Beautiful views from the Cap Bon Peninsula

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Woke up at 7am got ready and went to the bus stop. Caught a bus at 830am to Nabeul which is close to Hammamet. In Nabeul you got to walk across the city center to get from the bus station to the louage station to get to Kelibia which is close to Kerkouane. Nabeul city centre is really beautiful the main street has so much of ceramic stuff it is really nice and worth a visit. At the beginning of the main street after passing the orange monument guess what I saw. A fruit cocktail shop and I had to drink one. Afterwards I found a sandwich shop and bought a caftege (I think that’s how you spell it but even if it is wrong as for it and they know what it is) with tuna, harissa and fries. Then following the road I got to the louage station. The louage cost 3dinars 400 milli. In Kelibia I was told that there were no louage to Kerkouane and I had to take a taxi to Kerkouane. I took a taxi and I asked the driver approximately how much will it cost and I was told about 12 dinars. Do not make this mistake always ask them to put the meter because when I got to Kerkouane it was not so far and I thought it would have cost less than 12. Anyway no choice paid and got to the site in Kerkouane. Another lesson for anyone reading this DO NOT GO TO KERKOUAN it’s a waste of time and money. Checkout my pictures it’s really not worth it and the view of the sea is nothing much either.

I walked all the way back to the main road and it was not a pleasant walk as stated by Lonely Planet it was windy and I thought I would get blown away; in addition I had a dog barking at me and chasing me and I had no choice but to get a stone to my hand and break a tree branch and scare the crap out of the dog. Got to the main road and was wondering what to do. To the left I would go back to Kelibia and to the right I would go to El-Haouaria. It then started raining and fortunately there was a police checkpoint and hence a shelter. There was a policeman and a policewoman and they left shortly after in a taxi and I was alone in the pouring rain.

While waiting for a ride I hailed a taxi in the direction of El-Haouaria cause that's the side the shelter was on. Walked about El-Haouaria and then asked a few people where Jabel Abiod which is a nearby mountain that’s supposed to have magnificent views. It was not hard to find and I began a 4km trek for the next almost 1.5hrs including my photo breaks. While climbing the mountain 2 foreign girls passed me by in a car going to the top of the mountain and half way through I passed them by again they were on their way back ;-) and I’m still climbing. It was extremely windy and at times I felt I was going to get blown away. The views of other hills were stunning and as you kept climbing you could see the Mediterranean Sea through the valleys. Later when you have climbed a fair bit and are higher than the nearby hills and cliffs, the view of the sea around them was absolutely gorgeous. This is truly a worthwhile visit and yes as lonely planet says you feel as if you are on top of the world. Once I got to the power station where the road ends, I need to re-iterate i don’t know if it the time of the year or if it were the mountain currents that the wind was extremely strong it was becoming unbearable. The wind cutting through the power cables made the whole place seem like a horror movie. The empty car with no one in sight added to the spookiness. There is a 4 storey tower built by the side of the power house however the entrance is shut by a gate for people not to go in. Crazy me and since no one was around I decided to move the gate and go inside. As I was going in I saw another car driving up the road and a couple got out. I kept climbing the stairs and I only managed 3 floors, the 4th which is the last and probably offering the best views was a no-go I would have definitely been thrown away across the mountain by the heavy gusts because that's how violent the winds were. I had a peak at the 4th floor and the walls were about 3 feet high and the viewing area probably another 3 feet high and I am quite sure I wouldn't have lasted. This is probably the reason why the entrance was blocked. The couple got out of the car to enjoy the view hurried back as they couldn't handle the strong winds and I ran back to ask them for a ride back down which they gladly gave. The entire trip down took about 10 mins and the man said it was 4kms and according to Lonely Planet its 390meters. If the couple had been brave enough to climb the tower I would have continued but definitely not alone.

The couple was French. The lady spoke ok English, her son was working in London and her husband couldn't speak English but he spoke Arabic. They took me with them to the roman caves which were inaccessible they looked pretty impressive from outside with the sea beating into the caves. The people near the caves said that we cannot go in apparently it was too dangerous.

The couple was asking me about my travels and why I was travelling alone and they were very apologetic that they were on the opposite direction to my travels and if not I could have hitched with them. I got down at the city center and the lady gave me a big orange. I had my famous tuna sandwich later and found my way back to Kelibia in a shared taxi. From Kelibia I found another louage to Nabeul. Walked across the beautiful center of Nabeul and at the end of the main street where I bough my fruit cocktail earlier in the day, I bought another one and proceeded to the bus station. I caught the bus back to Hammamet. In the bus met these two really beautiful girls who were university students in Nabeul but going to Hammamet to chill out during the weekend. One of the girls gave me her number and I said if I was going to be in Hammamet the next day that we could meet up; but I was leaving to Sousse later in the day.

I got back to my hotel room, got my stuff and handed the key to the reception. Technically they should have charged me for one more day but they didn't. I think there was a conference and they were quite busy with that they just took my key and said ok for me to go.

I got to Sousse at 745pm and Houssem came to the louage station to pick me up. He had a couch surfing gathering and I met more CS members along with another CS friend from San Diego, Ricky, who was staying with Houssem for one night.

The evening was a little sad for Sousse people as they had lost a football match to Sfax. I met Houssem’s CS friends Adam & Rebecca a Canadian couple living in Sousse, Mohammed, Saif and Bilel all students.

When the cafe shut we went to another cafe and then went home back to Houssem’s place with Mohammed in his little mustang sounding, Peugeot looking fiat.

Had a long chat with Ricky and Houssem late into the night and slept around 2am.

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