Weather report: I have no words for how HOT it is here. So much sweating.

Good grief, there was an awful lot of blind trust going on today. A bit of a cluster trying to hook up with our tour guide after we got off the ship. The (somewhat coordinated) rendezvous involved Anna and I getting onto a shuttle, which took us to a random white van, which then took us to another car, from which our tour guide, Aymen, emerged.

Sidebar: Normally, I don’t get into unmarked random white vans (kidnapper vibes), but the guide on board was able to produce tour guide credentials, and there were other people from our ship on the van.

Aymen ended up being a great ambassador for Tunisia. He took us to some famous spots, and some “secret spots”. And I’m pretty sure we agreed to come back and see more of Tunisia with him. Aymen told us he’s very famous in old Tunis. Can confirm. That man seemed to know just about everyone.

First Stop: The Ancient Ruins of Carthage and Roman Baths

Carthage was once the powerhouse rival of Rome, but today it’s mostly columns, crumbled stones, and Aymen trying to get us to visualize what it all used to look like. Aymen knew all the things about these sites, but if I’m being honest, it was way too hot today for me to focus on very old rocks.

Boiling heat aside, was able to conjure the realization that these sites are a humbling reminder — even the most powerful civilizations eventually crumble.

This was a new one: went to use the bathroom at Carthage and was met by a male attendant, who was passing out toilet paper to each woman as she went into the bathroom. We were allotted six squares each. Single ply. Anyone have a square to spare?!?

Here Kitty, Kitty

Tunisia has a shit-ton of street cats. They are everywhere, and Anna stopped to pet all of them. I petted none of them. Not because I don’t like cats (I love cats), but because I don’t like parasites. Or rabies. Kidding, not kidding. The locals mostly seemed to regard the cats as a nuisance. Our waiter at lunch offered to ship the restaurant cats home to Anna, free of charge.

Sidi Bou Said: Tunisia’s Santorini

Walked through the beautiful town of Sidi Bou Said. Aymen drove us to the top of the town so we could walk down without “climbing a mountain first”. I really appreciate Aymen. Sidi Bou Said reminded me a lot of Santorini with its bright white buildings and cobalt blue doors. And throngs of people.

Aymen was very excited to show us the traditional doors of Sidi Bou Said. There were two knockers mounted on each door — one higher and one lower, and they each make a distinct sound. The lower knocker (used by women) had a softer sound, while the higher one (used by men) produced a louder, sharper knock. Might be practical, might be misogynistic. Might be both.

The Ancient Medina of Tunis: A High-Pressure Maze

Next: a walk through the ancient Medina of Tunis. SUPER glad we had a guide in there — without one, I’m pretty sure we’d still be trying to find our way out. Have always wanted to walk through an authentic gold souk, and can now check that off my bucket list. Aymen made a b-line to one particular gold souk. I’m all but positive this is part of an orchestrated system: tour guides bring clients to a store where they are friends with the owners. I wasn’t in the mood to shop around, and the sales at this souk were decidedly low-pressure. Anna and I each found a gold ring, and I think my ring might be my favorite purchase from our trip. So thank you, Aymen.

However.

Did not enjoy the high pressure, tag team rug sales. After specifically telling Aymen we did not want to shop for a rug, we were ushered into a store with a special rug room, and given mint tea — “for hospitality” (btw, mint tea is fantastic). And then the rug show began. Rug after rug after rug after rug. I had to say no eleven different ways, each one more ridiculous than the last. I think I ended on, “my husband doesn’t allow me to buy rugs on Thursdays”. And we finally escaped without buying the rug we didn’t ask for.

Sardinia tomorrow!

Travel date: June 12, 2025