Alexandria: 1 - Impressions.

Alexandria: A city that has lost its charm.
I spent a couple of my most formative and most wonderful years in Alexandria...and I was anxious to visit the city that held such a fond place in my heart and in my memories. As it turns out, Alexandria is no longer the place it used to be. Although there is still some of the old charm left, the graceful city with its elegant architecture has evolved into a sprawling metropolis stretching itself on the shores of the Mediterranean. The buildings that line the "Corniche" - which is the street that runs along the sea - is littered with large new buildings (most of which are fine examples of perfectly mediocre design and generally poor building standards) next to old decrepit structures that once had lots of style but are now falling apart in a sad state of neglect. And, in between the two are long stretches of absolutely horrific walls decorated with tiles that I am sure have Cleopatra and Nefertiti turning in their graves in shame for what her descendants are building on the remains of what was once such a beautiful place.

Alexandria occasionally reveals glimpses of its former glory...but it took me some time to get over the shock of how much the place had changed in 30 years. In the photos here, are some of the stuff we observed on one of our walks from one side of the city to the other.

Alexandria is in the Middle East.
Being in Alexandria was clearly different than Istanbul. Although Alexandria was once famed for its European influence, it was obvious we were now in a Middle Eastern city. For example, as opposed to Istanbul, we saw many people praying on rugs laid out on sidewalks. And, the way that people seem to ignore the cars heading straight for them at breakneck speed (with no intention to slow down) combined with the food being sold at street corners and off of carts everywhere, all contribute to a state of general chaos that is so foreign to Westerners...and is so definitely reflective of the Arabic culture.

Americans are considered terrorists.
Alexandria let us know we were now in Egypt....yet, for most part its people were friendly and affable towards us...even if, in general, Americans come from a country whose leadership has severely damaged the nation's reputation and credibility. We must not forget that in Muslim countries, America is considered the terrorist enemy. For some of the most uneducated folks (and there are many of them in Egypt - as there are also many back at home) sometimes it is difficult to separate their feelings for the American government from their feelings for the American people...even though many Americans do not agree with their government's policies. That said, many people made it clear that they did not like Bush...but that did not mean they did not like Americans. However, the vibe is sometimes a bit uncomfortable and some times unnerving.

Patisserie Delices
And now for a food update: The internet fees in our hotel were outrageous....so we found a café across the street that offered us a respite from the heat and free internet access. Café Delices is an old café next to the Metropole Hotel, and here we discovered the most delicious lemon juice and the best pastries in Alexandria. Let it be said, that we spent some time there every day..and that Jake was very happy to continue to indulge in his search for the perfect Baklava.

Traveler's Diarrhea.
On the basis of keeping friend and family informed of our travel adventures, we would be remiss not to mention that by the time we got to Alexandria, Jake and I had contracted a nice case of "Traveler's Diarrhea". For everybody's sake I will not go into detail...or post any pictures documenting this unpleasant aspect of our travels....let's just say it was not pretty. (We're much better now, BTW!).