Kit went to work, so I was off to Hammamet for the day.
I took a cab to the TGM station (a commuter train) and once in Tunis walked to the main train station downtown. Once there, I obtained info regarding the next train departing for Hammamet by phrasing my inquiries through a combination of pretend French - gibberish pronounced with an affected French accent - and wild gesticulation accompanied by facial exaggerations of mime like proportion. After verifying with at least six different parties I finally memorized the details of the trip and came to understand it's necessary to transfer trains to reach Hammamat from Tunis. Upon arrival, without a hitch, I immediately started the chronograph on Kit's green Timex ladies Ironman, (a wonderfully emasculating timepiece ) so as to keep track of the scant three hours I had to explore if I hoped to make it back in time to the station and catch a train that would have me back in Tunis by 7:00 p.m. Like most American travelers, I had through process of elimination created a Hammamat's greatest hits list from my travel book's listings. "Casbah, Medina, Beach, Casbah, Medina, Beach," I repeated until a sense of urgency and unease took over which did not subside until, well, I had seen and taken pics of Casbah, Medina.
Disclaimer: There are no pics inside the Medina because I spent less than ten minutes there. The aggresive selling tactics of the merchants turned what began as a quiet stroll turned into me constanly saying no thank you in Arabic (one of the two phrases Kit taught me) to everyone from 80 + year old leather goods salesmen to teens hawking soccer shirts.
Casbah:
Casbah wall facing the sea...
See below: Wanderlust... Germans are everywhere, case in point the Brauhaus Berbere. Hammamat has beautiful beaches but it's been developed to cater to large european tour groups on "holiday." This has led to an eerie similarity to cheesy american beachtowns like Ocean City, MD and Virginia Beach, VA. They sell fat tourists crepes instead of funnel cake.
The main drag across from the casbah and the beach...
The casbah engulfed by dreadful little stands that sell knick knacks and souvenirs:
Obviously not the train I took to Hammamet...
I had to get down low to the beach so I could take a pic that didn't show the souvenir stands.
I think they're on their way to get crepes...
The casbah engulfed by dreadful little stands that sell knick knacks and souvenirs:
Obviously not the train I took to Hammamet...
I had to get down low to the beach so I could take a pic that didn't show the souvenir stands.
Beautiful clear water...
The first of many self portraits. There was no one around to take a pic.
Back to the station at four to catch the train back to Tunis. You couldn't go in the station, it was locked, and I think someone uses it as their residence.
No comments:
Post a Comment