Tunisia
World Championships: rest day
Just because there were no races today doesn't mean there wasn't cycling to watch. With the road races starting tomorrow, today the national teams got to scout out the course on traffic-free roads. The Algerian team stopped to discuss the morning's ride. The 2 minibuses carrying the Canadian team drove right by me … Continue reading
Tunis, Tunisia
My first morning in Tunis, I got off the metro severely misinformed. This was the one and only time there was any space at all in the train! Every other time, the metro looked like a can of human sardines. I never got a photo of it, but usually there were a couple of … Continue reading
Kairouan, Tunisia
Visiting the walled coty of Kairouan 7 times is equal to visiting Mecca once. Known as Islam's 4th holiest city, Kairouan is not only religiously significant, it's also a beautiful place to explore. Zaouia Sidi Abid el-Ghariani (the Mausoleum of Sidi Abid el-Ghariani), built in the 14th century, was my first stop. It is … Continue reading
Dougga, Tunisia
It's hard to describe how striking Dougga was. I was completely unprepared for it. My Lonely Planet had said it was an impressive site of Roman ruins and it was just a couple of hours south of Tunis, so I decided to head down there and take a look. There was a bizarre incident on … Continue reading
Carthage, Tunisia
It's incredible how many layers of history are found in Carthage. It was originally founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC and flourished as an important trading post due to its prime location on the Mediterranean beginning in the 6th century BC. During the Punic wars, the Romans eventually destroyed and conquered Carthage … Continue reading
Sidi Bou Saïd, Tunisia
Visiting Sidi Bou Saïd, just a short ride north of Tunis on the commuter train, is like stepping into a postcard. With its crisp white buildings and bright blue doors and windows, everywhere you look is a photograph begging to be taken. There were at least twice as many Tunisians as tourists there, spending … Continue reading