Date: Tuesday, 7 April 2009 2:16 PM
Founded by Alexander the Great in 332BC, this city fringes the Mediterranean north west of Cairo, and has a present population of only 4 million which grows to 8 million in the height of summer, July-August. Imagining where these extra 4 million people go is difficult as the place, to us, seems already crowded to capacity.
Last time I emailed we were about to leave on the overnight train from Aswan to Cairo. Fortunately, we'd managed to find the duty free shop, a scruffy place in the main drag, where we managed to stock up with the essentials for such a trip -- you know, bottles of gin, tonic, and similar. And we certainly needed them. The train trip was the worst I can remember. Not only did the carriage seem to have wheels out of round, producing a constant vertical vibration which made sleeping (in bunks) nigh on impossible, but every now and again, at all speeds the driver seemed to have a penchant for suddenly increasing or decreasing the speed with a huge jolt felt throughout the train. And this was the best rail service Egypt can provide.
And so, our gin bottles emptied, we arrived back in Cairo at dawn the next day, most of us sleepless, but I with the added burden of dose of the runs (the first I'd had on this trip) probably caused by incautious consumption of home baked bread with a dubious "spread" at a fascinating Nubian village in Aswan the day before. The Nubians actually keep live crocodiles in their homes, supposedly to keep the homes safe - the crocs are allegedly returned to the wild after a couple of years living in these parlous circumstances.
It was with great relief that I charged into the toilet in the spotlessly clean hotel where our tour team had organised breakfast in Cairo, after which we piled aboard a bus to set off for Alex, some three hours drive away.
Here we are ensconced in the old world style Le Metropole Hotel, an ornate has-been which features 14 foot ceilings and lavish wall decorations but also deficiencies in minor things such as toilet paper, oh, and hot water. The room, sorry, suite, which Mary and I have consists of a a huge drawing room at the entrance, a large bedroom, and a bathroom, complete with jacuzzi, which is bigger than many hotel rooms we've experienced.
But the hotel has free internet access so here I am, at 0600, in my hotel-supplied dressing gown, sending this to you.
Today we're off to the El Alamein battlefield followed by a return to Cairo for a last fling before the group members depart for their various destinations tomorrow. Mary and I have opted for a few days in Singapore before arriving home next Monday.
Some pics:
My quest to win the photo comp continues. A self-timer shot in the jacuzzi of our hotel.
The 13th century Citadel at Alexandria, built on the site of the Alexandria lighthouse which toppled several hundred years earlier. We can see this citadel from one of our suite's windows.
View to the west from the Citadel, showing the proximity of Alex to the coast.
Regards
Kev & Mary Long
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