beaucoup du Star Wars

Since I last wrote, there have been

-dunes galore (where the Sahara sand looks and feels like butterscotch pudding on your feet-in a good way!, and the silence is deafening),

-a moonlit camel ride to an ancient fort (where I discovered that 17 pre-emptive inhaler hits are just about enough to allow me on a camel for two hours),

-a rainy day at a Mediterranean beach resort called Telemaque (where Dirty Dancing meets EuroTrash 1992, and they employ perpetually happy people called Animators who force everyone to learn the cha cha),

-the third biggest Roman colosseum (where Aman, Luke, and I enjoyed our Gladitorial deput and got trapped in the creepy catacombes during a torrential downpour),

-and, you guessed it... beaucoup du Star Wars!!! Our first stop after the Sahara was the town of Tataouine, and unfortunately I gotta say that there seems to be a reason why its namesake is an Outer Rim planet that everyone (including Luke Skywalker) is trying to get off of! It was a bit of a one-horse town, but the forts and hilltop villages around it were wicked!

From Tataouine, we went to the island of Jerba for the aforementioned rainy day at the beach. Unfortunately, this day was further complicated by the fact that my system finally overloaded and treated me to a fever and then lots of yuckiness (which seems to have stuck around for the last 3 days). Luckily, in the hands of Aman and Luke, I am on a course of meds guaranteed to kill any unwanted biode in my body, with a course of malaria meds standing at the ready. For those of you still worried, I promise to go to the doctor soon. :)

Once I got sick, I decided the only thing that could possibly help was a trip to Luke Skywalker's actual childhood home. It is a former troglodyte home (an underground dwelling consisting of large, open air pits connected by a series of tunnels) which has been converted into a hotel. Yes, this is the actual set used in 1976 where they filmed Luke drinking his blue milk with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. I slept at Luke's house and ate dinner in Luke's kitchen!!! How cool is that? I also directed Aman and Luke in a little re-enacting of the scene where Beru (played very convincingly by Aman) asks Luke (played coincidentally by Luke (now can you see why I let him come along)) to remind his uncle to get a translator who can speak Bocce! Sign up for copies of that video right now, people!!!

I hope you are all well,

J

A short time ago...

I have hooked up with Aman and Lou and all is good in the land of sun, sand, Dido, and Star Wars.

With the events of Zimbabwe seeming like those of another life (perhaps another galaxy), I have embarked on a Star Wars mission in Tunisia, from which I have only just popped my head up for air, and plan not to give up until I have blue milk in my hand served by Aunt Beru herself. (NB: for those of you not quite on board with the Jedi-speak, I apologise in advance for this e-mail and those to follow until I reach Italy).

Tunis was beautiful and we managed to make our way to the Carthage, the ancient city of the tragic Queen Dido (who killed herself after the Trojan prince Aeneas decided he had better things to do-things like founding Italy-and left her). I do have another theory as to why he left her, cuz if all the statues we found of her are correct, it seems as though she might not have had a head in life!

From Tunis, we journied southwest to an oasis town called Tozeur, to get our first taste of all things Lucas. This came in the form of the actual set of Mos Espa (the town where little Ani slaved for Watto and won his freedom in the podrace). I had the Star Wars theme blasting from the little headphones of my MP3 player as we walked up. I got some wonderful photos with some strategically placed R2, 3PO and Boba Fett PEZZ dispensers! It was friggin' wicked! From there we travelled to the actual Lars Homestead (where now teenage Ani learns of his mother's near death and gets very annoying after he kills all the sand people). As you may have guessed, this was also very wicked! Then off to Star Wars Canyon (where R2 trundled along and got taken by the wee Jawas). Wickedness all around!

We are now in a small town called Douz, and will embark on a two day 4WD camping journey into the Sahara Desert tomorrow.

Love you all and hope you're well.
Jendu Hothu