MY LATEST ADVENTURE AROUND EGYPT: Alexandria Egypt

A room with a view ,Alexandria.

the view from the 11th floor room superb, that's all I have to say after a 7hour train journey that also was superb.

after a couple of hours sleep I woke up to this

then there was the sunset over fort qutbey, after the bright sunlight this afternoon the uv lens was on the camera, the next shots where taken with the 100x400 lens,

fire engines this and that

I Try and avoid taxi's its not that I cannot afford it ,its just the hassle one gets as soon as one enters their domain,

its like you are at the mercy of a con artist, I knew where the roman arena was its just a few blocks from the Cecil hotel where I stayed on our first visit to Alexandria 2003,

but I am 5 kilometers from there way down the promenade rd so me with my knowledge of egypt and its cheap ways to travel caught a minibus to the Cecil hotel and get a taxi from there to the roman pillar once in the taxi I showed him the map" yes " I know by this time we where on our way and it soon became clear we where on a detour of this fascinating city of Alexandria and before long we are touring the harbour are as if we are looking for a naughty house.

Do not get angry stay calm and raise the voice only when being made to look stupid.

We pulled up in front of one of the harbor gate entrances my English speaking taxi driver knew that here there would be someone who speaks English?

Ah my good man I said as a head popped through the drivers window, first words he asked! you are german yes? Why are you insulting me I asked and went into my Welsh language mode,

and pulled the map out once again, ah you look for cat combs, no I said I look for a cat scratch post,

another head cocked to one side, where you go? my taxi driver know where I go? he said he knows where I go. the naval guy pointed to the map and said you are here, Yes I know I am here. this taxi brought me here, to the dock yard, yes said the sailor, ok now we know where I am can you show this blithering idiot taxi driver where I want to go, OK its about 10 kilometer from here yes I said As I looked at the map . so Alexandria is 500 kilometers long, no no said the port guy, 35 kilometers, so its only about half k from here looking at the map. yes he said something to the taxi driver and off we went, as I said my, shukran, shukran, and Masalamas, must try to act like an English gentleman at all times!!

15 minutes later I was outsine the catacomb

Re leaved that it was a place I wanted to visit today, all 3 of the Roman places are within one kilometer of each other,

100 pounds said the taxi driver. as if it was my fault he had to go out of his way to the docks to find out where I wanted to go. I handed him ten pounds and gave him a few words in Arabic. If you do not accept this gift I will report you to the police for unwanted aggravation. its a good job I got my bag and myself out of the taxi first. he left in a really bad mood, I guess he was angry been outdone by a tourist?.

After the visit to the catacombs;-by the way it was a very interesting place and a well worth the visit for 25 le.I managed to get a few pics underground on my mobile, that I will share once I finish my this journey around Egypt in 3 weeks.

by the time i had seen and left the catacombs i had already done Fort Quatbey, and was getting rather tired, so I stopped for a rest in a coffee shop had some coke and a water pipe. the guy there said the arena was just 1/2 kilometer from here walk about 10 mins taxi about the same because one way street,

i asked how much 5 pound. so decided to take a taxi, as i got in the taxi a cop from the catacomb entrance came over and had a few words with the driver, and there was a verbal disagreement going on then the cop asked how much i pay ,, 5 pound i said,, he said no twenty, ok ten i said and the driver gave the cop 5le,

i got out of the taxi. said i would walk in Arabic, much to the disapproval of the cop. and here I was on the way to the pillar and all it is, is a pillar standing on a mound,

with police shouting no camera, again that's because money was not on offer

not worth 25le so headed on to the arena,

then I came across this fire station first I thought ,cannot be a fire station with doors that do not open or would be very difficult to open to let the fire engine out.

There was seven of these doors the last two where open and they housed two fine specimens of a by gone era. one Izuzu fire tender,

THIS FIREMAN WARDER WHATEVER WAS VERY RELUCTANT ABOUT ME TAKING PHOTOS, I managed to get several and the guy had enough of this enthusiast, but as leaving still had the word baksheesh on the end of his tongue,

this looks like a Dennis it had steel wheels with hard rubber tyre,

these little jems are not seen from a taxi, and another reason I prefer walking.

looking a bit neglected this iawa motor cycle combination.

now that the beaches are privatized along the cornish here in Alex there is no place to rent these water motorbikes like all else they will be left to to rot

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the latest in police mobility.

2 weeks old, this is the latest ornate coffee machine, its actually a very expensive water boiler, it boils water for hot drinks.

the latest in fashion for the Egyptian ladies and the female model martians.

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I also saw Michael Jackson in town with his bald minder.

this is Alexandria 2010 voted the most modern and best Arab city, here they also flog horses in the cities shantytown harbour area, and leave them to cook in the hot sun all day.