The smell of spices linger in the air

Tunisia was amazing! This was a country very different than anything I have yet to see. Although Tunisia is in North Africa, it feels like you are in the middle east. After a 10 hour fairy ride from Palermo, we finally arrived in the capital of Tunisia...Tunis! But before I write about my experience in Tunis I have to mention the wonderful people we met on the fairy. We met 3 other travelers from the US who we decided to share our adventure with. Jane and Fred who are a married couple from New Mexico who have spent that last 5 months eploring many countries around the world and Celeste from Oragan who is a young single female traveller who is spending 4 months in total travelling throughout Africa and Europe. We spent the many hours on the boat planning the next four days we would spend in Tunisia. We arrived late in Tunis so we decided to find a place to sleep for the night right away and then walk around the city for a bit. This lady we met on the boat from Australia who had spent the past 2 months studying Arabic in Tunisia brought us to a hostel that she recommended. It only cost 2 dollars but trust me it was no deal. The place was very dirty and i was scared to sleep in my bed. The sheets looked like they had never been cleaned and this also marked the beginning of my goal to master squating to go to the washroom. The toilets in Tunisia are not the cleanest and most of them are nothing more than a hole in the ground. The first time I attempted to use this kind of "toilet" I urinated all over my pants. However, practice makes perfect right? So, everytime I went to the washroom I tried different angels to position my body and also tried various levels to squat until I found the best position that worked for me. Moving on...

We made it through the night in the hotel of hell. One of the girls with us even slept sitting up because she was afraid to rest her face on her infested pillow. But, we made it through the night although it wasnt the greatest sleep ive ever had. It also didnt help that we were in a shady part of town. But Im glad we slept in this hotel because it just adds to the exeperience.

We then took a taxi ride to the bus station. It took a lot longer than it should have. Tunisians like to take you on a joy ride to a destination that never asked to go to. Then they expect you to pay! We eventually made it the bus terminal and took a louage (a small van) to the city of Douz. It was an 8 hour ride but we got to see a lot of Tunisia. Although Tunisia is in Africa is feels more like you're in the middle east. When we steped out of the van, we were immediteley approached by men trying to convince us to book a camel trek through them. We decided to ignore them and make our way to a hotel that our wonderful and very reliable "Lonely Planet Tunisia" guidebook had recommened.

As a quick note: If you are planning a trip anywhere in the world, I highly recommened buying a Lonely Planet book for your destination. These books are great! They tell you everything you need to know about the country and recommened hostels, hotels, restaurants, tours, etc that have been recommended by other travelers.

After walking around for a bit, we decided on a hotel called Hotel 20 Mars. This hotel was very nice and the people who run it are very friendly and helpful. What is also great about this hotel is they run a tour company where you can book a camel trek through the sahara dessert for a very resonable price. After settling into our rooms we booked an overnight tour and camel trek through the Sahara Desert for the next day. Now...it was time to explore Douz!

The markets in Douz are really interesting and busy. It is definetely an attack of your 5 senses. There are people walking around in long gowns and turbins. You hear Arabic music playing that makes you want to stop what your doing and just dance. Everywhere you walk you smell spices in the air. There are many fruit and nut stands as well as many stores to buy traditional clothes and other items. I had a lot of fun shopping here!

While shopping for suverniers, we met these really nice group of Tunisian men. We ended up partying with them in their shop in the evening. They brought us mint tea (which is very tasty), we smoked the hookah (a pipe with a long flexible tube that draws smoke through water. It is traditionally used for smoking flavored tobacco), played drums, danced and drew henna. Mingling with the natives is my favorite part of travelling. By participating in their activities and traditions, you really get an appreciation for a culture.

