Tunisia – It’s a Wrap

Why Tunisia?, everyone said.

We were encouraged to visit Tunisia because of its natural beauty, its history and its archaeology. After two weeks traveling around Tunisia, we did see many beautiful and interesting places. And we learned a lot about the history, architecture and culture.

But in the end, it was the people we encountered that we will remember most.

So, we end this series with a gallery of faces that, we hope, gives you a glimpse into what Tunisia is really all about.

The Tunisian people are truly some of the warmest and most hospitable we have ever met anywhere. Wherever we went, we were always met with friendly greetings. They were always curious about where we came from. They are used to seeing European tourists, but see very few Americans.

When they learned we were American, they became even more friendly and engaged. They wanted to hear about America and what it was like. But more importantly, they wanted to tell us about their country and share with us what made it special.

Tunisia has its share of economic and political problems. Many people have been severely affected by this over the past decade, especially in the tourist industry. In spite of this, most everyone we met had a cheery disposition and we felt like they wanted to share whatever little they had with us. This little anecdote pretty well encapsulates our entire experience in Tunisia.

One day, we were browsing in the central market in Djerba. We ran across one of the food servers from the hotel where we were staying, who recognized us. Even though it was his day off, he was excited to show us around the market and tell us about all the unique arts and crafts on display.

After spending a bit of time with him, he was very disappointed to learn that we were leaving the next day, because he wanted to invite us to his home to have dinner with his family.