Day 72: El Jem Roman Amphitheater

Determined to visit the Sahara Desert on Gap Year (yaaas Dune), our research told us Tunisia had the best travel logistics and cost for visiting. Driving in South America and Africa is a different experience as lanes, shoulders, side walks, stoplights, and waiting your turn does not matter. However, we took a chance and picked up our manual rental car and navigated out of the city. Kieran took first shift and did fine with the motor bikes, drivers, and toll booths.

While most men think about the Roman Empire, they can’t imagine the full reach they had in Europe to West Asia and North Africa. We drove to the city of El Jem and visited one of the largest and most preserved Roman Amphitheaters. The atmosphere was perfect as a mosque nearby rang out afternoon prayers. We grabbed a kebab and continued our trek into the desert country side.

We stopped in Gabes for another Iftar with lamb and squid couscous. The owners were extremely kind and welcoming even though we didn’t have a reservation. We drove on to Matmata for our hotel, which is nestled in the desert mountainside. Stay tuned for our next post which will invoke memories of nerds everywhere.

Hotel: Maison d'hôtes Dar DrissRead more