Visits to Some Tunisian Archaelogical Sites

"We have 25,000 archaeological sites." That was the answer to a question I asked of my guide when I was touring Carthage. With only five days to spend in Tunisia, there was no way I was going to be able to explore all of the sites I would have liked to see, so I prioritized. My driver and I spent two full days traveling the northern part of Tunisia and I saw enough ruins and sites to satisfy my curiosity and the reason I visited this country.

While the Carthaginians were innovative and fascinating, the Romans eventually overwhelmed them with their presence, their culture, and their architecture. Tunisia and Libya have some of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world. The favorable climate in North Africa contributes to this preservation, as does the lack of population.

Tunisia is a poor country and cannot afford to protect and preserve their ancient history as well as it should. While the United Nations branded many of the archaeological sites here as World Heritage Sites, there's no money associated with that honor, just an increased responsibility to preserve these sites for future generations. Nowhere was this lack of funding and lack of preservation more evident than at Tubernuc.

Tubernuc

A Tubernuc arch

My driver had never been here before, but it wasn't too hard to find, and just slightly off the beaten path. The locals helped guide us to the site. We pulled up and parked alongside a decrepit gate and a half pulled-down chain-link fence. We bounded over the piles of garbage and potholes and slipped through the remains of the barrier fencing. Halfway through our exploration, we were approached by a local who evidently lived in a shanty on the site and who was paid to keep all visitors out. He spoke with my driver and told us to leave. My driver translated for me, and I faced-off with this guy and asked, "why should I?" My driver dutifully translated my question, and added something in Arabic about me being an American. The site steward looked at me and then told my driver that we could stay for a short while, but not to tell anyone that we were here.

Okay. And up to now, I haven't. But, here's the photos. With a little money for clean-up and restoration, this site could attract a few more visitors than it gets today, which is probably close to none. Tubernuc isn't on the bus tour list of must-visit sites. Don't know if it every will, but for folks interested in the Punic and Roman history of the period, it might be worth a visit -- that is, if you speak French. If you hit the URL link on this site's name, you'll notice that the Wikipedia reference is all in French and all of the academic papers associated with this site were prepared by French archaeologists.

Here's the English translation of the Wiki site for Tubernuc:

"Tubernuc is a Tunisian archaeological site originally Roman situated in the village of Ain Tébournouk , about seven kilometers southwest of the city of Grombalia. The site is located in a hinge region between the four regions of Cape Bon with Kairouan southwest, Zaghouan west, Carthage north, and the Sahel to the south. The territory of the plain is in the form of a natural corridor slightly curved ten miles. The history of the city is not well known but probably dates back to the Punic . This idea stems from the presence of an ex-voto dedicated to Saturn and Caelestis, found in an outdoor sanctuary, next to a source at constant behind the establishment of the city flow. Archaeological investigations have revealed the baths and public urban fabric dating back to the first century . An inscription dated to the reign of Macrinus certifies that the city was elevated to the title of municipality . The city has a small forum surrounded by porticos , a capitol slightly raised with three cellae and front porch, hydraulic installations, a small dam valve and water."

---

Kelibia Fortress

On the way to the Kerkouane ruins, my driver and I discovered this fortress up on the major terrain feature overlooking the town of Kelibia. Originally a strong point for the Carthaginians, the Romans captured it during the First Punic War (c. 250 BCE) and kept it until the Byzantines and then the Arabs captured it years later. It makes for an interesting side trip heading to the Kerkouane ruins and provides a wonderful view of the Mediterranean Sea.

---

Kerkouane

Image of the Goddess Astarte

Unlike Tubernuc, Kerkouane is a well-maintained and organized tourist location. Most importantly, this is a purely Punic site. Captured by the Romans during the First Punic War by the Roman consul, Regulus, in 254 BCE, the Romans never occupied the site and Kerkouane eventually was buried beneath the sands. It wasn't rediscovered until 1952 and therefore escaped being destroyed during WWII.  In 1985, the UN declared it a World Heritage Site because Kerkouane constitutes the only example of a Phoenicio-Punic city to have survived Roman occupation. Kerkouane had existed for approximately 400 years before its demise.

