Star Dunes
With few vehicles, expert people, a good guide and mechanics, Territori’s last trip to Tunisia 4×4 has been successfully completed, combining four stages of navigation through the dunes of the Great Eastern Sahara Erg with sightseeing at monumental sites. By : Lluís Astier / 4A PRESS
The most common way to get to Tunisia is by boat, setting sail from Marseille’s Port Vieux and after 22 hours of sailing. Leaving on Saturday morning you arrive on Sunday at a good time to complete the first stage of the link to the South. The expedition organized by Territori 4×4 was made up of 11 off-road cars, a Patrol GR that traveled from Portugal, a Mitsubishi from Albacete and a Galloper, a Navara, a Defender, plus six Toyotas from the area of Catalonia.
Tunis – Tozeur ( 520 km )
I disembark in Tunis at the Port de la Goulette and patiently pass the police and customs controls. The latter with the participation of a friendly police assistant, who facilitates all the procedures and in gratitude is rewarded with a voluntary contribution of about 10 dinars. Once regrouped outside the port, the route by toll road to the surroundings of Kairouan is undertaken. The city of Kairouan is one of the Holy Cities of Islam with its impressive 8th-century Grand Mosque and The Barber’s Mausoleum, a jewel with its mosaic plinths and plasterwork. It is also the city of reference for the artisanal manufacture and sale of carpets. Continuing by road we pass through Gafsa and arrive at dinner time at the Ramla hotel in the tourist area of Tozeur.
Tozeur – El Faouar ( 228 km )
We set off in the direction of the dunes of Oung el Djemel, where some of the exteriors of the movie “Star Wars” were filmed, visiting the poorly preserved remains of the galactic sets. After refueling at Nefta and passing the town, a friendly policeman warned us of the danger of being trapped in the mud if we tried to drive along the track that borders the Chott El Jerid to the west. Following his indications we continue to Hazoua on the border with Algeria, turn south along the military track in the direction of Matrouha and continue by road to the picturesque village of El Faouar. On the way back we learned that several vehicles participating in the Tunisian Rose were trapped for more than a day trying to cross the Chott El Jerid, including the off-road assistance truck.
El Faouar – Ksar Ghilane (193 km in four stages)
After a typical meal and the meeting with the guide and the two mechanics, the route to the adventure of navigating the dunes was undertaken. Two groups of six cars each were formed. A Territori 4×4 car with the native guide as co-driver opened the route of the first group. The second group followed ruts at a short distance and the other car of the organization and that of the mechanics closed the expedition. At the first contact with the sand, the tire pressure was lowered by 1.5 atmospheres, driving carefully so as not to de-rim. Trying to follow a route through some planned Waypoints, the dunes were attacked straight ahead as a roller coaster or winding looking for the hills between them. In the multiple traffic jams, the system of first desanding the underbody with blades was followed, shaking the car and then pushing by hand or pulling with the winchs, using the slings on exceptional occasions so as not to punish and burn the clutches. Breakdown of difficult solution in the middle of the desert. In the frequent regroupings, the groups were rearranged, trying to intersperse the cars with winches with those that did not have one. During the stages through the dunes, thanks to effective self-discipline, strict schedules were met, target at 6 a.m.,
Breakfast and at 7 everyone on the move, looking to stop and pitch camp around 5:30 pm. At 7 p.m. sharp, the sun was setting and suddenly total darkness reigned for a couple of hours until the moon appeared. In this interval of time you could see a magnificent celestial spectacle, a symphony of brilliant constellations and also the Milky Way. With the light of an almost full moon the dunes were illuminated enough to venture out for a short walk and get far enough away to lose sight of the camp. In this magical instant of absolute solitude we realize how insignificant we are and the greatness of the Universe. But in the sea of dunes we are not alone, we discover abundant traces of centipedes, dromedaries and also dangerous scorpions. We detect the poor human presence when we approach the few drinking water wells in the area, such as the one near the sacred mountain of Tembain. The Rebaiya tribes inhabit this area of the Great Eastern Erg in nomadic camps, moving up and down the Tunisian-Algerian border. They are of Algerian nationality and are the descendants of the invading Arab tribes Beni Hilal, who arrived during the eleventh century. They live very simply, in summer, not far from wells, in zéribas (huts) of dry branches and grasses, or in shelters barely covered with a piece of cloth or a few branches, very rarely under tents. They breed dromedaries, goats and sheep. Their dogs are the sloughis, small very fast Arabian greyhounds, capable of hunting hares and gazelles.
