Carthage and Sidi Abu Said (and some more Tunis!)

Howdy team - it's about 1030 over here (hostel address ... Mom) and I've enjoyed a lovely day today after being emo and despairing last night.  Thanks as always to Corinne for being my shoulder, however virtual, when I'm slogging along.  As always, a chance encounter with an English speaker - Jules from Australia this time, he shortly saved James from the UK from a dangerous encounter with some touts about town :) and the three of us wandered blindly towards the ruins of Carthage (which was a bit disappointing - 'not a stone upon a stone' as they said.  They were a bit cheesed after Hannibal nearly took over - the great Pyhrric victory (at Pyhrrus I think) where Hannibal won the battle without enough men to cover his ground, and ultimately lost the war.

Anyway - here are some photos of Carthage:

What was left - excavated about 50 years ago by the Italians I think

Incredible views - the old city was very strategically placed

Sunset over western Tunis

Well before we got there - notice if you will the lovely sunsets - we we overtaken on our train out of Tunis by three Tunisian woman.  One sitting in our threesome on the train interrupted and told me I had beautiful eyes (my blushes).  While I was unavailable (which I confessed to upon questioning), they did lead the group of us around Sidi Abu Said, a lovely town last Carthage.  I'm still working out the Tunisian geography, but there is a lot of water, and this place is at the end of it.  They suggested we go there rather than Carthage and they were right - it was lovely.  Everything was white with blue trim (at the government's request/demand but who's counting?).  It was very Mediterranean, picturesque.  Here are some photos of it, along with our friends for the day.

What a lot of the doors looked like

It was quaint as hell - almost sick/sweet with it

Blue!  

People actually lived here!  Though lots of the houses were vacation houses for the rich boat owners

The great blue Med

Port!

Us and our guides - I should have written down names, but oh well - in the back is me, Jules and James

While I was, as I mentioned, struggling a bit last night, and having a time with being away from people I could connect with much less talk to, worked on being as open as I could, while taking it really easy on myself.  I met Jules while looking at a resort type place south of Tunis which has laundry service - and scuba diving.  Both are on my list.  The price for 4 star hotels is about 28$ per night, so I'm thinking it's time for a few nights out there.  It felt good to look at a break, especially considering it is so cheap.  I wrote them to inquire about it all and hope to hear back tomorrow morning.  I plan to head there Sunday morning, after a drive around with Jules tomorrow to see more of the country.

He was a great guy to bum around with today - he was very conversational, and between him and the Brit there wasn't much of a dull moment which was fine by me.  He made some great suggestions about how to travel Egypt (join groups, being alone gets you hassled, what to pay for taxis, water, etc).  It sounds like an intense place and I am glad I'm working my way up to it by going easy these next few days.

I'm gonna stick some more Tunis photos here cause there isn't really a better place.

Train to Moroccan Airport - also got my fever on at the kiosk outside Carthage ruins!  Oh baby!

Gate at the entrance to the medina

Giant clock thingy

James had kind of an interesting story - he is teaching English to employees of his father's something or other in Libya.  He is bored out of his mind, but he is making bank and hanging out with lots of Libyans.  He said Libyans are incredibly friendly people, very eager to welcome westerners and to demonstrate that they are not their government.  I was asked today point blank by one of our guides if I was racist towards Arabs before coming to Tunis, quite casually.  I told her no, I saw the people and governments as different, and didn't see why being prejudiced towards Arabs did anyone any good.  I pointed out that some in the US were, quite likely as some in Tunis were towards the West.  Finally, Jules mentioned that of all the people he had met (and this man had been everywhere, most of Africa, SE Asia, China, Russia, Europe, everywhere) he said Syrians were the most friendly, followed by the Lebanese.  This is not to start a debate over who is friendlier, but I think it is worth noting that the US (and lots of Western countries, but I see the US most) has notions about the middle east (and sometimes visa versa) but that Jules, who is white white white was received extremely well throughout his trip through there.  While I expect to be travel-sore by the time I get there, I am also eager to bring home my own story of what the folks there are like.

One final note - back at the hostel before coming downstairs to write this I chatted a bit with a Swiss fellow who is on his way to Morocco!  He asked my thoughts on where to go and how and I talked to him a bit, over-eager to be the direction giver after so often asking and being patiently lead along.  He welcomed me into that inner sanctum of travelers who have enough (laughably small in my case, but still) to be of service to other travelers.  As F Scott put it - he casually conferred on me the freedom of the neighborhood!  Be well!