Oasis Of Serenity Sahara Offers A ‘Patient,’ Timeless Beauty
The two-lane highway slices through the fringe of the Sahara, dumping us in the dusty oasis town of Tozeur in southern Tunisia.
On the outskirts, knots of tourists scurry across the airport tarmac to their white jeeps like sand crabs seeking shelter from the sun.
The thought crosses my mind that had this North African area been developed in the 1930s, Kristin Scott Thomas’ character in “The English Patient” wouldn’t have had such a rough go of it. Ralph Fiennes could have flagged down one of those jeeps and zipped back to that cave for the big rescue.
The Oscar-winning film’s stunning desert scenes were shot in the Tozeur District. Once a staging point for camel caravans traveling from the Sahara to the Mediterranean, the town sits in an oasis where 200,000 palm trees shelter 20 villages.
About 20 years ago, the crew of “Star Wars” invaded a neighboring region to snare the otherworldly atmosphere.
Though camera crews have replaced caravan crews, much of the area remains cloaked in an ancient timelessness.
It’s high noon when our jeep noses into Tozeur, bumping along unpaved streets past tan, one-story brick buildings. Colorful carpets, baskets, ceramics and trinkets hang from elegant facades.
The muezzin’s hypnotic call to prayer echoes from graceful minarets into empty streets. A few turbaned men sit at outdoor cafes sucking on waterpipes.
You never quite get a straight story about exactly what they’re inhaling, but their wonderfully etched faces often appear serene.
The fruit and vegetable market, which bustles in the early morning, is quiet. A few camel and donkey carts heaped with dates or palms plod down the narrow streets, jockeying with motorbikes for a patch of road.
We check into the Oasis Hotel in the heart of town, a short stroll from the five-star Dar Cherait complex.
Adjacent to the hotel, the Dar el Cherait Museum is worth a whirl just to see the architecture.
Americans are a rare sight, but tourists - mostly German, French and Swiss - sometimes book journeys into the Sahara. We signed on for only a short camel jaunt, but now wish we’d taken a few days to savor the stark beauty and soothing silence of the desert.
Our days were filled with visits to the nearby villages of Tamerza, Chebika, Nefta and Douz. A favorite was the oasis at Chebika, where you can hike the hills for hours and not see a soul. During our two-week travels, the Tunisians we met were fairly reserved but pleasant.
We also crossed the Chott el Jerid, a 3,000-square-mile salt lake where “The English Patient’s” base-camp scenes were filmed.
Other parts of the movie were shot throughout Tunisia: the party at the British Embassy in Tunis and the souks in Sfax and El Mahdia.
We didn’t spend much time in those spots, but the Isle of Djerba and coastal town of Hammamet were terrific places to relax on a beach and take in some sights. Roman ruins, renowned mosaics and ancient walled cities kept us busy.
But not as busy as the Italian film crew we bumped into, taking a shot at creating the next “English Patient” or “Star Wars” in the region’s movie mecca.
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: If you go Getting there: Unless you’re especially adventurous and speak French or Arabic it’s a good idea to set up a tour before you leave. The cost varies depending on accommodations and length of trip. When to go: The best time for a visit is between October and May. Information: Contact TunisUSA, 1-800-474-5500, or the Tunisian Information Office, (202) 466-2553.