Alexandria

On my last evening I made it to the Spitfire bar. Of course the best things happen in the last moment.... but maybe that is for the better. A very nice bar that could have been in a backstreet in any town in Holland. All the walls covered with posters, stickers, money from all over the world, pictures and business cards. Hassan, the bartender, shook my hand and asked me if I wanted a Stella, that is what they call a beer here. To my surprise they did have more than beer. I started with a whiskey and later had a couple of wodka's. Just 2 cc shots but not too bad in quality. (I drank two drinks with ice, and they washed the glasses with water from the tap. My lonelyplanet book says: 'don't even think of drinking water from the tap in Egypt. And my 'op reis' brochure from the dutch health service says: 'cook it, boil it, peel it or forget it'. But I eat salads with my food too, eat icecream and have drinks with icecubes. It's all so easy... don't drink the water, don't eat fruit or salads, don't swim except in the sea and don't have sex. Happy holydays!)

In the bar were some seamen from Georgia and Romania, I talked with the Romanians a bit. They transport iron and steel from Odessa to Alexandria on a six month contract for a Syrian company. They have a crew of 14 Romanians and 4 Syrians, spies as they call them! To check on alcohol, they apparently even have bloodtests when there is doubt of alcohol abuse, the accepted norm is 0.2 o/oo. Since their watch started at midnight two of them left early and only Misha stayed. We continued our conversation in Russian! He worked and lived in many countries, has a wife and daughter in Verona, Italy, but is in the process of divorce. Misha has his hopes set on the European Union. As Romania will join, the market will be closed for Asian seamen and it will be easier for Romanians to find a good contract.

Alexandria is a great town, although I can't explain why. In fact there is not much to see, hardly anything remained from ancient times. Most of the old city is underwater and for the rest Alex has a history of destruction. Some of its sights are closed for public at all, others closed for renovation and what is open is not very well suited for non-Arabs. The city is extremely dirty (especially away from the seaside), very noisy and the traffic is crazy. Cars don't stop they just honk their horn, and they park anywhere, even on pavements or in street corners, sometimes completely blocking the way.

But the city has atmosphere and a loose touch, much different from Cairo. Here the people greet you and advertise their products too, but much less irritating. They don't insist as much and don't follow you around. And girls will say hello and will give you a smile, that hardly happens in Cairo.

Walking to Pompey's Pillar and the serapeum, I passed through the do-it-yourself street of Alexandria. All you would need to build a house you can find here. From luxury bathroom accessoires to steel profiles, cement or wood. Sewer pipes, all kinds of tools, bricks, it's all there. Sold in nice shops or from shed-like storages. In the street horsecarts are waiting, sometimes even donkeycarts. The larger items are put on the cart and off they go, right in between the cities heavy traffic.

My last two days I spent trying some of the cafe's and restaurants recommended in my travelbook. Some of them are in 20th century European style buildings, airconditioned and away from the crowds they are great places to relax and cool down. Of course I couldn't leave without a swim in the Mediterranean. Alex is not really the best place to swim, there are few beaches along the cities waterfront, most is rocks. The beaches are dirty, crowded and most people swim fully dressed. Women, that goes without saying, but even most men and boys wear T-shirts and shorts. I went at 07.00 in the morning, when it was still quiet. I just got a quick dip, picked up my obligatory shell (Tapijtschelp, Venerupis senegalensis) and from this beach its 'straight' to the beach in Capetown!