Tunisia Filming Locations: Star Wars Traveller – Tatooine (a.k.a. The Ksours)

Posted on August 30, 2009 by tokyofox

Leaving the Sidi Driss Hotel in Matmata behind, I caught (by luck) an over-packed 7.30am bus to Gabes where I checked into a hotel and then went straight out again to the louage station to get down to Tataouine, the name that inspired the name of planet Tatooine in the Star Wars saga. While waiting for the taxi to fill-up with people Xavier came along and once we’d got to Tatouine we were prepared to go our separate ways.

Before this I asked him if he could just help me out with the arrangements and invitable haggling with a taxi driver for what I wanted to do which somehow eventually lead to us both taking a taxi to his hotel, Ksar Ouled Soltane, Ksar Hadeda before dropping me off in Medinine and then taking him back to Tataouine. I was more than happy with this deal as it was reasonably cheap and meant I would have a travel companion for a bit in a country where its fair to say I hadn’t had too much conversation due to my French not stretching so far!

          

We had been expecting some sign of civilisation before we reached our first sightseeing spot but that never happened as one moment we were driving through the middle of nowhere and then the next we stopped and walked into the beautifully coloured Ksar Ouled Soltane (a Ksar is basically a fortified granary whatever that really means – a place to store grain?) which was great. No-one there (apart from a few artists selling their paintings of which I bought one), no surrounding fence, no entry charge and so we were free to climb all over the building to view the surrounding area which was nice as the Ksar is on the top of a hill.

Ksar Hadeda was next and we were there much sooner than I had anticated. This was similar to the previous one but not quite as aesthetically pleasing as it had fallen into disrepair in places. It was the location of Shmi Skywalker’s home in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace for the scene where she told Qui-Gon Jinn that her son Anakin didn’t have a father. This place is now part hotel, part Ksar and part building site and so made it difficult to locate the exact filming shots.

 

The final location was Ksar Medenine where I said a bientot to Xavier and then went to the alley on the back of the Ksar which was also used as the home of Anakin and Shmi Skywalker. The scene where Anakin had to say bye to his mum was filmed here with sand added to the street to make it look more desert-y so inevitably it looks a little different now with no set dressing remaining and it looked like people actually lived there.

         
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Tunisia Filming Locations: Star Wars Traveller – Tatooine (a.k.a. Matmata)

Posted on August 28, 2009 by tokyofox

After the unreliability of the buses on my birthday I thought it safer to move around by louage from then on. These are shared taxi’s looking like vans which go long distances and cost just about the same as the bus and are quicker too. I was fortunate to be the last one to want a louage from Tozeur on the west coast to Gabes on the east coast which meant that we left instantly at 7am. Two more shorter distant louages took me to Matmata where it was my privilege to check into the Hotel Sidi Driss which doubled up as the Lars Homestead in Star Wars or Luke Skywalker’s home to put it more simply.

 
 

You don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to be intrigued by this type of underground “troglodyte” home as is proved by the many many buses which make a stop at this place on their way up and down the country. I was one of only two guests to be staying in the hotel that night as it is kind of dirty with poor service but small matters like that were never going to deter me! Throughout the day I spent many a moment lining up photo shots inbetween all the tourists popping by.

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The town is a very small place with less than a 1000 inhabitants and I walked round the place taking in the Berber museum (basically just a simple underground home similar to the one I was staying at) and the Matmata Hollywood-type sign.

      

I went to the nearby hotel where Xavier (a French guy who I met en-route to Matmata) was staying to have a swim in their pool and I later witnessed a wedding which was very interesting. Lots of clapping and noise as a crowd of people paraded through the streets with the bride kept undercover on a camel as is tradition for these events which can last for up to seven days!

      

I even got a free cous-cous (Tunisia’s national dish) meal later that night at one of the towns two restaurants which was really filling. My night was later ruined however at Xavier’s hotel when I started to suffer absolute chronic toothache while drinking which was just unbearable. A nose-bleed at 3:30 am woke me up the following morning which all added up to it not being the most pleasant of nights but it was all worth it to me.

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Tunisia Filming Locations: Star Wars Traveller – Tatooine (a.k.a. Tozeur)

Posted on August 26, 2009 by tokyofox

It may surprise many that visiting some of the Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia is actually very difficult. There are no Star Wars package tours and very, very few Tunisians have even heard of, let alone seen, the sci-fi saga! With that in mind, getting things started was a bit of a headache but luckily I’d done plenty of research. Having walked the streets of Tozeur in the early hours I’d found nothing that could help me such as a tour operator. In fact the whole town seemed to be closed!