This site is well-organized, well protected, and has guides available for those wanting to use their services. I found only Kerkouane, Carthage, and Dougga had professional tour guides available. They have certifications from the Tunisian government and all speak English, French, and Arabic. There also is a small museum of artifacts found during the dig. I think I liked this site more than many others who have visited here because we were the first to arrive and didn't have to deal with the normal tourist crowds that arrive here daily during the summer.

---

El Djem (Thysdrus)

As we were racing to El Djem on Tunisian back roads in order to arrive before sunset and before they closed the ruin to visitors, I wondered why on Earth the Romans would have built their third largest amphitheater (Coliseum) in the middle of nowhere. As it turns out, the Roman town of Thysdrus commanded over one of the most important north-south trade routes in North Africa and also was situated along the west-east route from the sea to the interior. Thysdrus was a vibrant and important Roman town.

In the 3d Century CE, this great amphitheater was constructed. While it was copied from the Coliseum of Rome, it was built from freestone instead of brick and contained many technological innovations, having benefited from the three centuries of time following construction of the Roman amphitheater. The elliptical structure  is 138 meters long by 114 meters wide and held up to 60,000 spectators.

The theater was never completed because of political rivalries and lack of funds within the Empire. Stones were quarried from a distance of 50km away. There was no decent water supply available so naval battles were never staged in the arena. 

---

Ain Tounga (Thignica)

My driver and I left early the next morning so we could escape the Tunis traffic and we headed to Dougga, probably one the most extensive Roman ruins in Tunisia and one that definitely is on the bus tour list for nearly every tourist agency. So far on my trip, we've managed to avoid the crowds that normally flood to these sites during peak tourist season. Because I was here in October, the bulk of the tourists had returned home. And because my driver and I headed out early each day, we managed to avoid the busloads of remaining Japanese and Chinese tourists. While still warm, we also avoided the extreme heat of the North African summer. I couldn't have planned it any better.

As we were nearing Dougga, we noticed some ruins behind some buildings along the main highway. My driver asked me if I wanted to stop and take a look. At first I said no, but then I thought, "what the hell, we're here anyway," and we pulled around and parked. Ain Tounga is another interesting archaeological site off the beaten path of the tourist buses. It's uncontrolled and easily accessible. It also happens to be an extensive Byzantine fortress built upon Punic and Roman settlements. The Byzantine fortress was built during the reign of Emperor Justinus the Second (565-578 CE) and guarded the ancient trade route of Cirta-Thelepte. Ain Tounga was excavated by French archaeologists in the late 1880s and I don't believe much has been done with the site since then.

---

Dougga (Thugga)

The ancient, strategic site of Dougga (Thugga)

Dougga is worth a visit by anyone visiting Tunisia for the first time. The site is well-preserved, extensive, and well organized to receive the busloads of tourists who arrive here daily. My driver and I were fortunate to be the first ones to arrive in the morning. I was approached immediately by a professional tour guide asking me if I would like for her to guide me through the site. I waived her off because I figured that I could read about this site later (it is well-documented) if I needed to. I had also been to many of Roman ruins in Europe and didn't think I needed another explanation of the historical significance. I also thought she would slow me down on my planned rapid trek through the site.

And so, my driver and I rapidly trekked through Dougga. Fascinating place. Dougga sits atop a 500 meter plateau overseeing an agricultural valley. The site was founded by the Punic population, then taken by the Numidian kings (c. 203-148 BCE), and then by the Caesar and the Romans after the defeat of Pompey and his Numidian allies. Thugga became a Roman colony during the reign of Gallio (260-268 CE). Years later, the Byzantines built a fort here to protect its trade and security interests (6th Century CE).

As one enters Dougga, the theater of Dougga is the first main site to explore. It is considered to be the most spectacular and best preserved Roman theaters in Africa. It was built  c. 168-169 CE by a Roman knight who was born in Thugga. The theater could seat 3,500 spectators.

On my quick-paced hike through the complex, my driver and I headed up a goat trail behind the theater leading to three pillars that had attracted our attention earlier as we were driving up the hill to Dougga. Once we arrived at the pillars, I discovered what looked to be a shrine in the sloped hillside and hiked up another trail to explore that area. Walking atop a stone wall that was the shrines outer wall, I came upon these footprints in the ancient concrete.

Punic or Roman footprints in the concrete.

