We were off the ship as soon as we were cleared to do so. This is the one and only stop that we booked the ships tour. It was the one thing B made me promise before booking the cruise. He trusts that I can handle myself and the girls in almost any situation, but northern Africa is an unknown to both of us. It is a new language with an unknown alphabet, a continent I have never set foot on and a lot of unknown elements about culture and customs. It just made sense to both of us to have someone to guide us through our visit. And it also ensured that we will see the sites in the fullest way.
First stops, Carthage. I say stops because Carthage is a city and not just a single site. But first a bit of history...
The land was first inhabited by the Berbers as far back as a millennium B.C. and, over the course of 200 hundred years, they built up a prosperous and thriving city. Around 814 BC, the Phoneticians arrived. The mixture of the two peoples resulted in the creation of a brand new culture and language that we now know as Punic. This new people would play an important part in the history of Northern Africa for the next 600 years as they reigned over land, sea and wealth. Their dominance would last until the final of the Punic wars, three of which were fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 BC - 146 BC, and ended with their defeat. Not only did the Romans defeat the Punic's, they would almost completely obliterate their culture, all traces of their language, and most of their technology. The word Punic in Roman times actually meant treacherous.
The area continued to thrive under the Romans rule, but ended up in piles of rubble and covered by layers of dirt and debris after the fall of Rome. For hundreds of years there was almost nothing left of the ancient city. And actually, though they have made strides in uncovering the riches and artifacts that have lain under dirt for thousands of years, progress is slow and only about 15% of ancient Carthage has been unearthed at this time. Which means maybe another visit will be in order when they have uncovered more. But for now it also means that you have to travel by bus to the sites that have been discovered and excavated.
The theater was our first stop. When the Romans ruled the land, there was a law that there must be theaters and forums in every town with a population of 5000 or more. This particular theater was for comedy/tragedy. There are others solely for gladiator fighting and horse racing.
Our second stop was a small, but wealthy village a short bus ride away. The land here is in good shape and it is amazing how many details are still beautifully visible. Unfortunately, the area, which includes the graveyards of the wealthiest of inhabitants, were ransacked years ago and now must be guarded at night. Thankfully, they didn't destroy the site, they merely took the jewels and gold.
The girls are sitting on the outside walls that marks the perimeter of the front garden of one of the main houses in the village.
The room above is the dining room. It is the largest room in the house and always had the largest doorway - solely for the purpose of being able to bring in the sheep, cooked but still whole, so as to impress the guests.
The atrium (above) and the rooms off of it were the center of the house where the family lived. The hallway (below) would lead out into the entertaining parts of the house, but not before you entered into another small vestibule. This vestibule was always guarded by armed men, in case one of the wives (yep, one of) decided it would be a nice night for a walk, or wanted to join the men at dinner. She would be immediately apprehended, taken to her husband and probably beheaded in front of their guests.
Thankfully, my girls don't live in such times and felt free to do as they pleased without the threat of losing their heads.
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| One of the sarcophagi that was looted. |
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| Interesting how different even the license plates were. |
Once again we boarded the bus, and this time traveled to the highest point in the town of Sidi Bou Said. Famous for their whitewashed walls and blue doors (it reminded me of Mykonos, only a bit more run down). It is an artists village on the sea and where most of us did our shopping for souvenirs. Because we had small children, it was recommended that we shop here instead of going into the Medina (the large and must more famous market). The Medina can be loud and overwhelming for even the adults so it could be troublesome for children. And I am actually glad we took their advice. The markets here were still beautiful and we also had the added bonus of knowing that the products sold here were authentic. The artists that display their works within the shops are from the art schools in Tunis and the money goes to support their continuing education. A bit pricier but I am OK with that when it goes to the right places.
We wandered, we snapped some pictures and marveled at the views. We selected our souvenirs and then spotted the perfect lunch spot. High up on a roof top terrace, overlooking the sea, with sun shining all around. We slaked our thirst, sated our hunger with authentic couscous and were blessed to be right there when the call to prayer sounded. Simply Amazing. There are no words to describe how magical and peaceful it was to experience something so powerfully overwhelming. It was a once in a lifetime experience and I know the girls and I will never forget those moments.
Our time was drawing to a close, but we still had one more adventure. After we went through immigration (we had to re-enter the EU after all) and emerged at the dock, we were greeted by camels! For only about the equivelent of $5 we could saddle up and take a short ride. How could we say no?
The three girls went first...(MadHatter isn't scared, she just had to lean way forward to hold on)...
Then the Mama's got to ride with their girls. Though, Stinkerbell had decided that the one ride was enough, so it was just me and MadHatter.
Back on the ship. Overwhelmed with all we had seen today, we completed our journals, had some dinner and fell into bed. Exhausted. Excited. And especially appreciative of all we got to experience today.
