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Diary

Diary

This is our day-to-day story, starting on Friday 25th May 2012, actually the 35th Anniversary of 'Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope'!

 

Enjoy this story by the fans, for the fans.

 

Will we soon bring you a video documentary as well as a book, filled with fantastic photographs of this once-in-a-lifetime undertaking.

Diary

Diary

 

On this page, the Pioneers who traveled to Tunisia to Save the Lars Homestead, share with you their very own adventure.

Re-live the excitement of pulling off a restoration that has been one of the most anticipated projects in a galaxy far, far away.

Your guides are: Mark Dermul, Terry Cooper, Mark Cox, Robert Cunningham, Imanuel Dijk and Michel Verpoorten (more on our crew on this page). Oh, and lets not forget our 'caterer', Colin Kenworthy. After all, he supplied us with cool drinks and icecreams when we most needed them.

Day 8

 

Friday 1st June 2012

 

Since they were used to getting up early and it would take for Hoth to freeze over for them not going back to see their handiwork once more, they got up at 5am again and drove out for a final time to the Lars Homestead. Since they had left her a shining white – allowing the weather to do the… err… weathering – it could already be seen from seven kilometres away! After another round of photos and some fun with an inflatable landspeeder, courstesy of Imanuel, it was a difficult moment. After shedding blood, sweat and tears – in some cases literally – they had to say goodbye. It was time to head out across the chott, back to the heartland of Tunisia and finally to the island of Jerba.

 

Making good time (Mark would make a good podracer) they found themselves close to Matamata, where the infamous Sidi Driss hotel is located. Star Wars fans know that this hotel doubles as the Lars Homestead as well, albeit the interior setting. Should they make a stop there? Well, they needed to get some lunch, did they not? It was a premeditated choice.

 

The Sidi Driss is a wonderful place and the owners realize the importance of it for tourism. The troglodyte hotel contains five pits. Three with sleeping quarters, one with dining quarters and the fifth pit is now something of a museum. All the Star Wars set dressing still in place (although painted over more than times than anyone would his kitchen back home) and immediately immerses visitors into that galaxy far, far away. Since the owner immediately recognized us as Star Wars fans (the T-shirts gave us away) and after we explained why we were in Tunisia, he offered us to have lunch in the Lars Dining Room (which is not common at all!). We happily agreed.

 

Three hours later, with the sun setting already, they boarded the ferry – ‘Le Bac’ – to the island of Jerba. Not far from the port, to the west of Ajim, stands a small fisherman’s house on the coast. They made it just in time to see the sun set on Ben Kenobi’s hermitage. This building is in a bad state too. Some started joking they had found their next project. The Project Lead just shook his head. Too soon?

 

They doubled back to Ajim to visit Chalmun’s Cantina, which still stands there, although it is now almost completely surrounded by new apartment buildings. After all these years, Mark was finally able to find out that it is owned by a local who will not sell (thank the Maker!) and that it used to be a bakery. The alley behind the Cantina, seen in A New Hope when the Millennium Falcon blasts its way out of Mos Eisly, has not changed at all.

 

On their way to the hotel, all the way up north on the island in Houmet Souk, they made a final stop in Sidi Jemour. This marabout doubled as Toshi Station in several cut scenes. And while some thought they could not possibly get any interesting photos here since it was already as dark as night, Michel did his magic and created some wonderful shots.

 

At long last, they arrived at their final destination, went out to dinner and turned in for the last night in Tunisia. It would turn out to be another short one, as they had to get up at 4am to catch the morning flight to Belgium.

 

Return to Day 7 - Forward to Day 9

 

Crew & Saviours

Pic 6

Find out who who donated to make this restoration possible and meet the crew who traveled out to Tunisia to make it happen.

more

Book

Pic 7

We are currently hard at work creating a wonderful coffee table book, with loads of never before seen images. Stay tuned!

more