Ksar Ghilane – Matmata ( 207 km )
Ksar Ghilane is located quite far from the asphalt roads, it is an oasis with palm trees, several campsites of different categories and a thermal upwelling of sulphurous waters that forms a natural pool. Quite close by are the remains of an ancient fortification of Roman origin reused in modern times by the French Foreign Legion. Leaving towards Chenini we drive on a very groundbreaking track, suffering the effects of the “tole ondulé”, a broken shock absorber and problems with the steering of one of the vehicles. Only major breakdowns in the entire trip apart from dents and breaks in some bumpers. In Ksar Hedada we visit the curious agglomerations of overlapping rooms that were formerly used by the Arab and Berber populations as granaries, the so-called gorfas. Currently, the vast majority have been recovered and some are used as shelters. The Medenine Ksar was a former hotel, which was used for the filming of some scenes from George Lucas’ film “The Phantom Menace”. Today, for this reason, it serves as an attraction for tourists who visit the area. In Matmata we stayed in the comfortable and modern Hotel Diar El Berber built following the traditional systems of the area, part of the
rooms carved into the rock. Nowadays there are not many families who still live in Matmata, most of them, since the floods of 1969, have moved to Nueva Matmata but those who still remain owe it largely to tourism. The so-called troglodyte dwellings are very curious, as their interior is accessed through a tunnel that ends in a circular courtyard on which the rooms of the house, located on one or two levels, open. The rooms, excavated laterally, are isothermal, warm in winter and cool in summer. The traditional furniture is made up of pieces of plaster mounted on palm poles.
Matmata – Hammamet – Tunis ( 405 km )
On the way to Hammamet there is an obligatory tourist stop which is to enter the town of El Djem and park next to the famous Roman ruins. In El Djem (the ancient Thysdrius), there is a Roman amphitheatre in a very good state of conservation thanks to the fact that in later centuries, the area was always very poor and the few inhabitants only dismantled the smallest ashlars, which they could transport on the back of camels to build their houses and sheds. As on so many occasions, the current state of many monuments is not so much due to the erosion of the past centuries but to the hand of man. This large amphitheater had a capacity for 30,000 people. The measurements of its ellipse are 149 meters by 124 meters and it was the third largest amphitheater in the entire Roman Empire, after the Colosseum of Rome and that of Capua. Begun at the end of the second century, the building consists of three rows of arcades and two underground galleries with cages for wild beasts, quarters for fighters and warehouses. The arrival in Hammamet was under a real deluge, with flooded streets and traffic problems for cars. Luckily the waterspout lasted a short time. The well-deserved prize at the end of the trip that the organization of Territori 4×4 had reserved for us, was the stay at the magnificent Hotel Vincci Lella Beya. The embarkation in Tunisia was quite fast, the return sea crossing as calm as the outward one and used for relaxation, taking photos on laptops, celebrating a farewell dinner and commenting on the experiences lived. As a summary we could say that in the desert of Tunisia we have enjoyed some privileges that unfortunately we do not usually have, such as freedom, immensity, solitude, companionship and silence, a place where the passage of time seems to stop and invite us to have a reunion with ourselves, although sometimes the harsh reality of a car stuck in a dune wakes us up and makes us see how difficult and hard it is. is to live in these wonderful and inhospitable lands.
IN SHORT
Tunisia is home to about 10 million inhabitants, concentrated on the Mediterranean coast and in the fertile areas of the interior. Most profess the religion of Islam and speak Arabic. Berber and French are also widely spoken and in tourist areas English, Italian and Spanish.
The main cities are the capital Tunisia (1,850,000 inhabitants), Sfax (700,000), Nabeul (500,000) and Kairouan (480,000).
The currency is the Tunisian Dinar which is divided into 1,000 millimes, 1 DT is equivalent to approximately 60 cents of Euro, about 100 old pesetas.
It is a country as safe as Spain, with no terrorist activity and the further south and outside the big cities, the calmer and more hospitable.
The customs and police procedures on arrival are quite rigorous and slow, on departure they are much faster.
The toll roads are not very busy but with numerous speed controls, as well as on the roads, where you have to be very careful when crossing the towns and especially at dusk.
Fuel is much cheaper than in Spain, diesel at half the price. Except in the very southern areas there are no supply problems.
The food is varied, typically Mediterranean, similar to Moroccan. It is eaten very natural, vegetables and meat, especially beef, lamb and chicken. The pig is forbidden by their religion.
The national drink is mint tea, always sugary. Wine and beer are affordable but expensive beverages. The most popular beers are Celtia and Stella. Water is theoretically drinkable in cities, although it is best to consume it bottled, Saifa is the best known brand.
