Tunisia > Last time in Hammamet

I wake up to a message from Mohamed. He says he has already left and couldn’t say goodbye in person. Didn’t he know that yesterday as well? It’s a shame I can’t say goodbye to him personally. We can stay in the room until noon. At half past twelve we will be picked up and taken to the airport. At half past eight, I go for breakfast. For the last time, I order an omelet. After that, I walk with a few fellow travelers to the new bazaar. A boy points out the entrance. He explains that the government-run shops have the best prices and there’s a discount today. Because we are the first guests, he insists we drink tea. Saying no is not appropriate in Tunisia, he emphasizes. It seems the real owner of the shop has arrived by now. He gets a bit curt when I thank them after the tea and want to move on. Our “cleaner” arrives with new tourists. The new medina is purely built for souvenir shops and tourists. Because the hotels are located in this district, the focus is on the tourist market.

Tunisia - Palm trees on the Hammamet boulevard

Across the street is a large fixed-price shop. All items have price tags. Convenient. Still, I don’t see anything that interests me. We walk back along the beach to the Royal Tulip Taj Sultan hotel. In the room, I pack my luggage and check out at reception. To our surprise, Besir, the driver from last week, arrives to pick us up. We had already said goodbye to him yesterday. He greets us with a broad smile. For the last time, he drives us to Tunis. An hour later, I really say goodbye to him. A TUI representative is already waiting. He escorts us to the correct check-in desk. A nice service. After checking in, I go through customs and baggage control. Prices at the airport are in euros. Luckily, I’m out of Tunisian dinars because they’re useless here. The prices are quite “Western” as well. Coffee costs five euros and a sandwich ten. Since I had a late breakfast this morning, I only order a coffee now. Boarding starts around four o’clock. In line, I strike up a conversation with an Englishman who travels the world visiting roller coasters in amusement parks. He even has a special app to check off the roller coasters he’s been on. As he says himself: an expensive hobby. With a few minutes delay, we take off towards Paris.

Tunisia - The plane is ready at the gate for the flight to Paris

Fortunately, the delay is minimal because the transfer time at the French airport is only just an hour. I think it will be fine. As it slowly gets dark outside, a sandwich is served. I order a glass of wine with it. When we arrive at the gate in Paris, there are twenty minutes before boarding for the connecting flight begins. I quickly walk to terminal 2F. It’s already a ten-minute walk. The carry-on baggage check moves painfully slow. Fortunately, there is no long queue at customs. I arrive just after eight in the evening at gate 2F34. Boarding for my zone has already started. I can go straight through. One travel companion missed the connection. It’s not entirely clear why. Her luggage is taken off the plane. She’s from Belgium and now has the chance to travel home directly from Paris. Maybe a blessing in disguise. Just before ten o’clock, I land back in the Netherlands. At the luggage belt, I say goodbye to my travel companions. I look for the shuttle bus that takes me to the parking lot. Just before midnight, I’m home again.