Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Tourist Gaze Part Two: Sidi Bou Said

Inshallah, I will have more time to write more thoughtful entries for this blog later this week. Until then I can offer some photographs around the Sidi Bou Said (pronounced "City Boo Siyeed") region of Tunis where I have Arabic classes. With its gorgeous views overlooking the Mediterranean, its winding cobblestone streets, white stucco walls, bright blue windows and doorways, and suq (open air market and little shops) Sidi Bou has long attracted tourists, particularly from Europe. Sidi Bou has the ambiance of a travelogue, but even the locals enjoy hiking up the hill, stopping at cafes along the way, or meandering through the suq. (Hm, maybe I should write travel guides for a living.) This afternoon I enjoyed walking through Sidi Bou with a couple friends and practicing a little tunsie (local Arabic dialect).







One of the characteristic Tunisian doors


Breathtaking views of the Sea



The Suq dishes out some local color...



...and some amusing Orientalist kitsch.


I couldn't resist the tourist-trap of taking a picture with a bird of prey on my shoulder.


Sunset over La Marsa (near Sidi Bou Said) on the walk home

2 comments:

Emily Nielsen said...

How lovely! What a cheerful shade of blue. And I love the photo with the bird- what a beautiful creature. I have a soft spot for birds of prey, so long as they're far away from my pigeons. I'm glad you're having time for some sightseeing.

Danbee Kim said...

The streets are absolutely beautiful and breath-taking! It looks as though you're having a pleasant time! You should write travel brochures for a living XP I think the travel company that you'd work for would definitely be impressed with your writing and picture-taking skills, haha~ Have fun and always be safe!