a destination for beer tourists, but if you happen to be there then it’s well worth investigating the brewpubs mentioned here as well as the other one we didn’t visit. Golfbräu was a superb and wouldn’t be embarrassed in the brewpub Mecca of Vienna such was the quality of the beer and food. Les Berbère wasn’t anywhere near as good but made a perfectly adequate effort of brewing beer for tourists, and I’ve drunk a lot worse in countries with a lot better brewing traditions. The next time I’m in Golfbräu with my litre of beer and plate of ostrich, I can picture myself once again gazing in disbelief at tourists packed onto silly little road trains that look both ridiculous and unsafe at the same time, hoping for a major collision between 2 of them on the roundabout outside….

Other info.

We also had some Tunisian wine which, in addition to the beer, surprised me with it’s quality. We drank a bottle of Vin de Carthage 2002 in the old colonial hotel "Maison Doreé" in Tunis and it was very French in style, although another I tasted was pure Italy with it’s rich plumy fruits. If you like red wines, try them and see if you’re as impressed as I was. There are loads available at the airport shop and the one I brought home was pretty good and only around £5.

We booked late with Direct holidays and got a week half board for £119. I’d try and aim to stay in Hammamet as it’s nearer to Tunis (well worth a day’s exploring) and not as expensive as Port El Kantaoui, although it is rather touristy. Contrary to popular belief, despite being a Muslim country we were treated very hospitably and never once felt intimidated or unwelcome and we visited most parts of the country, not just tourist areas.

As for food, a merguez is a spicy thin mutton sausage that is well worth trying. The red sauce that Tunisians seem to apply to anything that moves is called Harissa and is made from chilli, garlic, olive oil and cumin. It can be very hot but is addictive! The Tunisians are also great lovers of cakes, probably a legacy of the French occupation, and they are usually pretty good. They also make a lot of small cakes with almonds, especially in the south around Sfax.

The currency is the Tunisian Dinar, which cannot be bought outside the country or legally taken out although we had no problem getting our souvenirs home. The rate of exchange is roughly 2TD to 1GBP. Power is 220v with standard European 2-pin plugs. Our mobiles (Orange) worked fine all over the country, including the desert areas of the south. Bottled water is readily available at around 1TD for a 1.5 litre bottle. Alcohol cannot be bought in many places although some shops do stock bottles of Celtia (yummy!).

Beers and Breweries.

The common beer found everywhere is Celtia (4.5%) brewed by Societe Frigorique et Brasserie in Tunis who also make Lowenbräu under contract. The other brewery allegedly in Tunis is, unsurprisingly, the Tunis Brasserie at Rue Hospitale Militaire and we've heard they brew something unappetisingly called Stella but we never saw it anywhere.

Golfbräu, Golf residence, Port El Kantaoui, nr. Sousse (opposite the Acqua palace) - this superb place brews 3 beers in a German style, and is the must-visit in Tunisia. Good food too.

Brasserie Le Berbère, Place des Martyrs, Hammamet (by medina) - about 2km from the station, this bar brews adequate beers for tourists. Not bad, but not great.

Yasmine Beach Resort, Boulevard de la Promenade, Hammamet (apparently 12km Southeast of town) - this place was discovered on the net after we got back, and seems to brew 5 beers for it's guests - not sure if you can just walk in and scoop 'em in, but I can't see why not. Information required!!!

Hotel Recommendation.

Maison Doreé, 3 Rue el Koufa, Tunis. Cracking little Colonial hotel, fairly cheap and handy for the station. I think a twin room was about £20 with en-suite. To find it, leave the station, cross the tramlines via the underpass, and carry on across the main square. You'll see a hotel in front of you with a narrow road to it's left. Go down here and the hotel is on the left after about 100 metres. Serves good food too and Tunisian wine!

A bit of Arabic

It’s not as scary as it sounds. Even with my pathetic 5 words, we got by as almost everyone speaks some English (especially the young) and almost all speak French. Just by greeting taxi drivers with "assalama" gives them the impression that you’ve made an effort – and so, usually, will they. After all, Tunisia was a French colony from 1881-1956 and any attempt to speak their "own" language will be met, on our experiences, with a genuine warmth and gratitude.

Yes – Aiwa (ayewa)

No – La (laa)

Please – Minfadlik (minfadleek)

Thanks – Shukran (shoocraan)

1 – Wahad (wahad)

2 – Zous (zoos)

Hello – Assalama (asslaama)

Goodbye – Bisalama (Bislamaa)

2005-01-22T20:24:00.000Z

The Tunisian Natural Tourist Office offers....

Hammamet is possibly the best-known resort in Tunisia. It has changed greatly from the small fishing village it once was, evolving into a sought-after holiday resort in the 1920’s.

Known as the ‘garden resort’ it is backed by olive, orange and lemon groves and lines of cypress trees.
Hammamet’s centre is a miniature cape jutting out into the sea with the well preserved 13th century Kasbah offering pleasing views over the gleaming domes of the Medina (the old walled city) and the white sands of the coastline.

The newer quarters of Hammamet with shops, cafés and restaurants spread out from the Medina.


For refined Tunisian food with a French influence, try Les Trois Moutons or Dar Lella restaurants. Reasonably priced snacks are available in the cafés in the town centre. Afterwards head for one of the open-air nightclubs.

Trains to Tunis, Sousse and El Djem leave several times a day from nearby Bir Bou Regba station. Taxis are cheap and plentiful and a noddy train runs around the resort.

Yasmine Hammamet is Tunisia’s newest resort. Situated just south of Hammamet, it is made up of predominantly four and five star luxury hotels. Built around a 740-berth marina, it recreates the style of many elegant resorts around the Mediterranean.

There is a sophisticated new medina, with luxurious boutiques, cafés and restaurants, theatres and museums and a fabulous residential complex.
The apartments within the site are the epitome of luxury and comfort and surround magnificent swimming pools.

Yasmine Hammamet is the perfect location for a holiday with a difference. Families can enjoy Carthage Land, a theme park with thrilling rides, and Blue Ice, the only ice rink in the country. Adults may choose to relax on the golf course in one of the many thalassotherapy centres, on miles of golden sandy beaches.

Trains to Tunis, Sousse and El Djem leave several times a day from nearby Bir Bou Regba station. Taxis are cheap and plentiful and a noddy train runs around the resort.

The lively city of Sousse was built by the Phoenicians in the ninth century. A town that was Punic, Roman and then Muslim, Sousse has retained a great deal of its original character and is Tunisia's third largest city.

Surrounded by authentic crenellated ramparts, it is dominated on one side by the Great Mosque and the elegant Ribat, Sousse's other great Islamic monument.
If you climb the tower, you are rewarded with a magnificent view across the Medina, the port and the Great Mosque.

In the southwestern corner of the Medina is the Kasbah, constructed around the ninth century Khalef el Fela watchtower, which houses the town museum and an impressive collection of mosaics.


In the Place Farhat Hached, you will find many good, inexpensive fish restaurants. The Avenue Habib Bourguiba in the new town is packed with hotels, cafés and tourist shops.

Local buses and taxis are cheap and readily available. The train travels up the coast to Tunis or down the coast to the resorts of Monastir and Mahdia.

Picturesque and peaceful, the modern resort of Port El Kantaoui sits just north of Sousse.
The port boasts a 340-berth marina, which is as stylish as many on the Mediterranean.

It combines the Andalucian charm of arches, cobblestone streets and lamp-lit quays with a modern bustling commercial area that includes a long stretch of hotels, many boutiques and souvenir shops, and an endless supply of cafés and restaurants.

Sports facilities include scuba diving, sailing, tennis, horse riding and golf.

When it comes to eating out in Port El Kantaoui you'll find restaurants to cater for every taste. For a special occasion, try the sophisticated La Daurade or the mouth-watering Le Mediterranée in the marina. Both are extremely popular so it is best to book in advance.

2004-12-27T17:51:00.000Z

I'm in Malta writes...

