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
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
Three hours later,
with the sun setting already, they boarded the ferry – ‘Le
Bac’ – to the
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
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Crew & Saviours
Find out who who donated to make this restoration possible and meet the crew who traveled out to Tunisia to make it happen.
Book
We are currently hard at work creating a wonderful coffee table book, with loads of never before seen images. Stay tuned!