A Day Trip to Alexandria

Yesterday morning we set out for a day trip to Alexandria, Egypt. Our journey began on the subway to the main train terminal downtown, which was under construction. We had to ask someone to point out which train was headed to Alex and then a second someone to direct us to the right train car. The ride was easy and comfortable in the air conditioned 1st class cabin. We met a man sitting across the aisle from us who was home from the U.S. on summer break from his PhD program at a small Georgian college. A cart came through the cabin several times during the 2.5 hour ride selling tea, coffee and snacks.

Roman Amphitheater

When we pulled in to Misr Station in Alexandria we headed straight for the Roman Amphitheater. It's quite literally across the street.


Roman Amphitheater

These ruins were discovered when the foundation was being laid for apartment buildings scheduled to be built on this site. It lies right in the center of busy intersections, tall buildings and communication towers. Having been here before, Seth walked me straight in to the center of the curved seating where a small, flat, round stone marks the floor. I was chatting away and as I stepped onto the stone I suddenly heard my voice echoing and amplified off the stone seats. It sent chills down my arms. I can't express what an incredible feeling it is to stand in a place like that and wonder what transpired here 1500 years ago or more. Who stood here and spoke? Who sat in these rows and listened or argued? What must it have been like to dig down and unearth this?


Seat numbers?

Look closely and you can make out carvings on the facing piece of these bench seats. Is that a "true trail arrow" on the second row up?

The Corniche

From the Amphitheater we began our walk to the Corniche, the main drag along the Mediterranean Sea. We walked everywhere this day, wanting to take our time and just experience the city slowly. We came upon a coffee shop and ducked inside to investigate buying some beans to take home with us, as our local coffee vendor has been out of coffee the last 2 times I have stopped in to buy (tough business model, no?) We struck up a conversation with a couple sitting at the bar who told us this was the best coffee shop in all of Alexandria. What luck! We seem to have a knack for finding the "very best" things in Egypt (See previous post about the "Best soldiers on Earth"). In truth the cappuccinos were great and we got the man's card. He is a travel agent and tour guide in Alexandria with a good sense of humor.

Before reaching the Corniche we took a quick detour to Cap d'Or, rumored to be the oldest bar in Alexandria. It is a tiny place and at 1:30 pm we were the only patrons, but the beer was cold and the dance music playing on the bar tender's cell phone was like stepping back in time...ehem.


Crowded public beaches lined the waterfront on the Corniche

We wound our way along the coast, slowly making out way toward Fort Qaitbey. The sandy strip along the seas was crowded with swimmers and young Egyptians posing dramatically for photos of themselves. Snack vendors were everywhere and, in an effort to hold us over for a late lunch, we bought two big pretzels from a cart for 2 LE (about $0.25 each). We were both a little surprised to bite in to the hard, dry cracker, thinking it would have been soft and doughy from the look of it. Gradually the flavorless swallows began to get stuck half way down our throats and we gave up, tossing them in to a trash bin.


Cotton candy boys wanted their picture taken

Coffee shops and ice cream stands lined the Corniche. We dodged a few cars and minibuses for a cone of sherbet to wash down our crackers and kept on toward the peninsula of land where Qaitbey looks out over the Sea.


Row boats available for rent


Swimmers hanging off a boat


View of Fort Qaitbey across the marina

Near the entrance to the fort we walked passed the ship yard, where yachts are still built completely out of wood, by hand.



Fort Qaitbey

You may be familiar with the Pharos lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, that used to stand in Alexandria's harbor before an earthquake in 1303 brought it crumbling into the sea. The Fort was built by Sultan Qaitbey in 1480 on the spot where the lighthouse had stood. The builders incorporated some of the stone and granite form the lighthouse into the walls of the fortress.


Basement tunnel in Qaitbey


Fisherman were perched on the rocks behind the fortress


A police guard offered to snap this photo

Working our way up the stairs to each successive level of the fort, we enjoyed the breezes coming in from the Mediterranean. It was a hot day to be sure. The view from the top was spectacular.


Hall way on the third floor


View of Alexandria's coast from the top of Qaitbey


Some of the red granite in this photo may be from the original lighthouse


Iron railing along the top walls of Qaitbey

Anfushi District

From the fort we walked back along the coast toward Anfushi, the working class district. This is a poorer area of town, and has a more authentic flavor than some of the tourist driven beach front we had walked along earlier in the day. At one time considered the Turkish neighborhood of Alexandria, these streets were lined with fruit & vegetable vendors as well as fresh fish stalls and meat markets.


Rabbits. This is not a pet store.


Again, not a pet store.


Heavy carts were along many city streets selling prickly pears, grapes and mangoes.

We stopped for our early dinner at Abu Ashraf Restaurant in this neighborhood. When we walked in off the street we were first told to pick out our fish from the catch of the day displayed on ice. Then we took a seat and waited for it to be prepared, it would be a surprise since we couldn't communicate very well in Arabic. A waiter came and we asked for a bottle of water and some tomato and cucumber salad. A few moments later our table was covered with plates: beet salad, chickpeas, hummus, babaganouj, pita bread, rice and tomato and cucumber salad. A while later the fish came, split open and stuffed with onions, tomatoes and green peppers, it was a feast. We cleaned the fish off its bones and savored every bite with fresh lime. All the while having a conversation of smiles and waves with two little girls at the table next to us.

From dinner we walked back to the train station and settled in to our seats for the ride home to Cairo. As we rode past corn and rice fields the sunset turned the sky purple. Donkeys pulled carts along the canals and people sat under trees along the water as the day came to an end.

We are lucky. Life is good.