Sailing with the Treleavens

Monastir has been home in the marina for 6 days and has been a pleasure to stop and get to know this very special Arab town while Ian maintains 'Cadiz'.

A day in the life of cruising, as we slowly work out how to deal with the mid day heat. Up early we take the lauage to Sousse 20 miles away for a tourist visit. A lauage is a mini van that leaves from a depot going in different directions and when they are full they leave. They have hundreds of them and a very good system that's very cheap.

The entrance to the catacombs is hard to find even though they are a 5 kms maze of underground tunnels beneath Sousse. Only 100 metres is open to the public to see this burial site of thousands of Christians in the 4th Century AD. The tunnelling is magnificently built and a few crypts have been excavated to reveal the skeletons behind glass. You learn something every day, we didn't know that Christians where buried like this.

Outside the Medina is the Museum housing the famous mosaic 'The Triumph of Bacchus' which predicts the Roman god of wine riding in a chariot drawn by satyrs. Then the accidental tourists stumble onto the red light area, we didn't even know they existed and made a quick exit as the big ladies where more than anyone could handle.

Visiting the home of a typical 19th-century gentleman's home of ornate velvet red curtains and beautifully tiled who had 2 wives. Each wife has her own bedroom and the husband a separate one all leading off a central court yard. Beside his bed is a lamp with the inscription of a couple making love. The lamp is a light and he is not allowed to finish until the flame goes out. I wonder who fills it with oil!!!!

All too much and taxis back by mid day. Its 6pm before you get any relief from the heat so we sleep and go for swim in the nearby hotel pool to cool off. Only then making the most of the evenings, when everyone comes out, you don't go to bed much before 1am.

The movie 'Jesus of Nazareth' and also "Life of Bryan" were filmed here in the Ribat next to the marina. A Ribat is a fort with a maze of stone walls that has been added to over the centuries. They are very proud of the movies made here in Tunisia so I will make mention them as we go.

Ian continues to clean under floor boards and change oil while I go
reluctantly wondering on my own. I feel that no one is going to harm me but they are continually over friendly at times. I don't want to be rude but sometimes being friendly is taken the wrong way.

George and Sabrina are now on board as we sail south in anticipation of the unknown. Nothing ventured, nothing gained when we start to wonder if all this is a mistake. Mahdia set on a peninsular; I have the camera out in anticipation that what we have read is going to be of interest. No marina, no power for the fans and a fishy smelling habour, I have thoughts of turning around and going back up the coast. The vote is to venture south in shallow waters to the Kerkennah Islands 70nm away, looking like a good
option away from dirty ports and medina's.

The islands reached; thank goodness for GPS charts and Ian's navigation, we are often in only 4 metres of water way out to sea and changing course to stay in deeper water. The area is covered in weed grass and it is like sailing on top of a garden. Stopping for refreshing swims and dolphins are a great welcome as it's a boring motor-sail in perfect conditions. The islands are surrounded in weed and a very dirty port, rubbish everywhere, we are the only yacht and by the fascination of the kids on the rocks we are starting
to wonder if many yachts ventured this far south. We still don't turn back.

Sunrise and we out of here very quickly to go south to the island of DJerba, we can only hope it's worth while. Once again nearing the island it's very shallow and the only way we can get into the port is by a dug out canal 4nm long. Desperate to see another yacht there is one other small one and they are French but we are surrounded by pirate ships doing the tourist Ulysses trip. Ulysses came to this island of the Lotus Eaters and his crew never wanted to leave but after two hot nights all our crew want to leave.

DJerba is now a major holiday resort area with hundreds of hotels along a white sandy beach where our swim was less than refreshing. Jews and Muslims live side by side here and to see the different costumes worn in the town of Houmt Souk, I found interesting but with no relief from the heat the best place to be is in an air-conditioned car and head for the Sahara.

Our destination is Chenini where the Berber people live in the mountains and its 50 degrees in the sun. Date palms dot the dessert but it is very dry and rocky as we cover 300 miles in one day. Remote villages and the site of the movie 'Star Wars' made our day a long one but well worth coming south.

