When Emma and Ted loaded their 150 BSA motorcycle on the Italian Trans-Mediterranean ship sailing for Tunisia, North Africa their plan was to spend four months touring and camping through Tunisia. Due to language problems they boarded the ship without the proper papers and/or tickets.Arrival in the port of Tunis presented a cultural shock in addition to the information that camping would be impossible, as the English-speaking Arab agent explained, We are having a war just now because of the French Ocupation Forces.
After establishing their base camp at the Hostel in Bir el Bey ten miles from Tunis a series of adventures over the following four months enfolded. On a journey to the remote island of Djerba in southern Tunisia the small, over-loaded ferry, caught in a sudden squall nearly capsized.
During a trip into the northern Sahara, south of the Oasis of Gabes they were caught in a life threatening sandstorm in the Sahara and a Locust Plague in the Gabes Oasis on the return journey north.
An Arab named Habib added the element of intrigue. He assisted Ted in securing photographs of Bedouin Nomads. His basic motive was to secure the favors of Teds wife Emma. When he began to resort to life-threatening tactics the assistance of the American Counsulate was required. With the cooperation of the French Occupation Forces Habib was restrained until safe passage could be secured from Tunis to Marsaille, France.
Mengenai Pengarang
Emma and Ted grew up in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. They met as seniors in high school, maintained a close relationship during the Second World War and were married June 1st, 1946. During the war Emma trained and graduated as a Registered Nurse. Ted served in the U.S. Air Force as an aircraft radio communications technician.
From 1946-50 Emma and Ted worked their way through East Stroudsburg University taking most of their classes together and qualifying as high school teachers of Biology. From 1950-51 they were graduate students at Pennsylvania State University where they earned their Masters Degrees.
From 1951-54 they worked in the Ann Arbor School System, Emma as School Nurse and Ted as a Biology Teacher. Graduate work was completed at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – 1951-54. During 1954-55 a ten month camping tour through Europe and Tunisia, North Africa was done on a 150cc BSA motorcycle. Graduate work in various fields of Biological Science was concluded through the years at Hopkins Marine Station in California, Arizona State University in Tucson where Ted received his Ph D in Zoology, and at the Pennsylvania State University, State College where his thesis dealing with the occurrence and distribution of aquatic insects was completed. .
IN 1965 Ted resigned his position as Assistant Professor of Biology at Georgia Tech. in order to make a ten month camping trip from Cape Town, South Africa through Central Africa, to Mombasa, Kenya with Emma. VW Camping trips were also made to Morocco, The Sahara, Lapland, Norway, and Turkey.
It is the sincere hope of the authors that our six month camping trip through, and stories about, Tunisia will instill genuine curiosity and respect for the variety of peoples and cultures that have evolved throughout Tunisia over the past several thousand years.
Emma & Ted.