Tunisia Itinerary

So I'm sure most of you are quite curious to know what in the world I'll be up to while in Tunisia for spring break. And let me tell you, it's A LOT! I figured it would be a good idea to share with you guys my Tunisian Itinerary so you can kind of following along with me during that week because I won't have a computer to keep you updated while I'm off riding camels. So here's the skinny on what to expect:

Friday, Feb. 26
Meet at Fiumicino Airport at 7:45am for check-in
Depart on Tunisair flight #753 at 11:05am
Arrive in Tunis/Carthage at 12:20pm
Bus to Medina of Tunis for visit
Depart for Sousse
Arrive at Hotel El Hana Palace
Dinner in Hotel

Saturday, Feb. 27
Breakfast in hotel at 6:30am. Depart at 7am
Visit El Gem
Coffee break in Mahres
Free Lunch!
Trip to Djerba (This is the Island of the Lotus Eaters in the Odyssey!!)
Visit Guellala, Ghriba synagogue, and Houmt Souk
Dinner in hotel

Sunday, Feb. 28
Breakfast at 7am. Depart at 7:30am
Visit Matmata. See a troglodyte house
View of lunar landscape
Lunch
Depart for Douz
Arrive at Hotel Sahara Douz
Optional Desert Excursion (which I'm doing!!) Depart at 3pm
- Arrive to camp site by dromedaries (one hump animal, not a camel exactly)
- Sunset on Sahara dunes
-Traditional Tunisian dinner cooked over open fire
- Folkloristic music
- Star-watching
- Sleeping in large tents w/ mattresses, pillows, etc.
- Sunrise of the Sahara Dunes
- Breakfast
- Departure back to Douz on dromedaries

Monday, March 1
Morning we have free time to either shop or sleep some more after desert excursion
Free Lunch!
Afternoon visit to Souk, Sabria and El Faouar
Dinner in hotel

Tuesday, March 2
Breakfast at 6am
Departure at 6:30am for Chott el-Jerid (6,000 year old salt lake)
Continue to Tozeur
Visit with university students that our professor also teaches. (She flies back and forth from Italy to Tunisia)
Horse and carriage ride in date palm oasis
Free Lunch!
Excursion in 4x4's to visit mountain oasis (Chebika, Tamerza, and Mides)
Return to Douz
Dinner at hotel

Wednesday, March 3
Breakfast at 5am, Departure at 5:30am
Visit various monuments in Monastir
Free Lunch!
Continue to Sousse
Arrive at Hotel El Hana Palace
Dinner in hotel

Thursday, March 4
Breakfast 6:30am. Depart for Tunis at 7am
Visit the ruins of Carthage and American cemetery, and the village of Sidi Bou Said
Free Lunch!
Bus to airport at 2pm
Depart for Rome on Tunisair flight #852 at 4:45pm
Arrive in Fiumicino airport at 6pm

The 5:30 departure day is going to kill me but it will be worth it. haha. I'm not a Stars Wars fan at all but I'm sure those of you who know it might recognize the name of the city or place that some of it was filmed at. I think it's at the end of the trip. So I guess it would be beneficial for me to download whatever one I need to and watch it so it at least makes sense to me while i'm there. I'm hoping I have enough memory on my camera because I would love to take videos of the desert excursion and maybe other places if they allow it. Our professor told us to be respectful about how they generally don't like their picture taken and it's best to always ask first. There are also some places that will let you take pictures as long as you pay. But it's very cheap there so it would be worth it since you get several places included and you only pay maybe 2 dinars, which is their currency. Apparently 1 dinar = .53 cents in euros. Which is like... 73 cents in dollars if I'm going by a .39 cent exchange rate. I forgot what the exchange rate is but I heard it's down in the 30's which is great if it's true.

Anyway so I have a lot o prepping to do to get ready. I think I want to buy a small backpack for the desert excursion which might also be helpful for future weekend trips with my classes. Our professor gave us a list of things to pack for the trip as a whole and for the desert, so at least it won't be a total guessing game. I can't wait for midterms to be over and to be in Tunisia! I really wish I brought another memory stick... Perhaps I'll try to pick one up tomorrow.

Ciao a tutti!