Monday, November 15, 2004

Alright kiddos, I’m back – did ya miss me? Africa was AMAZING! I don’t even know where to begin. We left Friday morning and took a bus to Valletta and then switched to the 8 which took us to the airport. Everything went perfectly, got there with enough time, had time to go to the coffee shop to grab something for breakfast and then boarded the Tuninter plane…..whoohoo – we were off to Tunisia. The airports are nothing like JFK or LaGuardia!!! You need to leave the airport and walk out to the runway to get onto the plane….the plane that had a grand total of 19 people on it!! Ah, nothing like traveling at home, but right – that’s right…we were going to Africa! On the plane we met this other couple; husband and wife – the guy was from Florida and the woman was from Malta – they did the same package as us and were staying at the same hotel and stuff. So the seven of us, Me, Dan, Julia, David and Melanie, along with the other couple all looked for the “Albert Tours” sign, which we quickly found, and took the bus to the hotel….(the drive on the right side of the road, which was actually kind of weird after having been in Malta for so long. The hotel, Sousse Palace, was Gorgeous! It was right in the middle of Sousse, so we could walk to everything. It was on the beach, but it was too cool to lay on the beach, and we didn’t have time to anyway. The guys at the front desk kept telling me how impressed they were because I had such wonderful English – haha, riiight…didn’t tell them it was the ONLY thing I spoke, oh well. We went and checked in, and as soon as we got there the Albert Tours guys came to talk to us about different tours we could take. The weather was gorgeous and we didn’t’ want to miss out on camel riding, so we decided to do that on Friday afternoon and then a full day tour on Saturday.
People speak English – but not everyone. Julia is from Toronto and speaks fluent French, so that was definitely a bonus. They all speak Arabic, and all the signs are in Arabic, but they also speak French – much better than they speak English, so I was extremely thankful to have Julia there to help.
So, camel riding – OMG, where to I begin? It was AWESOME! One of the coolest things I have ever done I think. It wasn’t like riding around in little circles on a camel, but this was real riding through the countryside and stuff – it was amazing. I had Isabella, the camel – Dave had Rambo, Dan had Shakira, Julia had Edwarda and I forget the name of Melanie’s horse. Then there was Sophie, her mom was Shakira and she was only 7 months old, but she won’t leave her moms side, so she followed us around the whole time. I wanted to pack her in my bag and take her home with me, she was so cute. Oh yeah, and Niger – the guy who was leading us, well his donkey is black, but half his face was white….so his name was Michael Jackson – haha. So, on our little camel hike we saw like everything – horses. Cows, donkey’s, chickens, other camels, ostriches, dromedaries, like everything. And then we stopped at this little pottery place, out in the middle of nowhere, and got to see the guy making pottery and then went to his little shop, which was actually really cool. While we were stopped, we all got to feed the camel by putting a piece of cactus in our mouths and they would come up and bite it from us (so it would look like we were kissing it) – so when I was doing it, Niger thought it would be funny to push me, so I definitely had a full on lips kiss with the camel (I put a pic of it on my Webshots), and then there was a funny story with Dan. I’m guessing Sofia, the little camel didn’t like him – so wanted to spare him from being a father. Dan was standing there feeding Sophie, and all a sudden Sophie sort of growls at him and sticks her head down south to bite him! Dan was like hunched over in pain, although the rest of us were crying we were laughing so hard – it was beyond hysterical, it was priceless – not to mention it was a baby camel!

On the ride home from the camel rides, which lasted probably about 2 hours, which was cool, Dan and Melanie met some guy in their cab who was from Malta, and his uncle owned the leather shop in our hotel. So, he told them everything we needed to do in Tunisia, the places to go, ,etc. They were really cool.. So, we went back to the hotel, had dinner – and then walked over to the Medina. The Medina is like this market kind of thing but it is all fortressed in (hence the name Medina), usually it closes at like 5, but because it was Ramadan, the Muslims aren’t allowed to eat during the say and then at 5:15 when the sun sets they all have this huge feast. So, everything is closed during the afternoon/early evening, and then everything reopens at like 8pm-midnight. So, we went to the Medina to do some shopping – damn, craziness! There were people ALL over. We split up, but we made sure we always had a guy with us – so I was walking with Dave and Julia and Mel were with Dan. Well, all of a sudden, Dave grabs me, and I have no idea what was going on – and basically pulls me running and then stops and throws me in a corner…ummm, ok….Then we see everyone running down this street that is literally PACKED with people, you couldn’t move. Well a fight had broken out I guess, and these 5 guys were beating the crap out of this other guy, throwing bottles, blood all over, it was terrible….seemed like more than a fight….but everyone was terrified, there were mothers with babies and they were crying – so we knew it wasn’t a “normal” thing. Everyone was fine though and everyone was safe, so it was alright – it could have happened anywhere – and had nothing to do with us, I was just happy we had guys with us, otherwise I would have been scared out of my mind. But then again, if I didn’t have a guy with me, I wouldn’t have been walking through the jammed packed Medina at 11pm. So, don’t worry Mom.

Everyone seemed to think I was from Holland – maybe the blond hair, I dunno. Funny though – they didn’t know what the USA was, you had to specifically tell them “AMERICA.” A couple people were like “Oh we hate Bush” – and I didn’t want to get killed so I was like, “yeah me too” – but I was surprised because a lot of them made comments like, “but just because we hate him doesn’t mean we hate all Americans – it isn’t you we hate it’s your government” – so I thought that was really cool - not really what I expected. The Tunisians though, are seriously some of the nicest people I have met – they were all so kind and helpful….very flattering to the girls (some not bad looking either!), but always having something nice to say (yeah I know they wanted us to buy stuff too, but even when they knew we weren’t going to, they were very helpful with telling us what to do, how much we can barter things for, etc). But, I felt quite comfortable with them, and we all seemed to get the same feeling that they were extremely nice.

Everything at the stores is bartering. Every conversation was the same….
“Oh, you like? Special price for you because I like your eyes” (haha, yeah right) “”Normally 70 Deaners, I give to you for 60”
“nope sorry””Ok, 50…””Nope, don’t have that much, I’m sorry””Ok, how much you pay?””1 Deaner””No, you must be crazy…….whats your highest price?””4 Deaners”
“No, it cost me 30 – you’d be ripping me off”
“ok, 5””alright, it’s yours…(and they would put it in a bag) “20 Deaners””no, I said 5”
“alright, 9…”
“I’ll 6, that’s it!!!!”

And you’d usually get it for like 7 or something, depending on what it was – I got some cool stuff, but you start to get really tired of the haggling. One guy really liked my hat – it says CANCUN, but was on super clearance at Aeropostale, so I bartered my hat for a bracelet that I wanted – haha, saved me a bit of money, and I figured it would be one less thing I would have to bring home with me – and I have another hat here anyways, haha.

We stayed at the Medina till probably like 11, and then went back to the hotel to meet the guy who Mel and Dan had met in the cab. He took us to a Chicha bar down the street, and we stayed there till like, I dunno – 1 or 2 am – it was a lot of fun and relaxing. We decided though we needed to go back and get some sleep – we had to be at breakfast at 7am the next morning so we could start our full day tour.

We were exhausted in the morning, but still made it on time for everything. The bus ride to Tunis, the capital city seemed to take forever, especially considering I don’t’ think I’ve ever had to pee more in my entire life!! The ride was probably an hour and a half. We were there to a little market, and then into a really nice church. Then they took us out to lunch there, which was cool – not great food, but oh well, still fun. They took us to Sidi Bou Said, a little town where everything must be painted in white with blue trim – something about it being old and the colors of a saint or something, I forget –but it was beautiful. It started pouring rain while we were there though, so that sucked, but we went back to the bus then and moved on to the next place which was the Carthage….the old centerpoint of town where the library, municipal center, etc, all were located. There was a museum that we got to go into, and see all this cool stuff although it was hard to read the descriptions of everything when it was all written in Arabic! But, while we were in the museum, I think a monsoon came…there were torrential downpours and within like 2 minutes, there was probably a foot of water on the ground…but we had to run through it all to get from the museum to the bus – we were SOAKED by the time we got there! We all got on the bus, pealed off our socks and shoes, rolled up our pants, and sat in wet clothes the entire way home. I got some good pictured of the flooding – cars were stalling all over the place – Mona, the tour guide was laughing so hard because she said they NEVER get rain this bad, and that we must have brought it from America. Haha, it was funny though – didn’t take anything away from the trip just added more stories.