I stood there looking down at these footprints (actually sandal prints) and thought, "This is bullshit. There's no way these are real." Taking a closer look, I thought that they might be real. And then I was grateful that I hadn't taken up the services of the lady tour guide since I doubted she would have wanted to climb up goat trails off of the approved tourists paths through Dougga. I motioned to my driver to join me on the wall and to see what I discovered. He joined me, looked down, then dropped his Bic lighter into the right footprint. I should have taken a photo of that too, if only to provide scale. The foot size seemed to be men's size 6 or 7.

After we completed our whirlwind tour of Dougga, we were preparing to return to the car and to head south to the Battle of Zama area. While walking back to the car, I noticed the lady tour guide, who I had waived off, approaching me. I inquired about the footprints and asked if they were real. She smiled, nodded, and replied that they were real but the archaeologists were not sure if they were of Punic or Roman origin.

Operation Torch and the Inevitable Human Cost of War

Operation Torch was the WWII Anglo-American invasion of North Africa on 8 November 1942. It was a five-month campaign to eliminate German and Vichy French forces from northern Africa, to open a new front against the Axis, and to prepare for the eventual invasion of Europe. The Vichy gave up after the first few days and most joined the Allied effort. The Germans fought hard, routed the Americans at Kasserine Pass, but eventually were pushed back into Tunisia where they finally were defeated. The Germans surrendered on 13 May 1943.

The US Forces learned some hard lessons following the campaign and the Army reorganized soon after to improve its combined arms capabilities and to prepare for years of hard fighting yet to come. During the consolidation following the Allied victory, Graves Registration Service personnel worked hard to identify the dead, account for the missing, and began the process of combining cemeteries.

The North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial was established in 1948. The Tunisian government granted the US free use as of the site as a permanent burial ground in perpetuity without charge or taxation. Today, this cemetery is managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission as one of the 25 cemeteries under its jurisdiction. 

The North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial is the only American military cemetery on the African continent

The cemetery is located very near the ancient city of Carthage, a half hour's drive from Tunis. It sits on 27 acres and contains 2,833 headstones. Of these, 56 are Stars of David and 240 belong to unknown Soldiers. There are four sets of brothers interred here and one posthumous Medal of Honor recipient.

The difference between the American cemetery and the British cemetery located twenty miles away is the flag flying above the American graves. 

US flag flying permanently over the graves of US WWII Killed in Action

One touching story. When I arrived at the cemetery, I was directed to the Administrative building. I figured that it was just a security measure to keep out vandals and others that have no business being on the premises. The Superintendent came out to greet me and to ask if I needed any assistance in finding a specific grave. I replied no, and stated that my father had fought in the North Africa Campaign and had been at Kasserine Pass. I also told him that I was retired Army. The Superintendent told me to wait, and returned to his office to dig out one of the American flags that was planted on the graves during US holidays. He handed it to me...and saluted.

View fullsize

My gift flag flying proudly in the backyard of my villa in Riyadh

The 2,833 headstones that remain here in Tunisia were originally joined by about 4,000 others. These remains were repatriated to the US at the request of their families. Besides the 240 unknown Soldiers buried in the cemetery, there were 3,724 other KIAs that were never recovered. Their names are engraved into the concrete tablets surrounding the cemetery.

The British Military Cemetery at Medjez el Bab

View fullsize

Sixty kilometers west of Tunis lies the British military cemetery in Medjez el Bab.  This cemetery was established in 1950 and is managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Medjez was the limit of the Allied advance for months until the breakout in April and May 1943. This cemetery holds 2,521 graves of British and Commonwealth (Canadian and New Zealander) servicemen. 

I've visited many US military cemeteries in various countries. The gravestones are all standardized with little personalization. This was my first visit to a British military cemetery. I found myself moved by the engravings on these gravestones. Besides displaying the age of the fallen, many of the gravestones had personalized messages from the wives and families at the bottom of the stone. I wish the US gravestones contained the same sentiment. It brought the human story to light regarding each grave and the toll it had on the families back home.

The Battle of Zama

Tunisia is awash with history. Ancient ruins from the Carthaginian, Greek, Numidian, Roman, Byzantine times along with modern relics from the modern Ottoman, Arab, and French eras are found nearly everywhere. There's over 25,000 historical sites in Tunisia. Much of that history is associated with warfare. The Romans and Carthaginians fought three Punic Wars, the Byzantines fought off the Arabs as long as they could, and the Numidians attacked whoever wasn't in their favor in their day. Then there were to two World Wars in the 20th Century.

