Tunesie zien en sterven...
We finally went on a trip to Tunesia.. It was something long overdue (and eventually 1 year too late too, what my aunt really rubbed my nose in it)
My grandmother died in 2023 and its a shame I didn't got to see her again. And thats the truth.
Positive thoughts:
- Nothing really has changed, only nieces and nephews did grew up.. (many, many, many...) uncles and aunts aged a little bit
(If I could calculate, I have about 20 nephews and nieces!)
- same hot, same streets (although, more concrete roads nowadays)
- nice hotel, nice swimmingpools.. bad bathingsuit, forgot the toothpaste, lost swimming goggles (Thijs) and some little PJ pants of Aurelie
- good sleep, good animation at evening, okay pina colladas =D (even Thijs liked the music and Aurelie the dancing)
- a hotel just for tourists.. with even a marching band and 'cheerleaders' for the National day on the 23th of July..
- lovely weather, good (not great) food.. a couple of great Tunesian dishes, but not much.. The kids liked the pizza and pasta though. But not me.
- hanging around Korbi family and making the grand tour of Monastir and Kairouan in just 2 days! Seeing so many familiar faces was great! And writing this down feels a little nostalgic and kind of sad. Knowing this could have been the very last time I went there.
- Did a nice tour in Monastir, relived some old memories from the old days (It was 25 years ago)
- planes, planes, planes! LOVED it.. AND passing on the love to the little kids =D.. You know.. I had to re assure T that planes DO have parachutes for everyone.. (think not!)
- a great experience with my uncles new wife who owns a well known bakkery in Kairoun who sells makroud. And especially these are SOOOO good.. we brought some home and I just love them.
I even got some tea, I do not love tea, but this was good tea!
- I urged my man for renting a car.. but nevertheless, my father went on and scared us a wee bit, so I declined eventually. My nephew came to collect us all the way from Kairouan! I owe him big time.
- there were so many gunned policemen on lots of corners of streets..
- our hotel was a little too far of the Medina center.
- I was (again) too late to book some TUI - experiences in Sousse itself.. so that's a shame I didn't do this properly..
- garbage everywhere - as far as the eyes can see..
- you can learn alot from countries with poor garbage and waste problems and also problems with stray cats that are roaming the streets... (and to this date they still have the same problems..)
---> but sidenote.. on our beach (Ostend) we had about 4000 liter LITTER from just ONE FREAKING DAY at the beach!!!! *Feeling ashamed alot*.. So its the same everywhere.. its bad, thats what it is.
I was kind of chocked the beaches of Sousse were so dirty and polluted with plastic, just everywhere!
- I did not get to see the old home from Memeti.. too bad.. my nephew that's living up above lost the key. what a shame. I did see just the front =)
==>I only have my fotographic memories of her house..
> the fridge in the hallway that used to zapp me, when I tried to open it..
> the toilet in the kitchen with NO TOILETPAPER NEVER, EVER, NEVER (only a small hose to clean your wee behind with water...)
>The sitting room where I used to watch RAINBOW BRITE or some other manga - Japanese dub =)
>The first bedroom where my grandmother dyed the bottoms of my feet orange/Red..
> The terrace, a small light square place where I used to eat or drink bad milk :O on a small blue and white table that was placed on the floor and you had to sit on the floor too.. the edges of that table where ribbed and you cannot place your arms around it because it's hard.. eating 'hobbes' with strawberry jam.. and yearning for some chocolate milk.. (I think we brought this along from Belgium, when I think of it)
> The second bedroom across the terrace that has a big bed.. the room of my grandmother I presume.
> the second floor next to the entrance to the home of one of my uncles, which his son currently lives in! And even a third floor.. (yes, it's that easy to put on some extra floors... :O)
>she gave me one of her bracelets of a dolphin.. one day back in 1999..
nothing to do in Kairouan but talk to my grandmother, that cannot speak one word of French of English.. so yes.. I was quite isolated.. days in Kairouan where at that time quite depressing and boring! Sad to say.. in the hours between 12 and 5 in the afternoon you cannot do anything because of the heat. so I did nothing. I did'nt realise Kairouan was such a great village/town until I searched some of it for preparations of my stay there.. I cannot remember much about Kairoun except the Mausauleum and then we were off to Monastir for weeks. Now I visited the grave of my grandparents, my aunt and nephew that died too..
I actually wanted to bring something with me to put on the grave.. but nothing came to mind of what pricesely, so I brought nothing.. there was a hearfelt moment with my uncle who recited a nice verse of the Koran and that was it.. it was beautiful.. I hope my grandmother felt my presence and my sorrow for not coming sooner.
- At the airport we had to give away all our dinar to the Douane, and get no euros, only a small waranty I will get this money back when I return.. luckely it wasn't that much.
- The airport at Enfida was soo big, but absolutly no people where in it.. I'ts mostly for tourists, not one local was there! just busses with tourists coming and going.
one week was just enough. Would you believe it that there are people just going for the hotel and not coming out!? Not the majority I think, but still lots of people.
Sun, sea, beach vacations are not my kind of vacations... i'm so looking forward to hiking in CANADA.. really (and some whalewatching too!)
The time spend with my family sometimes was quite forced.. And i don't speak Arabic, I can understand a few words.. but being in the flow, I understand quite more to my own surprise :) so funny
The kids were fond of the swimming pools, the food and the animation, but not the driving around part.. well what do you expect? overal it was a nice experience... and now i'm of to planning my stay in CANADA!
Impressions of Africa....👍
