Tunisia > On the way to Tunisia

Today I begin a tour through Tunisia. To get to Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, I first fly to Paris. There I have to transfer to Tunisia. I want to be at the airport around six in the morning. Since the first train only leaves at half past six, I booked a parking spot in Aalsmeer. A shuttle service then takes me to the airport. As I drive to the parking location, it is slippery outside. There are remnants of hailstorms on the road. I drive carefully through the dark. As I approach Aalsmeer, the white substance increases. It has snowed here. I park my car on the large lot on Middenweg. From the snow on the cars, I can tell most cars have been parked here for a while. I wait for a moment at the shuttle bus stop. The driver checks off all passengers by name. It surprises me that the bus is full of travelers at this time. The driver is still missing one family. He waits. When the family arrives, we drive off. In about fifteen minutes, I arrive at the airport. All in all, the transport takes me an hour. This is longer than I expected, but I am well on time. I check in my luggage at the kiosk and go to the security check. Although there is a line of several hundred people, I don’t have to wait more than ten minutes. This means I still have plenty of time for coffee.

Tunisia - The plane arrives in Tunisia

At the gate, a plane from the Portuguese airline TAP is still parked. It does not look like this plane will move soon. I am therefore not surprised when a gate change is announced. I quickly head to the new gate: C16. The plane is just arriving. Not only in Amsterdam is the weather wintry, but also in Paris it has snowed. Because of this, the previous flight was delayed. We take off for Paris with a delay of three quarters of an hour. Meanwhile, the crew apologizes for the delay. I don’t mind much. The layover in Paris is more than two and a half hours. I sit next to a fellow traveler. We discuss the trip and past trips. When we land at Charles de Gaulle airport, we soon meet several fellow travelers. The group grows slowly, although we don’t know how big it is. There is uncertainty about the gate. The app says 2E - L21, but the signs say 2F - L21. An employee explains that the L gates lie exactly between 2E and 2F. So it is the same. I order a coffee and a sandwich. Meanwhile, I discuss the expectations for the trip with fellow travelers. The connecting flight departs at 13:05. Boarding starts but then stalls. While we wait, it is announced that the plane is also delayed. The plane is at the gate, but the crew is delayed from a flight from Marseille. Not better. On board, a simple sandwich is served. I order a glass of wine with it. A nice start to my holiday. Around half past three, the plane begins its descent to Tunis airport. The line at customs is short. The customs officer asks at which hotel I am staying. I have to check my papers. He is satisfied with the answer: Royal Tulip Hammamet. He also asks my profession. I would have expected him to ask about the length of my stay, but he is not interested in that. He stamps my passport and wishes me a nice holiday. In the arrivals hall, I meet Mohamed. He is the tour leader for the trip and speaks fluent Dutch. He tells me that one traveler missed the flight. Her passport details did not match her ticket.

Tunisia - The Royal Tulip Taj Sultan hotel in Hammamet

A dark sky hangs over the airport building. Before the luggage is on the bus, it begins to drizzle. During the evening rush hour, we leave Tunis. The roads are busy, and the traffic is often at a standstill. Fortunately, outside Tunis the traffic moves better. As we drive to Hammamet on the coast, it gets dark outside. It is still raining when we arrive at the Royal Tulip Taj Sultan hotel. A large and luxurious hotel. In the bar, we are welcomed with a drink. I booked the trip on a shared basis and share a room with Jan-Frans. It’s more fun that way. In the evening, we eat with the whole travel group in the hotel restaurant. An extensive buffet is ready. I order a local Tunisian beer with it. Later, I order another drink in the bar. The four of us sit in the otherwise empty bar. The live music is performed especially for us.