Wanted to go early to the Oasis so I was up early to have a little breakfast and then head out to the three Oasis’s.
I was kinda hoping that I would have Aziz again and I did. It’s strange being in a car for hours with someone you don’t know. At least he’s funny and handsome.
He likes to drive fast and likes it off road when possible. We had many short cuts. He drives a very old Toyota Land-cruiser with a stick and a snorkel. The snorkel is mostly for sand storm. We head towards the Atlas Mountains and Algeria.
First thing we see are a herd of camels including some cute, playful babies
We were to see Chebika, Tamerza and Midas the three main oasis in the area.
Chebika was first. Apparently I had to have one of their guides. His name was Hassan. He was very kind and informative and helped me up and down some rocks. I tried to tell him that I just did Everest Base Camp but he was a gentleman.
It was just a little up hill, through a crevasse and down to the spring. While driving Aziz pointed out the hot springs, steam coming up from the ground, it had to be cooled before used to irrigation. Some of the Date palms and other vegetation thrived on Natural water and some with irrigation.
The Date Palm is so important in this area for all of history. Caravans went Oasis to Oasis. The Oasis was mostly a free zone, no thieves, no violence. The people and animals replenished water. If the next oasis was two days away they had to carry two days worth of water, usually in a Camel bladder that was stretched and dried and tied off at the top.
Btw, Internet had been perfect here!
So the Date Palm
Date palms are:
Food source: palm juice, sometimes fermented, palm sugar somehow made into a coffee pits and leaves food for camels. Dates are high energy, high fiber and high potassium and will rot your teeth!
Building materials: fronds for fences, palapas, hats, purses truck for beams and chairs
Agricultural system: shade allows oranges and pomegranates and other vegetables to to grow
Climate control: keeps the area cooler by 10 degrees
Economic driver: dates have been a commodity for thousands of years. Tunisia is the biggest importer of the finest dates.
There was an ancient town here but it was ruined by a flood in 1969. The Berbers lived near the Wadi, which means dry river, until it’s not. It seems like it wiped out most of the people. They rebuilt a little further from the river.
Next was Midas. As we got close, Aziz told me to close my eyes. He helped me out of the car. Again the word Trust is coming to mind. He guides me, maybe a little too close and up a couple stairs and then we stop and when I open my eyes I am at the edge of a cliff! It was kinda cool. I like surprises, most of the time!
As we are walking back he asks if he can kiss me. I said no. We discussed our relationships. His wife does three years ago. No children. It sounds like he has to wait 5 more years to remarry, something may have been lost in translation.
I spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool. There was a second pool that was warm enough to swim in. My flight from Tozeur to Tunis got changed. I was scheduled to leave at 3ish and it was moved up to 8:45. Kinda inconvenient, so I changed my fright to Rome to a day earlier. I think I wrote this already, but now at the airport. I arrived very early so I could try to get a seat in front. Chatty helped me translate my wishes in French and Arabic but the check in person spoke excellent English. And it does wonders when you praise a persons country.
I might meet an old friend in Rome.
Travel Pig 