Getting to Tunisia
Monday, November 14
This time we're heading to Tunisia with Sandfisch.de, more precisely for 7 days into the Sahara.
What awaits us on this journey? By "us" I mean my wife Dany and me — Thomas.
Will it be a trip like "Hummeldumm" (a disaster) or an extraordinary adventure? Simple — yes, after all, no all-inclusive beach club awaits us. Rather, I feared an all-exclusive vacation. What can you expect from 7 days in the Sahara Desert, one of the world's largest sandboxes, without electricity, showers, toilets, or entertainment electronics? ... And above all, what do you do all day with all that sand? The Sahara is, after all, 26 times the size of Germany.
Shortly after half past eight, we meet Steffi from sandfisch.de at Stuttgart Airport — our tour guide — along with Simone and Frank, the two other fellow travelers.
From Djerba to the Sahara — Douz Oasis
After a 2.5-hour flight, we arrive on Djerba just after 1 PM. At the airport, our Bedouin Mohammed is already waiting with our taxi driver after the immigration formalities. The luggage is tied to the roof of the Jeep and off we go to the ferry for the crossing to the mainland.
Douz Oasis — Tunisia
Then the roughly 3-hour drive to the Douz Oasis begins, where we are equipped with a headscarf and water. Here we stroll around the souk (market) in the oasis for a while before being driven a few more kilometers through the soft desert sand of the Sahara to our campsite (Li Mezil near Douz) under the starry sky. After a short but entertaining Jeep ride over the first sand dunes, we gather around the campfire and are welcomed by two of Mohammed's sons, Ahmed, and a few other Bedouins with a pasta dish.
The First Night in the Sahara
After a few rounds of red wine and a few degrees Celsius less, it's time to set up the sleeping quarters under the open sky. We still feel fresh and clean — let's see how long that lasts. In any case, the night is extremely chilly!!! Some of the sounds are also very unfamiliar — for example, a kind of bubbling noise. The explanation follows the next day.
Steffi's tip: "It's best to just sit right down in the sand, then you'll get used to it straight away" — you should simply take it to heart.
Except for Ahmed and Mohammed, everyone else drives back home.
