Arriving in Egypt.
We flew from Istanbul to Cairo on EgyptAir. The trip was uneventful...except for a nice meal that they served us on the plane. Jake - in the rule that he has assumed as traveling food critic - observed that the food on airlines outside of the US seems to be much better than anything that is served to passengers on national flights.
The Desert Road from Alexandria to Cairo.
At the airport we met up with Ahmed...the driver that would take us to Alexandria from Cairo. The road that connects the two cities is one that I used to remember from the time I lived here, long ago. The desert road made for a beautiful drive with expansive views of the desert on both sides...and one lonely stop half way between the two cities where travelers could stop for a cup of tea and a bite to eat. Unfortunately the two lane road is no longer as romantic as I remembered it, and now it is a 3 lane highway with billboards along most of the route....and trees and buildings of all sorts littering the view. I guess I should be happy for the progress and the development that is taking place in Egypt...but in truth I am disappointed that the landscape is changing so rapidly and in such a miserable fashion.
The Cecil Hotel.
We checked into our hotel...the Hotel Cecil - a landmark in Alexandria since 1912. The building has aged gracefully and it retains some of the charm of its glory days inthe 1930's when it was the place to stay in this seaside city. The hotel is located on Saad Zaghlul Square which sports a garden with a statue of Saad Zaghul...whom I understand was a mayor of Alexandria (but I could easily be wrong)....and it faces the Mediterranean along the famed Alexandria Corniche.
3 comments:
looks so nice there, i hope you guys are having a good time! i check this frequently and really enjoy all of the pictures and stories. since i have never seen any of these places, i feel like i am there with you. keep them coming :)
Wish you were with us. You'd love it. People just come up and hug you all the time!!!
:)
Dear Alfredo & Jake,
I really loved the Alex pics. As you said, it all looks so very much the same and brings up many wonderful memories. Our friendship in Schutz was so memorable and we spent all our time together. In Slovenia, where I now live, there is a phrase for it, they say "together, like the rear end and the shirt". At one time, there were some 150 students in Schutz from 40 different countries. It is sad to think that I have never met any of them since leaving school ... except Alfredo.
Now, everything seems to be changing so fast, that I just can't believe that even the Schutz concrete tables are still there. Now, that is stability! However, I noticed a logo in the background with "Vodafone" written in Arabic ... that is definitiely new.
Milan
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