Hotel Marhala Matmata

Well what a day. We drove in 4x4 to an oasis in the Sahara. Arrived in time to swim in the hot spring which was actually cooler than the air temp. At dusk we went on a camal trek into the dunes. K was terrified for about 10 mins and then was a pro (by her own estimation). It was blowy and we were well wrapped. Pics are on K s camera so I will put those up later. Off to Douz today.

Photo Essay mainly. Matmata. or the town of sunken houses. Not to be confused with the Matamata in central New Zealand, acknowledged hotbed and centre of rural wifeswapping. (It was in an Auckland magazine so it must be true) No wife swapping in Matmata thats for sure, They seem to keep them. Some have up to three wives ...

The next part of the trip was breaking into the proper proper South, and desert territory. We found out that there were three different types of desert in Tunisia; reg (rocky dunes), erg (sand dunes), and chott (salt desert ...

(NOTE: I've had WAY less internet access than I thought I would.. haven't been able to transcribe my written journals and post them, but I thought I'd just post the pictures to satisfy you guys for the moment. Keep sending me emails though! I'll send another email when I finally do post the actual writing. Love to all. -Chels) Today in brief: Left Ksar Ghilane ...

... Annoying little bar stewards. It's also teeny. Brilliant. Eveything is close to eveything else. You can drive the length of the county in one day without forgoing your dozen streetside grand cafes. And it better be small. The petrol is ten times the cost in Libya. How painful. You may, if you have a quick connection, wish to see the new Starwars movie before it comes out on the big screen:

Alquilamos un auto.....y nos fuimos a pasear por todos lados... geniallllllllllllllllllllllll. Dormimos en Matmata donde se filmo Star Wars (La guerra de las galaxias) Usamos el auto de colectivo y levantamos a todos los que hacian dedo por el desierto....

... dual moons of Tatooine. However here, solid stone walls form agricultural terraces rising up the surrounding hillsides and there is substantial greenery on them and in the valley below. Countless hills ripple across the landscape as far as the eye can see. By 1pm I'd arrived in Matmata. The Sidi Driss Hotel opened in 1968 and as it is at the ...