March 12th and 13th – Alexandria

We arrived in Cairo in the morning and had to switch trains to head on to Alexandria.

We found a decidedly different kind of city. The more modern and European style city was a stark contrast to Cairo. We wandered toward the Mediterranean promenade and found a budget hotel (at this point myself and my Brazilian friend had left our 3rd friend who was headed in a different direction). There are no hostels in Alex as it lies off the traditional travel route. The city is along a huge bay and the seaside was beautifully impressive.

There is not much site seeing in Alex, but we made a late afternoon trip to the new Great Library. It is the attempt of the Egyptians to replace the ancient Great Library; the massive modern structure is a monolith of contrast along the seaside cityscape. I found the inside stunning in design, but seemingly short on books. Time will tell if the massive investment will pay off, it is certainly a boon for the University of Alexandria situated across the street.

The walk back from the Library along the seaside was great as the sun set. It also allowed for an observation, the city had a very different feel and culture, due to its tight history with Europe and also the University as a core of city culture. As we walked we saw many young Egyptian couples together walking and embracing each other, this was unprecedented for our trip. We spent the evening drinking tea and having sheesha along the seaside. We also booked a bus ticket to the Siwa Oasis for the following night.

We awoke refreshed and headed out to the fort that heads the Alex seaside near to the bay entrance. It was a busy seafront with many trinket vendors and tourists, but not foreign tourists, Egyptian. The foreigners in Alex were few and far between. It was great fun sitting by the water enjoying the view and talking with many Egyptians, local and tourists, without feeling like the sales pitch was coming at any moment.

We spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between having tea, ice cream and real food exploring the back alleys of the city. The bus left in the late evening from a bus station just outside of town.