16 November Tunis North Africa boat from Palermo

I met the day with grim resolve, we had to be at the Grimaldi Lines office at 730 am.
The walk would take 30 minutes. We grabbed a coffee and croissant checked out (another 24 euro tourist tax) and walked on fairly quiet streets.
There was a line up and eventually we showed the attendant our passports and she handed us tickets and told us to take them to the police and casually waved the direction
It was a long and confusing walk to find the police who turned out to be at the ship. Yes we showed our passports to some police standing beside the ship and eventually climbed five flights of stair to the fifth deck, all very confusing, where were the seats?? All kinds of people were laying on the floor, some had blow up mattresses and the only place to sit was the cafeteria where people were sleeping on all the banquettes but there were empty chairs. So we staked ourselves out a table and sat down on the kind of hard chairs. It's now 830 we don't leave til 1030 and it's a twelve hour crossing.

Jeff went to stand on the deck and after a time a lady approached me and asked if I was alone. Please sit I said my son is with me. So we spent a delightful day visiting with a phenomenal 80 year old American who is traveling alone. Diane from South Carolina, fearless, funny, age defying, force of nature. She was everything we love about Americans, friendly, confident, enthusiastic. She has been everywhere and loves to travel this trip will be at least three months. She had a room booked on the boat maybe an extra 30 euro and from time to time went there to rest. It had sleeping space for 2 people and a private bathroom so we should have got just one of these in hindsight. But we were ok.
There were very few Europeans on board, very few women. Apparently the bulk of the passengers work in Italy and are going home for a holiday. They were loaded down with luggage and bags and just brought out their own food and dug in. There was a dining room but it never opened but there was a fairly busy bar and a snack bar. Lots of people didn't buy a thing,there was no expectation that we needed to make a purchase but we did buy coffee and water.

A lot of the cars were completely loaded with stuff including stuff like bikes and sinks (plural).

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We were late leaving Palermo. The first several hours we were near Sicily.


Getting off was also confusing a long walk to the passport check, our luggage went through an ex-ray plus we had to open our luggage. Our passports were checked at three separate points. Eventually we enter a terminal and immediately are met by taxi drivers. 30 euro. No I walked away but when the same guy chased us and said twenty euro I said ok. It's 1130 pm. We are in Africa, we don't have any local currency and in fact you are not allowed to bring in or leave with Tunisian donar.
Get to our hotel the man at the desk speaks Arabic and French. They want payment in cash, no credit cards. I can get the cash tomorrow. Our room is small, two beds, nowhere to hang anything and the bathroom smells like sewer.
But now it's midnight I pull the sheet over my head and go to sleep

What a week this day has been!!
I did sleep. First thing I did was complain about the smell. I put it in writing so I could translate it into Arabic for the manager. He reminded me to get the cash to pay for the room. Long walk, confusing, bank machine didn't want to give me the money. Finally had to take it out in increments which is costly. What a pain. Went for coffee and of course they don't take credit cards this is a theme here.
Went back and paid, the manager sent the cleaning lady in - she mopped and opened a window - it's a sewer smell. The window being open helps but doesn't feel secure as we are on the ground floor.
I was hoping we'd get a different room
I used Google translate to ask manager a few questions, very vague answers but eventually he took my phone and typed in his own message which included his phone number, he was off tomorrow and he could show us beautiful and historic places. Wow this is a dilemma and I don't want to offend him but also wonder what's the catch so I respond in writing very kind of you but we don't want to impose. So now it's awkward but he's off tomorrow so I can complain to the new person about the smell and also ask questions.
Off we go to the old town, the soul, the Medina, it's a hike. On a street corner I spot our American friend, what are the chances?

She wanted to change money but it's Sunday and a lot of things are closed. Including money changers. We walked to the Medina together. It's a bit dirty, lots of garbage, you are constantly being asked to buy something. People walk beside you, chat you up, oh here is my perfume shop, etc. so we made the mistake of sniffing some oil and I am now the proud owner of a small vial of jasmine.



We walked Diane all the way to her bed and breakfast, she lives on the other side of the Medina. Hey she's 80. Then we made our way home and most restaurants are closed so we ended up getting street food, a mistake for me, stomach issues after, this is not the cleanest, lots of flies, no sneeze guards, it's hot. I am underwhelmed by Tunis maybe Carthage will restore my interest, and it doesn't help that we live in a grubby area and our room stinks. Lots of women wear scarves here, not all, but totally obvious we are in a Muslim country, way more men out and about, some coffee places have only men. This sewer smell is fairly common - something to do with toilet trap.

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