So...today's post is a request from CORY OLSEN in Holland, MICHIGAN. He's my homey from Holland! He asked for me to write about my crazy travels abroad. Blonde excursions abroad, coming right up!

TAKSI (in English: TAXI see photo below)

In 2000 I dated a German Lifeguard (later turned politician). Only a few months as a clerk at the European Divison of Univ. of MD and the German Baywatcher asked me to go to TUNISIA with him and 2 friends. Suprisingly the boss gave me thumbs up and off we went.

At first I got Tunisia mixed up with Tanzania. Tunisia is north Africa, Tanzania is south Africa.

For weeks I ran around telling the world I was headed to TANZANIA. The audience suggested immunizations, but ??

About the country: Tunisia is an predominantly Muslim country, nestled in between Algeria and Libya on the Med Sea. Its way hot, really dry, and impoverished. The people are European looking, similar to Liberians, strong faces, tall figures, and broad shoulders.

THE FUNNIEST part of the whole trip came about when we needed to get back to our beautiful hotel, but missed the bus. Option 2: a "Taksi" Once inside the car the excitement began. The driver, haggled for the cost of the ride. He didn't have a meter installed. Just started yelling about the price, 20 deutsch marks for air conditioning! We looked around at each other, riding inside this Skoda, and scratched our heads. Um, sir, WHERE'S the air conditioning? The driver rolls down his window!!! I almost lost my lunch laughing. Next, he went higher in price, mentioning, MUSIC! MUSIC! He then turned on a Blaupunkt stereo rigged up with vibrant wires through the skeleton console. It was like, from the 80's!! We all laughed about it, but my German buds haggled with him all the way back to the hotel about the price. Nowhere on earth would a rolled down window classify as air conditioning. Only in Tunisia!

We flew with LTU.
Lots of guys hung around (preying on tourists) in black leather jackets. Tourists wore shorts and t-shirts. The weather was about 70 degrees in April.

We rode a little through the olive country in a animal caravan. This horse hated me!
Our hotel (all-inclusive) rocked! It was 100 ft from the rocky beach, much too cold to swim, but the view kept us smiling and sipping drinks.
Downtown Sousse. Women were not seen outside very often. Women looked as if they were running errands, they didn't stop to talk with anyone. Spices packed in sacks lay open in the alleys for purchase.

This is a bank statement from the hotel.
Instead of mopeds, bikes, or shopping carts, these ladies took care of shopping in a more physical way.
This is a touristy attempt to feed a camel pieces of cactus! CAMELS STINK!

They spit, too!!


I love this picture of a villager carrying a freshly chumped chicken. The hen dangled by its feet and she marched on with a mission to collect the remaining ingredients for dinner.

Overall Tunisia was one of my favorite places to visit. I sang in front of an audience for the first time, and got encored by a man and his wife in a wheelchair. She said it brought tears to her husbands eyes. Neat experience! For about 700 Deutsch Marks, roughly 450-550 bucks back in 2000, it was a great deal we had airfare, hotel, and all you can eat buffets. Germany is the place to be to travel anywhere in Europe. I learned a lot about North Africa and its people. If you get the chance to visit Africa, GO FOR IT. It'll change your life.