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Presenter: Ian Wright
Ian starts his journey in Tunis, the
capital of Tunisia, where he explores the markets and
food. From there he heads out to the countryside, where
he gets a lesson in falconry. His next stop is El
Djem, a huge Colosseum that is almost as big
as its counterpart in Rome and better preserved.
Continuing south to Tamerza he finds
an oasis pool in the middle of nowhere. His next stop
is Nefta, the centre of Sufi mysticism.
In Tozeur, at the gateway to the desert,
Ian gets on a quad bike and goes in search of the
Star Wars set in the middle of the desert.
Heading across the Chott Djerid, a
huge salt plain, Ian reaches Douz where
he goes hunting with desert greyhounds.
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Ian at the Star Wars Hotel, Matmata
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Ian dons a head veil in the head of the Sahara desert
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In Matmata he stays in the same hotel
that Luke Skywalker stayed in and visits a traditional
cave dwelling. On his way to the island of Djerba,
he stops off at the WWII German General Rommel's last
stand. He finally reaches the island and meets a local
Jewish guitar player who talks of the Jewish communities'
longstanding good relationship with Muslims on the island.
Over the border Ian starts his Libyan trip in the capital
Tripoli. After a brief visit to the
souk, he goes to Leptis Magna, one
of the finest examples of Roman ruins on the Mediterannean.
From here, Ian embarks on a grueling journey south to
the heart of the Libyan desert, 2,000 kms away. He arrives
at Sabha where there is the biggest
camel market in the Sahara region.
He continues through the desert, past some surprising
lakes, and ends his desert journey skiing: sand skiing
on the dunes. His final trek takes him through the rugged
Akakus mountains, where he meets the 90 year
old Tuareg Godfather of the mountain region who discovered
the 10,000 year old rock art in the mountains around
him.
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