3 unusual things you’ll notice when you first arrive in Tunisia
1. Black market for alcohol
Preparing my birthday party in Tunisia was a unique experience. The great journey to the place of alcohol and disinhibition was a lesson for me and for my Argentinian friend. As you may know, the alcohol in Tunisia is yes, prohibited! But we knew there was a black market where you can buy alcohol from, so we went alone, during the night. Yes, two foreign girls, during the night, trying to buy some alcohol from the black market. In Tunisia! Sounds like the beginning of a movie, right? The black market in Sfax (the city I lived in) is not so visible. But we knew the exact address. We arrived at the front of a small store where people were staying in three lines: the first line — you order, the second line — they give you a ticket, third line — you receive your “package”. Everything happened very quickly. They give you the alcohol folded in some black bags. So, if you spot a person with a black bag on the streets, maybe she is carrying some secret liquor from the black market.
2. Kloub after dinner
Tunisians have lots of habits, however eating kloub (sunflower seeds) every time they are bored and after every meal is a very powerful one and has become a tradition. I took this habit back home and from time to time, I eat kloub in front of the TV.
3. Taxi-sharing
It was a hot winter day (mid-January) when I decided to spend my day at the beach. So I took a taxi from the city center of Sfax. I have to say, taxis in Tunisia are very cheap and almost any Tunisian can afford to use it. After 2 km, the taxi driver made an unplanned stop to pick up more people. I was surprised and tried to explain to him that this is my ride. Unfortunately, he didn’t speak English so I decided to wait and see what happens. After 2 or 3 km, the people paid the taxi driver and got out of the car.
Surprisingly, taxi-sharing is a common practice in Sfax and you can split the riding cost, so at the end of my ride, I paid less money than I expected. Big up for that, Tunisia!
