The woman smiled and greeted us with the words: “Welcome to Tunisia!” At that moment I realized we had finally arrived to Tunisia. I was really excited. I knew I was going to have a wonderful holiday in this country where everything was so exotic and paradise-like.
When the bus stopped in front of the hotel, I had butterflies in my stomach. I was nervous because there I was going to spend this so anticipated holiday. I was afraid the place would not meet my expectations. What if it did not resemble the picture in the catalogue? Holding my breath I entered the reception hall. I could not believe it. It felt as if I had entered one of those palaces described in the Arabian fairytales. Every single detail was perfect and presented the Arabian culture. At the reception desk we were given two key cards: one for my sister and me, and another one for my parents.
When I entered our room, I could not believe how beautiful it was. The thing that impressed me the most was the view. From the room I could see everything: the Mediterranean Sea, the beach, and the pools. Everything was within my reach.
We could not wait to walk around the resort and see what it had to offer us. We walked along the numerous alleys and saw the tennis courts, the pools, the different bars and cafés, the animation corner. However, our curiosity stretched beyond the borders of the resort. So we decided to visit the near-by town and see what the Tunisian life was like. This experience turned out to be one of those moments in my life I would never forget…
The streets were full of people: both tourists and Tunisians. And, of course, the Tunisians were the ones who grabbed my attention. It was absolutely normal for them to stop a girl or woman they liked and ask her to marry them. Several times my father was offered camels for me and my sister which in the beginning irritated me but afterwards made me laugh. Walking down the streets was pretty stressing because, first, you had to make your way though the crowd and, second, there was noise coming from everywhere. In front of the stores, there were people shouting in different languages. Their job was to make you enter the shop and surprisingly most of the time they succeeded. However, the torture started when you liked something and decided to buy it. You had to spend hours bargaining for it until there was a deal. One interesting fact about the Tunisians was their “hobby” which caused numerous traffic jams. It seemed the Tunisians really loved to drive up and down the streets with their entire family in the car. It was really funny to watch them because there was obviously not enough space in the car for everyone.
The Tunisian lifestyle seemed very different from my own but it was a really useful experience to discover their culture and look at the world from their perspective. This made the journey to Tunisia one of the most exciting trips in my life!
The image was taken from: http://www.sports-corporate.co.uk/uploads/flag_faces/tunisia.jpg
Plami, your piece is amazing. It is really refreshing to read positive travel writing. Your use of metaphors and comparisons has contributed to the cohesiveness and the flow of your piece. You tend to delve into details about places and destinations but not about their nature. If you want to enhance your piece just a little bit,you should try to be more descriptive. Other than that, your piece is perfect;to be honest, I want to go to Tunisia now:)
ReplyDeletePlami, you have succeeded to express you awe from Tunisia; the reader can really sense your anticipation and excitement. Reading it, I could picture you entering the hotel and signing.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very well written travel narrative. It is concise and describes various observations. Also, I liked the comparisons you have made (ex. the fairytale palace).
You can try to enrich your vocabulary even more, so that you find words even for “indescribable” experiences.
I also think you could have described some more details that have made you a particular impression, especially if they are something that have astounded only you (though I realize you cannot feature many of them in 400 words).
Keep writing about your traveling experiences! As memories fade, only those written on paper will endure ;)
P.S. Did a Tunisian stop you and asked you to marry him? :D
Thank you, guys, for your comments. I will consider your remarks. :)
ReplyDeleteTeddy, unfortunately not only one but several Tunisians stopped and asked me this stupid question. :D It was very comic! :D