Travels in Tunisia - Part 2
Sousse offers a bit of everything – from modern-day shopping areas and beach resorts sprouting along the waterfronts, to museums, mosques, bustling bazaars, and the charming medina (the medieval city).
The Sousse medina, thought to be one of the finest in the country, is a labyrinth of winding, cobble-stoned lanes, encircled by magnificent fortified walls. The medina extends approximately 2.5km long and houses a ‘city’ of its own, complete with shops, houses, markets, restaurants, budget hotels, museums and mosques. Indeed, it was a city within a city and it would take an individual a whole day or two to walk through every lane within the medina.
Haggling for the best prices at souvenir shops within the medina was one of the most 
unforgettable experiences of the trip. Shopkeepers were very persistent and most items were priced 5 - 10 times higher than actual price. An experienced shopkeeper initially wanted to sell a sheeshah (water pipe used for smoking flavoured tabacco) to my brother for 320 TD (Tunisian Dinars) but eventually offered it for 70 TD after we turned away several times. On another occasion, a 10-year old boy tried to rip us off by demanding 1 TD per person for entry to the public toilet, which normally only cost 200 mils (the Tunisian equivalent of cents)! Not wanting to create a scene (coupled by the fact I urgently needed to visit the loo), we finally coaxed the lad to accept 1 TD as entry fee for the both of us.
Nonetheless, we did realise that the Tunisian traders were only trying to make a living. Most of them were actually very nice and friendly, and would hardly show resentment even when we refuse to purchase anything from them after lengths of bargaining. We came across many Tunisians who were very welcoming and eager to chat. A local bus conductor even paid for our bus fares to the city centre, expecting nothing in return but a friendly conversation.
Stationed in Sousse, we made several trips to nearby towns, one of which was Monastir. One of the star attractions in Monastir was the Mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba which houses the tombs of Tunisia’s first President, Habib Bourguiba, and his family. It's marble courtyard and walkway of green-tiled arches were designed to perfection, looking absolutely immaculate on the day of our visit.
In another nearby town, El Djem, we visited Tunisian’s very own Colosseum, apparently the most complete and well preserved in the world compared to that in Italy (Rome) and France (Nimes). The El Djem Colosseum, built by the Romans sometime early 100 BC, not only served as the location for gladiator fights but also for criminal execution (where criminals were at the mercy of wild lions). The glory of the Roman Empire was evident from the grandeur of this amphitheatre, which comprises 3-tiers of seatings, reaching up to 30 metres of height. While the view of the entire arena from the highest level of seats was truly magnificent, the dark catacoombs underground where condemned criminals awaited their execution, sent chilly tingles up my spine. This World Heritage-listed site was actually the film set for the blockbuster Gladiator, which bagged 12 Oscar awards in 2001. Unfortunately, I will have to leave you here. Taxi should be arriving in 10 minutes and I certainly don't want to keep him waiting.
I know I promised landscape photos of Tunisian desert in my previous blog entry. Will get to that in entry no. 3, after I get back from my trip. More photos coming, will keep y'all updated soon!
posted by Jacz @ 2:59 am
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