The beach sand is so fine, it has a silkiness to the touch. It is not really warm enough to swim, so we walked along the crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Hammamet.

As we walk, we talk about Tunisia and how it's history is similar to Malta. Phoenician, Roman, Ottoman, Turks, Arabic of course and unlike the Maltese, French. Tunisia gained it's independence in 1956. The only lasting reminder of the French occupation is the language. French is widely spoken and is the second language behind Arabic (although many people we have met so far speak 4 or 5 languages including English). In other words, they keep speaking different languages until you respond. Then, they try and sell you something.

Tonight we are going to see a traditional Tunisian and Zulu dance presentation which includes a small zoo visit and a Tunisian feast.  While getting dressed I wonder why I brought so many clothes.... I only have one pair of shorts that fit. The rest shrunk due to going through the airport screening devices too many times! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  The good news is it is easy to figure out what to wear. It seems Johanne's clothes have had the same reaction to the airport screening device, which conversely does not make it easy for her to decide what to wear. I guess it is a Mars-Venus thing.

Off to the show.  It was about 40 minutes drive to our destination, which afforded us the opportunity to see more of the country.  Leaving Yasmine Hamammet, we follow the coastal highway south.  It is a four lane road that, when pressed, can be as many as 7 lanes. It is pressed a lot.  The lines on the road seem to be used more as an aiming point for the hood ornament then a dividing line between lanes.  It appears that the most important driving rule is to ensure that your right front bumper is no more than 3 inches from the left rear bumper of the car, truck, bus, moped, tractor etc in front of you.  Additionally, this must be done at the absolute maximum speed possible. Finally, passing is encouraged at anytime, thus the 7 lane..... 4 lane road.

The landscape quickly changes from beachfront hotels and shops to olive and almond orchards, as far as the eye can see.  For the record, Tunisia is the fourth
largest producer of olive oil in the world.  After passing through a few villages we arrive at the show.

We are told the game park animals are representative of what was once abundant in Tunisia.  First up, California Seals.......funny! The rest of the park was as advertised.

We enjoyed a typical Tunisian feast in a large Berber tent. First course, Tunisian soup.  Very similar to the Moroccan soup we had last month.....think of a tomato vegetable with spicy paprika and saffron.  Second course, tomato and sweet onion salad with lemon and olive oil vinaigrette. Third course, couscous with curry marinated barbequed chicken and chick peas.......all accompanied by a Chianti style Tunisian wine from Nabeul, found in the north eastern part of the country. Desert was fresh oranges and peaches.

The show had two distinct African flavors. The Tunisian dance troupe paraded into the pavilion accompanied by the band, consisting of  two drummers and a piper.  The piper was playing something that looked like a sheep's stomach with bamboo shoots replacing the feet and head.  To describe the sound...I want you to think of the hypnotic music of a snake charmer combined with the power of Scottish bagpipes. Got it? Now add the flat hollow sound of bongo drums and the deep vibration of a bass drum.  The sound of Arabic Africa.

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The traditional dancers were followed by the super high energy of the Zulu dancers.
Moving to the emphatic rhythm of drums and a marimba, the Zulu dancers clapped, sang and stomped their feet around the stage.  The performance was intoxicating.

Both troupes traded the stage several times and finished sharing it for their finale.

Enjoyable evening.  Tomorrow we leave for the seaside town of Sousse, one of the oldest cities in the country.

Be well