Busing to Tozeur, we came across some young men selling pieces of amethyst at a stand along the road – certainly not gem quality – and I traded my old Timex watch for seven chunks of amethyst as presents for grandchildren. You can always offer to trade something when shopping…one never knows…and watches (this one was $5 from a flea market) are highly desirable. There was another stall selling “sand roses” – a name given to rosette formations of gypsum and barite because they look like roses.

The “sand rose” crystals form in arid sandy conditions, are dug up by the locals and sold all over desert areas of Africa. …View image… Bought some of those also. I like to bring home souvenirs that are semi-educational and different…not the “…my grandma brought me back a t-shirt…” Fossils, country flags, toys made out of tin cans from Africa, Tibetan prayer flags, coins, etc.

Crossed the Chott El Jerid – the largest salt flats in the Sahara. They told us we could see mirages – and – we could! Very strangely colored salt flats, some with big crystals. … View image… White, purple and pinks, all reflecting different colors depending on the direction you were looking.

salt flats of Chott El Jerid, TunisiaAnd I’d really like to know what this rowboat was doing out there, stranded on the flats….

rowboat stranded on salt flats in Tunisia

 

Continuing on, we arrived in Tozeur for a two night stay at the very nice ***Hotel Oasis Dar. There were thousands of palm trees (dates are exported) around this large, centrally located oasis. In past history, Tozeur was a busy market town for several reasons:

- Caravans, on their way through the Sahara, would stop at the oasis; and

- Later, it was an important Roman outpost.

Now it is a busy tourist town on the “route touristique” with many hotels. Tozeur was amazing with its traditional architecture, … View image… and RUGS! Carpets and rugs flapping from every door way….piled on top of each other on the main floors, second floors of building…..carpets, rugs, everywhere in town. You couldn’t walk five feet without another salesman asking…”Bonjour Madame, French? Dutch? German? English? Just looking? Please to come in….just to look…for the eyes.” I resisted…

rugs flapping everywhere in Tozeur, Tunisia
…but came across the “Grande Boutique de la Medina” stuffed with antiques, etc. where I ended up with …you got it…another carpet! This one was Algerian in origin and so intricately made that the sand dune patterns in it almost seemed to ripple like a mirage….completely irristable.

Algerian carpet
By now, “ex-Marine” was going ballistic…”Where are you going to put it?”….”I don’t know”….”Then why are you buying it?”…”because it’s unique”….”You are a sick person – go ahead and buy the #*#*##* thing!” I promised faithfully that THIS was my last one but where are they now? Stacked up in our family room because I have no place to put them! Psst…want to buy a carpet? Not only that, the wavy lines appear to shimmer bringing on hallucinations…

The difference between carpets and rugs (used interchangeably) as explained to me:

- Rugs are usually smaller than carpets and don’t exceed 6.5 feet with multiple uses. Hung on walls, prayer rugs, throws and in desert regions, used on the ground of nomad tents.

- Carpet is usually anything larger than 6.5 feet, primarily used as a floor covering.

And that is the difference between a rug and carpet…..