Eventually I returned to the scene of my previous night’s wild(?) birthday celebration extravaganza and enquired at reception about hiring a private 4WD driver as the receptionist spoke a bit of English as my bad French couldn’t help me express what I wanted which was, at times, a problem in a country where very few people spoke any English. I had to pay what was expensive by local standards but reasonable by UK ones and well-worth it to me.

My driver Amar first took me to Sidi Bouhlel (below) which is known (outside of Tunisia) as Star Wars canyon and was used in ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope‘ (1977) as well as in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark‘ (1981) which was an awesome sight.

 

Next, I went down into the canyon (below) where the scenery (Artoo’s hideout and Jawa rock) was so instantly recognisable.

  

A great start to the tour and not a soul in sight as I took my photos.

 

After that, we saw wild camels and in baking 45 degrees celsius we then saw Ong Jemal (neck camel) or Camelhead rock (below) which was in ‘Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace‘ (1999) but is maybe more famous for its use in ‘The English Patient’ (1996) which I had seen as my preparation for this trip.

 
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A short ride away from this was the Yardangs (protruding rocks resembling shark fins) which was the duel site between Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul and then in the middle of nowhere was the Mos Espa set from ‘Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace‘. Incredible to think that there is no entrance charge, no fenced-off area, nothing. Truly amazing, and this place was a highlight of my whole trip.

The set itself is made of wooden moisture vaporators and multi-domed buildings and archways made of plaster with nothing inside apart from sleeping touts waiting for the next tourist bus as this place is on the tourist circuit though it’s only billed as ‘The Star Wars’.

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I guess I must have arrived in between buses as unbelievably I was alone again and able to wander at ease locating (this is where it gets geeky!) Watto’s junk shop, Qui Gonn’s alley, Sebulba’s café and Jira’s fruitstall.

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After those three highs, I was then looking forward to seeing the Skywalker’s home exterior which was one of the sites I was really excited about seeing. However, I was dealt a crushing blow when I couldn’t find the tiny igloo and communication problems with the driver made it difficult for me to really guide him to where I wanted. After showing a photo of the place in my book to a local I couldn’t believe their ignorance in just saying it wasn’t in the area but what can you expect when a foreigner tries to tell you that something is in your neck of the woods that you’ve never heard of!

A truly frustrating experience, and I really regret not stopping the driver at the 26 km marker (as directed in ‘Trip to Tatooine’ by Mark Dermul which I was following) and looking for it on foot rather than driving a bit further on to a turning which had a bit of a road to follow but from where we just couldn’t locate it.

Back in Tozeur I was still pretty deflated about the sour end to the trip but managed to cheer myself up temporarily by sampling some camel steak which was available at a restaurant run by two nice chatty guys which was a relief given that yet again I was on my own.

I wandered round through the palmeraie area (a huge oasis) and around the town looking at the achitecture and brickwork which the area is famed for although its also a bit of a building site in many places. I returned to the hotel de l’Oasis at night for a couple of beers with an Italian guy I met earlier that morning which was nice given the lack of speaking so far on the trip.

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Tunisia 2009 Pt I: A Memorable Birthday!!

Posted on August 24, 2009 by tokyofox

As soon as I arrived in Tunis I took a taxi straight to the Southern Bus Station and bought a ticket for Tozeur for 23 dinars (about £10) which was just about to leave and would take seven hours. Firstly, the bus was 40 minutes late which wasn’t such a problem, nor was the seat that I got at the back as some others were broken and the poor guy in front of me didn’t even have a backrest on his!

Prior to the trip I had anticipated a challenging survival-type holiday and just as I was thinking that it was going to be plain sailing the bus broke down. What followed was a wait of two hours by the road in 40+ degrees celsius heat in the middle of nowhere until a replacement bus arrived.

Despite the language problems (almost no-one in Tunisia speaks English) I managed to provide some entertainment by setting up a simple tin-can target for a stone throwing contest. Anything to kill time and try and lift spirits although it would appear that buses often do this in Tunisia. The next bus arrived with us five hours from Tozeur but that wasn’t the end of the trouble as the second bus broke down about an hour away from our destination but thankfully the wait for bus #3 was only about 40 minutes.

 

Having left Tunis at 11.40am I finally arrived in southern Tunisia after 9pm and after I’d checked into a hostel I went about looking for a beer which you wouldn’t think would be so difficult but it was as Tunisians don’t really drink beer (water, coffee and smoking through water pipes is what their bars are for) so it’s not sold hardly anywhere. Eventually I got word that it was sold at a nearby hotel.

