Alexandria

30th Nov 10pm, Clement’s House Hotel, Alexandria

Despite the rather drab sounding name, Clement’ Hotel (60EGP) located just a few doors from the Brazilian Coffee Store along Sharia Saad Zagloul is a neat place with large clean rooms. Mine is a room with 3 beds! It overlooks the street below and I can see the nightlife plus all the honking as all the cars are stuck in a jam for what must be at least an hour. Closing the window helps lots. The hotel doesn’t appear in LP, but I’m recommending it, for the price, cleanliness and proximity to everything. The funky lift looks like a scenario right out Silent Hill, the console horror game.

Around 12pm today, made my way south towards the Roman Amphitheatre (around 750m from Midan Raml). 20 EGP entry fee –> it’s the only one in Egypt. Ruins and some structures dug out from the sea. Lots of excavation ongoing in Alexandria, especially near the Fort Qaitbey area (the site of the old 7th wonder of the world: the Pharaos Lighthouse).

Next headed southwest in a general direction (no map now). Got a bit lost but was it was fine, soaked in the sights and sounds of local residential areas. Finally saw the unmistakable named pillar, and bounded towards it. The Pompey’s Pillar (20 EGP, ask for Amud El-Sawari as the locals know it by that name) was actually built back then as a gift to someone for something (forgive my ignorance: yes i know, I’m bad at this). It’s about 26 metres high in total, and the surrounds used to hold temples to Isis, Heposis and one other Greco-Egyptian god.

The next sight was the catacombs, the security guard said walk 5 minutes and you’ll reach it, but i must have made a wrong turn somewhere, for i reached a school, and backlanes of the local neighbourhood district. I retraced my steps, had a breather, ordered my leavened bread with meat from one of the shops. I sat there waiting for my order, unable to convince them that i’m from Singapore, so i had to indulge them with my best Jackie Chan moves. Left the place (everyone there was my friend now haha). And saw some 3 tour buses. Trailed them for some 5 minutes before I reached the Kom El Shokafa Catacombs. The tourists behind the bus’ glass windows snapped pictures as the bus passed along the streets. I’m luckier, I get to interact more. =) . The Kom El Shokafa Catacombs (35 EGP, no cameras allowed) is as described, a 3 storeyed deep series of tunnels plus a macabre underground funeral dining room. Did not really enjoy it, no thanks to the fact that i was squeezing in the place with 3 busloads of Japanese, French and Spanish package tourists, with their guides rattling on in 3 languages in one echoey chamber.

Got some local guy to drive me back home on his beaten car for 15 EGP since my sense of direction was totally messed up by that point. Took a break before going off again to Zanqet Al-Settat or “the  woman’s squeeze”. Got the translation and recommendation to go to this souq from the excellent Al-Ahram Weekly. The paper went to town with the Egypt vs Algeria violence during the World Cup Playoff (Egypt lost 1-0, they played in Khartoum, Sudan and violence erupted before, during and after the match against the Egyptians. Ok. Back to the souq, it is so named due to the narrow 2-3m wide warren of alleyways. To get there, from the corniche, at the point where the shrine to the Unknown Soldier is, go inland towards Midan Arab. When you reach Midan Manshiyya, turn right into France Street. Alleys leading to left from this street all lead into the souq (LP labels it Souq). There was everything from clothes to toys to jewellery. I lasted all of 15 minutes in there…I have been walking all daya and I figured if i don’t get out then, I’ll be lost inside for the next few hours. That being said, I took another half hour to find my way out; i am thankful for my compass. Then went to the only wifi joint i saw over the last two days, posted yesterday’s entry over oily but tasty onion rings and an ice mocha (26 EGP). Tomorrow is a busy traveling day –> decided to travel by day to Siwa.

29th  Nov 830pm, New Excelsior Hotel, Alexandria

Arrived at Alexandria (Al-Iskandaria) International Airport at 130am. Took forever for everyone to clear customs, collected my bag.Almost all the passengers were Egyptians returning home. Cab too overpriced (I never fail to get charged tourist prices at the first cab on arrival at a location) so decided to wait till morning outside the airport. 16 degrees celsius, brrrr…I am in my windbreaker  shivering. The best part is I didn’t bring along any shoes for this trip. Will need to buy a pair eventually, especially before Ethiopia (or Sinai even). There were a few others sitting around. A Michelle Tan from Sichuan, China (but working in Shenzhen) came over to talk. Amazingly my limited Mandarin got handy here to break the ice. She’s with medical sales and jets around to show customers the products. And before hitting Alexandria, she came from Athens, then somewhere in Germany to meet her customers. She’s headed towards the Sheraton Montazah but figured a lone girl carrying 3 bags (1is a chunky suitcase containing her medical device!) at 2am in the middle of nowhere isnt the best situation to be in. It ended up  with me taking the cab to her hotel (60 EP) which is like, really out of the way, before I dropped off (50 EP, after my first succesful bargain) at Midan Ramla. Still tourist price =(. Actually, Michelle, who’s company paid for a room with double beds, offered to put me up for the night. Tempting, I get to stay in a 4 star hotel, but I declined, since i would then be far away from the sights and action.

At Midan Ramla at 6am, looking for a place to stay. Union hotel was full. So were the next two budget hotels in the Lonely Planet. I walked up and down the area, panicking a bit. It is high season, and tourists (locals & foreigners) fill up the rooms. The next 3 I could find were full too. I started to regret not taking up Michelle’s offer. And I was frigging tired. Only on the 7th, the Nile Excelsior Hotel had rooms to let. And it is here now I’m writing this. At 100 EP, it is  very pricey (1SGD is around 4 EP). But the room has all the amenities I might need (and some I don’t). Clean bed, fan, TV (Rush Hour II playing now), fridge, private bathroom. Later in the day, I made a reservation at another place I found, basic and minus fridge and TV, but also 60EP only. Will move there tomorrow =). And so, after taking a quick shower, at 8.30am in the morning, I had my first proper sleep on a bed.

1pm today, got peckish, went out to find some food and walk around the town. Alexandria is a fantastic waterfront city. Each shot I take would make a postcard shot. No one’s really bothering me as I walk around and take pics. I don’t think in Cairo it would be this easy to get around. Explored the Midan Ramla area, all the way down to the Biblioteque Alexandrina, the library (very artistic architecture with statues & exhibits around) inspired by the old Alexandria library which was a major centre of learning in the old world. On the walls of this library (the new one!) are characters from every written language known to man. Wandered around somemore, through parks. Here’s something I noticed. Alexandrian boys don’t walk, they swagger. In packs. Brash young men with chests puffed out and flailing hands as they make their point to the shop owner, cab driver etc. Oh yes, it is still cool even in the day. Walking around without a decent windbreaker would be suicidal.

In the evening had dinner at El-Shark, a restaurant just outside my hotel. Egypt would be a meat eater’s paradise. Had rice bologna and chicken liver soup! There are numerous cheap little shops, which I would no doubt order from had I not so much trouble trying to read the menus. The system is you order, pay up at the cashier, who gives you a receipt. Use that receipt to redeem your order. I really need to pick up some Egyptian. Hello and thank you is not enough to get by. After dinner, the locals sit around at the shops drinking tea, and watching tv there (local football match was showing) and some were on sheesha.

Tomorrow I have all day in Alex. Edit: today  (30th Nov) went to the souq and got lost, the roman amphitheatre, catacombs of al-shuqufa, pompey’s pillar. will post next time round =P