Studying ancient history back in my college days, I was fascinated by the Punic Wars and the Battle of Zama especially caught my interest. I made it a life goal to visit the site of this epic battle and I finally had the opportunity to go while I was still working in the region. I made plans with my driver once I arrived in Tunis and headed south to the area where the battle was fought. I looked at the date on my watch and it showed October 18, 2014. And then I remembered from my research that the Battle of Zama was fought on October 19, 202 BCE, one day shy of 2,216 years earlier.

First problem with locating the battlefield is that there is no consensus as to where the battle was actually fought. The armies ranged far and wide across this countryside, looking for high ground, looking for water and food, and looking for defensible ground. So while I wasn't sure exactly where the battle occurred, I knew that both armies had to have trampled the ground where I stood. We drove to Siliana and the small towns surrounding it and I looked for what I thought could be the actual site. Interestingly (and off topic), the Jasmine Revolution, the trigger that sparked the so-called Arab Spring, started here in Siliana with one guy who torched himself in protest of the corrupt government of Ben Ali who was eventually overthrown.

Yeah, it's all agricultural fields. But to be fair, so is the location of the Battle of Waterloo. Beneath these fields lie thousands of war dead. Carthaginians, Romans, and mercenaries from all of the region lie beneath the fertile soil. So do the war elephants. By the time of the Battle of Zama, war elephants had been used for hundreds of years. Seeing them on the field of battle would not have startled the Romans. They were a disciplined land army and had strategies to deal with these beasts. They got the best of them, unfortunately for the elephants and the Carthaginian soldiers who were trampled by the fleeing animals.

The Romans were victorious, Hannibal fled to fight another day, and the Third Punic War ensued years later. This time, the Romans finally put an end to Carthaginian meddling in their affairs and destroyed the city of Carthage.

View fullsize

Thought I'd pop into the Hotel Zama to snap a shot or two and have coffee and pastries. But the restaurant was gutted and it looked like the entire building was under renovation. It was hours before my driver and I could find a place to have a meal. A minor sacrifice compared to the poor sots who died tired, hungry, and filthy in the fields surrounding this town.

Sidi Bou Said

A couple of the teachers living on my compound in Riyadh had worked in Tunisia before coming to Saudi Arabia to earn better money. They helped me pick locations that I should visit while I was in and around Tunis. One of them was Sidi Bou Said. It's an artsy area north east of Tunis along the Mediterranean Sea cliffs. It looks a lot like Oia, Santorini for those familiar with the Greek Isle. Normally, this location is filled with tourists. I think I came to Tunisia at the right time -- the middle of October. While still hot, it has cooled down significantly from the highs during the summer peak and most of the tourists have gone home. I've really had free run of the city and sites. Local laws mandate that these buildings cannot be painted in colors other than the whitewash and blue doors and trim. Makes for nice visual effect.

So, after traipsing up the hill to the end of the main street in Sidi Bou Said, I discover the popular cafe that is featured on many YouTube videos. It's charming and its terraces climb down the cliff for a bit.

I was parched from a long day in Carthage and now this climb. I finally flagged down a waiter to take my order. He didn't approach my table, but wanted me to yell out across two terraces of tables what I wanted. I yelled that I wanted a Celtia (a locally brewed beer, and not too bad!). He looked puzzled and disgusted at the same time. My driver heard him mumble some damned thing and he politely translated what the waiter had said. Something to the effect that I obviously was an uncultured heathen foreigner who didn't understand the local culture. Yeah, so what. Where was the beer? Well, the cafe didn't serve beer, only juice and water. More Islamic crap. I'd have to wait to get back to the hotel to get a serving or three of Celtia. I ordered juice and looked for the exit once I guzzled it down.

The juice was...outstanding! I had ordered a mix of who knows what, but after stirring it up for a bit, it tasted delicious and refreshed me. Not like three beers would have, mind you. I paid up and left. Won't be back.

Carthago delenda est

"...and Carthage must be destroyed." -- Cato the Elder (234–149 BCE)

And the Romans delivered on Cato's recommendation and performed a very thorough job following the Third Punic War. The few ruins of Carthage that are left and preserved are spread out and separated by modern Tunis buildings and government palaces and sites. The ruins that now exist are principally Roman, built on the Punic foundations. But Roman buildings too were destroyed, first by the Byzantines building their own city and later by the Vandals, the Berbers, the Arabs, and by time.

