Tunisia - 15 October 2010

Homeward Bound

After breakfast, when I enjoyed the cake but not much else, I sat in the foyer.  While I waited for the others, I chatted to Amina and her little sister Darak.  They were from Morocco and had arrived with their mother the day before.  Barry and Caroline appeared and went back to the medina to look for souvenirs.  When the others arrived, we headed off down the Avenue Habib Bourguiba until we reached the Horloge Obélisque.  Then we turned back and sat in one of the many cafés.  We ordered coffees, milkshakes and a citronade.  It was so much cheaper than the previous evening in the café at the other end of the avenue and we had enough dinar to go round.  Caroline and Barry found us.  They had had a successful shopping expedition.

I had to dash back to the hotel again.  Then I finished packing and managed to get downstairs eventually.  The temperamental lift refused to stop at our floor and went straight past several times.  Amina was in the lobby again, so I spoke to her.  When the others got back, Caroline asked whether Darak would like her umbrella, but when she appeared, Darak shook her head.  So I had to put it in my suitcase because Caroline’s bag was too small and the umbrella might have been considered a dangerous weapon if she had tried to carry it on the plane.

Amina and Darak

In the event, Lotfi arrived at 10.30.  I said goodbye to Amina and she gave me a small present – a tiny plastic shoe with a piece of fake fur attached.  I thought that was a very sweet gesture.  When we got to the airport, Ruth gave us all a jasmine flower.  We had seen boys making them on our first day as we headed for the TGM to visit Carthage.  Small flower heads are tied together on a stick and are used as a modern day version of the nosegay.  They smelt very nice indeed.  We said goodbye and I gave Ruth my surplus forex.

We headed through all the airport formalities and found a coffee shop.  I spent time in duty free, looking at perfumes and found that I had been missed.  In my absence they had had to pay for their coffees with dollars.  That was a shame, because I had kept some dinar back for a coffee and, as the prices in Tunis airport were so much lower than in Cairo airport, I would have had enough for everyone.

When it was time to get on the plane, Barry and I were in the second bus.  We waited for the last passengers, who looked very flustered.  They were sitting in row one on the plane, so must have missed their call when enjoying the first class lounge.

This time there were no problems with French air traffic control.  In the daylight, I could see why their dispute had caused so much delay on the way out.  After crossing the Mediterranean, we hit land above the French Riviera and so most of the flight was over France.   There were good views of the Alps but then it all clouded over and we could not see anything.

Back in Heathrow, we cleared immigration and our luggage appeared fairly quickly.  We went through customs and all that was left was to give Caroline her umbrella, say our goodbyes and then head off, promising to stay in touch.

It had been a good holiday, but, as I write this in April, having just been told that I still have salmonella, one I will definitely not forget for a long time.

Above all, my hope is for the continuing health and, above all in these unsettled times, safety of all the guides, drivers, hoteliers, waiters, chemists, stall holders, shopkeepers and anyone else who helped us during the tour.  Thank you everyone and take care.