From Europe to North Africa

Well I have a couple of hours before I need to be somewhere so I thought I would spend some time and write about my adventures in Sicily and Italy. Where to start is the question. Rome was really amazing and I cant wait to go back for another 3 days before we fly back to Canada. Our friend Gianluca lives in Rome and is an awesome tourguide. I have already mentioned in a past blog about some places we visited in Rome so I wont repeat that. Overall its a fun city and it really helps to have a friend who speaks perfect English explain the history of it all. Its a very crowded city especially because of all the tourists. However, you wont find many people wondering the streets between 12-4 because its siesta time! All of the stores close and people eat lunch and rest and eat some more during this time. Italians really really love their food. That is something I have learned very well. If your on a diet and planning on travelling to Italy...those two things really dont go well together. They also love their wine!!!!!! You drink wine all the time and as soon as your done your class they pore another glass. I would also recommened anyone flying to Catania to not be surprised if you lose your luggage. Im very fortunate to have gotten mine within a day but some travellers I have met said they still hadnt gotten them after 10 days!!! Now, driving in Sicily is pretty crazy but not the craziest I have seen. Siya did an amazing job driving accross the large island. We did have some help from our very dependable friend Betsy...our GPS!!!! Without her I dont know where we would be right now....somewhere in Europe but most likely not in Palermo. Driving through Sicily was unbelievable! Its so beautiful. You have mountains on one side and the sea on the other. Youre driving up and down the mountains and the landscape is overwhelming. Each city we visited had its own unique look and history. We visted some really cool Greek temples in Regento, made a spear and caught crabs and sea orhcants in Agrigento, swan in the sea and tanned on a beautiful island in Taormina, visited fish markets in Catania, got stuck in an alleyway WITH the car with people honking behind us in Syracuse and we past through many other small and interesting towns along the way. Now we are in Palermo visiting relatives and looking for other relatives. We are staying at a beautifyl hotel for free because a relative owns the restaurant inside the hotel. We have been spoiled when it comes to food and accomidations. During our travels we have stayed in hostels, B&Bs, Hotels, Campsites and a villa overlooking an island in the middle of the sea. My mom has been really happy and Im really impressed with her Italian taking she hasnt practised is in 47 years! Im also impressed with how much money we have saved. I have been told that it is very expensive to travel in Europe but this trip has cost me 2000 for flights, car rentals, GPS, places to stay, food, gifts, sites, etc.... Not bad! Im also surprised how different Italy is from Sicily. There are so many different people from Africa, the Middle East, India and Greece living in Sicily. But thats because Sicily has been invaded by different countries throughout history. Everyone we have met has been very helpful and friendly as well. They will even go out of their way to personally lead you to where you want to go. We made some great new friends from other parts of the world. Thats one of my favorite parts of travelling. You get to meet people from all over and almost always you get an invite to visit them in their homeland with a free place to stay. Today we are booking our boatride to Tunisia. Tomorrow morning we will leave and we will stay in Tunisia for 5 days. Im really hoping to go on a camel trek through the desert! Its going to take 10 hours to get there but I know it will be well worth it! So now I must go and get prepared for another adventure...this time in Africa! I will write again soon.

The halfway mark!

Well we have reached the halfway mark. Right now we are in Palermo. We have been here for the last 3 days. We no longer have a car to drive around but there are plenty of buses to take and a relative has been driving around and showing us around the city. Palermo is where my mother was born and lived until she was 5 years old before coming to Canada. She hasnt been back here since then. Its a pretty lively city and much bigger than any other city we have visited in Sicily. Let me tell you something about Sicilians....THEY WILL FEED YOU UNIL YOU FEEL LIKE YOURE GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!! I have never hated food before....until now. I dont hate it because it doesnt taste good....because trust me this is the best food ive ever had! But for one meal they will serve you antipasti then a huge plate of pasta then meat and more carbs and bread and then fish and then ice cream and then fruit and then coffee and wine until your going to explode!!!! Siya is really loving it!!!! hahahaha. Its really nice here though. It has been really cool to meet family i never knew existed. I will write in more detail about the people, food, scenery and culture in the next week. Now I mustgo and eat lunch....wish me luck! Tomorrow we leave for Tunisia! Its a 10 hour boat ride to get there YAY!!! Hopefully I dont get sea sick!

