N has a friend, L, in town for two weeks, and she wanted to visit Alex. N's roommate S3 is Egyptian and her family lives in Alex, and she invited us all to spend the weekend. S3 and L left on Thursday night, but N and I had a party we wanted to stay for so we left on Friday morning early. (Brief note about that party: it was at this guy W's apartment, he is an AIESECer I had met very briefly before, but we have several friends in common. In any case, I introduced myself at the party and it turns out...that he also went to Northwestern! I know, awesome, right? Total number of NU alums I know in Cairo: 3.)
But I digress. So, Friday morning N and I managed to drag ourselves out of bed and hustle to the train station, arriving in typical Egyptian fashion at 8:55 a.m. for a 9 a.m. train. Tickets are cheap -- LE 30 (approx. $6) buys you a seat in air-conditioned second class -- and we promptly passed out. After missing our stop (I know, it takes skill), S3 arrived in her car to pick us up from the station. We went to her apartment and met her parents, sister, and the American exchange student living with them for the semester. It turns out she is on the same program as J, and their program is very strict in that they sign a language pledge not to speak any language except Arabic, ever. Even when it's just a group of Americans. We were welcomed by S3's family, ate a quick lunch (as it is Ramadan, there would most likely not be any food available near the beach), and then headed for the beach. On the way we also stopped to pick up two French backpackers S3 and L had met on the train (L is studying in Paris so they made friends and spoke in French). We spent a lovely afternoon at the beach, and on the way out we walked around the Montazah gardens around the former palace. Beautiful. I enjoyed the Mohamed Ali pool club in Cairo over the summer, but there's nothing like the beach. It was lovely to be back on the Mediterranean, and it was a private beach so we could wear our normal bathing suits.
After the beach, the six of us (me, N, L, S3, 2 French backpackers) went back to S3's for iftar with her parents, uncle, sister, sister's friend, and exchange student. That made 12 people sitting at the table speaking a combination of English, Arabic and French (Arablish + Franbic = ?), which was interesting. I was able to make it okay in Arabic (I understood a lot and even managed to form some coherent sentences), and as for French...well, when it's similar to Spanish I can understand a bit, otherwise we would speak slowly and wait for a third party to translate. The food was good, the family was fun, and overall it was one of those hilarious "only in Egypt" types of dinners. After iftar we spent some time at an 'ahwa, then hung out at home talking until late.
On Saturday, we slept in a bit, then headed out to be tourists for the day. Five of us (minus the two Frenchies, but with S3's friend Y) went to the new library, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, but unfortunately it was closed (screwy hours due to Ramadan), so we took pictures from the outside and I will go back next time I am in Alex. We had better luck at the Alexandria National Museum, which had lots of cool stuff including a tomb with a mummy and many other interesting pharonic, Greek, Roman and Coptic artifacts. It was nice to get semi-official tours from S3 and Y, who know their way around the city. Y also speaks Arabic and French but little English, though we were able to speak a little in Arabic and some French/English, while pantomiming wildly. We all considered an elaborate game of charades, but this never quite materialized, which is probably for the best.
For iftar on Saturday, S3 had plans with a group of friends at the Greek Club, a nice restaurant overlooking the port of Alexandria. We all tagged along, the food was delicious and the view was amazing. We also went and took some photos of Alexandria's Citadel and the sea. We drove around for a bit admiring the city, and then eventually headed back to Cairo on the 10 p.m. bus. (Pro: It was a double decker and we sat on the top! Con: They played an Arabic movie the entire time. REALLY loudly.)
Anyway, it might have been last minute, but it was a welcome trip. It was nice to stay with S3's extremely welcoming family (apparently we are all invited back), and it gives you a sense of what Ramadan is really about: a time for family and friends to gather. A couple times this month I have gotten to be a part of that family togetherness, and I appreciate those occasions. Plus, Alex is a lovely city; it's much quieter and cleaner than Cairo (although I think cleanliness is relative: Alex is not necessarily clean compared to Chicago, for example, but compared to Cairo it's pristine), and it's also a bit smaller. Unlike Cairo, much of the ancient history that made Alex so famous is gone now, under the sea (plans are underway for an underwater museum, apparently), or just destroyed over time. But many museums and historical sites are being renovated, so the city is going through a sort of renaissance. It feels a bit like other cities I have been to along the Mediterranean, like Marbella in Spain or Tel Aviv.
It is almost hard to believe that a lovely, understated city like Alexandria can exist so close to Cairo, which is by far the most overwhelming place I have ever lived. But in the end, it's that over-the-top nature that I love so much about Cairo; Alex is great for a weekend getaway, but it lacks the chaotic energy of Cairo. Anyway, those are my thoughts after just one weekend, but I am sure I will be back. In the meantime, enjoy some photos below!
This is the palace at the Montazah gardens:
This is the 'ahwa we went to...note all the lanes of Corniche traffic we had to cross.
Standing with some friends outside the Bibliotheca Alexandrina:
Mummy!
Port of Alex (check out the minarets in the skyline):
That's the citadel behind us:
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