Balloons, party-poppers, presents, people, music, fun, lots of alcohol – there was none of that!! Instead, I celebrated(?) my 32nd birthday all alone with a Tunisian beer in the lobby which indeed was a memorable day albeit not for such good reasons!

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A New Addition To The Family #2 – Anesta

Posted on August 23, 2009 by tokyofox

I am a proud Uncle again after my sister Ruth gave birth to Anesta. She was born on August 14th so congratulations to both Ruth and Carl on their second child.

A New Addition To The Family A New Addition To The Family A New Addition To The Family A New Addition To The Family

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Italy Filming Locations: Mission Impossible III (2006)

Posted on August 22, 2009 by tokyofox

‘The Phantom Menace‘ (1999) and ‘Attack Of The Clones‘ (2002) aren’t the only movies to have filmed at Caserta Palace as the third installment of the ‘Mission: Impossible‘ movie series also used this place which is 25 kilometres north of Naples. There is a 20 minute Italian segment in this JJ Abrams directed sequel to ‘MI:2‘ (2000) or ‘Mission: Impossible 2′ as many of us preferred to call it! Thankfully this film, released a decade on from the first one, was simply known as ‘Mission: Impossible III‘.

  

There are brief shots of the real Rome first though to help establish the Continue reading →

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Italy Filming Locations: Star Wars Traveller – Naboo (a.k.a. Caserta)

Posted on August 21, 2009 by tokyofox

The very first thing I did on day one in Italy was take an 8am Eurostar train for 28 euros from Rome Termini station to Caserta which is 25 kilometres north of Naples. I had intended to get the 6.27 local train but arrived just a few minutes before and without knowledge of how to get a ticket or which platform to go to I decided to not risk it. Ironically, I still got there earlier than I would have but at three times the price!

 

The reason for this journey was to visit Caserta Palace which is luckily opposite the station and was used as Queen Amidala’s Royal Palace in Naboo in both ‘Star Wars Episode I’ (1999) and ‘Star Wars Episode II’ (2002). 

 

It also filled in for the inside of the Vatican in ‘Mission: Impossible III‘ (2006) and more recently ‘Angels & Demons‘ (2009). 

 

Having done my research before the trip it really was quite a sight to see those stairs and the huge window that appeared in the Star Wars prequels. I had a quick look around the palace and as impressive and beautiful as it was I just wasn’t that interested in any of the exhibits and pictures on display.

 

However, the palace gardens were very nice and just stretched on for ages and ages as I found to my cost when I walked them in the mid-morning sunshine thinking the end fountain was much closer than it was. With the need to move on and visit Pompeii later that day I took the shuttle bus back to the palace.

 

Back at the station I had to endure Italian inefficiency and poor service as the machines weren’t working and so I had to queue up at the one window that was open just to get a ticket the short distance to Napoli.

You can see other Star Wars Traveller entries by clicking on the following:

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Italy Filming Locations: Roman Holiday (1953)

Posted on August 18, 2009 by tokyofox

All four of my nights in Italy were spent in the capital city staying at Fawlty Towers which was not just chosen for the name, but also for it’s price and convenience to the main station Termini. Despite the kicking it gets on the internet, I found it was fairly decent but maybe I’m more used to slumming it than others when on holiday!

I spent two whole days in Rome and it’s hard not to like such a place although the people at times did their best to make it so with their attitude, rudeness and incessant arguing. I started by getting in line for the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums (below) which I guess is a must-see, and of course its unbelievable to see though it’s not really my thing. You can’t not appreciate the work and effort gone into such a thing.

   

The following sights, which I visited over the two days, all featured in the 1953 film ‘Roman Holiday‘:

St Peter’s Basilica (below) from the outside was really impressive and featured in the films opening title sequence. I returned at the end of my second day to go inside and climb the 500+ steps to the top.

         

Ponte Sant Angelo is the bridge (below) where the barge dance scene took place below with the castle towering above.

Spanish Steps (below) were where she sat eating gelato (something I couldn’t do due to a case of sensitive teeth) when Joe Bradley (a.k.a. Gregory Peck) “accidentally” bumped into her.

51 Via Margutta was the address where Joe lived (below) but sadly its under construction and bore no resemblance to that in the film which is probably not so surprising as the film was made over 50 years ago!!

Fontana di Trevi (below) was where Joe tried to steal a kids camera while Ann (a.k.a. Audrey Hepburn) was getting her hair cut nearby. Like Spanish steps this was a tourist magnet but a great place to just sit and watch people which is what I did a lot more of on my second day when I returned to both places.

