Travel Pig

I wanted to go to Carthage ruins including the baths and theater. My driver and I negotiated and agreed on a price and also to end the trip at the airport. His English was pretty good. This always make me want to practice Spanish.

Continue reading “Photos from Day Three in Tunis:”

What I love about travel and sometimes hate is that sometimes you need to cancel one booking because something better comes up or plans change.

I planned to stay in a different hotel tomorrow but realized that it was just down the street. I was struggling getting to the oasis’s near the desert, south of here. I looked at private tours with a driver but flying seemed to make the most sense. But flights are not everyday. So I fly to Tozeur tomorrow until Thursday. I booked a nice hotel and will find fun things to do from there. Excited to have a better plan!!

Tomorrow I will see ruins of Carthage

In the morning, I had breakfast in the roof top bar. Nothing special but I had asked about taking a tour in the Médina. My guide arrived early so I didn’t eat much

My guides’ name was Fatty. He was very pleasant and informative. His native language was Arabic, then English, German and French

I don’t usually like to do tours but I liked him and he was very good. After a few minutes he asked if a German couple could join us. They were also nice.

Fatty took us though the Médina which means old city. He showed us the interiors of some famous palaces. Most of the Medina are small palaces. The large doors opened for horses and camels and large celebrations. The first room after you enter the house is for livestock. Even those on caravans many years ago had a central room for meals and deals and to provide shelter for the animals. There were tiny rooms off the main room for men to stay in.

So many pictures. We walked by the gold souks. Fatty told us about the bride to be’s going in with their Mama’s and picking out jewelry for their dowry. If the husband couldn’t afford it he had to pay back the mother in law.

I wandered down the hill. The hotel Dar Fatma was on the top of the hill. Great views. I had directions for a place for an appetizer and wine and walked very far past it. Had to walk back up the hill. It’s cold when you walk down and hot when you walk up. So many tourists. The Resto was closed when I got there so I decided to go the next place ChatGPT and I found. She has been wrong a lot lately and the shortcut I found was closed off by a wall so back down the hill and I asked a few taxi drivers to take me to Le Pirate. I got dropped off near it, but had to search for it, most signs are in Arabic. I asked a man and he pointed across the street. It was 5 pm so no one was there, but they were open. The English speaking person helped me. ChatGPT is great at translating the menu and has offered her selections of what to eat. She was wrong about this place having wine. She did not know that they didn’t have their papers! Ate some calamari fondue, not so great. They helped me get a taxi and I had to help the driver with directions. Kinda funny especially leaning way into the front seat trying to show him my phone with oncoming traffic and him looking at my phone.

I had grilled grouper that had a side of Cacio e Pepe pasta. Again amazing bread with very good olive oil and olives. The fish was excellent

Back to the hotel, felt like Everest climbing the hill Lol. Tomorrow I change hotels and see some sights. Making plans, also back up plans. Kinda longing for Venice….

Getting very sleepy

I asked where the restaurant was when I was leaving the hotel. The receptionist said to go right and look for a yellow door like the one to the hotel. Four wrong doors later, a handsome man asked if I was looking for the restaurant. I said yes and he pointed to a different door and knocked loudly and towards the top of the door. So this signifies that he is a man. Top knocker and loud, so in the past, a woman would get a man to answer to door or cover herself. The lower knockers and softer are for women.

My suite is beautiful, didn’t know I was having one! Dates, oranges and chocolates. An actual mini bar with alcohol. The hotel is very old with beautiful tiles everywhere. The plainness of all of the white buildings is balanced by the intricate interiors. So much detail.

I made reservations at the hotel restaurant. It was highly recommended as the most authentic restaurant in Tunis. Everything was delicious. I had Bric a l’oeuf. It was puff pastry deep friend with tuna capers and a raw egg. Very tasty. They served bread with chili sauce and a platter with anchovies, capers and olives. My entree was called Kabkabou which was fish, olives, capers, preserved lemon in a tomato sauce. Both were very popular and traditional dishes. It goes very well with their local Rose.

Some of the tiles:

Starting to get sleepy!

I had a three hour layover in Dallas and while we were boarding they announced, “ Boarding Aborted.” Interesting choice of words. It was only a 20 minute wait. All the dread about TSA and ICE was for nothing. Everything was smooth and everyone polite. There are a lot of travelers so it’s busy.

