New Years Eve - Blogabond

Left waiting in Tataouine for 2 days until government offices reopen to get a special permit to cross a restricted zone to the Algerian border, I heard of a New Year’s celebration up in the hills and caught a ride from the hotel.

It was in a granary (or "Ksar" or "Qasr") built like a fort, all stone and arched openings, a single entry portal, and command of the surrounding countryside. Inside, open fires provided smoke and warmth and light, and we sat under draped tents of wool cloth as food was served in 8 courses and a band played to a crescendo at midnight. Italians, Dutch, Canadian, Tunisian, Portuguese…managing in any number of languages to share this cloudy night.

When we finally stepped outside the sky had cleared and a radiant moon illuminated the countryside around us: stone and dust and here and there a house or tree. Two Italians from Torino gave me a ride back to the hotel, and maybe it was the two bottles of wine we had shared, but the silence on the way back felt good and the music still haunts me.

Happy New Year.

written by

roel krabbendam on December 31, 2006 from Tataouine, Tunisia

from the travel blog: Harmattan

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