Egypte / Egypt 2002

July 18, 2002 – Alexandria

I wake up at the bus station in Alexandria, I don’t see time going by.

It takes me more than one hour to reach the Acropole Hotel from the bus station because I want to walk through the city, next time I will take a taxi or the tramway. I finally reach Midan Saad Zaghloul, and I find the Cecil Hotel so the Acropole Hotel is not far and on the next street here I am in front of the entrance. For 22 EGP, I have a big room but my window has a poor view, the Cecil Hotel’s back.

I just have a break there before starting the discovery of the town. I try to find a bank to change some euros and eat something at the Mc Donald’s. It will change me from the usual sandwiches and local food. And as Alexandria has a humid climate the temperature makes me wet and the air conditioning of a Mc Do is nice.

So just before noon I start the visit of the city because my walk from Sidi Gaber train station to the hotel enjoyed me. Alexandria seems to be a European city and its buildings, with their style, are well rooted in the early 20^th century.

After wandering quickly in the district’s hotel, I walk my way to the Masr train station square. I take the An Nabi Daniel street where the French Cultural center is located and where many Egyptins sell books on the sidewalks until the Gomhuriyya square. The more I get close to the train station, the more the crowd becomes big. It is surely the Thursday effect like our Saturday in Europe. I leave the Masr train station on my left, I will come back here to take the train to Cairo.

I take Sharia Sherif street, the street with the tramway. This is a street with a lot of stalls on the sidewalks and even on the street. It is hard to find your way in such a crowd. Just after a church, I take on the left on the advice of an Egyptian to whom I ask if the catacombs are on this way. This is also a tramway street. In Alexandria, tramways are very popular with many lines. Everyone on the street want to talk to me, the French guy who seems to be the only foreigner here. I see the pompey’s pillar and that will lead the way.

I hesitate in front of the entrance because it doesn’t seem that there is a lot to see inside but the student price is very cheap so I will pay the 3 EGP despite the fact that we can see clearly the main piece (the pillar) from the entrance gate. There are Roman remains there but they are not well shown on the site. The only attraction is a massive 25m granite column with a 9m girth. Just in front of the pillar, 2 sphinxes go on guard.

Pompey’s pillar

When exiting the site, I take the street on my right that will lead me to the catacombs of Kom Ash Shuqqafa. The catacombs are the largest Roman burial site in Egypt. It was built in many steps but the first tomb was created in the 2^nd century before Christ, The catacombs are very impressive because the site can contain around 300 corpses on 3 layers. All of this is 35m under the surface. The tombs are carved in the rock around the main tomb. A triclium was dedicated to the banquets where the relatives of the dead pay respect with a funeral feast.

The main tomb

Many graves

In the street that leads me to Sharia Sherif street, I meet 3 Egyptians who are drinking tea and talking. They invite me to join them and they offer me to drink a seven up. That’s the beginning of a discussion in 3 languages: French, English and Arabic. One of them is learning French, the other one started English and the last one can only speak Arabic. I know more and more words but I am not still able to have a normal talk with them. Despite the language barrier, it is very interesting to speak with them and I will need more than 45 minutes to walk the 500m between the 2 streets!!!

I lost myself in the west area of the harbor and thanks to a truck driver family I will know the good path to reach the Anfushi district. They salute me with these words: “Fransa Kwayyis, France is good” Shukran !!!

I am now in front of the complex of the Naval Forces with their white buildings. In fact, I go along the sea behind the wharfs to face the Anfushi necropole and I am back on the Lonely Planet map… I discover there a public beach with a massive crowd on it. I just stop to see all this activity in front of me. An Egyptian come to see me and he desires to know if I want to rent a parasol for 45 piastres but I want to reach Qayt Bay.

The castle was beautifully restored but I will not go inside. On the promenade in front of the entrance, young Egyptian couples occupy many benches. That sounds very romantic: talking and watching the waves breaking on the rocks. And it will be the same on the whole corniche.

Many beaches, public or private, are located on the corniche and a lot of people is coming to enjoy the nice weather and have some fun. These beaches are not made of sand but pebbles and the water is stained in brown. But all the kids play there without noticing that. The girls also are playing in the water but after 5 or 6 years they enter the water fully dressed, that is the difference with Europe.

In front of the unknown soldier monument, I meet Mohammed and we start a long conversation of more than 1:30 hours. He is studying law and we talk about many subjects regarding France, Egypt, the United States…

Tonight I go back to Mc Donald’s, another temptation!! And after, I go to a Stella shop just at the bottom of the hotel. Finally after nearly 3 weeks in Egypt, I know the real price of a 500ml Stella: 4.5 EGP.

It is really too hot in the room so I will sleep with the windows opened to refresh the place!!! That’s an ambiance!!!

Main expenses of the day :

Night at the Acropole Hotel : 22 EGP (single room)

Menatel phone card : 10 EGP (1 min to call France 4.80 EGP)

Pompey’s pillar entrance : 3 EGP (student fare) otherwise 6 EGP

Catacombs entrance : 6 EGP (student fare) otherwise 12 EGP + camera ticket 10 EGP

Mc Do : 25 EGP (noon and evening)

Stella beer : 4.5 EGP

Drinks (water, soft drinks, tea…) : 10 EGP

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