There's little to see of Carthage and it's a shame. I had hoped for more and found more, just not in Carthage. I found the ruins I was looking for elsewhere throughout Tunisia, and those finds will be discussed in another post. First, Carthage...

Carthage was a sea power at the time. It hired mercenary armies for land warfare. Its Triremes ruled the seas until Rome managed to produce enough copies and field enough oarsmen and sailors to overpower the Carthaginians. What interested me about Carthage the most were the two ports they created that still exist today. One was the commercial port where Carthage imported and exported materials and wares throughout the Mediterranean. The other port was the military port. It is a horseshoe-shaped port with an island in the middle. The island housed a circular boat house where the 80 or so Triremes were kept and maintained. At a moment's notice, Carthage could shoot out many boats to attack and sink its enemy ships.

On land, Carthage ruled a large area, including portions of Sicily, Libya, and large areas of North Africa. Until Rome decided to wipe out its main competitor and potential adversary, that is. Following the Third Punic War, Rome utterly destroyed Cartage. There's little left. These shots from various areas within Carthage. Most of these ruins are Roman in origin, although the building materials mostly came from Punic materials underlying these structures.

After spending a few hours exploring what Carthage had to offer, it was time to go sightseeing around the Tunis area. I'd have to wait for one of my two day-trips out of Tunis to discover the real history of the Carthaginian-Roman conflict.

A Walk in the Woods

On Day 3 in Ethiopia, I had arranged a day trip out of Addis. I headed south of the capital at 0530 hours with two guides and drove a little more than 100 kilometers before we arrived at our destination. On well groomed highways we could have made the trip in one hour. Our trip instead took three hours. We left early to avoid the notoriously overcrowded, single four-lane road headed south to Djibouti. After one and a half hours south, we left the pavement and proceeded to drive over bone jarring, country roads that had previously been washed out in the rains.

It was great to see Ethiopian countryside and the local animal life. My guides excitedly pointed out a herd of camels. A camel was the last thing I wanted to see.

View fullsize

On the country road leading to the mountain climb.

After an hour and a half of rough, off-road driving, we arrived at a small village at the base of Mount Zuquala. I'm not sure if the mountain is itself sacred, but this is a place of pilgrimage once a year where thousands climb up the trail and pray at the three monasteries that are spaced along the trail.   

We arrive at the small village at the base of the mountain.

We parked our car and spoke to the villagers. A young kid from the village joined our little band of ill-prepared hikers. I thought we were going to drive up the mountain. After arriving, I'm told, no, we're going to hike for three hours up to the monastery. I knew then this little foray into the wilderness was going to end badly for me, but, like a dumb-ass tourist, I trudged up the hill in my street shoes and the only pair of trousers I brought on the trip. Did I mention that we also had no water or power snacks?

After an hour and a half of hiking up some very scenic mountain terrain, we arrived at the first monastery. These little churches dot nearly every mountain top and hillside across the country. These country churches are small, circular, and have one to two monks living on the compound. In my next post, I will discuss the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the predominant faith of the Ethiopian population.

The trail up to the monastery had water flowing down it, so we hopped from rock to rock as we ascended. I looked down at my pants and I noticed that I'm beginning to get covered in mud. My shoes already were caked with sticky mud I collected from slipping off the rocks and into the mud channel. My interest in continuing the climb faded. I'm sure the rest of the mountain would have been nice, but next time I'll take a helicopter to the top.

We began our descent back to the village.

About midway down, a little kid appeared on the trail. He was mired in the mud. My hiking companions went to the rescue, freed him from the mud hole he was in, recovered his lost shoe, and dusted him off. Then one of the guys surprised me by bending down and kissing the young boy on the head before sending him on his way. The kid seemed fascinated by the old, white guy standing before him in muddy clothes. I'm sure he hadn't seen too many of them crossing his path.

We made it down the mountain and began the bumpy ride back to the main road to Addis. I wish I had more time to explore other areas of Ethiopia, but this one-day trip would have to do until I return someday.

Lucy, I'm Home!

