El Jem to Sfax, Gebes and Matmata
I was tired from the previous day, went to breakfast late, and returned back to bed to rest some more. I checked out at noon. The main attraction there is the Roman amphitheatre, the second biggest (after Colloseum) in the world, 12 TND=3.6 €. The north side is destroyed and now there are new seat built. The south side is in a better state and you can climb up stairs for some fascinating view or enter levels below ground where gladiators were. There I bought a few souvenirs, 10 TND, 3 €. Made a short walk around to the museum and mosque but nothing interesting.
It was time to move on. Now I plan to go first to Sfax, again no louage or shared taxi. I was back at the train station again, and the ticket was 4.7 TND=1.4 €. The train was late by an hour so I went for coffee and pineapple Schweppes, 3 TND=0.9 €. Only men in the bar, some playing dominos, some smoking shisha. At the station, for the first time, I saw more tourists. And again some more delay with the train, so I had time and called home.
I got on the train, nothing to report. In Sfax, I had one hour till the next train to Gabes, 4.7 TND=1.4 €. So I walked to Kasbah, visited the 1000-year-old Grand mosque, and back to the station. This train was late as well so in a bar I had water and some cake, 5 TND=1.5 €. Talked to two boys (geek and problematic one), and they jumped the fancy so they got a free ride. Now it was time for a 2-hour train ride, there I met a talkative girl local girl.
In Gabes I taxi to louage 2 TND=0.6 €. there is no option from there to Matmata at that time. I got a taxi for 50 TND=15 € for 42 km, driver miscalculated. In cave hotel Marhala Matmata I was late for dinner but the receptionist got me something (tomato soup, goat meat, pasta, salad, fried pastry, couscous, harissa, and bread). After this great dinner, I went to a bar for a local Celtia beer 5 TND=1.5 €, and joined the locals (my guide for the next day). An interesting evening, singing, drinking, eating, and stories, … The Night ended when I went to sleep in a cave, 32 €, a room just for me.
