Night in Tunisia

Where the Sidewalk Ends

I think in previous posts I mentioned that Loren and I are living in the newest district in Tunis, Ennasr 1. Ten years ago there was nothing there at all, just a few hills and some shrubbery. It's in the farthest Northern corner of the urban sprawl, though the city's not that big, so it's still fairly inexpensive to get around. I couldn't help wondering, if the area is so new, why the place looks like its falling apart.

Walking down the streets from Ennasr 1 to Ennasr 2 in the mornings we have to keep our eyes carefully lowered to avoid holes, uneven ground, broken cobbles and bricks. Sidewalks are never level, and since they are usually constructed with brick they jut up at odd angles. I've been surprised more than once by this. In the winter it rains often, and mud sweeps through the culverts built into the sides of the roads. Watch out for those, they're deep and almost a foot wide. You have to step over them to cross the street. And the water sweeps mud across the roads, out of the culverts, and even on to the sidewalk. There is no escape from the mud or the broken bits of things.

The walls are another mystery. Some buildings have only been up for two or three years, and already the white plaster is flaking off in big pieces showing the concrete wall underneath. And walls surrounding some of the bigger houses are not just flaking, but breaking, with big holes in them showing the hollow-looking bricks under the cement and plaster coverings. Nothing is actually made in concrete like it used to be, concrete is only an exterior coating for a much weaker gridwork of bricks.

Everywhere you go in the city you see partially finished housing showing the various layers of its composition. Many of these projects appear to be stalled and are waiting for the salt-wind to take them apart or someone to come tear it down so they can build something new. The State prefers new construction to rennovation and provides financial incentives for those who chose to rebuild. This I think is artificial stimulation for the construction industry, which hires a lot of unskilled labour at a low wage. People here want things fast and cheap and that doesn't make for lasting structures.

I keep wondering to myself, if I walk far enough will I find the place where the sidewalk ends altogether?

posted by tiaraletourneau @ 2:20 p.m.