As a former Stones & Bones student (archaeology, paleoanthropology, ancient history, and geology), seeing the pre-human fossil finds from the Rift Valley was one of my primary interests while visiting Ethiopia. The day after I arrived, I made a beeline to the National Museum to go visit the hominid finds on display. I previously was told that Lucy, one of the oldest (3.2 million years) and near complete finds (40% of a female Australopithecus afarensis), was in the US on a six-year tour of the large museums there. I was bummed. On arriving at the National Museum, I was surprised and excited to discover that she was back in country and available for visitors.

View fullsize

Lucy (AL 288-1) back in her case in the National Museum, Addis Ababa

I was pressed for time and had to move through all the exhibits as quickly as I could. I bypassed all the usual folk art and ethnic exhibits to maximize my time in the paleoanthropological section. I took hurried photos of the displays to analyze further some day down the road, and then left for another attraction in Addis. 

View fullsize

A recreation of the entire skeleton of Lucy. She would have stood 3' 6", was bipedal, but was still capable of moving through the trees.

Five months ago, I submitted a saliva sample to 23andMe for a DNA analysis and a good run down on my heredity. The results were interesting. My haplogroup identification is J1c3I1. My maternal line is J1c3 and my paternal line is I1. Haplogroup J originated about 45,000 years ago on the Arabian Peninsula not long after modern humans expanded out of Africa and onto the Eurasian continent. About 7,000 years ago the expansion of farming carried daughter lineages of J, including J1, into Europe. Today the haplogroup extends as far west as Britain and as far east as Central Asia. 

Haplogroup I1 can be found at levels of 10% and higher in many parts of Europe, due to its expansion with men who migrated northward after the end of the Ice Age about 12,000 years ago. It reaches its highest levels in Denmark and the southern parts of Sweden and Norway. 

The map below shows a depiction of the path of human migration out of Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, and from there throughout the world. In my case, both my maternal and paternal lines headed to Europe and then recently to North America. 

Paths of human migrations out of Africa..

Looking down at Lucy in that case, I realized that I had returned home, in one sense. I had "migrated" from the US to Europe and Central Asia (where I lived for four years), to Saudi Arabia where I currently reside, and finally to Ethiopia where I glanced down upon this one potential ancestor who was discovered some miles from where I was standing. I had completed a reverse migration, of sorts, and had returned to the source and locality of human development on Earth. 

A Train to Nowhere

At the turn of the 20th century, Ethiopia was being pulled apart by internal strife and the colonial involvement by France, Italy, and Britain. One major French investment in landlocked Ethiopia was the railway line that stretched to the port in Djibouti. France, I suppose, thought it could control imports and exports to Ethiopia and hence have control over the economy. Italy was running arms and ammunition and Britain was trying to constrain the other two colonial powers by its presence in Sudan and elsewhere. 

While the train served Ethiopia's purposes to export its goods and bring in foreign capital, it realized that France's role had to be diminished. So the government mandated that all goods coming into the country had to be carried by camel caravan -- a distance of some 800 kilometers. And then, WWI and WWII intervened.

The railway fell into disuse years ago. The one road that extends to Djibouti now carries all imports and exports via trucks and busses to and from the ports. Having this train back in service would afford Ethiopia a much better method of transport, but the railway gauge is now non-standard and would have to be entirely replaced. And there's no money for that in the coffers.

When I was brought to this old station, I wondered why and wanted to leave immediately. But when I walked through the old gate and came round behind the building where the tracks ran and where the platform still exists, I realized that I pushed one of my very few artsy hot buttons: urban decay photography. So, take a tour of the old railway system here in Addis by glancing at the photos below.

Here's one last shot...another artsy door/portal shot. 

View fullsize

Entrance to one of the railway out buildings now reused as a workers changing room.

The Continuance of Slavery

Before I deployed for Saudi Arabia to work a project there, I watched a variety of YouTube videos about Saudi Arabia. I hit on a slew of videos about the treatment of foreign laborers, especially housemaids. These women from the Philippines, Indonesia, Sudan, and elsewhere have a long, sad history of poor and sometimes violent treatment by their employers in Saudi. One video was a professional documentary about three or four Filipinas who essentially were held as slaves. Their passports were confiscated by their employers who also withheld payments. Whenever these women complained about nonpayment, they were handed over to other Saudi women who became their new employers. After three years working for no salary in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Philippine government finally repatriated these ladies and an entire plane-load of women like them. The documentary film captured their reaction as the plane touched-down in Manila. All of the passengers erupted into applause and cheers -- and tears -- as the sense of relief of being home and out of the hellhole flowed through them.