It's pronounced Si(CHI)lia!

Well, for the past 5 days we have been driving through the island off of Italy called Sicily. This is where my mom was born. We flew from Rome to Catania where the worst thing that can possible happen to a traveller...HAPPEND! I lost my luggage! Well the people in Rome forgot to send it but for a day they had no idea where it was. We waited around in the airport for hours looking to see if it would magically apear somewhere...it didn't. A good thing to always remember when something bad happens is that something good will always happen right after! We decided to leave the airport and find a place to stay for the night. We found a wicked hostel in the centre of Catania surrounded by busy streets, a railway and fish markets. The man who ran the place was very kind and made a few phone calls for me regarding my lost luggage. Sure enough, he was able to locate it. It was left behind in Rome and I would be able to pick it up the next day! What a relief! That night we shared a room with 7 other people. It was really fun and we got to see what Catania was like at night. It is a city full of life. We also witnessed what happens when a street vendor gets caught sellign by the police (apparently it's not allowed). Those vendors do know how to run! So in the morning, we picked up my luggage and headed north to Taormina. This is by far the most beautiful place I've ever seen. We scored a wicked house for 2 nights for a great price which overlooked a beautiful island in the middle of the sea. We spent most of the day soaking up the sun on the beach and discovering some interesting creatures that live in the sea (Siya caught a fish with a plastic bag and a star fish). The we headed South to a city called Regusa. This place is so beautiful and looks like you're in Greece. All of the houses are made of stone and the city is in the middle of a valleys and mountains. We spent the night there at a B&B. We are now in Agrigento staying a campsite in a bungalow. Its sooooooooo amazing and so beautiful. Sicily is truly amazing and has so much to offer. Tomorrow we are going to explore Agrigento and see all of the Greek architecture. I only have a short time on the internet here so the next time I write I will give more detail about everything. Believe me, there are many stories to tell and its only the first week!

When in Rome....Relax, Explore and Eat Lots of Gelato!

Well we just got in from another wonderful day exploring the city of Love (ROMA spelt backwards is AMOR oo lala). It truly is the city of love because everywhere you look there are couples holding hands and playing tonsil hockey. It really is nice to see people show their affection for each other. I guess the laid back atmosphere and gorgeous surroundings really sets the mood. Rome is unbelievable! The architecture is like nothing ive ever seen. Everywhere you look there are buildings that were build during ancient Roman times and there are numerous stories to be told about these wonderful works of art. The people of Rome are very nice and laid back. The city has a very peaceful feel to it and you automatically feel comfortable and relaxed. Even though the driving is crazy and it takes an hour to find a parking spot in the centre of the city, no one gets stressed out. The food and drink is amazing! From the gelato to coffee to pizza to wine; all of it is esquisite. Ive already had 4 servings of gelato and its only the end of day two! We have been driving around Rome in the day and at night and Im not sure which I prefer. In the day, you can see so much more detail and at night there is just this feeling thats hard to describe from seeing all the happy people walking around the streets, eating gelato, drinking coffee, smoking ciggerates, laughing and having a good time and you feel so much positive energy. We have seen some amazing buildings and also discovered that the Romans were thieves! There are numerous Egyptians structures around Rome that the Romans took from Egypt years ago. There is even a pyramid in the middle of the road that was constructed after a Roman went to Egpyt and became inspired by their architecture. We went to the Colesium tonight as well. It was a really cool feeling to stand there and picturing what happend in the very same spot your standing years ago. When man vs man or man vs animal battled it out infront of hundreds of people which found it amusing. I also made a wish at the Trevi fountain which was sooooo beautiful. I have been surrounded by Art. Everywhere I look I see it. Its truly and unforgettable experience. Tomorrow we are going to Vatican City which is where the Pope lives. It is also considered its own country and the smallest country in the world!

P.S. The air smells like lemon and flowers! There are lemon trees everywhere!