Backpacking In Tunisia 🇹🇳: A Sentimental Return To Where Backpacking Centurion Was Accomplished, 100 to 227

Backpacking In Tunisia 🇹🇳: A Sentimental Return To Where Backpacking Centurion Was Accomplished, 100 to 227

“Never go back they tell you, it’s something you can’t do. But I must go there till I find out where it is I’m going to” – Highly Likely.

My Christmas 2024 trip meant a coincidental random fluke return to Tunisia. It was here in Tunisia back in March 2015 where I officially earned the title of Backpacking Centurion, in other words, I had now backpacked 100 countries. Here was that celebration post and photo…

When we reach milestones on our journeys, we often expect they occur in a location that we will never return to. Usually that’s the case. Usually I don’t crave a return. Tunis didn’t actually melt my heart though of course I have fond memories of backpacking Tunisia for country 100. On that trip we backpacked quite hardcore like old times, visiting Tunis, Teboulba, Mahdia, Sousse, Monastir, Kairouan, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said with hardly a moment’s rest. I don’t remember most of it, it’s lucky I have my old blog posts. I even had my 35th birthday on the same trip and celebrated it a bar where I kissed the World Cup. I bet you’d never guess that photo was taken in Tunisia…

So when push comes to the shove, actually Tunisia should be really important to me. Now, an older man, reflecting, it touched my heart. I finally loved it. I was back in Tunis and this was wild. I loved it. I mean it – thank you Tunisia! You inspired a hat-trick of books after all. Sorry a four-trick…

Buy my Backpacking Centurion book series –
Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back In Bangor
Volume 2 – Lands Down Under
Volume 3 – Taints And Honours
Volume 4 – The Black Volume

“I want to be wild because my life is so tame” – Noel Gallagher.

After becoming that centurion in 2015, my journey around the world continued. By New Year’s Eve 2021, I had doubled the country count to 200 when I landed on Beef Island in British Virgin Islands. That in itself felt wild. I was a faster backpacker now. Of course sponsored hotels, tours and posts all helped to ensure I could smuggle places I’d never dreamed of visiting. Turkmenistan, Podjistan, Afghanistan were all  part of my 100 – 200 count. For the record, harder dice to throw North Korea, Iran and Northern Ireland all made my first 100. Even the Isle of Man would have to wait to enter my 200 – 300 count. Nuts, but then it was time to return to Tunis.

Then in December 2023, due to an airport connection and a manic 8 hour flight delay, I was back in Tunisia for 38 minutes in transit. This was nuts in itself as I had flown in from Italy, the same place as my 100th country trip – Rome to Tunis! That was a truly mad dash to make it on time to my trip to Conakry, Guinea 🇬🇳. It meant I had no time to even realise it or get sentimental. 38 minutes in Tunis!!

In the meantime, Panny Yu and I had split (on 8th November 2015, on our 5 year anniversary), the Starogard Girl had come in and danced her not-so-merry dance and I was left alone, and useless to everyone. Except for being a travel blogger, teacher and a barman. But I don’t like preaching and telling others what to do. Writing fits me better. This blog should shit on my bar skills and classroom skills.

“There are only 12 notes anyway” – Noel Gallagher.

Suddenly a year later, December 2024, our flights again had a connection at Tunis Carthage International Airport and ironically we also connected via Milan, where we visited Piazzale Loreto where Mussolini once hung. This time though, it was a full 24 hours here (which after a delay out ended up being 25 hours spanning 3 days – another nuts moment). I was backpacking with Marek. We had both been to Tunisia before of course, but this flight connection gave me and Tunisia that little moment of glory. This was my moment. I had to grasp it. I told Marek we will return to the exact bar where one wild night, 26th March 2015 I became a Backpacking Centurion. Tunisia wouldn’t shift an eyelid, nor care. But I would. I really wanted to copy the same photos and make this post a bit like my Singapore one…

For Singapore I deliberatley did the same pose by the Merlion 6 years later. I even did it with Sydney Opera House at Australia away…exactly 10 years later…

But here, something felt it had to be two separate journeys. Life isn’t a fucking calculator. But the emotion was too strong. 9 and a half years later, I walked into the room. You see, Marek and I landed on time and we had decided to book into the Hotel El Hana International. Why? Because that’s the one. That was the one. There will only ever be one room where you open up a beer and celebrate becoming a Backpacking Centurion. I was so shocked nobody else had used my title before. I had invented the term “Backpacking Centurion” even before I became one. Now, the floodgates could open wide. I wasn’t ready for this sentiment; at all.

“Eyes open wide, I’m looking at the heavens with a tear in my eye” – The Verve.

Brasserie Des 2 Avenues, Tunis, Tunisia

It was in the centrally located Brasserie Des 2 Avenues, Tunis, Tunisia that we walked in together, found a table for three and celebrated my 100th country on 26th March 2015. That was a special moment on life’s corridor. Would that bar still be there? Would that bar still be open? We had heard Tunis was undergoing political issues and it’s a mostly Muslim country.

The above photo shows it all. This is the room where it all happened. The special bar. It was still here. Where on 26th March 2015, I drank a Celtia beer with Panny Yu and Ayoub, our Tunisian Couchsurfing host which Panny had all arranged for me as a special treat for my 100th country. I had NEVER used Couchsurfing before yet Panny made a special choice that for my 100th country we would Couchsurf with three different hosts and I wouldn’t even blag a sponsored 5 Star freebie. Nuts, and epic. Let’s prove that all really happened.

“It’s the same room but everything’s different; you can fight the sleep but not the dream” – Neil Finn.

Here in December 2024, I was sad and glad, but not mad. I was glad to be back but sentiment prevailed. Panny and Ayoub had drank orange juice in March 2015. Here, by ridiculous fluke, Marek had brung a bottle of Beluga Vodka and ordered orange juice. This felt like it was a nuts fool circle on my journey. In 2015, we were celebrating Ayoub running a marathon, my 35th birthday, me visiting 100 countries and Panny Yu and I visiting 44 countries and now every continent together! In 2024, we were celebrating Marek’s birthday and our first time in mainland Africa and our fifth country together. All of this stuff really happened.

The next morning, we arose at the scrake of dawn and headed for my sentimental real life moment. It was 9.5 years later, so not exactly 10, but life isn’t mathematics. We ordered two coffees and two Celtia Beers. In fact, it was early morning so I was surprised the bar was open and serving beer. The same bar, the same Jonny Blair. It was a slice of fate they were open so that I could reminisce on this magnificent journey.

With thanks to Ayoub, Panny and Marek.

Here are some videos from my return to my 100th country celebration in 2024:

Here is my original video from the drinks to celebrate my 100th country in Tunis, Tunisia in 2015: