My first trip to Tunisia
Oleg and Natasha are a nice couple from Tallinn.
After the plane gained altitude, Oleg took out a bottle of Beefeater gin and offered me a drink to keep me company.
I did not refuse, and the subsequent flight time passed faster.
Oleg turned out to be a merry fellow and joked with neighbors and staff.
And I discovered gin.
I once tried to drink it, but did not like it ....
maybe because he was Estonian?
And this time it went with a bang!
It is easy to drink, and in a warm form, the fortress is like vodka!
We arrived at the hotel about 40 minutes later.
Moved back 1 hour.
First of all, take a shower and sleep!
Vincci Taj Sultan 5******
- it does not pull on 5, one size is not enough, as it seems to me.
Food does not differ in abundance and variety, all the same was observed in 4 Egyptian stars.
I went to the nightly animation a couple of times - I didn’t like it, some garbage!
In the Egyptian "Aladdin" was much more interesting!
Here it was held simultaneously in 3 languages, of course, Russian is not included! .
Why "naturally"?
- the guide said that for the whole season Tunisia is visited (roughly speaking)
Million Germans
Million French
Half a million Italians
…. and 30-40 thousand Russians!
- comments are unnecessary.
They don't even speak English here!
There is a computer in the closet of the hall, in it Win2000 + a disgusting program for accessing the Internet. Connection appeared only 3 days before departure.
I sat for about 10 minutes and realized that it is better to take a taxi to the center, there is a regular VinHR in the computers and no problems with encoding, etc.
The claimed wireless connection remained only on paper.
The sea is normal, for many the water was cold, as evidenced by the number of bathers.
For me, the water was acceptable. It would be colder, however, I would not want ....
The beach is pretty good.
By the way, not all hotels have their own beach, not separated from the building by passing streets ...
This one has.
As they say, a trifle - but nice ...
Traders of cigarettes, fruits and souvenirs walk along the beach.
When "tasting" a melon, I recommend limiting yourself to one piece, otherwise you will have to buy it at a high price.
I went through the sales scheme after a persistent offer to eat more and more.
Therefore, he did not fall for this bait.
Merchants can become clingy if you start haggling with them.
This happened to a couple from Tallinn.
It started as soon as the girl expressed slight interest in a pair of beads.
The bidding process took about 30 minutes.
The Arab defiled along the beach and from time to time approached us.
All this time, he groaned and grunted that he did not earn anything on this deal and “reluctantly” lowered the price.
Eventually:
from 13 dinars rolled down to 3, announced by us at the very beginning.
It was funny to watch him swear softly after initially refusing to buy and at this price…. but still bought.
HAMMAMET is an ordinary Arab town.
With a primitively furnished "catering" (white toilet tiles on the walls, stone floor, simple furniture. )
Against the general background, a fort of the 12th century stands out, on the territory of which there is a market with souvenir rubbish (rugs, ceramics, etc. ) and clothes.
People are pleasantly distinguished by their unobtrusiveness.
Naturally, being at the bazaar, you will be offered goods, but their behavior still compares favorably with the Egyptians!
Yasmine Hammamet - a district of the city, consisting mainly of hotels, there are 3 ***, but mostly 4-5 stars, there are many that belong to hotel groups (Sheraton, Sofitel, Domina, Iberostar, etc. )
Cafes and restaurants have a European gloss, which is nice.
I myself am not a walker in such places, it was just visible from the outside.
And Muscovites from neighboring Magic Life, with whom I sometimes talked on the beach, were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the local restaurant concoction.
local taxi drivers.
finally cold Europeans, compared to the impoverished Hurghada brethren!
The latter simply zaё%yut eternal beeping under the ear and insistent proposals for transportation.
And until you wave your hand to the Tunisian, it will not budge.
Not to mention signaling...
The cars have taximeters that work the same way.
If there is no device, then just in case, it is still worth clarifying how much the trip will cost.
It won't get worse, Arabs are Arabs....
Although I didn’t come across pissed-off taxi drivers in Tunisia ...
