viernes, julio 13, 2007

Ezzitouna: Cafe of thieves in the medina of Tunis, rue Jemaa Ez Zitouna, abusive price, fraud to the foreign tourists

We have made a trip of holidays through Tunisia, where we have enjoy of the kindness and professionalism of whichever has taken care of to us in hotels, cafeterias, stores and travel agency. The satisfaction has been absolute.

Nevertheless, the bitter unhappy end happened in a small cafe of the medina of Tunis, where they have treated to us without no consideration, deceiving to us with an abusive price. Where says in the Corán that there is to deceive the foreigners and to rob the money to them? The subject seems of little importance but ethically it is serious. We took two mint teas without no addition. In a simple local like that, without conditioned air, the correct price is from 0.5 to 1 to dinar. Instead of 2 dinares costs 5 to us. Almost the triple. When paying with a bill of 10 dinar gives back a currency to me of 5 and the waiter simulate everything were O.K. when observing my face of surprise and displeasure before so large outrage. Then you can spend energy in discussing, to demand the official list of prices sighted by the Ministry of Tourism, to go with a tourist police to ask for the correct change, or let it be. The owner of the cafe choose the trouble and dishonesty because the tourists have a lot of money, probably come back never and normally they are satisfied (preferring not to discuss).

However this is to forget several important elements of the human culture and the society: solidarity, the globalización and the power of Internet. (In addition, the believers in the monotheists religions accept that the bad actions entail a future punishment on the part of God.) Like person who has suffered mistreat I feel the moral obligation of warning people to avoid they fall in the same mistake: to be clients of this cafe of thieves. It is the treatment that I would wish for me, and that I look for when check about experiences in forums or opinion webs of Internet and tourism guides. This Tunisian traditional cafe is in the medina of Tunis, walking from the Gate of France by the street of the left (rue Jemaa Ez Zitouna) by hand left, passed the Essour Salon of Tea (for tourists not to confuse).

Two journalistic appointments that make references to these cafes: the Essour Salon of Tea, refuge of tourists, and this Cafe of the thieves, where the local customers are men, but accept to foreign women to rob them without shame.
A pause in the way during the shopping is in the Essour Salon of Tea, (50.52 rue Jamaa Ezzitouna. 97 689 496) within the Medina. Seated taking tea or coffe they are English, French and many Spaniards. In any case… all foreigners (local people only watch, cannot be buy nothing). You can be seated without taking nothing, to only admire the magical aspect of Arab design of the establishment (this time they do not say that if you do not consume, you go away).

The privacy and the calm of the narrow streets of the medina contrast with the vivacity of the zocos, very frequented by the tourists. A ordered and systematic swarm of life, between slippers embroidered to thousands and the one natural nights, essences of jazmín and orange blossom, objects in ceramics, wood and wrought bone. Also some third-rate cafes are conserved, likethe one of Ezzitouna, that seem removed from Cairo of the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfuz, and in that the clients, all men, smoke shisha (narguile) before a tea glass. The cafeterias of the modern city, however, are frequented by women of all age, without hiyab, dressed in cattle tenders and smoking like chimneys. Opposing the topic, the Tunisian woman have an own ministry and a statute equivalent to the one of any western country.

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