To quote George; no beer, no pigs and no naked women, it is time to head for the Italian island of Lampedusa 130 nm away to the north and then Malta.
 

When the spinnaker is up the men couldn't be happier .From Bizerte to Kelibia it's up all the way, 70nm and what a beautiful day to spend at sea. Our visits ashore are kept brief in this heat but at sea it is fabulous but surprisingly the evenings are cooler.

Bizerte is not a tourist town and it's as basic as it gets. In the markets we can only buy what's in season, the supermarket is very basic and the meat market well!!!!!!!!!
Being a farmer's daughter I'm sent in and instantly I'm surrounded by sheep's heads, skin and stomach on the counter, my feet walking through blood. I quickly return to have a think about it, and wonder if the men would prefer fish. I have to admit I did eventually return and get lamb chops, they where simply deliciously fresh.

The village is run down, the medina home to cats and rubbish. We replenish the yacht with difficulty, Ian and Nick pushing a loaded trolley through the village: then Ian announces it's a one way trip back in the dinghy. It's quite surprising how much you can get in one small inflatable, plus 5 people.

Kelibia is a fishing port and every morning the huge fishing boats return with their huge nets and hundreds of trays of fish. How does the sea replenish itself when nets these sizes reap the sea day after day?

Nearby are the Punic Ruins known as Kerkouane, discovered only in 1952 when locals were digging for water. We hire taxis and visit this near-complete layout of the village from the 5th century BC; the drainage, baths and street layout still visible. It is interesting to note that the Carthaginians had baths in their houses but the Romans who followed had very large and ornate communal baths. I ask the guide for directions to a symbol of protection (the Tanit) I'd read about and by the time I get there he wants to hold my hand and live with me in Sydney. The men are very funny towards us foreign women and that's because they think of us as something
completely different to their women.

The local winds in the afternoon are perfect for sailing south to Hammamet. Setting course and just enough time for a quite read or siesta, or so we thought!!!!!!!

From Hammamet to El Kantaoui we are reaching along in local winds of 25 knots when we see a huge fishing boat setting a net. The fishing boat is travelling quite fast so Ian decides to go some distance behind. It looks like the nets have sunk and the boat is dragging them away. Unbeknown to us they dropped a buoy and set a line some 10cm thick more than 500 metres behind their vessel. You guested it, we ran into it. Not a pretty sight seeing a line 1 metre beneath the water. Nick was at the helm and very
quickly tacked dragging the rope a little but we were very quickly freed. A bit of a heart stopper! Just as we breathed a sigh of relief two huge dolphins came to greet us, playing and jumping:  I guess they are feeding off fish in the nets.

Anchored in the bay of Hammamet between the fishing boats Nick cleans squid that we bought in Kelibia. Fresh that day I simply fry in lemon and garlic and it was very tender.

El Kantaoui marina is like coming to Tunisia and not seeing Tunisia, but complete with pirate ships and a fake tower with a sign that says it all: 駨 metres of gifts and crafts'. The marina is clean and we get washing done, swim and a massage is a welcome treat enjoyed in one of the many hotels lining the area.

Monastir is our favourite port so far with its impressive Ribat (stone watch tower), mausoleum to the past President Bourguiba and an ancient Arab town. While our guests visit El Jem and its colosseum, Ian and I enjoy a tour of the mausoleum. One marble gold dome, two green domes and two gold domed minarets it's a very impressive monument reached by a long paved walkway. Inside are gold plated and white marble archways beneath a chandler of 365
pieces of crystal. The resting place for the past president took 20 years to build and was then left closed until he finally died another 20 years later. Nothing like being prepared!

The people are ever so friendly and helpful. If they have a crime problem then it's certainly not obvious. In the marina the men sell night jasmine flowers; and families wandering around late into the night.