Here's what it offers:
1.2 day Sahara tour (140)
2. Sea walk. And only for those who are from the city of Sousse. 35 din
3. Tunisia-Carthage. 1 day and 63-68din
4. Zoo for half a day. 28-32 din.
5. Folklore evening for 40 din.
dinner and "entertainment program" with local wine and beer.
And the last proposed 6th tour is just a mixture of the last 2 on the list.
African night. 50 din
Held in the evening, includes a walking tour of the local zoo, dinner and "entertainment program" with local wine.
Frankly, I was very disappointed with this set!
Because I was in Turkey on a similar "sea trip", the local zoo does not interest me.
And folklore evenings have long been discredited in my eyes, like a frank sticky!
This was the case in Turkey and Egypt.
The only exception is Spain.
Since then and forever, I am an admirer of the art of flamenco.
I would like to see the monuments of antiquity deep!
Admiring the Roman amphitheater in El Jem, but paying 100 bucks for it and hanging out in the desert for 2 days seemed stupid to me.
In total, only Tunisia-Carthage remains from the proposed program.
But this is not enough for a week, and there is nothing to say about 2!
Well, the only thing left is to see what others have to offer.
I got acquainted with the information stands of travel agencies in the special corner of the hall.
Prices for tours are almost the same.
Among others, stands of 2 Russian companies have been preserved there.
I contacted the Turalliance guide, agreed on a meeting time.
I bought 3 rounds at once (55-65 dins each) - and “forward and with a song”!
First, the ancient Roman Temple of Water
It is located in the small town of Ziguan, at the foot of a high green mountain (1295 m. ), which gave the town its name.
From the Temple to Carthage itself, drinking water flowed along a high stone aqueduct, the length of which was no less than 70 km. Previously, the Temple was decorated with 12 statues of nymphs, symbolizing the months, but none of them survived ...The temple and the aqueduct were built under the emperor Hadrian.
Then Dugga proper - the only surviving Roman city
We arrived at the place first, there was not a single sightseeing bus.
And I immediately rushed to shoot interesting objects.
I prefer that no one gets confused in front of the frame,
Tunisia is no exception, unfortunately.
The tour started from there.
Brought to the capital and unloaded in the city center for 40 minutes.
It just so happened that despite the trip, the night before I "hit the reins" and I shook the nightclub.
There he drank "buhi" - local vodka on figs, and slept only 3 hours.
Therefore, the state of health was unimportant.
I didn’t wander around the capital’s bazaar, but went into a cafe.
Not in the hall, but sat down at a table on the main street.
A young waiter appeared.
When asked to bring a menu - an indistinct answer, such as "there is no menu, whatever you want. "
Ordered tea and a slice of pizza.
When asked to calculate, he announces - 19 (! ) dinars.
Not believing my ears, I ask him again. : „Nineteen or nine dinars? ”
Answer: "Nineteen dinars"
Please give me a check, as is usually done.
The native averted his eyes and murmured that the cash register was broken.
I realized that they were trying to stupidly deceive me, nevertheless I give twenty and expect how much he will give back.
He calmly brings me a coin of 1 dinar and dumps.
Waited about 7 minutes.
Further investigation revealed the following:
The real account was within 4 dinars.
This cunning one tried to present the incident as a misunderstanding, that I don’t understand English well, and he “didn’t have time” to bring me the rest of the change.
Even in the notorious Egypt, they did not try to deceive me so brazenly in public catering ....
Roman historians wrote about Carthage: "the city was destroyed to the ground and razed to the ground and the cursed earth was covered with salt to be sure of its barrenness"...
But time did not spare even that Carthage, which was later built by the Romans on the ruins of Punic Carthage.
It was thoroughly destroyed by the barbarians, and the subsequent Ottoman Turks and Arabs used the ruins to quarry stone during construction.
THERMES ANTONIA
one of the largest buildings in the Roman Empire - a striking building 47 meters long and 15 meters high...
