It seems like ages since my last journal entry.  That is because we have been in Tunisia since Nov. 2007 and haven’t had much to report.  But, since we are preparing to disembark and get “on the road again”, that is all going to change.

We have had some wonderful times in Tunisia, mostly because of the people we have met while living in the marina.  As always, it is great meeting new people and difficult to say good-bye.

Our newest and greatest news is the presence of a new granddaughter and the addition of a puppy.  Madison Lynn, Kacy and Chris’ first child was born on March 30, 2008 and I was fortunate enough to be there for her birth.  I will never forget the miracle of that experience or the joy I felt watching my daughter bring her daughter into the world. Thank you Kacy, I love you.

Brisa, our pup, is our second most exciting bit of news.  She is a Portuguese Water Dog, from Lagos, Portugal.  We met her mom and grand mom, as well as her owner, Rodrigo, while cruising through the southern part of Portugal last summer.  He knew that we wanted a Portuguese Water Dog, answered all of our many questions about he dogs and helped us contact local breeders.  He contacted us in December inquiring as to whether we had gotten a dog yet and when we responded with a no, he told us that he had just had a liter if we were interested.  She joined us on March 17, 2008, the same day I left Tunisia for Colorado and Madi’s birth.

I returned to the boat 3 weeks later to find Brisa very bonded to Michael.  She was not happy about my arrival and has been giving me a hard time ever since.  She went from a “consistently house broken puppy” to a nipping, deliberately misbehaving little devil!  Each day she gets a little better, but it is clear that Michael is the love of her life.

We decided to follow a RAW diet which consists of raw meaty bones, organ meat, ground raw meat, and protein vegetable/egg/cottage cheese etc. mush  consisting of just about everything I would normally throw away.  The main reason we chose this diet is because we often find ourselves in countries which do not have a high pet value and therefore do not have a good selection of dog food, where as we can always get chicken parts etc.  A very beneficial consequence of this diet is that her poops are not the usual steamy, smelly, dog piles of icky to pick up poop but rather small, odorless, dense, dry pellets which are neither offensive or difficult to live with!

Living with a “shed-less” dog is a huge advantage.  We do have to clip her though, which we just did, rendering ourselves a stuffed 1 gallon size zip lock bag full or beautiful black hair.  It is definitely a 2 person job and I learned that from now on I will have to wear my bathing suit while doing it because I had a thick layer of hair on my clothes which required a full roll of lint removing tape to clean up.

We have a few current “Brisa” pictures for your enjoyment.  Remember to click on the picture to open up the rest of the gallery.  Also, look at our new calendar, thanks to Jordan, and see if there is anywhere you would like to meet us.  The dates are “soft” and can be adjusted according to the desires of others.  We love company on board and look forward to hearing from you if you are interested.

Brisa is the newest crew member of Aphrodite. She is a Portugese Water Dog (Cão d’Água) from Lagos, Portugal. We met her mother, Buba, when we were in Lagos and bought one of her puppies from our friend Rodrigo. She was born December 14th, 2007 and she arrived in Tunisia on Monday March 17th via Luftansa Air Freight. Going through customs in Tunisia was quite an ordeal but Brisa is worth the effort and expense. She has wavy black hair with a white spot on her chest and one white paw. She bonded very quickly to me as I “rescued” her from her shipping ordeal. She slept in my lap for the hour long return to Aphrodite. She is adapting well to her new life on the boat. She sleeps in a kennel, poops and pees on deck and since she hasn’t had all of her shots she cannot walk on the ground for 3 more weeks. I take her in our dock cart or in a backpack on the bicycle. She loves riding in the dinghy and sunning herself on the deck of Aphrodite. Please enjoy the pictures of her posted on Picasa.

Our return flight from Istanbul was meet by our new friends Karen and Derek in a rental car.  We spent that afternoon visiting Dougga, a UNESCO World Herigtage site and besides El Jem, the best preserved Roman site in North Africa.  Originally a fortified Berber village (the name meant “pastures”), the Romans occupied the city in the late 2nd century BC.  There was an amphitheatre, cisterns fed by aquaducts, the compass based inscription in the “Square of the Winds” (showing the 12 winds cut into the pavement) and a magnificent Capitol with a peristyle in very good condition.  You could still see the chariot ruts cut into the stone streets.  History really came alive in a modern way for us in this ancient agricultural city and there were animals grazing in between the wildflowers and ruins.

