After about a week in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, I took the train south along the Mediterranean coast. Normally these beach towns are packed with tourists from Russia, Germany, France, etc. staying in the gigantouan beach resort hotels, soaking up the sun, and buying up armloads of tacky souvenirs. It is now the end of the high season and this combined with the fact that about half a year ago a violent and bloody revolution took place in Tunisia has taken its toll on this region's tourism. Though there are some tourists around, for the most part the hotels are practically empty, and thus for less than 30 dollars a nite you can stay in a deluxe room at a 4 star with balcony, sea view, and pool. If that is out of your budget range, 10 dollars will also get you a room with a balcony and a sea view, but at this rock bottom price don't be surprised to find you're sharing your room with cockroaches, and have drunks and prostitutes for neighbors.
In any case, the revolution was a success. The dictator has been ousted from power, the tourists are starting to trickle back, and the noddy trains are up and running. I don't know what these tourist "trains" are called in the US but in the UK noddy refers to a dunce or simpleton. The noddy trains do look silly out on the roads ringing their bells and carting around tourists, and they are not even trains but rather a chain of connected wagons pulled by a vehicle that resembles a small steam locomotive. Though they do look goofy, I have to admit I ride them. They are a cheap way to get around town, or to orient yourself with a new place. (Here in Sousse, for example, for about a dollar and a half you can take a noddy train 10 miles out to the suburbs.) In fact it is such an economical and enjoyable form of transportation that I'm considering going for a world record as the first person to traverse all of North Africa via the noddy train.
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