Dromader or "Luzh"?

That most of us knew about Tunisia more than five years ago? That this country is somewhere in Africa, respectively, there are crocodiles (not true). What’s there on the sands roam camels (though). What grow palm trees (perfect truth). There is a sea, a lot of sun and fruit – it fully complies with the truth. That somewhere there are ruins of Carthage, which "should have been destroyed".

Now Russians are not surprised by Tunisia. The names of Hammamet, Nabul, Sousse, Monastir – no longer amazed them with their exotism. They burned his magnificent beaches, accustomed to recover from domestic addictions under the shadow of dotnical palm trees and know what "Buche" – Pike vodka, "Shisha" – hookah, "Shash" – Desert Bedouin Headband.

But Tunisia, this relatively small country is surprisingly diverse. He has a richest story. In his land there were also unknown ancient tribes, and the Phoenicians, and Carthaginians, and the Romans, and Byzantines, and the Arabs, and the Turks, and the Italians, and the French. And everyone left the traces of their stay. Here – the ruins of the ancient cities and the ultra-modern quarters of the capital, the city of Tunisia. Here – cave inhabitants "Trogloditites" and masterpieces of Islamic architecture. In Tunisia – and wooded highlands of the west coast, and quiet grace of SAP BON, "Good Cape", and swimming in the azure sea island. Huge salt lakes and "Lunar landscapes" The surroundings of Matmatati. Multi-kilometer olive groves, palm oasis and infinity sugar.

Jasmine Budget and Sugar Smile

Talk about the comfort of Tunisian hotels and the level of the local tourist service for a long time. For Tunisia, tourism is one of the main items of income, and its inhabitants perfectly understood that if Tunisia – "Pearl of the Mediterranean" (so officially calls the country the Ministry of Tourism), then we must justify the obligations. In hotels – and luxurious, and more modest, in tourist coastal areas and far in the country’s depths – the purity, comfort and attentive service reign. The kitchen is magnificent, includes both national dishes (and Tunisian cuisine enjoys the recognition of even sophisticated gourmet French) and the works of European gastronomy. Tunisian wines are often not inferior to the highest Spanish, Italian and French varieties.

It is also important: this country is completely safe. East of her – Libya, where the half-sized colonel Gaddafi rules. To the west – Algeria, torn apart by sluggish, but bloody civil war. And here – calm and friendliness.

Explain all this only to the pragmatism of the Tunisians can not. They are endowed with innate rejoices and love for peaceful life. They are fairly rejoiced, seeing guests. If it also brings money – the better. And the income of about $ 500 is quite good for a country that does not abundant surplus mineral resources.

Jasmine flowers bouquet, plugged after the ear – an indispensable attribute of the National Tunisian male costume, a magnificent sugar-snow-white smile – a sign of a true tunisian. Women tunisian calls "Gazelles". But his hunt behind them is deprived of bloodthirstiness and vulgarity of the cantrying hormour.

So if the market for you will be pester with persistent offers to buy something, remember – this is half a game. Having bought something without trading, you not only pay twice as more expensive, but also violate the rules of exciting sports, the name of which is the Arab market. If you are joined by a flock of kids missing money, know that, of course, Dinar (this is a little less than a dollar) for them – treasure, presented icon or ballpoint pen – great fun. But with no less delight, they will play football with you or rather to talk about their school successes.

From place to place

Travel agencies carry customers on sustainable routes in very comfortable, equipped with air conditioners and other amenities of civilization devices of buses. But you may want to change the trajectory of your trip. In Tunisia, it is very easy. First, there are regular bus buses. But their schedule for a stranger mysteriously (in my opinion, for aborigines – too). In addition, they are usually crowded. There are railways, but with them the same problem. There are a taxi, but as it should be a taxi, ride it for a hundred kilometers quite consistent. You can rent a car, and it is very profitable if you are going to travel autonomously a few days. Weekly rental car in well-known firms like Avis or Hertz will cost about two and a half thousand rubles, but this is compensated for cheap gasoline: in Tunisia, he is two times cheaper than in Russia. However, for traveling for not very long distances The best way – louage, "Luzh", Route taxi. This is usual "Universal", Berking five to six passengers running on sustainable routes. And find "Lueah" Usually you can near the bus station. One hundred kilometers of travel will cost approximately five dinars. Amount, right for example, not huge. And the driver will be only glad if he does not have to wait for a sufficient number of rides, and you and your friend (girlfriend) will agree not to roast under the sun.

Russian "Muslim" in Kairhan

It is possible that you will find yourself on vacation in the city of Sousse, one of the main tourist centers of the country. Here are excellent beaches, hotels, golf courses and tennis courts, shops, cafes and a beautiful vintage center, "Medina", with fortress, mosques and "SUKOM", crowded bazas. But in sixty kilometers from Susta is Kairuan, the fourth after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem Holy City of Islam. It was founded in 670.NS. Arabic commander of Ubn Ibn-Nafsi, conqueror "Ipricky", That is, the Africa, and here is the oldest on the continent a large mosque Sidi-Upba, a colossal and incredibly beautiful architectural complex, where the pilgrims from the whole Muslim world flock on Muslim holidays.

Attractions and shrines in Kairian, except a big mosque, many. For example, Zathy Sidi-Sahab El Balauuuu – "Mausoleum Brandobrey": Here is buried "Satellite of the Prophet" El Balauuuu, nice because he always kept three hairs from Muhammed’s beard with him (yes there will be nice name his!). Or a graveyard with marble tombstones made as if from the purest snow – under a sultry African sky, it impresses. According to believe, everyone who has been honored to be buried here goes straight to heaven.

