2001 Motorbike trip to Tunisia: A journey rich of adventure and wildlife across the desert

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Fiannly it's time to go!
Città di Castello, waking up with a beautiful day, the final preparations. Gathering for the greetings and the photograph taken with family and friends. Departure for Genoa, break-travel and training. Everything ok, I arrive in good time for embarking on the ship Carthage that will take us on a day in Tunis. One day more to increase the wait. Very relaxing and prior familiarity with the kitchen.
In the land of Africa
Landing in Africa and divincolatici from the chaotic traffic of the capital, heading south, passing through a campaign, untouched, humble and retiring as its people, we reach the first stage of the journey, Kairouan, one of the four capitals of Islam. The Holy City welcomes us in the evening, with its 135 mosques and a distinctive background music for the streets and squares, a "jingle" that will accompany us in all the villages and towns visited. We spend the night in a 'Spartan' inn indicatoci one of the many "volunteer guides' encountered in the city.

Towards the mountain oases
For starting the morning, will be the first and only really good now. Abandoned busy roads we head west on the border with Algeria, in the beautiful mountain oasis. As we walk through the various villages raise curiosity, the children will run to him to see the bikes and invite us to perform acrobatic surges. The landscape changes quickly, begin to appear the first mountains, even the road moves, alternating stretches of asphalt on the ground and sand. An error in the interpretation of GPS, in fact we can not wait to try the legendary sand, leads us to follow a track where we both started with the first cover-ups and open the throttle to "hovered over." The track is sadly mistaken and we stopped at a police post on the border with Algeria. Quick return back, and found the trail, we come to the evening Tamerza, immersed in a lush oasis surrounded by red mountains and canyons. To balance the account with the night before, housed in a beautiful hotel, located mò terrace above the old oasis, became a center of great archaeological interest. We deserve a refreshing bath and then running to enjoy a rich dinner with "royal couscous. After dinner the usual briefing to set the next day. Awakening and quiet oasis in the building and, after eating a hearty and wholesome breakfast (do not eat that evening), we continue to climb to reach Mides, a small oasis village built on cliffs over a canyon. A jewel of architecture, a range of colors.
Chott el Jerid
Leaving the oasis of Mides race down a track that runs through canyons and pinnacles red (but we are not in Arizona). Suddenly a natural balcony from which appears on the horizon, the white expanse of the Chott el Jerid, the salt lake that heralds the Sahara. Quickly reach the plains, the landscape has changed abruptly, and also the heat begins to be felt. Begin to walk along the expanse of salt and the first opportunity we dive into a track to cross. A track white, bright, compact, with large "cracks" between the parties. Horizon only white, blue and the warmth that "stretches" the shape of the companion in front. Great silence, even the bikes seem less thunderous than usual. After forty km. The track suddenly disappears, and we are still in the midst of such a huge 'ice rink', we reached the central area of the salt lake! Some scoured, a widespread feeling, a common feeling of pride and then, surely, everyone talking to himself. Large spaces and emptiness around us, the sun is there above us, implacable to over 40 degrees, the only true "Lord" to which having to account. The obligatory group photo of us away from quelsochè intimate and immense. And 'later, we distributed; resume track salty that "eat" more than 100 per hour. Continue the magical moment! We spend the night in Douz, the gateway to the Sahara. A "visit" to the dunes, some "skid," but the head is still there, the immense 'ice rink! " We complete the beautiful day with a tasty dinner outdoors by Ali Baba, where retested, again positive, Grillade. After dinner we can find a gas station that allows us to make a generous washing motorcycles, completely covered with salt and sand. A little 'reluctantly witnessing the erasure of that "mud" which we have dreamed for months!


Other than Paris - Dakar!
The road we take to reach Matmata cuts the desert of asphalt that is only occasionally truly feel as steady gusts of wind-blown sand covering the el'attraversano move. Piles of sand holes, leaving behind an unforgettable blow the tires of our passage. Along the way some off the track, fast, intense at times frantic. A stop in a typical cafe, the Cafètouareg. The post will be impressed by the hospitality we received, really friendly, and for giving up the invitation to stay for lunch to enjoy a traditional soup made of vegetables. We leave the track begins to climb, we turn away from the desert. Matmata, now overrun with tourists and souvenir shops, reveals its characteristic houses of the well. A short visit and spurred on by hot, really hot, take a trail to the south-east that will lead us in a Berber village in the mountains. The road continues to climb, after an initial stroke dirt path gets really hard, a mule with gullies and rocks, the bikes, maybe a bit 'too loaded not allow distractions, considerable efforts to keep them. The landscape that we go through the effort pays off, the track is attached for long stretches of the mountain by an infinite drywall, as the Chinese wall. We arrive at the crossing, a stop for us to be caressed by the wind and enjoy the view which is lost in an endless plateau. Even the sun, quiet and inseparable companion, is still with us, the water is over and it is perhaps the first time I suffer thirst. We resume the track after a few minutes, a humble refreshment before the village welcomes us in his simple and fresh tent. We refresh us with the inevitable hot tea and enjoy the spectacular view from the village, framed in a barren mesa property manger. The wind carries the voices of the inhabitants. We are more than repaid the effort. The track, now of asphalt falls steeply in a few minutes we're back in plain and proceeding along the main road that leads to Medenine. Before you get attacked a bar, water and a tasty sandwich. Perhaps even more than the thirst we hungry! Medenine welcomes us to the evening, dynamic city, with a distinctive market. The evening is dedicated to planning, alas, the return to the north, we are at about 600 kilometers from Tunis.


We return to the north
The day is devoted entirely to cover the back north, crossing the endless olive groves that border the sea and bustling cities surrounding it. When it is evening we decided to stop at El Jem, home also has a complete copy of our Colosseum. E 'Friday practice in Islamic countries and how the city comes alive, strictly men only! Last night in Tunisia. Little more than 100 kilometers separate us from Tunis, 12.00 tomorrow is expected to embark for Genoa. Motorship Carthage is there waiting for us.