Tunisia

So it's been just under a week in Tunisia so far. Of course the first day was mostly traveling, but since arrival we've had some great beach time and seen carthage and the medina, some good touristy things. Now we're trying to get off the path a little and onto the quiet beaches. It is off season now so really there isn't much in the way of crowds anyway.

No pictures yet, I need to load them onto my tumb drive for the next posting....

We found Tunis to be a great place. It's Ramadan right now, so that limits our ability to enjoy the food and cafés, but Tunisians make up for it at night with an almost carnival atmospehere of shoping and eating in the streets of Tunis. Was great to come back from the beach at 5, eat and nap till 9, then head out for tea and people wathcing on the streets. Wow, Tunisians love their shopping! I've never seen so many shoe stores side by side.

Currently we're just outside of Bizerte on the Northern coast, camped at a little ground just off the beach at Remel.

The weather has been (mostly) perfect, warm enough for swimming, but almost chilly in the evening (last night it was down right cold by niger standards). Night before lastwe had a bit of rain. Me, being in the tent with no rain fly, I had to scramble to find a dry place in the camp ground. Ended up sleeping on the walkway next to the closed caffeteria, but then had to move when it started to flood. Ended up on the covered area just outside the bathrooms. Was able to get to sleep despite the damp sleeping bag and was later awaken by the guard of the grounds telling me to go sleep in one of the rooms they have, which he had opened for me. It was a long and cold night up to that point ad I've got a bit of a cold to remember it by, but that's the adventure of traveling.

Next morning (yesterday) I got up to explore the shipwrecks about 2 miles down the beach. The storm from the night before was still hangning around, but looked like it would head inland. It gave me some slight mist on the way there, but as soon as I reached the wrecks it took an abrupt left turn, headed back OUT to sea and came right over top of me. I ended up seeking shelter in the shack of these two Tunisian fisherman hidden in the brush on a dune just above the beach. Here's me, soaking and these two who don't speak a lick of french. Conversation was just gestures and 'Bush... (thumbs down). Obama.... (shrug, we're not sure what to make of him yet body language).'

Hung out there,wishing I had brought the travel book which has a scant section on Arabic so I could learn a little, when the foreman of the company tearing up the nearest Wreck to shore came by. I was invited to come get a closer look and see thm pulling the wreck apart beam by beam and rivet by rivet. A lot of work.

Well my hour on the internet is approaching quick. I hope to do more short posts on route (with pictures!)

Until then.