The flight was 10hours or so. My seat mates were two young girls that didn’t speak English and slept the whole time.

Sometimes I want to save miles and fly in the back. I might rethink this! But the last few times that I have flown first class on flights especially to and from India, I have so disappointed by the service and crying infants. As I boarded there was a crier in first.

I mostly read and slept. I had a few hours in the airport in Rome, so I ate at their Eataly, like in Chicago. I set an alarm and slept in a chair with my feet on my suitcase. Jet lag hit me!

The flight to Tunis was an easy hour. The city from the sky is all white buildings. It is very densely populated.

I ordered a car to drive me to the airport. Long lines for passport control.I am now on my way to the hotel.

It’s April 2nd and time for a vacation! After six weeks of work, it’s time to reboot and recharge. As usual, my last day of work before a vacation, the crazies come out and boy did I get a doozy yesterday. Bat shit crazy with terrible dental work that she wanted me to perform miracles with! And of course she had another appointment, so I had to hurry! She ended up cancelling her appointment with her therapist that she is seeing because of this terrible experience. I said no warranties, no guarantees and no one will be in the office for the next ten days. When she left, I told my team that I couldn’t wait to be included in her lawsuit! We were already planning a tiny send off to a team member that is leaving us, so we had a dixie cup of champagne and a toast to the future.

Just had to get that off my chest. Now I really deserve this time off! After work, I had to get a nail fixed, annoying…and then I met several of my dearest friends at the Yacht Club for a quick cocktail and laughter!

So where am I going??? Tunisia!

In the Mediterranean Sea just South of Sardinia

Why, I have been asked over and over! Why not! It’s a country that is safe, so much culture and incredible Roman ruins. Some of the seaside cities look like Santorini.

French and Arabic are the main languages. 98% Sunni Muslim, but moderate, maybe 1500 Jewish people and less Christians. The currency is the Tunisian Dinar. It is a closed currency, which means you can’t bring it in, because you can’t take it out. The are a few ATMs but cash is Queen!

I know only one person who has been to Tunisia and he loved it! It’s popular with Europeans because it is so close to Europe. I fly to Rome and the flight is about an hour from Rome.

I have the first few nights booked and then who knows. I know that Tunisia is very popular for Star Wars tours. Several of the movies were filmed in Tunisia. English Patient, a favorite movies of mine was also filmed here. Not a Star Wars Fan and I have been to the Sahara and other deserts so not a real draw for me. There are several interesting Oasis’s. I could see three in one day with waterfalls and Date palms.TBD

I am on the island of Exuma in the Bahamas with my children, their significant others, my brother and his wife, his daughters and their spouses and two babies. We rented a big, beautiful house on the beach and we are having a wonderful time.

I left the compound looking for a beach front restaurant. My gps was working but not so great. I tried three different roads that the map said were access to the beach but they were all large resorts and nope I couldn’t have lunch. Each time I had to get back on the Highway to the Retorno or U-turn. The drivers are sometimes rude but mostly drive with some semblance of courtesy. Finally I decided to go North to Puerto Morales. No more directions now, so I got a little lost.

Backtracking again, when I left the compound I saw my Shaman, Rene. I waved but he didn’t notice me, but then ran up to my car. He wanted my keys to set up for the evening. I had left them out side of the door for the boiler fixer.

But when I looked into his eyes, it took me right back to the Bufo. Kind of scary.

In Puerto Morales, I drove into the quaint beach town. You really have to be careful driving. People, bikes, cycles big trucks, pot holes, big humps in the road for speeders and one way streets, oh my.

I saw a place called Tacos.com. Drove around looking for parking and then found it again. Guess who was there? The couple from Texas. They waved me in and insisted that I sit with them! Not usually something I like to do but I did. I ordered a beer and tacos. They had already ordered. We chatted about the experience and its effects on us. They were humble and kind human beings. I will connect with Nicolina in the future.

Then the uneventful drive back to the Eco Lodge. I got packed to the next day and made sure I had blankets on my bed. I think I had 7 Mexican blankets.

I found an Ernest Hemmingway book of short stories so I read and waited. Rene was a few minutes late. He brought a huge jug of water. Earlier he had brought all of his supplies, like drums and sound bells.