We were going to go out to a disco that night, but we were way too tired so we hung out in the lobby at the bar for a little bit and then headed back up to our rooms. Sunday, was the last day of Ramadan, so they have huge feasts, so nothing was open – it’s like our Easter I guess they were telling us. So, we took cabs down to Port el Kantaui, which is the port where all the boats come in, it is a lot more touristy than Sousse so the little shops there were open. That was fun, but we only stayed until about 2 because the bus was coming to pick us up from the hotel at 4 for our flight back. Made it back to the hotel then, met back up with our friend that we met on the flight over (and we’d chilled with them a couple times in the hotel and sat near them at dinner and stuff) and then we headed back to the airport….and somehow I ended up back here in my room in Malta. Its weird though, because at the airport, I really felt like I was going back home now after a vacation, which was pretty cool – yeah this isn’t anything like home, but you get a different perspective of it all when you’re gone and then return here.

2004-12-25T13:55:00.000Z

Andy Wilson writes...

Monday 28.10.02

Arrived last night, and after stating that I didn’t want to share the room with my sister, I eventually got a room to myself, with my sister sleeping in my Mums room (lucky me)! We decided to spend the day by the pool to get over the travelling and to work our way around the hotel and resort to make sure that we were all sorted.

While sitting around the pool (quietly), we were abruptly introduced to the hotel children’s entertainment. His name was 'Chilly Willy'. Hmm yes! Anyway, my sister really fancied him but unfortunately for both me and her, I think he preferred 'me' :S

After swimming around for a couple of hours and soaking up the sun, we had dinner. Obviously not realisign what was on the menu! Perfumed Pudding anyone??? Thought not!

Tuesday 29.10.02

Today we walked to Hammamet! It was very interesting, but my first experience of bartering didn’t really go too well and I got ripped off – hmmm by a lot! By this time my neck was scorching after 2 hours in the sun with out any sun cream – opps!

After lunch in a small restaurant, surrounded by kittens, we got the very touristy Toy Train back to our hotel!

Wednesday 30.10.02

Beep Beep! Yes that the alarm, at what time, “5 O’CLOCK”! Have to be out of my room by 6 as we were leaving on a tour of south Tunisia. After missing breakfast I quickly grabbed a roll and ran for the coach.

After sleeping for two hours we finally reached ‘El Jem’ and to the Roman colosseum. It was amazing and felt really strange, thinking of the people that once fought here.

Driving on through the Terrain the scenery changes quite rapidly, from towns to rocks, form rocks to dust and sand. After briefly stopping off at ‘Sfax’ we move on to see the Caves in ‘Matmata’. This was very different form what I had seen before, and highlighted the cultural difference between the North and South of the country. Although I left rude wandering these people homes, we were invited and we later told that nowadays these people rely on tourism to stay alive.

Driving along the sand roads, we finally got to ‘Douz’ where we did what I had been waiting for the most. CAMEL RIDING woohoo! It was amazing we took loads of photos as we trotted along on these, massive, cuddly animals. My sister had this little camel named KIKI while mine was just enormous and nameless lol! After collecting my bottle of Sahara sand and watching the sun go down over the desert I mounted again and trotted back.

We were then taken to our hotel ‘Les Dunes’ for our over night stop! PHEW, rest at last.

Thursday 31.10.02

Happy Halloween, although by the time my alarm had finished going off at 4:40 I couldn’t really give a f%*k what day or time or event it was. After having a small breakfast we trekked along in our reliable little coach to the Biggest Salt Lake in Tunisia ‘Chott El Jerid’. It is massive and divides the country up literally. Watching the sunrise over it was indescribable. The water was Pink and green and Yellow and was so soft to touch.

At ‘Tozeur’ we were pushed into jeeps and driven off-road into the small and ruined village of ‘Chebikha’ where we were delighted with the views of Africa’s largest Oasis. Unfortunately we were pestered by little children selling us cheap jewelry, however I felt sorry for them and gave the little girl a Dina anyway. Then we were rushed off to a massive waterfall on the border of Algeria, it was beautiful but sadly not much more than your average waterfall. Amazingly we had done all this before 8:30AM lol!

Later we traveled to ‘Gafa’ where we were taken on Horse and Cart to another Oasis. We were all sickened by the state of the horses, as their little bodies were weak and they were very ill. The Oasis was not too interesting although I did find out about facts on the wildlife in the area. A quick lunch in the hotel and we were off again. But before we went there was a mad rush for the toilets as the next stop was 200km away.
We get into ‘Kairouran’ about two hours later. Here we only stopped for about 30 minutes, but that’s enough time to take in the ancient mosques and the local life.

We were told on the journey back to our hotels that we had traveled 1,200Km over the last two days. Quite an achievement in a little coach, I was certainly proud lol!

Friday 01.11.02

After two days like that I think like most normal people I wanted a lie-in. But my Mum insisted that I shouldn’t waste the day so – after moaning a groaning of course – I got up and walked downstairs to the reception hall to check out our car for the next three days. Pretty Snazy.

In the afternoon we went on a 2 hour horse ride. Not riding for a while I was obviously a little nervous. But after the first hour I realized that I wasn’t too rusty after all. It was good fun but tiring and I got off with aching legs.

Saturday 02.11.02

Waking up realizing that I had fallen asleep the night before watching BBC World I quickly got changed. We had planned to independently drive to ‘Tunis’! Big Mistake! Having not really experience Tunisian drivers we panicked. They are seriously dangerous, not like us polite European people, oh no, if you don’t watch out you’ll crash with in minutes. After getting ourselves lost within the city streets we got caught in a large traffic jam which seemed to go on for ever. During our boredom my sister and I found large amounts of humour in someones football shirt. On it was printed “BEKHAM 7”!

Finally we got out of the Streets of Tunis and on to a main road. All we ever saw of Tunis was one Government building and the roads – many many roads! But that was by far enough for us. We drove straight home and that was the end of that story lol!

This time before sleeping remembering to turn off the TV!

Sunday 03.11.02

Today was a last-minute-soak-up-the-sun session consisting of exactly that! It was boiling hot so we thought that we would make the most of it before our flight later on in the afternoon. It was relaxing and a defiantly a good way to end the holiday.

2004-12-19T11:46:00.000Z

Rubber Hose writes...

in the summer of 2000, we went to tunisia for vacation. i was hoping to practice arabic there, but the street arabic in north africa is quite different from fuus-ha so i could not get very far. also everyone in tunisia spoke french, a language i have studied for seven years. so whenever i wanted to interact with anyone i could either struggle through articulating what i wanted to say in arabic or say it in french and it would instantly be done. the easier french route was hard to resist and within a few days i stopped even trying to do anything in arabic.

On the Daily Star I read...

In Tunisia, the government has banned opposition Web sites as well as several international sites, including Hotmail, and many Palestinian, Egyptian and human rights Web sites. In 2002, a Tunisian court sentenced the founder of the news site TUNeZINE to two years and four months in prison for "disseminating false news" and "fraudulent use of a means of communication." According to HRINFO, at least 40 other Tunisians have been "sentenced to long prison terms and tortured, just for logging on to some Web sites claimed by authorities to be terrorist Web sites."

Found on Lost Passage the 2004 cost of living survey that rates Tokyo in Japan as the most expensive, London in the UK second and Tunis, the capital of Tunisia as 120th.

2004-12-18T18:08:00.000Z

Francesca Gray writes...

Monday, July 19, 2004

A Mid-life Adventure: Part 1

Did I really take a holiday for the first time in all these years? Is it true that I flew to Tunisia by myself for two weeks? Already it is beginning to feel like something I dreamed. But no, I have photographs (I am even in a few of them), and postcards, souvenirs, a book with thoughts jotted down at random. A faint tan and even some peeling skin on the back of my neck. In my purse there are email addresses, phone numbers of new friends and my cigarettes are Tunisian with Arabic writing on the packet. It happened. I really did it and I loved every moment.

There is so much I want to tell, to remember, to fix safely in words less it fades with time. Home feels different. The house too dark and cluttered, there is not enough light even out doors and I am cold all the time. Already my world is shrinking. Already I am contained within walls, within myself. I want to hold on to the way I felt during those two weeks. The sense of freedom, of adventure, but I do not know how to.

