The Med

Alexandria 002
Originally uploaded by susiebarber

So here I am in Alexandria. I was told that it would be relaxing and very European. It is European, but in a 1920's seedy Parisian kind of way. Seriously. This place was built by Alexander the Great, has been ruled by the Coptics, the Byzantines, the French (Napoleon invaded), the Ottomans, and the British, so it makes sense that it seems very old European.

Unless you want to spend $200/night, your hotel is in a very Parisian looking building up a very scary elevator. Mine is on the waterfront, but the interior needs some help. While very clean, the decor is really from the 1920's. The furniture is art deco, the wallpaper is old cloth stuff that is starting to peel and the chandelier in the room is missing some pieces. I have to share a bathroom with another room (that's kind of the way it is here), but I haven't seen or heard anyone else in it. Some of the tile is cracked and the mirrors are very old, but again, it's all very clean.

I went for a walk along the waterfront last night after arriving. They were just getting ready to break the fast and everyone was hoping that the moon looked appropriate when rising so that they can end Ramadan. For the first time since Nepal, I saw a cloud (actually several) and the weather was pretty cool. Everything was still boarded up though, so I ended up getting dinner at my hotel and then going to sleep early.

This morning I woke up and it was apparent that everything was different. Everyone was out walking around (while fasting, they tend to stay at home during the day napping and stay up all night eating) and everything was cheerful. Ramadan must have ended. You see, the astronomers can predict when the moon will be in the proper phase, but until it is seen and declared appropriate, Ramadan still goes on. The end can be different from one region to another, so you never really know.

After breakfast, I took off on foot to see the sights. I walked to the Roman Amphitheater, the Bibliotheca Alexandria, the Alexandria National Museum and wondered the streets. I have to say though, the men here are awful. In Egypt, men are not shy about approaching western women and talking to them, but here they're rather rude. They walk right up to you, stick their faces about 6 inches from yours, and yell "What is your name?" very loudly. No smile. No niceties. No nothing. I had a group of boys, probably about 8 or 9 years old, run up to me flipping me the bird right in front of my face, and screaming "whore!". Who teaches children these things? This kind of behavior happened every few minutes and I got really tired of it. I actually almost started crying. I had so many problems, that I decided to skip the catacombs and go back to my room. I've been to catacombs in Rome and in Paris, so I really didn't have to see these. I needed a nap anyway -- I'm still on Ramadan time.

When I woke up, all I wanted to do was go back to the train station and leave. But then I opened the window to my room, sat on the sill, and watched the day go by. The waterfront was packed with people celebrating. Ice cream and tea vendors were actually doing business, people were singing and beating on drums, and everyone was happy and smiling. I got mesmerized by it and watched for a couple of hours and wasn't bored for a single second. People watching rules, especially from the safety of your hotel room.

One thing I did notice during my excursion this morning, wifi exists in Alexandria and McDonalds is the Starbucks of the Middle East. Yes, I'm back in McDonalds because it's the only wifi I can find except for the $10 for a cup of tea cafe at the Sofetil Hotel. Some young girls hung out with me until just a few minutes ago. They were very sweet. And so far, no men have asked me my name or whether or not I'm married. Very refreshing. Yup, I'm eating another McArabia. Anyway, tomorrow I go back to Cairo and hang until my flight to Tanzania. Believe it or not, Cairo is the only place where Egyptian men have left me alone.