Tunisia

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Hello! This will catalogue my travels and, hopefully, photos of my trip to Tunisia in the Winter of 2008 with the University of Delaware. I will be taking two courses while there, Upper Intermediate Arabic and Contemporary North Africa. It should be an amazing experience.
I will be staying with a woman and her three daughters in La Marsa, just outside the capital city of Tunis, with my roommate, Jennifer, from UDel. The family also has 6 pets 😊
We are flying out of Philadelphia on January 3rd, arriving at Charles De Gualle in Paris on the morning of the 4th, then flying out to Tunis.
Here is the itinerary for the trip, to give you a rough idea of the variety of places we will be seeing throughout the country.

DETAILED TRAVEL/LECTURE SCHEDULE

DAY 1, THURSDAY JANUARY 3rd. DEPART PHILADELPHIA
Group flight departure from Philadelphia International Airport on Air France Flight # AF 365. DEPATURE: 6:55 PM

DAY 2, FRIDAY JANUARY 4TH. ARRIVAL AT 8:20 AM CDG. (Charles De Gaul)
9:50 AM: DEPARTURE TO TUNIS FROM CDG. ARRIVAL IN TUNIS: 12:20 PM
Travel from airport to La jetee Hotel (3 stars, Tel. [phone]), just outside of Tunis on the Mediterranean Sea.
Check in and lunch at the hotel.
Afternoon: Group Orientation Session. Prepare by reading from packet “Men’s and women’s spaces in Tunis.”
Evening: Relaxing walk on the picturesque streets of Sidi Bou Said on the Mediterranean, Coffee and Tea at the top at a traditional café at the top of the Sidi Bou Said mountain. (The renowned al-Aliya Café)
PS for the director: Bus needed the whole day.

DAY 3, SATURDAY JANUARY 5TH. Breakfast at the Hotel (La jetée) .
Morning: Guided tour of Tunis by Program Director and Tunisian students. Lunch at Dar Hammouda Bacha. Question and answer session during lunch. Subject: “Women in Tunisia.” Guest lecturer: Huda zaiibi (Tel. [phone]). Rest of the day: Avenue Habib Bourghiba. Dinner in the Hotel.

DAY 4, SUNDAY JANUARY 6TH. After breakfast in the hotel, Dr. Nejib Ben Lazreg will give a lecture in the hotel from 10:00 am to noon “ general introduction to the Tunisian civilization’
Soccer game at Al-Manzah stadium. Lunch in town. Return to the hotel, departure to La Marsa center and prepare to meet host families. Between 6pm-7pm host families pick up students from la Marsa Center. First dinner with host families!
PS for the director: Bus needed the whole day.

DAY 5, MONDAY JANUARY 7TH. Meet at 9 am at La Marsa Center. Visit the U.S. Military Cemetery (Military Personnel killed in World War II.) the sanctuary of the tophet (sacrificial site of the Carthaginian Empire,) the Punic ports. Presentation by Nejib Ben lazreg. Subject: “Turning points in the history of the Carthaginian Empire” followed by Q/A session. Lunch in a local restaurant.
PS for the director: Bus needed the whole day.

DAY 6, TUESDAY JANUARY 8TH. Classes begin at 9 am in the La Marsa center, Afternoon visit to the US Embassy. Presentation by US Embassy officers. Subject: “U.S foreign policies toward North Africa and Tunisia.” Lunch in a local restaurant.
PS for the director: Bus needed the whole day.

DAY 7, WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9TH. Classes at 9 am Lunch in a local restaurant. Afternoon: Lecture at 2:30 “Arab and Muslim Culture”, by Dr. Kacem Ben Hamza (22 924 466). From 4 to 6:30pm: Arabic Language. Night time with host families.


DAY 8, THURSDAY JANUARY 10TH. Classes at 9 am Lunch at 12:30.
At 2:30 Dr. Mahmoud Dhaouedi will give a lecture followed by a Q/A session about “ North African Identity “

http://www.romuz.com/
Reading: article in the same webpage: ‘the differences are political’ and: Globalization of the Other Underdevelopment: Third World Cultural Identities 2002,pp.161

Afternoon: Arabic Calligraphy.

Night time with host families.

DAY 9, FRIDAY JANUARY 11TH. Classes at 9 am Lunch at 12:30. Free afternoon!

DAY 10, SATURDAY JANUARY 12TH. Day trip to the Roman Historical site of Dougga, Perched on the edge of Tebersouk Mountains overlooking the fertile wheat-growing valley of Oued Kalled, this ancient hill-top town 106 kilometers southwest of Tunis is one of the most spectacular of the country’s many magnificent Roman ruins.
lunch in Thugga restaurant, afternoon visit of Bulla regia . Continue the trip to Tabarka, dinner and night in Hotel Dar Ismail (5*)
www.hoteldarismail.tn.com
www.hoteldarismail.com.tn

DAY 11, SUNDAY JANUARY 13TH. Breakfast in the Hotel morning visit of the town of Tabarka, after lunch departure to the town of Chemtou, visit of the Museum and return to host families in Tunis.