Is it that there was some 'magic' in Tunisia? Or is it that I was simply responding to a new environment, new people, new activities? The answer lies some where in between I think. Tunisia is very different from England. So much poverty and so much wealth side by side. A land of contrasts. Mountain and dessert, barrenness and fertility, ancient and modern. The five times call to prayer loud above the sound of tourist consumerism. Noisy, impatient traffic and unfailing courtesy. A powerful sense of community, of friendliness, of time.

A beautiful country. A lovely people. Memories to last a life time.

2004-12-10T19:33:00.000Z

Useful Tips for Tunisia are ...

Have a pen handy for your arrival in Tunisia, you will have to fill in a arrival card (no cost) either on the plane or on arrival at the Airport, after handing in the card you will be given back the smaller part, retain this, as you will need to hand it in at Passport Control on Departure, don't worry if you accidentally lose it ,more are available at check in on the return journey.

On arrival at your Hotel you will then be required to fill in yet another card per Guest.

Ramadan for the Year 2004 (the 9th Month of the Islamic Calendar) will start on Oct 15th and last until November 13th although this doesn't usually affect Tourist Resorts you may find limited services elsewhere, also be aware that at the end of Ramadan, Banks and Shops etc, will close for between 1-2 Days this can also affect Public Transport, etc. although the Tourist Shops usually remain open, you may find that even the Supermarkets will be closed.

First day of Ramadan - 2005 October 4

Market Days- Thursday -Hammamet, Friday -Nabeul, Mahadia, Djerba and Sfax. Saturday-Monastir. Sunday-Sousse,and El-Jem.

Local Currency Dinar is only available on arrival,and should not be brought back out of the Tunisia, also be aware that on Departure at Monastir you cannot now spend Dinar, in the Duty Free, a couple of the smaller Shops and the Cafe still take Dinar but the smaller shops are expensive in comparison to the goods found in the Resorts, prices in the Duty Free are displayed in Euro's and contrary to what the Staff in there will tell you the limit is still 1 Litre of Spirits and 200 Cigs per Person for Passengers travelling back to the UK.

Tunisian food still contains little or no preservatives or additives so may be pale in comparison to food found elsewhere in the World, but you may find the taste is much better, also frozen food is not yet widely used.

Service charges seldom apply, and Waiters etc, do still rely on tips to boost their low incomes.

Taxi's are now all metered and should all display a window sticker usually in the back, which will explain this, there is a phone number on this sticker should you experience any problems along with the identification number allocated to the Taxi you are travelling in, also be aware that it is normal for the fare to be at an increased percentage during the hours of 9pm to 5am again explained on the sticker, at this point it is worth mentioning that you can still agree a price for a whole Days hire for instance we paid 130 Dinar (approx £65) for four people to go to Tunis etc, whilst the Taxi waited for us, from roughly 9.30am until 6pm for a Mercedes, broken down a very cheap way for four People to travel.

Tunisia National Tourist Office
77a Wigmore Street
London
W1U 7OF
Tel - 020-7224-5598
FAX 020-7224-4053

British Embassy
5 Place De La Victoire
1001 Tunis
Email britishembassy@planet.tn
Website www.british-emb.intl.tn

Beer and wines are now becoming freely available in Hotels and Cafes in Tourist areas, expect to pay between £5-8 for wine per bottle and approx £1 - £1.25 for a bottle of beer, spirits remain expensive at about £4 - £5 per glass spirits also are not so available in Shops, wines and beers are available now in some Supermarkets, if you enjoy crisps etc, take them with you as they are very expensive in comaparison to the UK.
whilst Local things such as leather bags etc.are very cheap on comparison to the UK for instance a digital camera leather bag will cost as little as £1.25 - £2.00.

The Local time is GMT plus 1 hour, whilst during BST,Tunisia and the UK, are the same, flight times vary but from the UK are approx 2.75 to 3.25 hours.

Most of the Holidays by charter flight land at Monastir, one thing I feel worth mentioning though we have just been by schedule flight to Tunis, we shared the minibus transfer with another couple, they had been quite confused at Tunis as the exits etc, are not in English if you fly to Tunis follow the green signs marked SORTIE, also on arrival at Tunis there is a Duty Free shop which you can use before you clear customs, they accept GBP, we found it to be very reasonable a bottle of Grants was around £9.20 for a litre.
If you do not require a porter on arrival at Tunis be firm, you will be approached as soon as you clear Customs.
On Departure as with Monastir, Tunis Duty Free does not accept Dinar.

A useful link http://www.tourist-offices.org.uk/Tunisia/holiday-tunisia.html

Edited by: briarskeg at: 20/1/04 20:57

briarskeg
Tunisia Moderator
Posts: 1481
(1/3/03 22:36)
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Tips for Women Travellers in Tunisia, by sm041052
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The Following report has been submitted by sm041052 and will answer many of the queries constantly raised regarding Women Travellers in Tunisia
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sm041052

Posts: 120
(3/1/03 6:30:49 pm)
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Tips for Women Travellers in Tunisia
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Hi,

The subject of what women can expect to encounter in Tunisia is a recurring theme on this forum so I thought it might be useful to share some of my own experiences as a lone woman travelling to Tunisia. The most important thing to remember is that the vast majority of the population are Moslem and that standards of behaviour and expectations are shaped by that whether an individual is especially devout or not. It is not an Islamic state in that the Sharia, (holy laws) are not incorporated into state law and in fact Tunisia is a very liberal country compared to many Arab states but its local norms and values are shaped by Islam. I have always found that I could travel around, including public transport, without problems and have never experienced untoward sexual harassment but there are certain points to bear in mind.

DRESS

Around the hotels things are easy going and you can dress much as you would around any tourist resort. However, it’s worth noting that I have never seen any woman sunbathing topless around the pools or on the beach, including French and German women, nor wearing thongs as opposed to bikini briefs. This might have more to do with the sort of hotels that I’ve stayed at as they tended to attract an older perhaps more sedate clientele. It might be different in hotels that attract a younger crowd. One hotel I stayed at in April tended to be breezy around the pool and I discovered a quiet sheltered spot with a couple of sun loungers on a sun terrace on one of the flat roofs that I took to using. A couple of times when I was up there one of the hotel managers came up (for a quiet smoke I think!) and I decided that he was hanging around a bit longer than I felt comfortable with so I covered my legs with a cotton sarong when he next appeared. The effect of that action was very interesting – he immediately left and ever afterwards if he came up to the roof and saw me there he went away immediately and respected what he had clearly and correctly interpreted as a signal that I wanted some privacy. It made me realise that the easy way to ensure that one was treated with respect was to behave in way that demanded it according to local norms of behaviour.

I have to take care to avoid exposing my skin to the sun too much. So when in hot countries it is my usual practice to wear loose trousers and long sleeved loose shirts/tunics in linen or cotton when out and about, so this is the way I dressed when first travelling to Tunisia without really thinking about it. However, it soon became clear that this was ideal clothing for wearing and not attracting attention when sightseeing as it fitted in with local perceptions of what counted as modest dress. A below knee length skirt and short sleeved tee shirt would have done just as well though. It’s worth remembering that in accordance with Islamic values men are also expected to adopt ‘modest’ dress too. One of my enduring humorous memories of my first solo trip to Sousse was of being able to enter the Great Mosque unremarked on but the German man in shorts behind me was stopped and given a checked tablecloth to wrap round himself sarong style so that his knees were covered. Not exactly stylish but a simple solution to his immodest and hence disrespectful dress for entering a place of worship. It reminded me that when living in Chester I had often encountered tourists in the cathedral who seemed to have forgotten that they were in a place of worship – even when services were taking place. The equivalent of being given a tablecloth might have been a useful reminder to them too!

This view that it is immodest for even men to bare their knees in mixed public settings is probably behind the rule in many hotels that men must wear trousers rather than shorts in the restaurants. The one hotel I’ve stayed in were this was most strongly enforced was also the one that was clearly popular with Tunisian families for weekend breaks. Bare male chests were also frowned on and I saw men being asked to wear to wear tee shirts in the café away from the pool at lunchtimes too. This reinforced my perception that rules about modest dress applied to both men and women and were important to local people.