Bocca della Verita (below) probably provided the films most memorable scene where Joe pulled his hand out of the ‘mouth of truth’ with his hand up his sleeve astonishing Ann. Having seen the huge line for this photo opportunity the previous day it was a relief to be almost first in the queue when I returned on my second day.

Piazza Venezia was the location for the dangerous Vespa riding scene below.

Roman Forum (below) was where they met when she was sleeping on a stone and this was one of my favourite parts of Rome as I really enjoyed looking around the ruins here and in the neighbouring Palatine.

The Collosseum (below) is visited by almost everyone including myself and of course Joe and Ann in ‘Roman Holiday’. Another fascinating place to visit and the symbol of Rome for good reason.

Pantheon (below) was really nice too and looking up at the glass bubble roof must be an amazing sight when it p*sses it down. Very sunny when I was there though. Joe bought Ann champagne at a nearby cafe. I was looking for a cafe to sit at and watch people when I was here but they were all quite expensive and I resisted the temptation to sit outside McDonalds which has a fantastic location right in front of the columns of the Pantheon.

  

Instead I went to the nearby Piazza Navona (below) where just round the corner I had a breakfast beer but for good reason as I saw Duff beer on sale which is a famous beer drunk by Homer in ‘The Simpsons‘. The piazza was fairly quiet when I arrived but when I returned after a 10 minute detour it was packed with tourists.

Piazza Barberini was the square (below) where Ann broke out from her palace….I think!

Overall, I did a lot of walking around Rome over the two days. I could have left Rome fairly content after a busy first day but it was quite nice to to be able to spend my time more leisurely on the other day.

  

Piazza del Popolo (below) finally gave me the chance to wine and dine in a nice location with a cheap pizza and a chance to impersonate James Richardson reviewing the Italian sports papers as he did with regularity at cafes on Gazzetta Football Italia on Channel 4 in the early 1990’s.


Click here to read ‘Italia 2009 Pt I: Pompeii’

Click here to read ‘Italia 2009 Pt III: Star Wars Traveller – Naboo (a.k.a. Caserta)’

Click here to read ‘Italia 2009 Pt IV: Mission Impossible III Filming Locations’

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Italia 2009: Pompeii

Posted on August 17, 2009 by tokyofox

Experience told me that I would wake up early on my first day (after the previous days 14 hour flight) I decided to head straight down to the Naples area as I really wanted to go there and thought it best to get it done and dusted sooner rather than later. One of the places I visited was Pompeii which was very interesting to look at although that novelty wore off as I wandered aimlessly among the ruins in the strong afternoon heat trying not to get sunburned as I still hadn’t bought any suncream. Hence, why I am wearing a long sleeved t-shirt and long pants in most of the photos.

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Sadly there wasn’t so much in the way of information boards which are usually sufficient for me. Without a map or info on the history of the eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius it was quite hard to get a real feel for the place but a guide would have driven me crazy, making me more tired and with very little information being retained in all likelihood.

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Click here to read ‘Italia 2009 Pt II: Roman Holiday Filming Locations’

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All Set For The Movie Sets

Posted on August 3, 2009 by tokyofox

Last year I wrote a blog saying the dream was over due to financial constraints but given that I then paid nearly two-thirds of that cost just to go to Laos I thought I’d just pay whatever it cost this year as I haven’t had any other holidays in 2009 due to my participation on the TESOL course in the first half of the year.

Anyway, that ‘dream’ is now a reality and I have been doing my preparation for the trip to Rome, Naples and Tunisia but I don’t necessarily mean looking at guidebooks and webpages. No, my “research” has meant watching any films made in these locations. For Italy, this has included ‘Mission: Impossible III‘ (2006) where the inside of Caserta Palace near Naples provided the backdrop for a scene or two.

Of course, there’s also ‘Roman Holiday‘ (1954) which I had never seen before until recently. I was quite surprised to find myself enjoying this kind of film and will now even try and hunt down a few of the sights used in its filming. Also, made me a bit sad that I will not have my girlfriend with me in the Italian capital.

Two years ago I spent my birthday (August 8th) on a plane to Australia, last year it was to Laos and this year is no different. I will be spending my birthday alone yet again taking the plane from Rome to Tunis in Tunisia and then (hopefully) taking the 7 hour bus down south.

A few films have been set on location in Tunisia with these including ‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’, ‘The English Patient‘, ‘The Raiders Of the Lost Ark‘ and of course the Star Wars saga where four of the six movies were filmed in Tunisia with the most memorable being ‘A New Hope‘ and ‘The Phantom Menace‘ Going in search of some of the sites used in those two films in particular is my main reason for taking my first trip to Africa and I am very much looking forward to the challenge of getting round Tunisia.

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