Essex Rock & Mineral Society
Mineral Hunting in Tunisia
by Stuart Adams
If
any mineral man worth his salt visits Tunisia and does not trip over the
mini mountains of desert roses then he should give up mineralogy immediately.
Outside what seems like every shop are piles of these roses but they do
not appreciate presentation and many examples end up bruised yet they
still sell. Perhaps the thought of rummaging through a pile of minerals
in search of that elusive "classic" example is the attraction?
And as for price well haggling is every traders middle name and even if
you don't haggle then the prices are still cheap. Try picking up a larger
piece establishing the best price, put down the item and walk away. The
price diminishes with distance from the shop - what fun.
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You cannot escape this ubiquitous mineral it is on the stamps (illustration here) and on the post cards.
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Apart from ascending mountains of desert roses Tunisia is a lovely place with a dry warm climate and friendly people, plenty to see.