Obiwan Outfits

Travelling around Western Libya and Southern Tunisia its easy to imagine at times that you`ve been transported to the Planet Tatooine from Star Wars, which, incidentally, is named after a real Tunisian town named Tataouine. The first Star Wars movie was filmed here and in Matmata we stayed in a trogledyte hotel which was used as the set for a restaurant scene. It still has the original latex sci-fi fittings surrounding the windows and doors of the cave bar. Everywhere here you see men wearing traditional all-encompassing "burnouse" cloaks to keep out the cold, giving the impression of an Obiwan outfitters convention gone mad. If I catch sight of a Jedi knight I really will start to think I`m going mad.

The Berber culture bridges the boundaries between these two countries and there are many similarities one can see when you cross the frontier. Both have impressive medieval fortified granary structures in their hill country, enabling the Berbers to store their precious grain supplies safe from the raids of Arab tribesmen from the coastal plains. Some of these structures are still in use and I was shown grain that had been laid down in the 1960s and was still considered usable. Trogledyte houses are also a feature of both countries. However, the most incredible site of all is the wonderfully preserved desert caravan city of Ghadames in Libya. This mud built city at a remote oasis was once a major entrepot on the trans-saharan trade route, dealing in everything from gold and ivory to the importation of black african slaves. It is divided into several distinct quarters each pertaining to a different clan family of the city, with the whole area of habitation comprising a maze of covered streets, creating the impression of a subterranean city lit by skylights.

In other respects though, Libya and Tunisia seem a million miles apart. As you cross the frontier you leave behind the restrained, almost sleepy feel of Libya, to be confronted with a much more vibrant, and frankly European, experience in Tunisia. This is a country firmly located in the French speaking world, and in Tunis it has a capital city that replicates the grand boulevards and art deco architecture of Paris, as well as having patisserie shops to die for. Much as I loved the easy feel of Libya I was beginning to get tired of its restrictiveness and lack of buzz by the end, plus I was getting quite desperate for a beer. Our first taste of alcohol in three weeks was almost like a religious experience when the moment finally arrived!