Tunisia Travels

It is getting late; we must get to our camp before dark. Our bus takes us to Zafrane, the edge of the desert, where eight of us squeeze into a large 4X4 SUV for a half hour desert journey. The “road” is a ploughed trail that snakes around large dunes and bumps over small ones. Often the trail virtually disappears and the SUV fights its way through knee deep sand drifts before rejoining the trail. Much like a winter drive in Manitoba after a snowstorm, the ride is fun and scary. We arrive at the Mehari encampment just before sunset. The full moon is rising, and we are in awe. I do my best to take a few pictures in the fading light.

So why would we each pay twenty Tunisian dinar extra to stay in a bush camp risking sand storms, scorpions and poisonous vipers instead of choosing a comfy hotel in Douz where we could watch satellite TV? Can you see Elenore and me doing it any other way? All in all, the camp is quite civilized. Each couple gets their own tent, although a thatched hut is an option. A nearby fixed building has toilets and cold showers. Across the compound past the small swimming pool is a large kitchen tent as well as a smaller bar tent. The ‘hallways’ from bedroom to kitchen to bar are paths of the softest Sahara sand. We’ll never again know what ‘sand-colored’ means as we watch the hues change in the play of light.

After communing with our fellow travellers over a glass of wine in the bar, we enjoy another typical Berber meal which includes egg deep-fried in light pastry and roast lamb. The real feast is a full moon walk. In the spotlight from above, we stand on the tallest dune and sing a round of “By the Light of the Silvery Moon,” then breathe the warm night air and observe village lights in the distance. Below us, a Bedouin (likely a camp staff member) gathers palm fronds and stacks them for a bonfire. We have to leave at five thirty the next morning and sadly forego fun around the fire to squeeze in a short sleep lulled by cricket song.

We leave reluctantly the next morning, but enjoy the play of light across the sand as the sun rises and the spectacular moon show ends. The delights of the morning include: a drive from Kebili to Tozeur across the Chot El Jerid salt plains and a four by four trip into the Atlas Mountain to explore the mountain oasis at Chebika.