We succeeded in converting a hearty, rugged, ‘of-the-earth’ desert trip into a cushy, comfortable, luxurious experience! 

The original plan was to rent a car, drive to Douz, ‘the gateway to the Sahara’, organize an overnight camel expedition into the desert, sleep in Nomad tents, eat simple food cooked over an open fire and really experience the whole desert adventure.  But, the more I researched, the more I learned that my plans were not feasible for this time of the year.  It is bloody cold in the desert at night in the winter.  I also learned that the most stunning area of the desert is about 100 miles south of Douz which would require at least a 4 day camel trip.   Most people rent a 4 wheel drive vehicle in Douz for the last 100 miles, but we decided to take a risk and just use our regular rental car (all rental cars are 4 WD by definition, right?) to make the entire trip.

On our way to our destination, Ksar Ghilane, we stopped at Matmata to see the troglodyte dwellings, where the Star Wars movies were filmed.  It was amazing.  The origin of these homes is known to date as far back as the first century BC.  The design is brilliant.  They are completely underground, a series of tunnels and caves, just like in the movies.  Some of the Star Wars sets are still there, although we did not see them. 

The dwellings are either sunk into the soft rock of a hillside or built in a pit-style construction into the ground.  All of the rooms open to a central courtyard, not unlike any typical courtyard design, except for the fact that everything is subterranean.  Imagine entering a main doorway, following a tunnel which leads to an interior room which then opens to the open air courtyard containing a fire pit and steps to rooms located on the second level.  

First we toured a troglodyte museum. Then we were taken into a local’s home where we got a glimpse of their lives.  It was such a treat to meet the matriarch of the family, an 83 year old Berber woman, who served us mint tea and flat pan bread straight from her simple kitchen.  Our plan was to stay in the troglodyte hotel used in the Star Wars film, but when we arrived we opted for a little more comfort and moved to an above ground hotel, my, we are getting persnickety in our old age! 

The actual trip into the desert was less demanding than we expected.  Having had lots of desert experience, our Australian mates insisted on packing loads of water, food and warm clothing, “just in case, mate!”  The only time we needed to traverse soft sand was at the entrance of our ‘desert resort’.  Other than that the roads were clear and well maintained.  The risk, of course, is that if the wind kicks up the sand gets blown into heaps, often covering the simple two lane road  Approaching it reminded me of all of the oasis pictures I have seen, sand for as far as the eye can see except a bit of green in the distance which gets larger and larger the closer you get.  The oasis is fed by hot springs and surrounded by towering date palms.  There is a small hot springs pool in the center of the camping area, probably heavily used in peak season.

Since it is the off season now, we had the resort almost all to ourselves.  The place is beautiful, very romantic and dreamy, but the staff is not especially helpful so we had to hustle up some activities on our own.  It didn’t take long for Angela or me to establish ourselves in the small Berber/Bedouin community of men who live in tiny huts selling local handmade Berber rugs or offering camel and horseback rides.  Angela’s contact came while she was stretched out on a sand dune enjoying the desert quiet when a gorgeous Bedouin man galloped up to her side and asked her if she would like to go for a ride!  Within seconds he deposited his young niece and put Angela into the saddle.  He rode bareback behind her.  Great story, don’t you think?  She negotiated a good rate for a 2 hour horseback ride for the following morning.  Meanwhile, I was negotiating a 2 hour camel ride for sunset.  All of us had ridden horseback so there was nothing particularly novel about it, other than we were leaving our footprints in the sand of the Sahara.  But camel riding was a first for 3 of the 4 of us.

Camels, now those are some disgusting animals!!!!  I had no idea.  But the experience was terrific.  I had read that camel riding was definitely not for everyone, so I was just a tiny bit concerned how my back and knees were going to do, especially after spending 2 hours on a horse earlier in the day.  But to my surprise and complete delight, I loved it.  The motion is much gentler than a horse.  But the animal….that is something different.  Just getting on the camel was enough of a hoot to make the price worthwhile.  We have a few short video clips for your enjoyment.   My camel was disgusting though; he gurgled like he had a gallon of water sloshing around inside of him, foamed at the mouth, whistled, hissed and had an incredible tongue thing going on.  It was really disgusting.  It looked like a huge, red, blue veined tumor which filled with air, hung out the side of his mouth and then receded back into his mouth.  No one else’s camel was doing it.  When I got home I looked it up on the internet and discovered that it was part of a mating activity!!!!  Gross.  Michael was able to capture a shot of it so look for it.  Other than that, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the ride.  I would definitely consider a several day camel trek in the future.

