After a brief exploration of Tunis, Christi and I are back on the trains today, and this time we’re riding the Tunisian rail network just about as far as you can go: from Tunis on the Mediterranean coast to Tozeur on the edge of the Sahara desert.  Yet again we treat ourselves to a first-class ticket, but as the cost is only US$17 pp, it is well within budget.  Train travel is clearly popular because the carriages are packed. Having said that all we see are locals, there are no tourists and no backpackers in sight. This appears to be a feature of Morocco, Tunisia (and from previous experience) Egypt. Most tourists arrive on organized tours and they all travel in private air-conditioned coaches. Backpackers are a rarity, which is good and bad. The good part is that like today we are the only foreigners on the train. The bad part is that very few backpacker facilities exist.

Initially the train follows the coast south to the regional capital of Sousse. At this point the train does an odd thing: it reverses out of Sousse station and continues going ‘backwards’ for the remaining 6 hours of the journey. Further south is the town of Sfax, which is surrounded by olive orchards. In ancient times olive oil production hereabouts (and later sold to Rome) brought huge wealth to the region. Beyond Sfax, we head inland leaving the fertile plains around the coast behind and exchanging them for desert terrain. As we travel deeper into the desert we go, the crowd aboard the train thins appreciably. It’s a very pleasant journey, although once again the locals try to rip us off. This time it’s the guy running the trolley car. It’s only later during the journey that I realize the guy has charged me three times the usual cost for a sandwich and drink. When I confront him he backs down immediately and looks particularly uncomfortable as he returns my money. Unbelievable.

Tozeur train station is virtually deserted and Christi and I have no idea where to go. Fortunately a lone taxi appears out of the dust and takes us to our chosen hotel, the Residence Warda. Here we organize a rather special tour for tomorrow, but for the moment we use the little time left to us to explore this large oasis town. And there are no end of caleche (horse-drawn carriage) drivers willing to show you around. We succumb to temptation eventually (well it’s easier than saying no all the time). The palmeraie in Tozeur is massive and has been in existence for more than 900 years. Most of it has been sectioned off and ownership has historically been passed from one generation to the next. This is changing now, though as both large hotels and wealthy individuals are buying up and developing parcels of land. Our caleche driver engages in a little trespassing as he shows us what is hidden behind the tall fences. Not only are there palm trees, but stands of pomegranate, grape, and apricots.  Vegetables (onions, courgettes, lettuce and tomatoes), roses and brightly colored bougainvillea also add to the fecundity on display.  An intricate irrigation system was developed centuries ago to ensure the palm trees and other plants received sufficient water.

Water is of course a major challenge in Tunisia as the country attempts to cope with climate change. The government even has a mascot to support environmental conservation. It’s name is Labib and he is a desert fox. Statues of this character are found all over Tunisia (at least they were prior to the Arab Spring) and there is one in Tozeur. Dressed in a blue jumpsuit and armed with a purse, this long-eared character is an odd-looking advocate for environmental causes. Perhaps this is why he was done away with in the post-Arab Spring world. We finish yet another busy day in the Old City, and while the intricate geometric patterns and yellow/brown brickwork facades on the walls and houses look impressive, they also look as if they were built yesterday.

In anticipation of an unforgettable day tomorrow, I go to bed dreaming of a galaxy far, far away.

Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching tale of love and test tubes. 

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