I found a cotton shawl – in reality a cotton sarong from Accessorise – handy to carry around with me. It didn’t take up much room in my bag and was definitely worth the space. If I found myself attracting attention covering my hair with it had the almost immediate effect of making me invisible. On my last visit a large brimmed foldable sun hat from M and S served the same purpose. Covering one’s hair is a very modest act for a woman in most Moslem countries (but be warned that in places like Turkey and Egypt the wearing of a large headscarf often carries political overtones) and gives out the signal that one should be treated with respect. I found that covering my head and shoulders loosely with it meant that I wasn’t even approached by traders in the souks – a great advantage as sometimes the persistent attempts to sell to tourists can get wearing.

Overall a good rough and ready guide is to ask your self whether you’d walk down your local high street in a particular outfit and if the answer is ‘no’ then certainly don’t do it in Tunisia either. I wouldn’t dream of going shopping in my local supermarket wearing some of the outfits that I’ve seen women wearing on the streets of Tunisia and I do wonder why they think it will be acceptable there when it wouldn’t at home.

SUNGLASSES

Keeping your sunglasses handy and wearing them even in the covered souks etc will help you cultivate an air of aloofness that is invaluable. It enables you to see and look around you whilst avoiding the eye contact which will often be interpreted as a signal for engaging in conversation. Keep your sunglasses on and in my experience you will be accosted by fewer traders etc.

TAXIS

I noticed that whereas men on their own got into the front seat of a taxi local women always, always sat in the back – even if there were three of them in the taxi! So I did the same and never experienced problems with taxi drivers when on my own. In fact on one occasion, the first time I’d used a taxi that trip, the driver insisted on giving me most of the money that I’d given him back pointing out in French that I’d clearly misread where the decimal point was on the meter. He could have got away with it because the fare didn’t seem excessive to me for the length of the journey. The only times I’ve experienced a driver trying to pull a fast one was when my father has been with me!

HISSING!!!!!!!

Hissing is the arabic equivalent of a wolf whistle – and like a wolf whistle can be flattering, irritating or offensive depending on the context. Flattering when it’s from someone you know and done with a smile so you’re both in on the joke, irritating when it’s done by the labourers on a building site, but offensive when done by young lads to older women with the express purpose of making them feel uncomfortable. It’s quite rare these days to encounter it and if you do best dealt with in the same way as you would a wolf whistle at home. A disapproving stare will usually do the trick – especially as most of the men (or rather boys!) who do it will assume that you don’t know what’s going on and letting them know that you do spoils the joke and will put a stop to it! The one instance when you should pay attention is if elderly men start doing it – it’s a clear signal that they think you are dressed and/or behaving in a way that they consider to be extremely inappropriate. The only time I have witnessed this happening was when a woman in shorts and a skimpy vest top tried to enter the Great Mosque in Kairouan. Hiring a djellaba for 1dinar from the gatekeepers sorted things.

USEFUL PHRASES

If you only learn one piece of Arabic make sure it’s ‘Shooma’ if you’re a woman. Literally this means ‘Shame on you’ but serves the purpose of ‘How dare you!’ etc. In the event of something untoward happening do not be frightened of ‘making a scene’ – start shouting ‘Shooma’ and you’ll attract attention and assistance, especially from other women and especially if you are dressed modestly. The one time I had trouble on the streets was with a market trader who was trying to short change me – a hazard the world over in street markets! I demanded that he give me the rest of my change or else give me more spices if he didn’t have enough small change. I started shouting the moment he took my elbow to try and make me move off. Instantly a crowd of black clothed elderly women appeared and he was so desperate to placate me and get rid of them that he started to immediately shove extra bags of spices into my bag! Only once they were satisfied that I was happy with the outcome did they all move on. All this was accomplished with barely a word from them and halting French from me but I now have immense respect for the Granny Mafia as I came to think of them. It made it clear to me that Tunisian women will come to a woman tourist’s aid if you need it. Make a fuss and other women will come to help you.

‘Minbad’ (Go away) can be as useful as ‘Shooma’. However, you‘ll probably be glad that you learnt ‘Minfadlik’ (Please) and ‘Shukran’ (Thank You) too. ‘Aiwa’ (Yes) and ‘La’ (No) are also easy to pick up. A little will go a long way in that people around the hotel etc will respond very positively to any attempt to speak Arabic. However, you’ll find that most people you’ll come into contact with will have some English but French is more commonly the first second language that people will speak because of the colonial past. So brushing up your school French will be worth it especially if by chance you have to deal with any sort of officialdom – as I did when I tried to walk into the local jail thinking it was the museum in Sousse. Not as daft as it sounds, they are both housed in the Kasbah at the top of the Medina, they just have separate entrances and the Museum is entered from outside the Medina, not from inside as I tried to do! The gendarme at the gatehouse very politely informed me of my mistake and gave me directions in very good French as to where I should be going. I gathered that it wasn’t an unusual mistake! .

2004-12-10T19:02:00.000Z

Holiday Truths Forum for Tunisia is worth keeping an eye on.

2004-12-09T13:03:00.000Z

Life in France a blog written by Beth gives...

Thursday, March 04, 2004

Nick's Tunisia blog (mine is below)

"The month of March means two things to the academic community -March Madness and Spring Break. This March, millions of North Americans will venture somewhere south like Mexico, Panama City, or South Padre to celebrate the time honored tradition of Spring Break. Had I been in the US this year, I would have probably joined the movement and headed to the nearest beach to get my fair share of sun, however, being that I am in Europe, I decided to get a little creative and go somewhere a little more exotic. My first choice was Egypt. I have a burning desire to set my eyes on ancient archeological sites and taste the rich Egyptian culture. Apparently, every other student in Europe shares my interests; when I went to the travel agent to book the “5 days/4 nights Egyptian special,” I found out that every seat, on every plane was sold out. I guess Egypt will have to wait for another time in my life, which is fine because I am confident that the pyramids will be able to last a little longer given their ability to survive the sands of time thus far. As a second option, I booked a ticket to a place called “Tunisia” with nine other adventurous classmates. It would prove to be another good decision and one of the more interesting trips of my life. At first, I had actually never really considered visiting Tunisia. In fact, I became aware of the countries existence only a few weeks prior as the result of a riot in central Strasbourg caused by a few foreign students of Tunisian descent. Their excitement, which was largely due to the win of the Tunisia national soccer team, had triggered a fear inspired reflex inside of me to research their country and find out what fuels their fire. I am the type of person that likes to find out everything about anything I have never heard of -especially if everyone else appears as if they knew the country existed all along. I’ll share a little bit about the region, just in case you were also to0 afraid to admit that you didn’t really know that much about the country either.

I quickly learned that Tunisia is quite the popular vacation spot. This North African country shares a large portion of its coastline with the Mediterranean Sea, and the rest of its border is split between Algeria and Libya. The Arabic country has an interesting mix of tall mountains, fertile plains, hot desert and beautiful beaches that seem to substantiate its strong tourism based economy. The rugged region is home to Carthage in the north, which is one of the strongest Roman cities and famous sea port of Ancient times, and Matmata in the south, which is a desert village where the filming of many original Star Wars scenes took place. If you understand Arabic, you are better off in the stores; and as an added bonus, you can read the street signs which make driving a little easier. You are able to survive and barter with anybody in the entire country as long as you know a little bit of French. And a number of people speak amazingly funny dialects of English. Nearly all Tunisians are Muslim, and most are descendents of indigenous Berbers and from numerous civilizations that have invaded, migrated to, and have now been assimilated into the population since the first settlements in the 8th century BC.

We arrived at the international airport in the capital city of Tunis ready to explore this strange land following in the footsteps of millions of camera-ornamented European tourists before us. Immediately upon arriving, we were quickly chauffeured by the great folks at Royal Tours in a mini-bus to a town called Hammamet. The tourist resort city was only an hour’s drive away from the capital. Hammamet is a Tunisian paradise -for Europeans. The incredible city has been taken over by miles of five star, German owned hotels where whole families of silly ice cream licking European tourists can be seen enjoying the warm African sun in the summer time. Fortunately, during this time of year Hammamet retains a little more of its original flavor since the beach isn’t as inviting and the school aged children are still held captive in their respective institutions. Unfortunately, the lack of tourists doesn’t hypnotize the local overly zealous shopkeepers who are still just as persistent in getting you to buy one of their pieces of pottery or a carton of Marlboro’s. I really wish someone would tell them that smoking kills.

