Alexandria

Saturday, 6th March 1999

Well, I survived another night in the land of Islam, breathing in the comforts of the fresh sea breeze. The Brazilian Coffee Shop two blocks away enlivened the soul with the pervading smell of mountain coffee. The coffee had a very good European taste and the croissants were as good as ones made in France. A full day lay out on the table in front of us and out first port of call was Fort Qait Bey.

Another sunny day filled the promenade with locals and sadly the rubbish remained. We did try to get a tram near the hotel but found that the line was not running. Men on horse drawn carriages, "Kalash", tried in desperation to catch out attention and some business all along the promenade. We were somewhat confused by the entrance to the fort and we weren't short on finding "friends" to show us the way. In the late 15th century Sultan Qait Bey decided to fortify the peninsula, building on the foundations and ruins of the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The interior incorporates castle and mosque. Today a sad naval museum is located in the keep, offering not much of interest, but the battlements and defensive walls offered fine vistas out to sea and along the coast. Sadly the Egyptian Council of Antiquities built a break-wall along the harbour to save the fort from being damaged by a raging sea. Locals at the time were heavily against it as the area was home to an ancient underwater city. I recall seeing a documentary in England that suggested it may be the ruins of Cleopatra's court!

We then walked along the peninsula, not usually frequented by travellers, and we came across some the friendliest people so far. The streets were jammed with the movements of Egyptians, trams raced past, pavements lay shattered in the sand, gutters gave as an Arabic workout due to their height (probably to stop the crazy Egyptians from driving on them) and school children swarmed. In fact we were surrounded by about 30 boys whilst we looked at the map near the train station, yet I did not fear my daypack getting ripped by thieves. In Egypt petty crime is thankfully low, which is a breath of fresh air from other developing countries. It seems the Egyptians are more curious than most, but don't know how to be discrete. One hundred metres away was a military post outside the entrance to the Ras at-Tin Palace. The beautiful white structure and its gardens were definitely shut to the public, the guards did not want us even looking at the place and we were ushered back out to the tram stop as soon as possible. Another group then came to surround us, practicing their English. Although one little friend found it to be a good time to pinch by bottom. "La Ilmasni" I yelled in Arabic, which translates as "don't touch me", and the circle surrounding me dissolved. I grabbed the boy who I thought did it below the neck whilst yelling in English. By then we were on the stage and everybody watched in anticipation. In a flash of movement others pointed to the real culprit, who Dave chased through the carriage and into the distance. In fact, I'm sure he's still running! In sequence the others apologised for their countryman's behaviour, implying that they were all not like that. Still in a bit of shock (and thoroughly sick of being grabbed) we boarded the second carriage full of local yahoos. After watching the whole incident the conductor insisted that we both get in the ladies carriage in front. A one hour trip took us into the suburbs, where some ancient archaeological sites have been found, usually by accident. The ladies and little girls found us just as curious as we did them, their polite nature was a breath of fresh air.

The conductor then told us where to get off and showed us which street to take. Stalls lined the streets, ladies shopped for home-wares, cars plied the roads, the footpath was either non-existent or covered in rubbish exuding violent smells, mud brick homes were so close together they were like jigsaw puzzles and the people looked at us as though we were the first foreigners to step into their world. This aspect was a highlight of the day! Half way down I asked two Muslim ladies where I could cut my hair and how much I would cost. In broken English she replied that it would be E£5 and that they'd take me to one. In typical Egyptian fashion the owner said he'd do it for E£10 (presumably because I was a foreigner, it's the way every store owner treats you). At AU$ 5 a wash, cut and style doesn't get much cheaper. Although the owner did not seem to like my curly hair so my bob-cut turned straight and suddenly I was a different person. Straight hair did not suit my round face but not to worry, a bit of water should put the curl back.

We followed the street to its end, a T intersection with a canal now filled with sugar cane. This was not what we were looking for so a friendly Kushari owner and toothless woman on the street come over to help us unsuccessfully. As it was lunch we agreed to be ushered into their kushari den, where every male asked me about my marital status and stared. The kushari was nothing compared to the one in Cairo, but nevertheless full of friendly souls. It was a bit scary when they wanted to speak about world politics.

Pompeii's Pillar and the Serapeum turned out to be hidden behind walls nearby the hairdressers. The site was once an acropolis, topped by temples, shrines and other buildings. Although what remains today is rather uninspiring. It is believed that Cleopatra's library was located here, home to the largest collection in the world. A red granite needle called Pompeii's Pillar towers over the site, a few sphinxes, a Nilometer in the gardens and the ruins of the Temple of Isis are all above ground, overlooking the surrounding apartment blocks. A "baksheesh bandit" came by to take us into the Serapeum, which are underground passage tombs, home to the sacred bulls. Oddly enough most of the niches in the wall could not fit a bull.

Next we followed a labyrinth of local streets to the very rewarding catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa, which is the largest Roman burial site in Egypt. It's located eight next to the homes of locals and was discovered accidentally at the turn of the century when a donkey cart fell through one of the roofs. In the main tombs there are three tiers centred around intricately carved spiral stairs, falling to a depth of 35 metres. It's believed to be a family crypt, with more than 300 tombs, built in the 2nd century AD. There is even a banquet hall with stone benches where grieving relatives said their last respects with a funeral feast. In one hall they found the bones of young men and it is said that Caracala had them executed after they insulted him. The most interesting parts are in the engravings and reliefs, as the style has a combination of Egyptian and Roman influences, especially one near the entrance that has a specially carved walkway, accompanied by royal features and reliefs behind the tombs that are in mint condition. We spent a good half an hour losing ourselves in the various chambers and walking along the wooden platforms in rooms that are usually flooded. The tomb next to the entrance, although small, was filled with elaborate paintings in Roman-Egyptian style.

We made our way back towards the promenade, through a bustling market place, and along the modern shopping street for a juice. From there on we continued towards the station and found out tomorrow's departure times for trains to Cairo. The traffic outside chaotically would its way around the square and from across the road loomed the signage of the "Roman Amphitheatre". Thankfully it was still open after 4pm and inside we found the gleaming white marble terraces of "the only Roman theatre" in Egypt. The site was discovered recently when the foundations of an apartment building were being dug. Perfect in form, this small theatre is a wonder, withstanding the test of time. Other important ruins of a temple are also being currently excavated. I can't think if a nicer place to watch the sun set, especially when the surrounding gardens are so well landscaped.

We then wandered back to the room for a bit of rest and relaxation before taking to the streets again for dinner. Take-away Shawarma and Sprite eaten by the harbour was on the menu. The hotel only offered cold showers on our return, whereafter our weary heads fell into a deep sleep.