May is almost over and I’m playing catch up on my blog! April and May have both been busy, here’s what my April looked like… I spent almost 120 hours in the air, flying through 15 cities and exploring 5 different layovers (including a new city for me, Dallas!). My April Layover of the Month is Country #29: Tunis, Tunisia! Hugged between Libya and Algeria, Tunisia is the modern day country where the ancient empire of Carthage once stood. The mix of Berber, Arab, and French influences have created a beautiful and complex country that caters to all the senses.
To clarify, this trip was for “fun” and was not a work trip. I was only in Tunis for about 48 hours, but I wanted to highlight this trip in my Layover of the Month series since I feel like this region of the world doesn’t get enough good coverage!
Since I was paying full fare, I booked my ticket with Tunis Air. The tickets were $80 each way, which didn’t phase me as I’ve had experience on other low cost carriers in Europe.
…
Y’all. Tunis Air was an EXPERIENCE.
Turns out, it’s consistency ranked as one of the worst airlines in the world. The seats were literally falling apart and it felt like the A/C was turned off for the entire 2 hour flight. I was shook. And of course, I don’t have any pictures because phones weren’t even allowed to be turned on or accessible…
Despite all reasonable odds, I arrived in Tunis in one piece. My Tunisian friend Ilyes gave me some tips on bartering and I was able to hire a taxi for a decent price to shuttle me into town. For this trip, I chose to stay in a Novotel instead of an Airbnb. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Tunis and I wanted a sort of Western refuge if I felt overwhelmed by Tunis. I’m happy to report that I barely spent any time at the hotel! Tunis kept my attention the entire 48 hours.
Ilyes had class until later in the day, so I explored the modern downtown area solo. Ilyes picked me up and drove me to a suburb called Sidi Bou Saïd. We arrived just in time to watch the sunset over the city. We finished the evening by drinking mint tea and listening to the Muslim call to prayer echo over the rooftops.
Day 2 started strong with a traditional Tunisian breakfast (pictured below) near the Souk. The Souk is an age-old market of winding streets and little stalls in the oldest part of Tunis called the Medina. After our delicious breakfast, Ilyes helped me barter for souvenirs in the Souk. I purchased artwork, a leather wallet, a keychain, and a refrigerator magnet.
I told Ilyes to take me away from the Souk before I spent all my dinars. So we made our way to the outskirts of the Souk for our next stop: the Zaytuna Mosque. This historic mosque was built with columns dating back to the days of Carthage. We slipped inside of the entrances to take pictures and enjoy the serenity and quiet found inside.
Feeling rejuvenated from our mosque visit, Ilyes and I made our way to another suburb called Ariana (yes, like the singer). There we tried a traditional dish called merguez ojja. I didn’t get any good pictures, but click here for the recipe and some photos from another website.
With just a few hours of sunlight left, we returned to Sidi Bou Saïd. In French, there is a saying “jamais deux sans trois.” Loosely translated, it means “if it happens twice, it’ll happen a third time.” My friend Ilyes said this to me as we walked around Sidi Bou Saïd. He emphasized, saying “I believe that since you have come to Sidi Bou Saïd twice, you will return to Tunis to see this place again.”
I spent the remainder of the evening with Ilyes, his sister, and his best friend. They wanted me to explore the nightlife – which was hard on a week night. But I’ve resolved to return and see more of the city and hopefully make my way to the countryside!
To finish, I want to share a quote that I originally posted on Instagram:
من يعيش يرى ,لكن من يسافر يرى أكثر ”who lives sees, but who travels sees more”
Safe travels friends and let summer flying begin!
– Paul