The surviving 1st floor gives an idea of the grandeur and size of this complex.
MUSEUM BARDO is interesting with the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world
Cape Bon - Good Cape
1. The Byzantine fortress on the hill is quite well preserved.
Magnificent view of the sea and the surroundings of the city.
2. The Phoenician city of Kerkuan.
The layout of this Punic city, only excavated in 1952, has remained intact since its destruction by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. BC e.
The city was famous for the production of purple, a dye so prized by the Romans.
The only settlement of the Phoenicians found on the territory of Tunisia.
It is located on an area of .7 hectares, 1/3 of
3. quarry grottoes
4. Wine tasting at the Bacchus House.
They talked about a possible price difference of 1 dinar.
In reality, the wine that I bought in the House for 12 dinars costs 8.7 in Blue Ice
And the last experience in Tunisia - the famous thalassotherapy
TALASSO - translated from ancient Greek means "healing by the sea". Modern thalassotherapy is the science of treating a person with sea water, sea mud (algae and algae) and sea water massage.
Maritim 5***** talasspa
German spa hotel with thalassotherapy.
A full daily cycle of procedures costs 200 Dinar
Start at 10.30
End at 12.30
1. Aquamassage
Regular hydromassage. You are in the water of the pool and the massage therapist treats the body under water with a strong pressure of water from a hose. Approximately 20 min.
2 Algues (Mer MEDITER)
Lie down on a heated mattress pad.
Coated with therapeutic sea mud, packed in a film, then special. heated blankets.
you mature for 20 minutes - and under the shower.
3. Modelage sous DAF 30’
Oil massage + light g/massage.
That half of the body that is not processed is poured with warm water from a special. oblong soul.
4. Massage (MAS 4 jardin des roses)
Regular stroking with oil (pink? )
After the 1st procedure, I told the administrator that I prefer a woman to do the massage.
My mistake: I should have said not “massage”, but all procedures.
They understood it verbatim and only the 4th procedure was performed by Jamilya.
Bottom line: maybe worth a try, but that's all!
Once again I was convinced that massage is in Thailand!
There are different types of massage (including healing compounds! ) And it costs much less!
The last 4 days have passed with the same ending
1. Traditional gatherings in the El-Khalil cafe.
On the circle, 200 meters from the hotel.
Clean and civilized, on the wall - a brand new "plasma".
The service is attentive, maybe because the owner of the establishment has always been there.
After each order, a cash receipt is placed on the table.
That rare case when a hookah prepared in a "public catering" stretched well and without bitterness, under the local gull with pine nuts.
2. party in local discos, which were recommended to me by macho taxi driver Sabi.
According to him, there are no problems to rent a girl for the night, including a local one.
I did not pursue such a goal directly, I just wanted to get acquainted with the conditions and look at the local enchantresses ...
Both clubs are close to the African Queen Hotel
A typical set of European disco music, which is positive.
Until 00 people languidly reached for the place, over the next 30 minutes the club was packed with people.
Tourists, tourists.
Local "macho" in search.
There were few Arabs.
Two steps away from Latino.
The dance floor is one and small, which is bad.
But there is something missing from Latino - ceiling fans.
The music is mostly Spanish.
These establishments are united by high prices for imported alcohol, more or less normal for local ones.
And also the fact that many here find what they lack .....
and one cool kisul-latino girl pleasantly reminded me of the Dominican Republic ....
In the eyes of the Arabs (Egypt, Tunisia), I am a man of non-standard sizes, to put it mildly.
Hence the increased attention on their part.
As a rule, it is expressed in emotional greetings, such as:
"Ooo! Rambo! How are you? ! Where are you from?! "
If you go to the Medina (the local souvenir market) - every 2nd seller screams.
On the hotel beach - all the staff.
Some especially impressionable depict the boxer's stance.
Most likely they don't know that Stallone-"Rambo" is a pumped-up "meter with a cap. "
So, by the end of the rest, I began to quietly satane, with the next "ooh ...rambo !!! "
Another reason for less contact with the locals.