Here Nick, Michelle and Stephanie Smail leave us; we wait for George and Sabrina Snow who will join us for 2 weeks. We will continue sailing south, not sure why in this heat, to the island of Jerba, unknown territory for us and hopefully an inland trip to the Sahara.
 
 
PS.  Lesson on passing fishing boats, especially at night. Give then a very wide berth.

A night in Cefalu is a very memorable one. An old terracotta tiled town clustered beneath the impressive rock is quietly watching the semi final between Italy and Germany. We are anchored in the bay just off the old stone houses lining the shore and venture into the village to have a drink. When Italy won a place in the final, the narrow cobblestone laneways suddenly erupted and hundreds of people came from nowhere on their vespers and in their cars, blowing horns and flags flying. We were on the foot path and quickly moved, as this was now a one way speed track and remained that way all night.

After a swim in the perfect clear blue water and a coffee and croissant ashore, we climb the Rocca Cefalu; some are even silly enough to go to the top. Palermo is the next stop, and a very short one in this heat, as the habour is toxic to the lungs and the men have an aversion to shopping.

Our forecast tells us wind is on the way and quite by accident we enter the port of Femmine a small port surrounded by fishing boats. They allow us to tie up to the massive buoy in the middle of the small harbour jammed between the local fishing boats coming and going all night, so when the Sirocco wind hits in the night we are very safe. Fish market, cappuccino and ham-filled croissant, this is Sicily a- la-naturale. The only yacht in the bay, we are made very welcome with our Australian flag and still receive apologies for our loss to Italy, but lots of admiration for our team.

Heading for Scopello the picturesque Tuna Factory bay the Sirocco wind once again takes us by surprise at 40 knots. This vicious hot dry wind off the African coast is a local thing and not forecasted, so we batten down and head for Castellammare for shelter. I'm not sure why but the sea is freezing cold, I can only guess that's it something to do with underwater springs. Jasmine and Young Ian have now left us and the next morning in flat seas we head around the cape for Trapani our departure point for North Africa. A quick look at the impressive palaces and churches and as the wind is very
favourable Ian is keen to keep going.

Our crossing to North Africa, Tunisia, is 120 miles and a perfect reach taking us 16 hours. I never look forward to the night crossings but the thrill of getting to Tunisia is all that matters. I take my turn at watching through the night under a near full moon, it's not uncomfortable but not exactly calm either. Sidi Bou Said is our port of entry and even though our entry papers take all day including our visas they are very polite and friendly. Our approach is of excitement at the sight of bright green seas, all white houses with blue appointed doors.

The humidity of Italy has gone and a very pleasant dry heat replaces it. Sidi Bou Said, up high from the marina, is a big culture shock. Famous for its white-washed houses and studded blue doors we are very quick to find an impressive bar over looking the harbour only to find its alcohol free and Nick and Ian are bewildered as to what to order. Girls sip soft drinks and young men sit nearby smoking sheeshas, the tall elaborately decorated water (or hubble bubble) pipes filled with flavoured tobacco. We move very quickly
to find a bar with TV to watch the World Cup Final.

After negotiations for a taxi for a half day we visit nearby Carthage, 814 BC, where the Punic and Roman remains bear witness to these ancient civilisations and their demise. Little remains of the Punic Citadel so fierce in resisting the Roman invasion. The Romans then rebuilt a grand forum on the same site, now demolished to its foundations. Not a lot remains but its still a thrill to be here and imaging what it was like in a time we can't imagine.

Tunis is a dusty place but we did enjoy the Medina, the taxi drive is the most fun we have all day. Even on the highway with windows down they shout at each other at high speed.

Today sailing north along the top of the coast we are heading for Bizerte after a night anchored off a white sandy beach. Bizerte was the last foothold for the French before they were finally kicked out of Tunisia in 1963.

Keeping up with washing is our only demise, inside-out undies for the men and the women are off to the Hammam for a scrub.

It is a pleasure to be in a country with realistic fuel prices. Diesel in
Tunisia is Aus .73 cents a litre although this is high compared to the .45 cents we paid 2 years ago