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Sunrise over the palms at Tozeur.
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Each morning . . .
our room is filled with a lovely warm glow as the sun comes up
over the palmerie.
We are staying at the Residence el-Arich, a pleasant hotel that
backs on to the date palms that grow around this thriving western
Tunisian oasis of Tozeur.
We have breakfast on the roof of the hotel and then there is
plenty of time afterwards for a walk through the green of the
oasis.
Its date picking time. The workers spread a huge tarpaulin
under the trunk and one climbs to the top to cut the long spindly
date stalks and then drops them seven metres to the ground
below.
There is plenty to see and do in Tozeur. The old labyrinthine
quarter, Ouled el-Hadef, is well worth a visit to see the
striking brickwork that sets this town apart. The brick
patterning is repeated in the newer part of the town and you can
also see it in the unique carpets that come from around this
area.
For the shop-till-you-droppers, there are more than
enough carpet and souvenir shops, and a government store where
you can check what is a reasonable price. The Zoo du Sahara and
Jardin de Paradise are on the southern side of the palmerie, and
the walk will let you appreciate the quietness of the oasis, and
enjoy the sound of running water and the birds darting
around.
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Dinner at
Mohamed's
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The Museum Dar Charait is a must. Divided into three sections,
we visited the ethnographic area that also includes a small art
gallery featuring Tunisian painters, and then in another section,
we were charmed by the stories of the Arabian Nights.
Our days usually finished at the 'Capitol Restaurant'
where Mohamed looked after our needs, and although the
non-alcoholic beer made the water taste good, the food was
excellent.
From Tozeur you can make easy trips to the nearby oases of
Tamerza and Nefta, and you are not too far away from the Chott
el-Jerrid, the largest of Tunisia's dry salt lakes.
But those trips are for another day. Tonight we will just sit
and watch the sunset.
More Photos of
Tozeur
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