And so to Alexandria I went.. Review on Alexandria

Dear Readers,

The travelogue below describes in detail the 4 days I spent in one of the most historical places in this world, Egypt. My short trip covered Alexandria and Cairo, and I will be describing the experience in each place separately. Please check both, and any feedback would be highly appreciated. My sincere hope is that someday you also get to see this magnificent place, and it is in that hope that I have written this travelogue to perhaps make your trip a little easier and well-researched. Grab a cuppa tea or coffee and read this with a relaxed mind..Happy travelling!

Alexandria

My much awaited, short and hectic Egypt tour started on a low note. Arrived in Alexandria at 00.35 on 19th January, one hour late courtesy Air Arabia. Contrary to popular opinion the 5 hour low-cost flight from Sharjah to Alex was quite good (food on offer was bad though, plus you had to pay for it extra!), but the delay was not so pleasant.

Alexandria was bone chilling cold when I walked out of the airport at 3 am..almost felt like the chill of Manali in India! I didnt expect such weather, but it was ok..hired a taxi, without negotiating too much, coz at that time of the night in such weather, u want the cabbie on ur side! My hotel, called Union Hotel was right on the corniche..which is a lovely necklace shaped area just like the Marine Drive in Mumbai..the first impression of Alex was that of a laid-back chilled place..and that was the final impression as well !! Language was a barrier throughout my trip, but with a few Arabic words here n there, was able to manage quite well! The hotel guy was quite helpful even at 3 am, as I discussed with him my plan of action for the morning.

At 7 am, after breakfast, I headed for the nearby tram station. it was pouring rain already, and that was a dampener. Straight to the Roman Catacombs I went, which is a burial ground during the roman reign, consisitng of tombs and graves 100 feet below the surface...apparently this place was discovered when a donkey fell in a grave in 1900, and since then they have excavated a whole area of ruins..it was amazing to think of how they must have constructed such a precise n perfect place deep down inside, its almost like a mortuary there with places for so many bodies! Plus lots of architecture and stuff on the walls...next stop was Pompeys Pillar, just a landmark TALL pillar from Alexanders times! Back to the tram and on the return journey, it felt sooo nice jus soaking in the views.

Alex is still living in the 1930s or 1940s...of course the modern city life is there in some areas, but there is this other side that you see..the normal day to day life of the people..and nothing is hurried or rushed...most the roads are made of cobble stones, and side by side the cars (trust me the newest car in Alex is a 1970s Lada or a Datsun or Fiat, including the taxis!), there are horse carts going clickety clackity while the sweet smell of sheesha (Arabic smoke pipe) envelopes the air...it was just too good..From the cafes came the sound of takbir(Islamic religious verses), as live transmission of an important religious event in Saudi Arabia happened on TVs...And the Alexandrians huddled around the rainy streets making their way to some last minute shopping and preparations for Eid(an important Muslim fesitval), the next day...

Next stop was the location of the ancient lighthouse, which was one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, but got destroyed in floods and quakes. Next to it was the Fort of Qaitbay, a massive fort well maintained and providing an excellent view of the city of Alex(it was situated on the end of the ''necklace'' corniche. It was 2pm by this time and I had a train to catch to Cairo by 4, so the last stop was the Kom Al-Dikka or Roman Amphitheatre, which is a location of many archaeological discoveries, and more are taking place right now..it was a pleasure clicking photographs non-stop in this really beautiful location..

Egypt has a very good train system, and not the least bit expensive..The 220 km journey from Alexandria to Cairo on one of the imported trains ( all long distance trains in Egypt are either french or spanish ) took just 2 hours and cost me around US$ 7 in first class, and all trains are precisely on time always. The 1st and 2nd class cabins have comfortable seats, and the train ride is a smooth one! The journey and scenery were exactly like the ones you see in India on a train journey..lots of paddy and greenery and stuff, apart from the slum areas..if you still havent got it, then YES, I'm originally from India!

To be continued..but in the Cairo section!