As well as – rows of shops selling carpets. Kairuan since the days of Middle Ages is famous for the most important center of carpetdom, and the works of local masters are great. And not always insanely road.

Usually, European tourists will be brought to Kairuan just minutes on forty. This is not enough to inhale the amazing, mystical atmosphere of the city, once conquered Andrei White and Zinaida Serebryakov. To at least, to talk with an old-handed gatekeeper of a big mosque. He asked me – you from? – from Russia – a, good, then Muslim! – Why? – Well, because Chechens.

I could not stand it, said: "Allah Akbar". I didn’t know anything else. An old man started to learn me to continue prayer.

Date and Fenca

And further south, towards the Sahara. Going there, you will almost certainly find yourself in the city of Gabes, surrounded by the only one in Tunisia Primorsky Palm Oasis. This is the kingdom of dates. Those ill-sweet grayish brown merchants that we are accustomed to have nothing to do with real Tunisian dates. Amber-gold, juicy, with a sophistic aroma. And besides, a palm tree for a resident of an oasis is all. Shadow, water that she saves its roots, trunk, bark, leaves from which all necessary for life. From the roof of the dwelling to the umbrella or oppache, saving from the summer heat.

Here, in Gabes, you need to use the services of the cab driver (jasmine bouquet, a sugar smile, horses in a multi-colored dress, an elegant stroller) and drove through the alarms of the oasis. Orange-emerald crowns palm trees, blue shadows crossing ohwood earth, water murmur in narrow channels. Women in dazzling outfits wash in them a bright purple radister in size in orange and fluorescent carrot to dinner. Chirping some iscin-black birds. And the horses pick up from trees framing the road, oranges and juicy cheer them.

But finally, the desert, the town of Duz, "Gate Sahara". The gigantic dunes approach close to the hotel, shimmer along with a sunset sky with all imaginable and unthinkable shades of colors. Here you feel: you are only one of the sands of this universe, stretching somewhere thousands of kilometers, whose name is sugar. You can, along with thousands of other grades, put in a bottle, which traded in the local market: Label – Le Sable de Sahara, "Sand Sakhara". Here you can rent a jeep and go to the distance – but take the chauffeur, without a conductor you risk getting lost in this endless space. It may be better to change clothes to the Bedouin dress, sit on a woolly back of a single-burnt camel-drromadera and for three hours to feel the proud sheikh, the Lord of the Desert.

And in the late afternoon, when cool, local adolescents walk with deserted chanters, phenkami, for a small MZDU, are being photographed with them. Fencakes, touching gray-yellow creatures with blue eyes and padded ears in the size of the etching abruptly impoverishly, are rewear "Vella", gently lick with hands elongated dick, "Finger Fatima".

Odyssey Island, Talmuda and Corsaars

Classical education in Russia has canceled long ago. But still, most of us read excerpts from the Gomeov epic at least in transcriptions for schoolchildren. So here, "Lotophhague Island", that is "Lotos dates" – This is Djerba. It is here Odyssey and his satellites, whom fate wore on the everyday seas, almost forgot about the fact that they are waiting for their homeland. Scientists believe that Ellina is not a lotus, but all the same dates. But not so simple. And without dotnics with Djerba I do not want to leave.

What it would seem, attracts this flat island with a launch of the mainland, overgrown with palm trees that does not abound? Not very clear. But this place is not for nothing turns into one of the most attractive resorts of the planet. Yes, and not one ancient Greek Odyssey is stuck here for years. In 584 BC.NS. Here appeared Jews who escaped from the Babylonian captivity, and built a synagogue whose name "Ghreiba", Perhaps the oldest one existing in the world. The building is new, but the Torah scroll, which is kept here – to the rarity of the ancient. And here is buried Shimon Bar Yashai, one of the compilers of the Talmud. Once in the village of Er-Riyadh surrounding Ghreiba, only Jews lived. Now they are almost left. Legend says that when there will be no Jew in Ghreiba, her rabbi should lock the doors and throw the keys to the sky. But every year, at the end of April – the beginning of May, pilgrims arrive in Ghreib. Let the rabbi do not throw the keys in the sky!

And in the XVI century, Djerba becomes a stronghold of the Clana Clan who wearing a name "Barbarossa" – "Red beard", robbed all Mediterranean. They were trying to recruit from there the Spaniards. Great Writer Miguel Servantes participated in the battles. But Corsair Dragut defeated the Spanish siege and from the skulls of captive Spaniards built a tower, "Burge El Rus". You can translate – "Castle red". But you can and how "Russian castle". Do not be afraid, now on Djerbe you are not threatened. Now it is a rapidly developing tourist paradise, the kingdom of rest. Here is the wonderful sea (the season begins two weeks earlier than on other resorts of Tunisia, at the end of April, and lasts until November), fishing, scuba diving, golf, idle wandering, dates and the mass of ethnographic-tourist amusements. As well as – international airport and close communications with the capital of the country.

I would advise the guests of Tunisia to do the horse’s walking around the tide, along the beaches of Djerba. Look at the lamb of the Mediterranean waves. Strong at least half an hour along the Sahara dunes. Feel yourself with a gazelle or stuck behind the ear bouquet of jasmine.