Usually I am not one to purchase a vacation package -especially if it includes an almost all-inclusive stay in a 5 star hotel in Africa. I, for some reason, like to spend the nights on trains or busses traveling to my next location, not wasting a second of my precious time. This trip, however, introduced me to the life style of the rich and famous, and I have to admit, I kind of liked it. The year old hotel was situated right on the fine white sandy beach on the “Gulf of Hammamet.” The spot was ideal for relaxing and watching the perfect sunrise and sunset, day after day. The shadows cast by the African sun on the mushroom-looking straw beach umbrella’s, along with the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea made for one of the all time best pictures I have ever taken. As you entered the hotel, you could only look up at the mosque type ceiling that hovered five or six stories above your head. We were greeted with a free welcome drink by the hotel bartender -it was a rather sweet African fruit juice that instantly swept all your worries away and foreshadowed the cultural adventure ahead. Throughout the stay, the hotel staff was more helpful than I could have ever imagined. Because it was low season, we were one of the only guests in the hotel, which meant that their entire staff had nothing better to do than to wait on us. They carried our bags, rented us cars, prepared us extravagant dinners, called taxi’s for us and then made sure that we were given the best price -they did everything short of actually giving us the keys to the hotel. We were also assigned an “entertainment coordinator” whose sole purpose was to follow us around and make sure we were having the best times of our life. She was quite the brave girl -she voluntarily played soccer with all the guys, danced with us on more than two occasions and went so far as to actually sit down and have dinner with us the last evening we were there. The staff also made sure that we were completely stuffed with incredible food the entire time we were in their hotel. The first day, being that we arrived late, they prepared us a cold dish that we later found in our rose pedal covered hotel room. Every other day we had full access to an entire world class buffet that I am convinced they prepared only for us. Hundreds of tables were set and unset every morning, not because they had that many guests, but just to impress ten space geeks. As I would walk over to one of the three chefs behind the main buffet line to have him make me an omelet just the way I like it, three other waiters would clear my place, reset clean silverware, refill my drink, and hold the chair for me as I returned. At one point I counted one hotel staff person per student in our party. By the end of our stay, I was getting rather used to eating well again -and the best part, it only cost us about 9 euros per day for all that food and service.

And they really did destroy Carthage. It is hard to imagine that I was standing in one of the only ruins left after the Romans totally destroyed the city in 146 BCE. The day trip which brought us here, was well worth the 14 euro’s Cari, Mark, Serina and I paid to rent the car and drive along the northern coastline. After we passed a few hundred kilometers of narrow and steep drop offs, that are bordered by the deep blue water, we visited the ancient place that I had previously only heard about in junior high when taking a course in world history. The coast had obviously been marked by the turbulence of the sea, its frequent strong winds, and powerful waves which caused the erosion of the elaborate cliffs. Carthage is located in one of the only habitable ports on the northern border and was the most beautiful and richest sea ports of ancient times. The Romans decided to destroy Carthage because the capital had a tendency of surviving any hardship caused by the Roman Empire. Carthage, in its glory days, was Rome’s greatest contender for regional control and power and therefore Rome felt that it could not rest until 3 years of destruction, concluded by 17 days of conflagration, had wiped Carthage out. Still, as I stood on the top step of the old stadium which was inevitably itself the location where many Carthage warriors had given their lives, I could not help but notice how Carthage actually survived Rome with a few rebuilt structures here and there and a man selling coins and old artifacts outside the entrance. The sweet smell of the hundreds of yellow flowers that popped up through the cracks, the stone walls, and the cold memory of Romans soldiers passing up and down the aisles as the wind kicked up some stony dust and ashes was a well needed reminder of what this area around the Mediterranean meant to world history.

Most foreigners visit this part of northern Africa for the sun, sea and sand. And although this is enough to make one happy, I really wanted to see what else the country had to offer. I soon found out that venturing into the interior would unveil many cultural surprises. The ten of us rented two cars the next day and drove south towards Matmata. Matmata’s fame is derived from the unusual houses that shelter the Jedi looking inhabitants. Matmata, is in fact so great, that it is about to become destroyed. Hundreds of tourists somehow find there way to this small village throughout the year. When we arrived, I found a bus load of French photographers taking pictures of camels and handmade pottery. Thanks to the bus load after bus load of “adventurers” before us, the locals are not very friendly. The ones that seem to be, act with your money in mind. As I drove down the windy street in search for the hotel where George Lucas filmed the disco scene in the first Stars Wars film, our car was practically engulfed by teenage locals trying to sell us a personal tour of the village. Assuming that we were quite capable of finding what we needed ourselves, we drove on, leaving a whirlwind of angry and seemingly violent dark skinned Africans in our wake. And although one would think that the highlight of the trip to Matmata was the unusually beautiful troglodyte dwellings, I’d have to disagree. I do now see where George Lucas stole all the ideas for his movies from, but in my opinion, the best part of the entire day trip to the edge of the Sahara desert was being able to drive through village after village to get there. Each village was characterized by Islamic architecture, crazy driving, dramatic sand dunes, and lush palm-tree-filled oases. My blonde hair and bright orange sun glasses was enough to cause riots in many of the cities, and we were lucky to have made it through the country side without hitting one of the mopeds or shepherds who herded their sheep right alongside the road. At one point we were caught in a rain storm that spurred bright flashes of lighting across the sky giving off just enough light to see a thirteen year old boy dash across the highway in front of me. Each village was a traffic jam waiting to happen which provided us all with more than enough time to sample the Muslim culture.

That night we made it back just in time for dinner. As we sprinted into the hotel, nervous smiles appeared on the faces of the staff members at the Mehari Hotel. Worrying that we would miss out on our final evening of world class cuisine and pampering none of decided to wash the sand of our clothes or faces before sitting down at our designated table in the dining hall. It was apparent that the staff was worried that we would not make it back in time for dinner -even though we had informed them to prepare us a cold dinner in anticipation that we would not return on time. Even still, the staff had taken extra time this evening to impress us; our table, which was normally set with beautiful silverware and solid white dishes, was now adorned with ivy, flowers and candles. More staff than ever stood around us in eager anticipation to help with anything and everything -it was absolute luxury. Our activity coordinator approached us and told us that the band that played two nights ago would again play for us this evening. My fellow classmates and I looked at each other knowing that this only meant that WE would have to entertain the band because we were the only guests left in the hotel. For the next two hours, the bravest of our group battled the elements and danced, sang and joined the band in celebrating our trip through Tunisia. I even took my turn at the Bongo drums and sang in my best American voice “Yesterday.” I wish I could have remembered more “American tunes” under pressure.

Not having spent enough money already, Ollie and Mark wanted to try their luck at the Roulette wheel in the Casino opposite our hotel. I have never been much of a gambler so I grabbed a pencil and decided to record the numbers and colors of each throw in order to assimilate a strategy for my colleagues. Within minutes of first arriving, a large man sat in the open seat next to me. As Olli and Mark placed down the minimum bet, this man proceeded to take out a hundred dollars in American money. Fascinated by the green bill that hadn’t crossed my path in months, I asked the guy “So, where are you from?” “The US,” he responded in a thick Middle Eastern accent. Fully interested now I carried on the conversation asking him to clarify a bit more, “Where?” “California,” he muttered. “No kidding! What city?” Knowing now that he needed to respond to get me to leave him alone, he suggested “California” and then realizing that I wasn’t French but indeed an American citizen, he quickly withdrew his answer and admitted that he was from “Libya.” Unsure of what had just happened, and let down by the fact that he was indeed not from America, I turned silently to Ollie and resumed my position as Roulette water-boy. The rest of us watched as the man who was apparently from Libya spilt hundred dollar bill after hundred dollar bill onto the table. He would play 1/3 of the board at time, spending every chip he had on each bet. It was quite enchanting to watch the Casino staff light his cigars, bring him beer after beer, and watch in terror as the man slowly started to win his fair share. By the time we left, the strange smoke entrenched man was up several hundred dollars. Ollie and Mark left having lost most, if not all, of their money they set out to spend.

