Tunisia Closes Maritime Borders
 

Reuters News reports that this evening at 7:00 PM, the Prime Minister of Tunisia announced closure of the maritime borders of the country.

Here's the link: Tunisia News

This implies cancellation of ferry services to Italy & France, though I can't be sure of that.

I'm presently in Djerba, Tunisia, and getting ready to settle down here for a while until this virus business cools off. I can't think of any way to get out of the country, because I am obliged to export my motorcycle with me when I leave the country. I don't think Tunisia is sufficiently organized to make an exception to this policy and let me fly out, leaving the motorcycle behind.

Michael

I have since found documentation stating that all passenger ferry traffic to and from Tunisia has been cancelled until (at least) April 4. Here is the news article, in French:

Dans le cadre de la maîtrise des frontières, il a été décidé de fermer les passages maritimes de façon complète...

Michael

I'll have my serving of crow with salt and a bit of hot sauce, thanks. You were right, and I was wrong.

Still don't know whether I'm leaving on a holiday of my own in a couple of days. They may take the decision out of my hands by canceling flights or closing borders, but then again they might not--at least until I'm far from home and at their mercy.

I'll be looking forward to more reports--about Tunisia, about geopolitical paralysis, about whatever. Good luck!

Mark

Hello Michael,

The most important thing: you made it out of Italy. Maybe you can´t leave your motorcycle behind but maybe it´s worth to try. On the other hand, I saw pictures of Djerba on Google maps and it doesn´t look like a bad place to be stuck. Have a good time and enjoy Tunisia. Never been there but maybe one day.....

Rögnvaldur

Hi Mark:

Based on my own experience, I suggest you stay put at home, or confine your riding to the USA & Canada.

I was in exactly the same situation as you about 10 days ago - sitting at home, wondering whether to go on this long-planned trip or to cancel. I chose to go.

Now, my freedom of movement is completely out of my hands. I'm confined to a hotel in Djerba for the next 7 days to comply with government-imposed self-quarantine rules on foreign visitors, and once that is over, I have no way of getting out of this country - ferry services are shut down, most scheduled flights have been cancelled, and I can't leave the country without taking my motorcycle with me.

Fortunately, life is not too bad at present - I'm in a 5 star resort that is the best hotel in Djerba, an absolute friggin' palace of a place, in a very nice suite, paying $65 a day for what they normally sell for $400 a day in high season. The food is great, the service is great, there's a nice pool to swim in and the weather is pleasant.

But, still, it's a jail. In retrospect, I should have stayed put in Canada. Tunisia would have still been present in the same location in 2021.

I think that in another post earlier this week, I cited an old saying from the industry I used to work in (aviation): "It's better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground".

Michael

Please save some for me :blushing:
Best of luck to you Michael