Well, its November, but still looks like it hasn’t rained in a while, this fountain isn’t working.  Also, there are no tourists at the moment at this time of the year, but the climate is pleasant which is why I came now.

When some British tourists were killed British tourists in 2015, European visitors stopped coming to this north African nation.    When terror attacks in Europe started to happen regularly instead, I could justify to myself and my friends and family I’d like to visit here.

Here’s where I made a big mistake.   I ran out of money.   I thought I had another 100 dinars on me.  The Sidi Idris hotel is cash only and doesn’t take cards.   Nor does anyone else in the village.   There are two ATM machines and both of them are out of service.   I went into the one and only bank in the village.  I prayed hard.   One of the locals helped me out.

Here’s one very old and tiny mosque in Matmata, and a more modern one.    The below one has a cemetery with some recent (less than 20 years ago) graves in it.  The big hole looks scary until I looked and there is nothing except garbage in it.

As far as I know, there are no Jews or Christians in here or nearby.

This is from the nearby city of Gabes.   The river is empty.   No rain for a long long time.

1. Plans – 2. French Connection – 3. My hotel in Djerba – 4. El Griba synagogue outside – 5. El Griba synagogue inside – 6. Markets – 7. Christianity in Tunisia – 8. Ferry to mainland Tunisia – 9. Getting to Matmata, Tunisia – 10. Sidi Idris Hotel New Hope Star Wars filmset – 11. Secrets I learnt about the famous Matmata Star Wars set – 12. Cave homes for would-be Jedis – 13. More what you don’t see in Star Wars at Hotel Sidi Idris – 14. How hospitable is Sidi Idris? – 15. ATM machines and drought – 16. Matmata Nouvelle (New Matmata) – 17. Tunisian butchers and fisherman – 18. Libyan and Algerian neighbours – 19. Jewellery businesses in Djerba – 20. Tunisia and Israel relations – 21. Hara Kebira, Jewish school, soap and TV repair shops – 22. Jewish community of Hara Kebira – 23. Going home