The strange, foreign feeling that overtook me that night at the casino is lingered the next morning as we boarded the bus and drove back to the airport in Tunis. The driver made a number random, uncalculated stops along the way providing almost enough time for my classmate, Munir, to buy some food from the window of the bus. The feeling I had while sitting there on the small bus was strange. This North African but yet Middle Eastern country, which filled with beautiful and mystic smells and sounds, was so different than anything I had seen before. The enchanting eyes of the mystic Berbers, the buzzing sounds of Muslim prayer chants, the brightly dressed women and girls harvesting wheat by hand while men stood by the street corners in hopes of traveling elsewhere, even the crow of a rooster was enough to convince me that someday I will have to revisit the simplicity of the Tunisian culture."

// posted by Beth @ 2:03 PM

Ahh, Africa!!!

We returned safely from Tunisia, and it was a wonderful trip. We arrived late Friday night and stepped out of the airport to see beautiful palm trees and stop signs in both English and Arabic! We were met by a representative from Royal Tours who took us to our bus driver. He drove us the hour long journey from Tunis to Hammamet. The highways and roads reminded me a little of when I first got to Thailand - they had a lot of overpasses, and large roads, but the land was fairly barren. We arrived at the Riu Mehari 5 star hotel at about 9:45 and checked in. The people at the reception were really cool, and they had even prepared a cold meal waiting for us in our rooms as we had missed dinner!!! Tres cool. Oh, and ya, there were rose petals on our pillows and bathmats, and we had two bath rooms - one for the toilet and beday and one for the wicked bath tub and sink! Very nice hotel.
We got up Saturday and met for our wonderful buffet breakfast. We had a chef waiting on us to order fresh made crepes and omelets. There was fresh squeezed orange juice and everything else you could possibly want. In addition, there were probably only about 25 people staying in the hotel as it was the very low season, and we were 10 of them! So we got some pretty good service. After our delicious breakfast we went down to the beach, which was directly across the road from our hotel. In fact, most of our balconies faced the Mediterranean Sea. We played some beach soccer and volleyball, well I mostly laid there enjoying the sun and sand, while the others played. It was a little chilly due to the wind (about 19 degrees, plus wind chill) but almost 20 degrees warmer than Strasbourg in the snow! In the afternoon we took taxis into the centre of Hammamet as we were in a resort area that was basically just enormous hotels, about 10km outside of the town. There we explored the markets and bartered for goodies. It was fun, but exhausting to have to fight off the salesmen. That night, we had a most excellent buffet dinner again and ate as much as we possibly could. (NOTE- the rooms were only 29 euros a night with breakfast plus 6 a night for buffet dinner!!) Tyler ate too much as he crashed early while the rest of us went downstairs after dinner to enjoy some live music and drinks. It was nice having so few people in the hotel, but weird as well as it seemed like there was little to do. The music stopped at 11pm and so we all just kinda went to bed.
Sunday some people were planning on going ATVing, but they were bartering with the guy too much and he was a little sketchy so they gave up. Nick, Serina, Cari, and Mark rented a car and drove around the area a bit. The rest of us chilled outside in the sun by the outside pool or went for a swim in the indoor pool. Tyler, Ollie and I went wandering around the hotel area a bit and came across the Hammamet Disneyland, called Carthage Land. It was basically a water park, but who knew it was so close! We also walked by and into some crazy hotels, such as one that looked like a sandcastle! We enjoyed another great dinner and went to bed early to prepare for the early start on Monday (although Ollie and Munir went out late to the clubs)
We got up early Monday morning and jumped into our two rental cars to drive south. We drove for about 4 hours to get to Matmata, which is where they filmed the Star Wars scenes of Tataouine. The Star Wars fans were pretty excited. We got to see the canteen where they drank and ate???? and the houses built into the sand. It was definitely pretty cool. We saw camels and the Sahara desert. However, absolutely no where south of the big cities up north takes credit cards in Tunisia, and they don't believe in bank machines. So we had to make sure not to spend our money that we needed for gas money on the return drive home. Along the way we saw people selling gas in containers on the side of the highway, peppers, beans etc. We saw a gazillion olive trees, and tiny houses and huts made out of branches where people lived. It was definitely a good call to get out of the tourist hotel and to see the rest of the country. On our drive back we ran into a huge rain and lightening storm, which was cool, but made it hard to drive with crappy windshield wipers. We are all pretty sure the "rental car" we had was just some guys car too. It only cost us each 10 dinar for the day (about $11 cdn). We rushed home and got there just in time for dinner. They had set up the table really nicely for us with flowers and candles. The waitstaff were super excellent and cool. There was about one person working for each of us in the dining room alone though! Felt a little weird. But cool too.
Tuesday morning we had our last meal in Tunisia and did a little shopping in the hotel gift shops. We tried to enjoy the sun, but it kinda disappeared for our last day. That was okay though. We unfortunately had to leave at noon to ride back to Tunis, but at least this time it was light out and we could see the country side. The south is definitely a lot different from the North, you can see where all the money is. We had a nice flight home, although the seats were too small for Tyler and there were some screaming children, but we got to see Sardinia out our left window!!! We also saw the Alps. Then we landed in snowy, crappy Strasbourg where the high of the day was 2 degrees. Boourns. But we shouldn't complain as we got to go to Africa!!! It was an awesome trip and I really enjoyed it. I relaxed, but definitely did not catch up on sleep. I slept for 12 hours last night and was lazy all day today. Oh well!
I loved it and recommend it as it is a very beautiful place and is just becoming touristy. They were in the process of building a whole bunch of hotels, but at the moment they aren't very expensive and are super nice.
And now I am up to 20 countries!!! (I forgot Vatican City before, so now it's 20, not 19)

// posted by Beth @ 7:59 PM

2004-12-07T11:43:00.000Z

Virtual Tourist Tunisia Forum is worth a look from time to time.

2004-11-29T18:25:00.000Z

Nice photographs taken by Andy and Karen of their holiday in Tunisia.

2004-11-28T19:06:00.000Z

Quotes for car hire - cheapest for 20/05/05 to 27/05/05.

Holiday Autos wants from £242

Europcar want from 852 TND

Avis want from 525 TND about £241

Suncars want from £245 and 3 days would cost £147

2004-11-25T16:07:00.000Z

Car rental in Tunisia.

Rental Car Group want 681 TND for a week.

Car Hire Express wants 251 GBP for a week.

2004-11-24T20:24:00.000Z

Basic Arabic words and phrases...

Arabic Language

What is your name?
ma ismok?

My name is
ismy ______

how old are you?
kam omroka?

Nice to meet you
tasharrafna

Goodbye
ma'assalama

yes
na'am

no
la

Hello!
marhaba

Good Morning
sabah al-hayri

How are you?
kayfa haluk?

fine!
biheyr

Please
minfadlik

Thank you
shukran!

Arabic Language

Where is/ are --- feyn?

What? --- 'eyh?

What's that? --- 'eyh da?

When? --- imta?

Why? --- leyh?

Why not? --- leyh la?

How? --- keyf?

Who? --- meen?

How many? --- kam?

Arabic Language

Apricots --- romman

Onion --- basal

Mint --- na'na'

Bananas --- mauz

Dates --- balah

Tomato --- banadoora

Cucumber --- khiyar

Honey --- asal
Rice --- rizz
Pepper --- bhar

Beans --- loobya'
Potatoes --- battatta
Bread --- khobz

Cacao --- kakaw

Arabic Language

2004-11-24T19:55:00.000Z

Tunisia Online gives some quite detailed information including...

INTRODUCTION

The population of Tunisia numbers approximately 9.6 million inhabitants. The demographic growth rate is 1.14 %.

Arab, Berber, African, and European influences have helped shape the unique Tunisian cultural identity. The overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim, and the official religion is Sunni Islam. Christian and Jewish communities practice their faith freely and contribute to Tunisia's rich cultural diversity.

