Chott El Jerid, the favorite.

The Chott El Jerid is a geological depression and certainly a nervous breakdown for anyone who ventures there for too long. On the road to Tamerzat I said to myself: "If Wilson gets a flat tire here, I'll die!"

After passing the Jebel Berda pass which splits the wall of Oum Ali in two, the road crosses the Chott El Fejaj which already gives a small glimpse of what the Chott El Jerid will be like because, but no it was not a mirage, I saw for the first time in my life a real mirage.

I stayed at the campsite Les amis du camping in Kebili because I had planned to visit the Chott El Jerid the next morning in my own way, that is to say that I had seen on Google Map that on the road to Tozeur, at the height of the oasis of Souk El Ahad on the edge of the Chott El Jerid there are artesian wells probably built during the time of the French Protectorate. There is no place more strange and photogenic than these wells. The sulfurous water from the water table comes out of the ground at 65°C and is cooled by enormous concrete wings open to all winds before being directed towards canals that feed the oasis. There are several of them that dot the landscape. It is simply magical!

The advantage of staying at the campsite is that it is located in an oasis, which allowed me to quench my insatiable curiosity about the intangible heritage site: "know-how, traditions and practices associated with the date palm." What I learned there was that the locals use palm leaves to make sand-proof fences, small huts, mats and even those characteristic hats that make Tunisians so graceful. I was also able to participate in the evening at the campsite in a gift giving ceremony for the most studious children at a school in Kebili.

The campsite manager confirmed to me that for those who really want to venture into the Chott El Jerid desert off-road or by camel, this can be done from the town of Douz, where I passed through the next day, in winter to benefit from milder temperatures. Generally, this is done in a 4x4 convoy. As far as I'm concerned, the scenery from the asphalt road and my little trip to the artesian wells was more than enough for me!

No need for binoculars to clearly see the crest of the djebels that surround the depression like a mirror in a mirage. Because in front: nothing, behind: nothing, above: a clear sky and at your feet a clayey and stony earth. The Chott El Jerid is indeed completely flat as far as the eye can see, punctuated by sparse, low vegetation.