Tunisia - Ong Jmal, a camel's head in the desert

Tunisia - Ong Jmal, a camel's head in the desert

Longer article - quick overview:

Deeply relaxed and refreshed, we continue west. West always means the Algerian border. And for years, that has also somehow meant a queasy feeling. 

The German Foreign Office and also the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs warn against this border region from time to time. 

What we have learned in the last few years of our journey, however, is to look for additional sources of information than these fear-mongering websites. So we do some research and, after weighing up various sources, decide to travel to the border region. 

The police are omnipresent but absolutely not intrusive, they are really concerned about the well-being of the few guests and we feel really comfortable, welcome and also safe. 

So we take the road towards Nefta, but shortly before the town we turn off into the desert and after an endlessly long winding road (oh, how we love that!) we reach Chott el-Gharsa (another salt lake that is not actually visible as a lake). 

Mos Espa

We make a short stop at Mos Espa, which is probably better known as the location of some Star Wars episodes. Here it is very touristy for a short moment. Almost unpleasantly touristy.  

Before we get out, we are already besieged. Whether we don't want to go on a camel tour, buy something here, buy something there. When we first just want to look, we are quite rudely begged for money, chocolate or clothes by these same traders and camel owners. "You can expect that," the guide, who speaks pretty good German, tells us.

We try to remain friendly but consistent and eventually they let us go. Later, however, when we want to drink a tea and buy a loaf of bread baked in the sand, all the traders are playing football and are not interested in us. Well, then we make ourselves comfortable "at home", drive on and find a dream spot at the so-called "camel's head", a rock formation at the dried-up salt lake. 

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The camel's head

What an amazing backdrop, what a mega place to stand free. The sun is setting romantically, the moon is shining brightly and the stars are twinkling. Oh yes, and the cold creeps mercilessly first into Felix, then into my feet. But good thing I have a husband whose favourite task is to warm my feet.

PS.: Yes, we have now watched one of these Star Wars episodes every now and then. In the meantime I put a tick behind it, I've seen it, that's good. Mesa gotta be allowed to be opinion-free sometimes, right?

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Merci for "travelling with us

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Rachel
Rachel
1 year ago

Good morning to you two brave Felix residents! 🌞

Question:
What do they mean you can already expect that? 🤔
What ?

What I have heard from the locals on my travels:
Just the fact that you can be here, with a car "like that", or by plane, means you must be filthy rich.
Immensely rich ! 👑
And whoever is soooo rich can put at least 10 US dollars into the hands of every villager. 😉👍

A local could work all his life and try to save, he could not even afford to buy a tyre for such a car. 😔

Ah yes:
Police officers are also locals 😉

Take care of yourselves!
And to Felix.

Best wishes from Bavaria, now covered in snow.
And continue a good journey. 👍

s'Racheli

Heike
Heike
1 year ago
Reply to  Rachel

Good morning dear Rachel

Yes, what do they mean? I think they just ask and maybe there are also many people who bring something. Host gifts the other way round, so to speak. But we are always on the road for so long, if we had brought chocolate, we would have given it out long ago. (Or eaten it).

I can confirm that we are filthy rich, yes, we are immensely rich in comparison. But neither we nor the locals can help it. That's just the way it is.

The fact that we travel to the countries, that we report so much about them, that we just don't pay 599 € to TUI (instead of to the locals) for 10 days AI, is probably also because we budget well. But that's hardly something I want to discuss with the camel owner.
All in all, we have to say that so far we have really been treated very reservedly and friendly, if we leave out the medina in Hammamet and here.

However, both places mentioned are also visited by tourist buses, so life is a bit different there. Understandable, if I'm honest.

Kind regards - Heike

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