URBAN POPULATION

Tunisia's population is over 62% urban. Tunis, the capital, with a population of about 1 million, is one of the principal cosmopolitan urban centers of the Mediterranean. Other cities in Tunisia include Carthage, Jerba, Hammamet, Sfax, Nabeul, Kairouan, Sousse, Bizerte, Jendouba, Medenine, Monastir, Gabes, Gafsa, Tabarka, Zarzis, Beja, Kasserine and Le Kef.

The official language is Arabic; French is widely used. English is spoken among a growing number of Tunisians. Many also speak Italian.

FAMILY

The family remains the basic unit of Tunisian society . With the assistance of public and private institutions, it continues to function as a vital support mechanism for the individual at all stages of life. Enjoying total equality of rights with men, women have gained a good measure of autonomy and are able to pursue their own careers on an equal footing with men.

MIDDLE CLASS

The structure of Tunisian society is characterized by the predominance of the middle class (around 75 to 80% of the population). There has been a continuous rise in the standard of living of Tunisia's citizens thanks to sound development policies and to the implementation, since 1987, of a series of measures and actions which have promoted business initiative and economic opportunity, and ensured the access of all citizens to basic amenities.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Demographic Figures:

Population (2000): 9,5 (8,785,364 in 1994)
Urban population (2000) : 62.6% (33% in 1956)

Age group Ratios:

*15 to 59 years old: 61% of the population (2000); (56.9% in 1994)

* 4 years and under: 8.6% of the population (2000); 11% (1994).
Life expectancy (2000): 72.2 years
Demographic Growth rate (2000): 1.14%; 1.7% (1994)
Average family size (2000): 4.8; (5.16 in 1994)

Population Growth Projection:

2004 9.947 million
2009: 10.388 million
2019: 11.210 million
2029: 11.763 million

Source: National Statistics Institute

Higher standard for Tunisians

Census figures show a clear improvement of the standard of living of the Tunisian population.

This upward trend is reflected in the higher ratios of access to drinking water and electricity in homes as well as in the ownership of cars, television sets, radios, refrigerators, ovens and other basic commodities.

The census figures show that access to electricity is available in 94.6% of Tunisia homes as of 1999, while access to drinking water (taking in consideration all systems and providers) is available in 91.6 % of homes.

Beside the higher percentages of ownership of radio and television appliances, there was an increase in the availability of satellite dishes in homes from 2.1 % (in 1994) to 18.3 % (in 1999). 84.7 % of homes owned television sets as of 1999.

Figures also reflect a slowdown of the demographic growth rate from 1.7% to 1.15 % (in just 5 years since 1994), as well as the increase in the rate of urbanization. During the same period, the population of Tunisia increased from 8.7 million (1994) to 9.4 million (1999).

Census findings 1999 (compared to 1994 figures):

The total number of the population:
- 9.442,9 million (1999)
- 8.785,7 million (1994).
Demographic growth:
- 1.15 % (1999)
- 1.7% (1994)
Urban population:
- 62.4 % (1999)
- 61 % (1994)
Average family size:
- 4.9 members (1999)
- 5.2 members (1994)
Age group ratios:
- 15 to 59 years old : 60.1% of the population (1999), 56.9 % (1994).
- 4 years and under: 9% of the population (1999), 11 % (1994).
Total number of houses:
- 2.204,3 million (1999)
- 1.870,1 million (1994)
Ratio of rudimentary houses:
- 1.2 % of total houses (1999)
- 2.7% of total houses 1994)
Access to electricity in homes:
- 94.6% of homes (1999)
- 85.9 % of homes (1994)
Access to drinking water in homes:
- 75.2 % of homes, through national water company system; 92% through various sources and providers (1999)
- 69.1 % of homes (1994)
Ownership of television sets:
- 84.7 % of homes (1999)
- 79 % of homes (1994)
Ownership of radio sets:
- 79.8 % of homes (1999)
- 68.2 % of homes (1994)
Ownership of refrigerators:
- 67.8 % of homes (1999)
- 55.4 % of homes (1994)
Telephone connections in homes:
- 26.8 % of homes (1999)
- 15.2 % of homes (1994)
Family ownership of automobiles:
- 17.2 % of families (1999)
- 15.7 % of families (1994)
Availability of satellite dishes:
- Dishes in 18.3 % of homes (1999)
- Dishes in 2.1 % of homes (1994)

2004-11-24T19:25:00.000Z

Tunisia Flights gives pages of useful information on Tunisia, including...

Location: Geographically speaking, Tunisia is on the fringes of the great Saharan desert. But while it has arid lands, it is not a typical desert country. Situated on the North African coast of the Mediterranean Sea between Algeria and Libya and just south of Italy, Tunisia represents an intriguing cross-cultural blend of Europe and Africa.

Area: The total area of Tunisia is 164,418 sq km (63,482 sq mi).

Capital: The capital and largest city of Tunisia is Tunis (1.7 million).

Language: Arabic, is the official language, and while some businessmen speak English, Italian or German, French is generally the language of commerce. French is less apt to be understood in the far south. English and German are also spoken in major cities.

Religion: Islam is the state religion and majority of the inhabitants are Moslems. But there are also Roman Catholics, Jews, Greek Orthodox, and Protestants, even though few in numbers.

Population: Tunisia has a population of one million. 9,245,284 to be exact (1997 estimate), yielding an average population density of 56 persons per sq km (146 per sq mi). About three-quarters of the population lives in the coastal region. The arid central and southern parts make up 70 percent of the total land area, but contain less than 30 percent of the population. Throughout history, many peoples, including Romans, Vandals, black Africans, and Arabs, have invaded or settled in the region that is now Tunisia. Tunisians, however, are essentially of Berber stock, although fewer than 2 percent speak the Berber language. As a result of Arabization, which started long long, ago, Arabic has become the language of the Tunisian people, and they have come to regard themselves as Arabs.

Membership: Tunisia is a member of the UN, OAU, Arab League, the Islamic Conference and Union of the Arab Maghreb.

Currency: The unit of currency is the Tunisian Dinar (TND) of 1000 millimes.

Tunisia Time Difference: GMT + 1

The high season is from June to August when the price of every thing tends to surge up. You can expect hotel rates to be up, car rentals to be scarce and the markets and museums to teem with foreign visitors. The temperature too is warm. Hence there is not much of activities and there is an air of relaxation everywhere. Low season in Tunisia is from January to February, when hotel rates are down and the weather's cool and rainy.

ROAD:
Tunisia has an extensive road network. In case of breakdown, the Garde Nationale (National Guard) will assist free of charge (they usually contact the nearest garage). Traffic drives on the right.

Bus: The green and yellow colored national buses, run by SNTRI, are air-conditioned and travel daily to most towns across the country. Other services include the intercity buses, which are cheap and reasonably comfortable. The destination is written in French and Arabic on the front of the bus. Passengers are allowed 10kg of luggage without additional charge. Each piece of luggage must, however, be registered.

Taxi: Long-distance taxis (usually large Mercedes or similar vehicles), called louages, are authorized to carry five passengers. They have no fixed schedule and leave their respective departure points when full. They serve the whole of Tunisia. This is the quickest form of public road transport. There are many louage stations and prices are similar to those of buses and trains.

Car hire: Naturally, this can be very expensive. To rent a self-drive car, the driver must be over 21 years of age. A full driving license, which has been valid for at least one year, is acceptable. Speed limits: 50kph (30mph) in towns; 100kph (60mph) on major highways. Documentation: Logbooks, valid national driving licenses and insurance are essential. Both the RAC and AA are affiliated to the National Automobile Club (NACT) based in Tunis. Insurance valid for up to 21 days can be purchased at the border.

Note: Do not drive into the Sahara on the spur of the moment. For safety reasons, it is forbidden to drive a car in the Sahara without first contacting the National Guard post at the nearest town, giving the planned itinerary and the expected point of exit from the area. Full provisions, a suitable vehicle and an experienced guide are necessary for any travel in the Sahara.

ROAD:
Entry into the country is better avoided. Theoretically, there are several points of entry by road from Algeria, normally served by buses and long-distance taxis: Annaba (in Algeria) to Tabarka (following the coast road); Souk Ahras (in Algeria) to Ghardimaou and El Oued (Algeria) to Gafsa. However, political unrest means that it is difficult for tourists to cross the border. Entry by road from Libya is via the coast road at Gabès, via Ben Gardane and Ras Ajdir.