Photo Friday: Modern smuggling – black market petrol in Tunisia
November 12, 2009 by Caitlin
Filed under Featured, On the Road
Road from Djerba to Matmata, Tunisia; December 2006
A word of advice if you ever go to Tunisia – pay attention to the local holiday calendar. This is advice that could apply anywhere but travelling on a holiday is more difficult in Tunisia than in many places.
On 30 December 2006 we were ready to leave the island of Djerba and travel inland to Matmata, with Sousse our final destination for the evening. We were leaving the country on 3 January and we had a packed itinerary planned so waiting until the following day would meant completely giving up on one of the places we wanted to go. Unfortunately when we got to the louage (public mini-bus) station, it was deserted.
We eventually found a taxi driver who would take us where we wanted to go for the princely sum of 90 Tunisian Dinar (worth $US70 at the time). We would have paid closer to $US5 each if we had taken a louage but that option was not available. I don’t know how much taxis normally cost but I believe we paid over the odds because of the fact that it was a holiday. We did bargain with him though – the original fare he quoted was 140 Tunisian Dinar.
This was the only day we had a taxi driver and he doubled as a tour guide for us, taking us directly to a couple of the places we wanted to go and waiting for us, rather than dropping us in the nearest big town as a louage would have done. He was also able to give us a fascinating insight into a particular aspect of Tunisian life.
This photo shows a temporary petrol (gas) station. We passed several on the road inland from Djerba but I wouldn’t have known what they were without our driver to tell us. This one has a makeshift structure but often they were just a few coloured barrels and a wooden trestle table beside the dirt road. Our driver stopped at one and filled up with a jerry can, while I tried not to gag from the intense smell.
We were not far from the Libyan border and our driver told us that the petrol came from. It was smuggled across the border and sold illegally at about half the official price. The police were also camped at intervals along the road and waving down cars to check ID. We were pulled over at one point and our driver had to show his licence and we had to show our passports and entry visas. I was surprised that the pirate petrol stations could operate despite such a heavy police presence. Our driver, a Westernised Tunisian in jeans and black sunglasses, shrugged and said something in French that transliterates as: “One pays the money and many eyes are closed.”
It’s a crappy picture but that’s because I took it after we had started driving away. I was too chicken to take a photograph while we were actually there, sitting in full view and ready reach of the petrol smugglers. After all, what they were doing was clearly illegal and I didn’t know what other laws they might be willing to break.
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This is my submission for Photo Friday, a weekly blogging feature run by Debbie at DeliciousBaby Journal. Please visit her site to check out the other submissions this week.
Actually, I like the off angle shot. Gives it a certain amount of tension, fitting considering the activity!
Well, thank you! – Caitlin.
I don’t blame you…I would have been nervous to take the picture as well!
Jen@TwoKidsandaMap´s last blog ..Metropolitan Park – Kid’s Campus – Jacksonville, Florida
I agree with Tim, I like the angle and even that swerve in the dirt, I have the image of you guys high-tailing it out of there. Interesting story as well.
Lorraine´s last blog ..Coastal Trails in Half Moon Bay
Fascinating post. Actually considering a trip to Tunisia during the same time of year so good to have the heads up on things like taxi/bus service. Would love to hear more about the trip. I’ll have to search your archives to see if there are more related posts. If not, I may e-mail you. How do you think it would be in terms of traveling with kids?
Dim Sum, Bagels, and Crawfish´s last blog ..Turkish Delight: Istanbul
Taking the louage was really interesting but we were backpacking and roughing it to a certain extent (except on this day with the taxi). I would not travel that way as a family, especially in Tunisia as things can be quite basic. I would take kids to Tunisia and I would take the train from Tunis to Sousse but I would not take the louage for long-distance travel, only for short day trips if you wanted to see what it was like. If I were you I would rent a car and/or investigate organised tours. By the way, if you have a teenage daughter make sure she dresses modestly except at the beach resorts – it is a lot more conservative than Turkey. I have more posts on Tunisia, including tips for the Sahara Festival and camping in the desert, under the Tunisia tag: http://www.roamingtales.com/tag/tunisia/. – Caitlin.
Thanks, Caitlin! I just finished reading the other Tunisia posts…very helpful.
Dim Sum, Bagels, and Crawfish´s last blog ..Turkish Delight: Istanbul
I agree with the other comments about the angle of the photo. It does give it a real sense of illicitness!
Dominique´s last blog ..Photo Friday: Grand Teton sunset
It might not be a “technically” great photo – but it made me really interested in reading your story to find out what was going on!
Debbie Dubrow´s last blog ..Photo Friday: First ICEE
count me in as one who thinks the photo really suits your story
Kerry ´s last blog ..photographing music: hands, continued
It does look like we’re making a getaway, doesn’t it?!
I knew there was a reason I liked the shot, despite its flaws. Glad I’m not the only one!
Okay, I take ‘crappy’ back. ‘Not technically proficient’ perhaps?
I think its a great shot. You were brave to take it!
Interesting…I give you props for being brave enough to take a photo, though!
Jen Laceda´s last blog ..Israel – A Spa Destination? Hell, Yeah!
I have to agree with most of you, it was a very brave thing to do.
Now that’s photojournalism, good for you for the grab!
Kymri´s last blog ..Kids Around the World – Orphans with a home