Now, a word about the incredible sand and the beautiful Bedouin men…. The sand, ahhh, unlike any sand I have felt.  If the sand on Siesta Key in front of Mom’s house is like powdered sugar, this is like talcum powder (Angela’s simile) or a pile of cinnamon.  There is no moisture content what so ever, so when it gets disturbed, either by wind or foot, it just billows up into the air and gently drifts away.  There isn’t any sensation of grit, until it gets into your eyes or mouth.  When I was running my fingers over it, it reminded me of the sensation my tongue feels while licking a soft serve ice cream cone, the gentle giving way of the top layer of ice cream on the slightly denser lower level.

Now, the Bedouin men, there just isn’t anything to say that a picture won’t say.

My Tunisian hammam experience was similar to and yet completely different from my Moroccan experience.  If it weren’t for Angela’s desire to go I think I might have skipped it.  How glad I am that I did not.  The basic set-up is the same, with women and children splashing buckets of water on each other, smearing muddy paste all over themselves and each other, scrubbing with rough mitts, followed by buckets of water for rinsing and generalized social exchange.  Exfoliation is a serious part of the hammam experience in Tunisia.  Babies scream and children (even preteens) are laid across their mother’s lap while they get their ‘everything’ scrubbed and rubbed and shampooed! 

What was so different and totally fantastic was the personalized attention we got from our assistant/masseuse and our opportunity to witness a Bride’s Hammam Party.   

A Bride’s Hammam Party is an all-women affair, similar perhaps to a bridal shower in the States but without the presents.  It takes place about five days before the wedding and all of brides’ aunts, cousins, friends, etc. are invited to accompany her to the hammam where she will be ‘prepared’ for her husband.  When Angela and I first arrived, our attendant tried to tell us that the event was going on, but since we could not understand her we were at a loss as to the message.  She kept pointing to Angela’s wedding ring and then patting her mouth with her hand making what sounded like an Indian war dance call! 

We were bewildered but intrigued.  Soon it became apparent that what we were witnessing was an age old ritual characteristic for a Tunisian bride.  Our full understanding evolved over the duration of our hammam treatment, enhanced by a bit of internet research.

The bride was behind the closed doors of a very small cubby room when we arrived, having all of her bodily hair removed.  Once completed, she emerged, draped in special towels and was greeted by her entourage with candles, incenses, chanting, drumming, dancing and the Indian war cry.  She was then encircled and escorted to another room where she was dressed in beautiful Caftan.  At this point she was out of our view, but we continued to hear the Indian howling periodically.  When we hailed our cab to return to the boat our cabbie mentioned that he saw the departure, a full procession of cars driving her and her relatives back home.

The whole experience lasted over two hours and we left feeling like we had never been so clean in all of our lives, a wonderful experience, both culturally and physically. 

Once again Aphrodite’s is singing with the flurry of activity.  John and Angela are with us now.  We met them in Sicily, the night before our ‘Big Blow’ experience.  They were the ones who came to our assistance after releasing our entangled anchor.  After they secured their boat they dug deep into their lazarette and retrieved a spare anchor which allowed us to safely ride out the rest of the storm.   They are recently retired Aussies who have just started their sailing sojourn and are, thus, brimming with enthusiasm.  They joined us for the passage from Sicily to Tunisia, fancying the opportunity to make a crossing with a few ‘old salts’ like ourselves.   

We arrived in Tunisia on November 20, 2007, following an uneventful two day crossing, and have found ourselves amongst a ‘wintering over’ cruising community.  Angela, the self appointed social director, immediately set off to meet everyone and by that evening we had a full blown party on the boat with tons of people.  The next day we joined a group of 20 cruisers for wine tasting at a local winery.  (A winery in an Islamic country?  We wondered that too!)  It is so nice to be immersed in a group of cruisers again.  Originally we were planning on leaving Tunisia in February and head directly to Israel.  But, heeding the local advice of some of these repeat-visiting cruisers, we will probably wait until April to depart with the other boats.  Apparently, sailing in the Greek waters before April can be very treacherous.