I was wondering why nearly every passenger on the Saudi Air flight I was taking to Addis Ababa was a young, Ethiopian woman. There were almost no men on board. I was caught off-guard when, upon touching down in Addis, these young women broke out into laughter, cheers, tears, prayers of thanks, and that strange sound African women make when they utter high-pitched tones with their tongues oscillating in their mouths. When we were taxiing to the terminal, one young lady turned round to me and asked me in good English who I was and where I was going. I told her the little I was willing to offer, but asked her if she had worked in Saudi. She replied yes, she had been there for a year working as a housemaid and servant. I inquired about her treatment. She clammed-up a bit, but replied “troubling.” And then she wanted to give me her phone number. Another foreigner intending to come to the US.

Slavery is alive and well in the world, especially in Saudi Arabia. The worst of the slaveholders are Saudi women who are so repressed emotionally and physically that they lash-out against whoever they feel empowered to enslave and mistreat for their own sick purposes. JFK forced Saudi to outlaw slavery in 1962. While it doesn’t exist anymore as an institution, it exists every day behind tall walls of the Saudi homes.

Finally ... 7th Continent Down

We all have goals. Since I was a young boy studying Geography in the 2nd Grade, I was fascinated by the photos of African tribesmen with loops in their ears, plates stretching their lips out like a platypus, Pygmies, Tutus, Zulus, and of course all of the wild animals. Those photos never left my memory and I knew that I wanted to travel the world to see all of that. Then life intervened.

 A European trip as a young man whetted my appetite for more travel and wanderlust. I joined the Army. Lived in Panama, Germany, and Korea and visited the other countries in the regions as I had time. Retired from the Army and worked in Antarctica for six years. Visited Australia (my 6th continent) back in 1998 with my wife, Suzanne. And it's taken this long since then to hit my 7th, and last continent. The weight of that omission burdened me for years. I had tried to get to various parts of Africa over the years but never managed it.

Now, I'm here -- in Ethiopia, and wondering why I didn't get here earlier. Work. It's always work that prevents me from taking time for myself, and I'm sick of it. I finally took the time while working in Riyadh to get here. I'm coming back to Africa. Maybe not Ethiopia, but a good sample of countries that will provide me the knowledge and experience of the various regions of Africa in order to honestly experience the entire continent. 

Poverty. This is what defines Africa. It's also what defines Ethiopia, to a certain extent. That, and the beautiful women here. This place is distinct and so different from the rest of Africa. And for that, I'm privileged to finally be here and to accomplish one of my travel goals. 

Weight is lifted. Now I have the freedom to come and go as I please and experience all that Africa has to offer me. And I never will mention all this bullshit about visiting 7 continents again. Fait accompli. 

Planning For a Trip to Ethiopia

Finally...in three weeks I'll be visiting my first country on the African continent. It's taken way too long for me to pay Africa a visit. My flight is booked and I am making arrangements for lodging and touring.

I've tried multiple times to fly to Africa. Back in 1989 during a trip to Malta, I tried to fly to Tunisia for a quick visit. The airlines had no problem getting me there but they couldn't guarantee that I could leave within three weeks of my required return. The Army would have taken a dim view of me going AWOL. In January 2011, while I was working in Kuwait following 13 months in Afghanistan, I tried to fly to Egypt to visit some historical sites. And then this little thing called The Arab Spring erupted throughout the region. That killed any plans to visit North Africa for two to three years. 

Now, I'm working in Riyadh, just a puddle jump across the Red Sea from Africa. This is my last chance to visit a number of African countries without flying long hours from Colorado. I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity before I go home for good. The Arab Spring and its after effects still are a problem. Egypt may or may not be totally safe right now. So I've opted to go to Ethiopia first, visit the incredible historical sites there, and get blasted by the terrible poverty that exists outside of Addis Ababa. 

I will visit other African countries later. I'm saving a trip to South Africa in order to share that with my wife, Suzanne. One can't see Africa by visiting one country; there's too many varied regions and cultures in Africa. There will be places I don't go and have absolutely no desire to go -- South Sudan being one of them. Add the Congo to that list. But I'm excited to be finally going somewhere on the continent, the seventh (and last) for me.