DAY 12, MONDAY JANUARY 14TH.Visit of the medina of Tunis, Souks, Medrasas and the Zaituna Mosque.
Reading ; the lonely planet, pages 66-85
Free afternoon!
#Bus will be needed all day
DAY 13, TUESDAY JANUARY 15TH. Meeting in La Marsa. Departure to the Bardo Museum
Afternoon: Presentation, Q and A session at the center for maghribi studies in Tunis with Dr. Laurence o. Michalak .at 3:00pm
Tel: [phone]

DAY 14, WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16TH. Classes at 9 to 12am. Lunch at 12:30 in a local restaurant. Mosaic workshop in the afternoon.
Afternoon: Arabic class from 4 to 6:30pm

DAY 15, THURSDAY JANUARY 17TH. Classes at 9 am. Lunch at 12:30. Mosaic workshop in the afternoon.


DAY 16, FRIDAY JANUARY 18TH. . Classes at 9 am. .
Afternoon lecture by Dr. cherif Salwa ‘ North Africa Between tradition and modernity’
Tel. [phone] (3:00 to 5:00)

DAY 17, SATURDAY JANUARY 19TH. Excursion to the south, first stop in Kairouen : visit of Islamic sites in Kairouan (Tunisia’s holiest city and one of the most important sites for Islamic pilgrimages in North Africa). The great mosque, the Aglabid basins, and the Medina. We will visit a carpet shop (preparation reading Lonely Planet Guide: “Islamic Architecture.”) Night in Kairouan.
Lunch and diner in “Al kasabah Hotel(5 stars)
www.goldenyasmin.com
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]

DAY 18, SUNDAY, JANUARY 20th. Breakfast at the hotel, early departure to the magnificent Roman ruins at Sbeitla. Lunch in Sufetula restaurant . Dinner and night in Hotel Tamerza Palace. (5 Star Hotel)
http://www.tamerza-palace.com/
tel: [phone]
fax[phone]

DAY 19, MONDAY, JANUARY 21th. Early in the morning, departure via 4 wheel drive vehicles across the Chott-al-Jerid salt lake. (Where scenes for the movie English Patient were filmed) on route to Touzeur. In Touzeur, we visit the old and new city, including a stop at the Dar Charait museum, one of the most stunning museums in North Africa. Sleeping in the desert camp site.

DAY 20, TUESDAY, JANUARY 22st. Breakfast in the camp. (Well equipped!) Departure to the desert oasis town of Douz, bordering the Sahara desert. -Optional- hour long group camel trek. Lunch at the hotel Sand Palm, followed by visit to the central markets of Douz. Dinner with entertainment.

DAY 21, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23nd. Departure to Matmata and visit to the underground Trogyladite dwellings of Star-wars, including visit to the famous “bar scene” in the original Star-wars movie. Dinner and overnight at the Trogladyte style 4 star hotel, Diar Al-Berber. (Preparation: Reading from specified packet)

DAY 22, THURSDAY, JANUARY 24rd. Departure to Tatawiin. Visits to the famous Ksour. (Spectacular fortified above-ground Berber dwelling made of stone.) (Preparation: Reading from the Lonely Planet Guide. (The Ksour) and (Berber architecture)) The dramatic architecture of the Berbers in this region serves as the locale of many scenes from the famous Star-wars movies. This is one of the highlights of any visit to Tunisia. The architecture that evolved reflects the ability of the Berber people to adapt to the extra-ordinarily harsh environment, eking out an existence from the bearest of resources. Lunch in a local restaurant, dinner at the Hotel.

DAY 23, FRIDAY, JANUARY 25th. Breakfast in Hotel. Early departure to the Island of Djerba. Guided tour to Houmet Asouk, and Al-Ghariba, where one of the oldest synagogues in North Africa is located.

DAY 24, SATURDAY, JANUARY 26th. Leave Djerba early en route to Tunis through the city of Sfax. Lunch in Sfax. Afternoon at the coliseum in El-Jem. Return to Al-Marsa in the evening. Dinner with host families.

DAY 25, SUNDAY, JANUARY 27th. Free day.

DAY 26, MONDAY, JANUARY 28th. Classes in the morning. Afternoon: Mediterranean cuisine workshop.

DAY 27, TUESDAY, JANUARY 29th. Classes in the morning. Afternoon: Visit to Carthage.

DAY 28, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30th. Classes in the morning. Afternoon: Visit to Az-Zaytuna Mosque in the old city of Tunis.

DAY 29, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31st. Classes all day.
Guest lecture (to be decided)

DAY 30, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1st. Leave early to the Cap-Bon area. Nabul. Lunch in restaurant Brauhaus, continue to Hammamet, night and Dinner in Mehari Hammamet Hotel (5*).
www.goldenyasmin.com
Tel. [phone]

DAY 31, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd. Breakfast at hotel. Departure to Kelibia, visit of the punic towns of Kerkouen and Haouaria
Lunch in “Daurade” restaurant.
Dinner and night Mehari Hammamet Hotel (5*).

DAY 32, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD. Departure to the historic sites of Zaghouan.
Lunch in “La source” restaurant. Continue the trip to the archeological site of “Thuborbo Majus”. Return to the host families in the evening.

DAY 33, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH. Reading day

DAY 34, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH. Exams

DAY 35, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH. Shopping in the Medina

DAY 36, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH. Free day / party

DAY 37, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH. Departure to the U.S

Wish me luck!

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Comments

[Jacki]

Wow, you're actually going to Tatooine! The trip sounds amazing, can't wait to hear all about it.

[mom]

first phone call
we heard from H on Tuesday at 6:10 our time. she was ordering her lunch in a cafe (in Arabic). Things with host family are great. There are cats everywhere - (akin to squirrels here). They saw their first camel on the street - she has limited access to computer but has her european cell phone. more later...