tunisia pt. 1

it's been two weeks back in malta after my one week in tunisia. it still hasn't really sunk in that i actually spent 8 days on a continent, in a country completely foreign to me. it feels more like a dream.

first stepping onto tunisian soil i didn't feel too culture shocked. one, the weather was as bright and sunny as it was in malta, two, being quite a liberal arab nation, the clothes and customs of the people, mainly in relation to women, were quite regular. the air of post-revolution tunisia seemed just as unnoticeable and ordinary as the air we breathe each day. it was a smooth transition from europe to africa: meeting amazing people, trying great food and relaxing in our quiet beach-front home that was lent to us for the duration of our stay.
 
however, there were two things that made me feel quite awake and alive, (as im sure it did for the two companions with whom i was travelling). that would be the driving and the random city outbursts the quiet echos of revolution past.

we were first introduced to the video-game like driving scene one night trying to find our way out of the tunis city center to our place back in la marsa. at one intersection, the cars would stop on a red light, but proceed anyways. it only got worse from there on in.

at other intersections citizen drivers and taxis alike would speed through red lights. the following days we were faced with chaotic city intersections where there was no regard for right of way, stop signs, traffic lights, oncoming traffic, or even police for that matter. 4 lane highways would become 6 or 7 lanes, and it was not uncommon to see cars barrelling down roads on the wrong side, or using the gravel shoulder as a new lane. cars would dart in and out of traffic and be inches away from collision in intersections as drivers seemed to continuously be involved in a game of "chicken".

although i think tunisia has always had crazy drivers, the huge decrease in the police force (including the ones who once ruled every street corner in tidy uniforms with whistles at hand) have lead to more chaos on the roads.

a congratulatory round of applause is needed for mark, the leader of our little tunisian expedition and the mad-man who chose to rent a car. (i'm not sure he knew what he was getting into at first, but he did fantastic and we made it out alive, and so did our car.)

to be continued in part 2...

a few photos:

the streets of sidi bou said, northern tunisian town

army trucks, tanks and barbed wire are still permanent fixtures along avenue bourguiba and throughout the city of tunis

locals gather in a coffee shop outside of the medina in central tunis