Just had two days in Egypt out of the port of Alexandria. We arrived mid day so on the first afternoon we explored Alexandria as we knew we had a full day going to the pyramids and Sphinx the next day.
We were two of only eight foot passengers that ventured out on their own, everyone else took tours or stayed on board. The port police took your name down as you left and crossed you off when you came back so if you did go missing someone would know.
We made sure we were suitably dressed, elbows and knees covered, lots of sunblock as it was about 40°.....hot and sticky! It was fine. Frantic, energetic, dirty, polluted, exotic, dusty, eye opening....like nothing I've experienced before......we loved it! Every corner revealed a new sight....sooooo different from what we are used to and how we live. We walked the food bazaar..... the only westerners there....and everyone was calling 'welcome' and smiling.......trying to sell us stuff of course , but happy and smiling and no bother.
Most people speak three languages here, Arabic, English and often French. The women and girls were lovely, waving and smiling and looking back at us once they had walked past us. Even the ladies where all I could see was their eyes...you could see they were smiling, the old men nodded their heads in greeting and we were welcomed into a mosque. The market stalls are an eye opener....fish, meat, live chickens, cheeses, dates, fruits, odds and ends, herbs, flat breads, spices.....saw a small cattle beast being butchered right there on the street in all the dust...the entrails flopping out......quite a sight....not much ice or refrigeration in evidence, dust and flies everywhere, multiply Bangkok food market 100 fold......incredible.
The sounds of the city were mainly car horns...tooting, honking....traffic like you have never seen before, all the taxis appear to be Lada's and no car is undented, we saw a crash right in front of us.....lanes mean nothing. In amongst this are still donkeys, horse and carts....its dangerous crossing the road....the traffic doesn't stop it goes around you so you have to be sure you can get across the street.....you can't turn back. There are enormous lines of cars and trucks to get into the petrol station .......drivers pushing their cars in the line as they inch forwards....the queue goes for about 2k's...sometimes longer. Once that station is out of gas it shuts the doors. (Apparently the Army are controlling the petrol and selling it elsewhere).
There is rubbish everywhere....rubbish hasn't been collected for 2yrs so imagine the waste from a city of 3.5million just collecting on the pavements......and along the beach front. The water was brown.......all the run off from the city appears to run into the bay.....the filthiest beach I have ever seen and people were swimming in it and fishing.....such a shame. The beautiful old waterfront buildings from the 1920's are falling into ruins.....but you can still see the gorgeous Venetian mosaic work on some.
We walked around the back lanes...saw a wee boy of about 7yrs lifting building sand on a pully from the street level up about 10 floors...he was in a full galabaya and hot and tired.....poor we fella.....no school for him. The people are desperately poor here.....they want visitors to feel safe and welcome.....they need the income. They were really lovely to us.......at one stage we were going down a street and we must have looked a bit unsure and a local came up to us "are you from the princess ship...go left , go right....welcome, welcome...." humbled by their friendliness...the kids laughing and smiling at us.
Next day up at 4.30am to get breakfast and then be in the bus at 5.45am for the three hour journey to Giza and the pyramids. We traveled in a convoy of coaches and had a security guy on our bus. Drove through back streets, motorways that have broken down trucks and cars just left where they stopped, unbelievable little shack stalls right in the traffic lane selling fruits or water, people standing in the middle of the highway waiting for a lift.....cars even going down the wrong way as the other side is too bumpy for their heavy laden trucks...trucks with open trays on the back with people jammed in amongst goats or small calves, people on the roof....some trucks so heavy laden its a wonder the driver can see out the front. Some big check points have army tanks .....more as a deterrent presence at this stage we were told. Although the day we left there were protests in Alexandria and 20 people injured and there will be a big protest on Sunday....one year since the president took office.
They have these pigeon houses that look like old fashioned bee hives....only taller. Pigeon is a delicacy and they stuff them until they are the size of a chicken. When a man gets married for the first month the mother in law makes him pigeon! Newly marrieds' live with the mother in law until they have their own family.
There are a lot of unfinished buildings here..until the last floor is completed you don't pay tax. Some cars come into the country cut in half, the halves come into different ports and there is an industry involved in welding the two parts together.......a half a car doesnt attract tax and when you are poor you buy the cheapest car you can afford - lots of old cars from other countries can be seen land-crabbing down the highways.
We had lunch at The Meridian Hotel which was lovely....4star and amazing options....pigeon curry...just kidding, Egyptian and western menu and again the hospitality was superb...they want visitors to be really welcomed.
Then off to the Step Pyramid of Sakkara, the oldest of Egypt's 110 pyramids, and the first limestone structure of the world. There was also a temple here with a colonnade of 40 pillars, impressive. Every time you get off the bus the traders are wanting for you to buy a camel ride or some souvenirs... .they try very hard but its not a problem, a firm 'no' and they move on. We didn't have much money as we hadn't planned to buy anything....too much to lug about in our packs. We felt quite bad though so with the few euro we had we gave to the young kids trying to sell pens and tat, wished we had some more money with us as just a few dollars can make a big difference, things are really dire here right now.
Next stop the Great Pyramids of Giza-the great pyramid of Cheops made of more than 2million blocks, the smaller pyramids of Chephren and Mycernius....incredible! Then last stop the Sphinx.
