Alexandria, Egypt

FRIDAY……..Alexandria

Good Grief!!!! I awoke this morning with MORE of the TUT TUMMY!!!!!! And……upon joining up with the rest of our group, several others who thought they had conquered it like myself……were also having the same problems again. Sooooo, I took some more Immodium and the little yellow pill that I got from the Clinic on the boat before we disembarked the other day. GLAD I thought ahead enough to do so……

The 1st Lady and I did have some of those wonderful, amazingly good pastries this morning in the Terrace Room where breakfast is served to the hotel guests. Another huge offering of breakfast foods for the guests from all over the world were displayed and arranged to tempt everyone…….and the best part is that it is all FREE!!!!! WOW…….such food, such food! Myself? I stuck with some rolls and croissants and a bit of jelly…..trying to pamper my ailing tummy and intestines. Of course, I DID have some great dark rich coffee……..

A bit later, we were picked up by our guide and driver, along with the rest of the tour group(7 others)…..and began the slow exit from the city to the northwest. We were to drive overland to Alexandria, which is on the Mediterranean Sea…….and the city founded by Alexander the Great. It took three hours to drive 124 miles!!!!!! Three and four lane highways, but the roads are horribly paved and it seems like there are Alaskan frost heaves above every 20 feet!!!! Bounce, bounce, bounce……… We made one pit stop for the restrooms and some coffee…….and there had to be at least 1500-2000 people there……..huge chartered buses with tourists, local students, cars, trucks……..unreal. Sooooo many tourists, but difficult to find any Americans!!!!!!!! As I said….thanks to the media and “W” for putting the fear factor of the Muslims into everyone. I cannot begin to count, nor remember, how many, many tourists have stopped me and talked about the way our country has gone backwards since “W” was elected……..and how they do not have any desire to come to America as a tourist!!! It happens in the elevators of the hotel, in the shops, on the streets, in cafes, on the cruise boat, wherever we find ourselves people began to talk to us……initiating the conversations themselves. The world community is holding it’s breath waiting for a change in our government…..and the people are not hesitant to tell any Americans how they feel about him and our government now. SUCH a change since I was last out of the country in 2001!!!!!

Sooooo, I will step down from this subject and discuss today’s journey……..We arrived in Alexander and went to the Catacombs…….a really, really large underground area carved out of rock….and with soooo many niches and rooms and carvings, BUT…..no coffins, no skeletons!!!! And, to make matters more interesting……nothing is known about what happened to all of the dead……the only bones discovered were of horses!!!! This IS a mystery……!!

From there we visited the Alexandria Museum…..a collection of Pharaonic, Greek, and Roman artifacts and art pieces that were found here after the excavations began. Alexandria was the city which had THE library….and there was a time when the only way you could enter the city was to bring a book with you as your “ticket” to enter the city. There were over 700,000 books here during the time of Alexander and the next couple of hundred years…….before the city into ruin. The ravages of time, war, and changes of religion and, hence, the culture.

Then we had lunch down on the Sea coast in the heart of the city………at a grand old hotel and the Jardin Room looked out over the Med. Sea…..and it was ohhhhh soooo grand to have such a great meal there and enjoy the view at the same time. We were served Sea Bass, rice, breads, fresh fruit(peeled) and drinks……..inclusive on the tour. The fish was amazing!!! This has to have been the finest fish I have ever eaten……and it was all because it WAS caught THIS morning!!!!! YUM, YUM!!!! Wonderful!!!

Then we were off to the newly constructed Library…….an extremely modernistic building with lots and lots of artwork, statues, and over one million books since it opened in 2002!!! An incredible building both inside and out…..and I will post some pics whenever I can get a fast acting connection…..

Along with ALL of the other 600 photos I have to share with you……..

A quick trip to the side of the shore where we watched the waves come crashing in…..and enjoyed the people watching!!

The return trip was lengthy……much traffic…..and we did make a pit stop at a HUGE McDonalds. Again…..at this place there must have been at least one thousand people there sitting at the tables inside and out……..the kids dancing upstairs to the American rock music……people spending Friday night(the Muslim day of worship) enjoying themselves to the maximum!!!!! Again……I was waited on at the counter and this young man who spoke excellent English…….quizzed me about “W” and when would we be able to have a new President………It just doesn’t stop!

We returned around 8pm…..and so now I am trying to get this written and hopefully find an internet that is available at the little mall across the street. They do have Wifi, but…..I can never get connected to it. Even had the manager out there the other night, along with their computer “Engineer”….and nada…..nothing.

And sooooo…..another tiring day, but oh my………they are swiftly coming to an end!!!! Tomorrow is our last day in Egypt before we fly to Amman, Jordan on Sunday morning. We will be back in Cairo on Wed night of next week as we fly back to the states on next Thursday morning/afternoon etc., etc. And….tomorrow it is THE PYRAMIDS!!!!!!!

OMG…….LIFE IS SOOOOOOOOOOOO GREAT!!!!!!!…….And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!!