The four of us rented a car for 3 days and toured some of the northern part of the country.  We are hoping to go into the Sahara Desert next week.  Originally I hoped to go by camel and sleep in Nomad style tents, but it sounds like it is too late in the season for that, too cold at night.  Also, after looking at a camel and trying to imagine riding one for 4 hours at a time, my back and knees started to ache.  It is becoming a real challenge for my spirit to reside in this body!   We may look into a 4 wheel drive vehicle and even a bed inside an exotic tent in an oasis!  More later……

  Tunis was Carthage, home of Carthage’s leading general, Hannibal, famous for his epic crossing of the Alps in 217 BC with 37 elephants, when he descend upon and defeat the un-expecting and unprepared Rome Empire.  Later, Carthage was conquered by Rome during the Punic Wars. Since then Tunisia has been part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and finally in the 8th century A.D., Tunisia was absorbed into the Islamic Empire. Nineteenth century imperialism granted France the opportunity to take Tunisia as a colony. In 1956 she gained her independence. Today’s post-colonial Tunisia is encumbered with a hodgepodge of modern western culture, the Islamic Sunni, and traditional Arab custom. Now ruled as a secular state under the regime of Ben Ali, Tunisia seems to be searching for its identity.

So far, traveling in Tunisia has been much easier than neighboring Morocco.  We are not being hassled or continually conned as before.   A strong modern Western appearance dominates Tunisia, rather than the exotic third-world feel characteristic of Morocco.   Men and women mingle freely with each other as well as us, or any other visiting nationalities.   Two distinct societies do exist though, but are seemingly well integrated: the modern, Western, cosmopolitan society; and the traditional rural village society.  Yesterday I saw a tall, strapping teenager escorting an older, severely hunched rural Berber woman across a street.  Once crossed, he spun on his heels and returned to his group of friends.  Many women, especially the youth, are dressed in Western attire, while their mothers and grandmothers may wear hejabs (headscarves) and modest clothing.  The traditional hejab veil has actually been banned from schools and working women by the current president, Ben Ali, who regards them as demeaning.  Having said this, we have noticed that only men congrugrate at sidewalk cafes sipping coffee and communing, women do not.    

Islam is the state religion and thus the predominant culture as well.  However, it seems that most of the Tunisians are quite relaxed about their approach to religion, considering it a personal issue.   The Call to Prayer occurs 5 times a day, just as it does in Morocco and all other Islamic countries, with men and women flocking to the mosques to pray, but the pervasiveness of the ritual is much more subdued than in Morocco where the muezzin call is omnipresent… 

So far we have visited Kairouan, the 4^th holiest Islamic cities, and El-Jem where the ruins of a Roman Colosseum still stand.  The following are some of the pictures we took on our expeditions.   Today Angela and I are going to a local hammam.  I’ll see if it as vigorous and entertaining as the one Stephanie and I experienced in Morocco!  Too bad I can’t photograph the experience.  I am sure you would get a laugh out of it!

The architecture has changed from the imposing, robust earthen granite and marble constructed Roman buildings to ornate, delicate, detailed architecture rich in multi-colored mosaic tiles and intricately carved wood.  Our first stop was the Grand Mosque in Kairouan which is plain and unassuming from the outside but adorned with marble-covered pillars, intricately carved and studded wooden doors, vibrantly colored rugs and ornate gold plated panels.

The medina’s in Tunisia look entirely different than in Morocco.  The facades are enchanting with white washed walls offset by pale blue or green arches, balconies and shutters.  Bargaining is a way of life here, expected and enjoyed by the merchants.  It is essential to get ‘into it’ and enjoy the experience.  Angela has proven to be particularly enthusiastic and successful at the active.  One of the things Michael and I did was shop for throw rugs for the boat.  Kairouan is famous for their carpets.  We found two matching ones which we bought, after tons of bargaining of course.  They are gorgeous, match the interior colors of boat perfectly and offer special memories of Tunisia.

Roman Colosseum of El-Jem and a sample of some of the many mosaics unearthed when the Roman village was excavated.  These mosaics, made of tiny pieces of chipped colored stone, created incredibly detailed pictures which were used as wall coverings and floors in the wealthier Roman villas.