We had a wonderful tour guide who explained the context of the current political situation and that "most Egyptians see this as an interim period......the Muslim Brotherhood won't be ruling forever.....things will get better....Egyptians are positive......look at our history.... look at what President Sadat achieved for us......we have a positive future"
We were two of only eight foot passengers that ventured out on their own, everyone else took tours or stayed on board. The port police took your name down as you left and crossed you off when you came back so if you did go missing someone would know.
We made sure we were suitably dressed, elbows and knees covered, lots of sunblock as it was about 40°.....hot and sticky! It was fine. Frantic, energetic, dirty, polluted, exotic, dusty, eye opening....like nothing I've experienced before......we loved it! Every corner revealed a new sight....sooooo different from what we are used to and how we live. We walked the food bazaar..... the only westerners there....and everyone was calling 'welcome' and smiling.......trying to sell us stuff of course , but happy and smiling and no bother.
Most people speak three languages here, Arabic, English and often French. The women and girls were lovely, waving and smiling and looking back at us once they had walked past us. Even the ladies where all I could see was their eyes...you could see they were smiling, the old men nodded their heads in greeting and we were welcomed into a mosque. The market stalls are an eye opener....fish, meat, live chickens, cheeses, dates, fruits, odds and ends, herbs, flat breads, spices.....saw a small cattle beast being butchered right there on the street in all the dust...the entrails flopping out......quite a sight....not much ice or refrigeration in evidence, dust and flies everywhere, multiply Bangkok food market 100 fold......incredible.
The sounds of the city were mainly car horns...tooting, honking....traffic like you have never seen before, all the taxis appear to be Lada's and no car is undented, we saw a crash right in front of us.....lanes mean nothing. In amongst this are still donkeys, horse and carts....its dangerous crossing the road....the traffic doesn't stop it goes around you so you have to be sure you can get across the street.....you can't turn back. There are enormous lines of cars and trucks to get into the petrol station .......drivers pushing their cars in the line as they inch forwards....the queue goes for about 2k's...sometimes longer. Once that station is out of gas it shuts the doors. (Apparently the Army are controlling the petrol and selling it elsewhere).
There is rubbish everywhere....rubbish hasn't been collected for 2yrs so imagine the waste from a city of 3.5million just collecting on the pavements......and along the beach front. The water was brown.......all the run off from the city appears to run into the bay.....the filthiest beach I have ever seen and people were swimming in it and fishing.....such a shame. The beautiful old waterfront buildings from the 1920's are falling into ruins.....but you can still see the gorgeous Venetian mosaic work on some.
We walked around the back lanes...saw a wee boy of about 7yrs lifting building sand on a pully from the street level up about 10 floors...he was in a full galabaya and hot and tired.....poor we fella.....no school for him. The people are desperately poor here.....they want visitors to feel safe and welcome.....they need the income. They were really lovely to us.......at one stage we were going down a street and we must have looked a bit unsure and a local came up to us "are you from the princess ship...go left , go right....welcome, welcome...." humbled by their friendliness...the kids laughing and smiling at us.
Next day up at 4.30am to get breakfast and then be in the bus at 5.45am for the three hour journey to Giza and the pyramids. We traveled in a convoy of coaches and had a security guy on our bus. Drove through back streets, motorways that have broken down trucks and cars just left where they stopped, unbelievable little shack stalls right in the traffic lane selling fruits or water, people standing in the middle of the highway waiting for a lift.....cars even going down the wrong way as the other side is too bumpy for their heavy laden trucks...trucks with open trays on the back with people jammed in amongst goats or small calves, people on the roof....some trucks so heavy laden its a wonder the driver can see out the front. Some big check points have army tanks .....more as a deterrent presence at this stage we were told. Although the day we left there were protests in Alexandria and 20 people injured and there will be a big protest on Sunday....one year since the president took office.
They have these pigeon houses that look like old fashioned bee hives....only taller. Pigeon is a delicacy and they stuff them until they are the size of a chicken. When a man gets married for the first month the mother in law makes him pigeon! Newly marrieds' live with the mother in law until they have their own family.
There are a lot of unfinished buildings here..until the last floor is completed you don't pay tax. Some cars come into the country cut in half, the halves come into different ports and there is an industry involved in welding the two parts together.......a half a car doesnt attract tax and when you are poor you buy the cheapest car you can afford - lots of old cars from other countries can be seen land-crabbing down the highways.
We had lunch at The Meridian Hotel which was lovely....4star and amazing options....pigeon curry...just kidding, Egyptian and western menu and again the hospitality was superb...they want visitors to be really welcomed.
Then off to the Step Pyramid of Sakkara, the oldest of Egypt's 110 pyramids, and the first limestone structure of the world. There was also a temple here with a colonnade of 40 pillars, impressive. Every time you get off the bus the traders are wanting for you to buy a camel ride or some souvenirs... .they try very hard but its not a problem, a firm 'no' and they move on. We didn't have much money as we hadn't planned to buy anything....too much to lug about in our packs. We felt quite bad though so with the few euro we had we gave to the young kids trying to sell pens and tat, wished we had some more money with us as just a few dollars can make a big difference, things are really dire here right now.
Next stop the Great Pyramids of Giza-the great pyramid of Cheops made of more than 2million blocks, the smaller pyramids of Chephren and Mycernius....incredible! Then last stop the Sphinx.
We had a wonderful tour guide who explained the context of the current political situation and that "most Egyptians see this as an interim period......the Muslim Brotherhood won't be ruling forever.....things will get better....Egyptians are positive......look at our history.... look at what President Sadat achieved for us......we have a positive future"
