Tunis to Sousse, Monastir Kairouan and El Jam

I woke up before 5 am, checked out, and with Bolt moved to the main train station Barcelona, 7 TND=2.1 €. For breakfast, I took a croissant and water 3 TND=0.9 €. In kiosk cigarettes 10 TND=3 €. A ticket to Soisse was 8.1 TND=2.4 €. I was on the train for more than 2 hours, it was cold.

On arrival, I took a quick walk around the kasbah (similar to others) with fort-ribat (rectangular, basic shape, view from a tower) 8 TND=2.4 € and mosque (open partly, as fort with walls, 8th century) 5 TND=1.5 €. There I took a shared taxi and moved on to Monastir 2.5 TND=0.75 €.

Monastir is a small town where I took a similar walk. First to the kasbah then to the mosque and ribat (bigger, renewed, view from the tower), and time to move further on with louage to Kairouan, 4.7 TND=1.4 €.

This city was once the capital and it is still religiously important. I took it slower here. First I visited Abu Zu’ma al-Balawi Mausoleum, very nice interior. On my way, I stopped at some ancient ponds and a view from someone’s shop. I stopped at the Grand mosque with the oldest minaret in the world, but it was closed during the prayer. I also visited the governor’s house which was greatly decorated, now this is a carpet shop. Stumbled upon medresse, 2 TND=0.6 € donation.

Now it was time for the last move that day, to El Jem, but things got complicated. there was no transport to El Jem from Kairouan. My only option was to go back with louage to Sousse, 8.1 TND=2.4 €. When I arrived in Sousse there were no louages to El Jem that day. The only option was to take a train at midnight. I even tried a taxi, but they can’t drive to another region.

It was now time to wait for more than 3 hours and I was tired and not happy. Soon different people came to the station, even if it was early. Ticket to El Jem was 4.7 TND=1.4 €. I had to call the hotel because I was going to arrive after the reception was closed. It took some effort but I managed it somehow. When the train arrived late we rushed to it and it was overcrowded. without a seat, you would stand in an area at the exit, where everybody was smoking. I moved along seats and some guy let me sit on an empty seat beside him. I arrived at Julius hotel after 1 am, 49 €, exhausted.