Finally he was ready. He explained what would happen and that we would start with the Raipe again.

From a friend:https://share.google/6CfAhmJLWbw5RK5UO

Or from ChatGPT

Rapéh is administered through the nostrils.

The nasal route is symbolic and functional:

It acts rapidly on the nervous system It brings attention to the head, breath, and presence

This is what I had yesterday.

So same thing, can’t breath though my nose, just my mouth.

Then he gives me the mushrooms in a little bowl with lemon and honey. They were chewy but didn’t taste bad. He tells me to eat them. OMG. So much trust. We talk about yesterday and his family. He is from near Mexico City. He is married, has two daughters and studied as a Mechanical Engineer, like my son! He said he spent a lot of time as a kid camping in nature and was drawn to this calling.

I started to feel the effects but I don’t have much sense of time. Things started bending and moving and I was feeling relaxed. Occasionally I looked towards the windows to see if it was dark or light.

Then I saw some distinct moving in the ceiling

So I would open my eyes and close them. Closing my eyes were crazy images, fractals.

Fractals (what “fraxils” usually refers to)

Fractals are patterns that:

Repeat at different scales Look similar whether you zoom in or out Are mathematically generated but also common in nature

Examples in nature:

Fern leaves Snowflakes Coastlines Romanesco broccoli Tree branching Blood vessels

Mathematically, fractals are self-similar, recursive structures.

And:

During psychedelic or non-ordinary states of consciousness, people often report seeing:

Repeating geometric patterns Infinite zooming shapes Tessellations that feel alive or moving Visuals that “build themselves”

From Chat GPT

So was I hallucinating, which you don’t necessarily do on Shrooms but then I saw a tail and the flipping Raccoon was staring at me. He got closer and I finally had to motion to Rene. He stopped and tried to shoo him away. Back to the trip, but he came back. Ugg can’t I just experience this without an animal?

Raccoons are nocturnal, right? I solved my house raccoon problem by leaving the light on. I once had 5 raccoons in my kitchen eating cat food. This was caught on video, all ten yellow eyes. No big deal, my bedroom was upstairs. So back to the trip after I moved my little bed, on Mexican blankets closer to Rene and not under where Rocky was walking.

It is impossible to explain this whole experience but some of the memories right now are ancient China, my heart opening up to let my Dad free, a new birth, not breech and profound love. There were moments that I wanted it to be over. I was so cold, I sweated a lot, I cried a lot, especially when it really was over. At another point, I saw the raccoon walk across the floor near my bed and near me. I gave it a WTF. I asked Rene if it was over, it was not. But it became more peaceful and enlightening.

It’s hard to process this and I asked ChatGPT for help:

All four of these explanations feel right;

“My Bufo and mushroom experiences opened me to profound feelings of love and connection, while also leaving me with unanswered questions and moments of inner contrast. They expanded my perspective rather than resolving everything. I found them meaningful and transformative, but they require respect, preparation, and integration. I would encourage others to explore only with caution, intention, and support.”

These journeys brought me deep feelings of love, alongside paradoxes and questions I’m still living into. They didn’t give me certainty—they gave me awareness. I’m grateful for the experience, and I believe it can be powerful for others, but only when approached thoughtfully and with care.”

“My Bufo and mushroom journeys were experiences of deep love, contrast, and unanswered questions that continue to unfold. They were meaningful for me, but they deserve caution, preparation, and respect.”

“These experiences expanded my sense of love and awareness, while also revealing complexity and unresolved questions. I found them valuable, and I’d encourage others to explore them thoughtfully—never casually, and always with care.”

We talked a little after, I was confused with so many feelings. I was still feeling the effects when he left. I read a little, tried to distract myself with Netflix, ate a little food but still seeing things move.

I was too afraid to take a shower. Again I slept with all my clothes on after warming my bed with a hot pan.

I slept fitfully, I had to find a sound ap . The first one was sound bells, not ready for that. I chose waves. I kept two of the three light bulbs on. Rocky was definitely making noise. Apparently during the night he chewed on a candle and pooped by the sink.

I can’t remember if I mentioned that I left some bread out, hell, I thought it was ok during the day, but he ate it.

So now what, I process patiently.

Thanks for reading. In Playa del Carmen at a restaurant and staying in a real hotel! Home tomorrow.