On Friday morning I woke up early and headed to the train station to catch a train from Cairo to Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea. Ramses Station in Cairo is a disaster, debris everywhere, no rhyme or reason, no signs, and people running around crazy. I got lucky that my train was the first one I saw as I entered the station. Apparently the station has been under construction for years, and it looks like it won't be finished for years. The train ride was pretty nice, only 3 hours and I had a first class ticket.
Once in Alex I met up with Marnie and the other Egypterns(yes they call themselves that). They stayed at a gorgeous 5 star hotel paid for by AUC, and I stowed away. The hotel had great restaurants and a private beach on the sea, quite a difference from the cheap hostels I've been staying in. We went to an awesome seafood restaurant, and its Alex so you sort of have to try the seafood. I don't like stuff that swims all that much but the food was pretty good. After that we went to a sheesha cafe overlooking the beach, it was a great way to watch the sun set. I tried sheesha and I just don't really get it, I didn't like it much. The night ended with some craziness in the hotel which I won't go into haha.
Yesterday we had a tour guide who showed us around the sites of Alexandria. She was pretty good, spoke perfect English, and even cracked a few jokes. Some of the sites were a bit underwhelming like Popmey's Pillar, which was not built by Pompey and is not actually a pillar. Others were pretty awesome though, specifically the citadel and the catacombs. The catacombs showed an amazing fusion of Egyptian and Greco-Roman culture that existed in classical Alexandria. People were buried with Ancient Egyptian gods along side Medusa, incredible. Regrettably, I left my memory card in Cairo! Ugh so no pictures. :(
I'm back in Cairo now, and sick. I've got a case of Pharaoh's Revenge, pretty much the same as Montezuma's revenge. It is not pleasant, and I scrapped my plans to see Coptic Cairo today because of it. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow.
Once in Alex I met up with Marnie and the other Egypterns(yes they call themselves that). They stayed at a gorgeous 5 star hotel paid for by AUC, and I stowed away. The hotel had great restaurants and a private beach on the sea, quite a difference from the cheap hostels I've been staying in. We went to an awesome seafood restaurant, and its Alex so you sort of have to try the seafood. I don't like stuff that swims all that much but the food was pretty good. After that we went to a sheesha cafe overlooking the beach, it was a great way to watch the sun set. I tried sheesha and I just don't really get it, I didn't like it much. The night ended with some craziness in the hotel which I won't go into haha.
Yesterday we had a tour guide who showed us around the sites of Alexandria. She was pretty good, spoke perfect English, and even cracked a few jokes. Some of the sites were a bit underwhelming like Popmey's Pillar, which was not built by Pompey and is not actually a pillar. Others were pretty awesome though, specifically the citadel and the catacombs. The catacombs showed an amazing fusion of Egyptian and Greco-Roman culture that existed in classical Alexandria. People were buried with Ancient Egyptian gods along side Medusa, incredible. Regrettably, I left my memory card in Cairo! Ugh so no pictures. :(
I'm back in Cairo now, and sick. I've got a case of Pharaoh's Revenge, pretty much the same as Montezuma's revenge. It is not pleasant, and I scrapped my plans to see Coptic Cairo today because of it. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow.
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