Long journey on to Alexandria - 7 hours. Fortunately I was able to sleep for the majority of it. It was a lot of back tracking from the previous drive from Cairo so I didn't feel that I was missing too much. Plus if I didn't at least try to sleep John would talk my ear off. The man never stops talking ! It is getting a bit frustrating.
A couple of pit stops to stretch our legs and to pee. That has been one of my challenges . . . I know I need to be drinking much more water than I have been but I don't because I never know when the next opportunity will be. Plus, it is getting tiring with the hassle for "baksheesh" (a tip) to use the public washrooms. I always have my own toilet paper with me but they still bug you. "I don't pay to pee!" That's been my line - lol - they don't have a clue what I'm saying but it makes me laugh.
As we get closer to Alexandria I am once again surprised by how . . . massive ! . . . it is. And, then there were huge balls of tumble weed blowing around on the 8 lane highway as well as the silly pedestrians just randomly running across ! It is just so bizarre.
Since we left Cairo we have only had the driver and he doesn't speak English very well. So there was a guide arranged to meet us at Pompey's Pillar. It was a girl ! Her name is Sarah. Lovely lady and she provided just enough details about the attractions we stopped at. She also went above and beyond to make sure I got me feet in the Mediterranean Sea and got my sand.
So, the first stop was Pompey’s Pillar & the Temple of Serapeum:
This massive 30m column looms over the debris of the glorious ancient settlement of Rhakotis, the original township from which Alexandria grew. Known as Pompey’s Pillar, for centuries the column, hewn from red Aswan granite, has been one of the city’s prime sights: a single, tapered shaft, 2.7m at its base and capped by a fine Corinthian capital. The column rises out of the sparse ruins of the Temple of Serapeum, a magnificent structure that stood here in ancient times.
The column was named by travelers who remembered the murder of the Roman general Pompey by Cleopatra’s brother, but an inscription on the base (presumably once covered with rubble) announces that it was erected in AD 291 to support a statue of the emperor Diocletian.
Underneath the column, steps lead downward to the great temple of Serapis, the god of Alexandria. Also here was the ‘daughter library’ of the Great Library of Alexandria, which was said to have contained copies and overflow of texts. These scrolls could be consulted by anyone using the temple, making it one of the most important intellectual and religious centres in the Mediterranean.
In AD 391 Christians launched a final assault on pagan intellectuals and destroyed the Serapeum and its library, leaving just the lonely pillar standing. The site is now little more than rubble pocked by trenches and holes, with a couple of narrow shafts from the Serapeum to explore below, a few sphinxes (originally from Heliopolis) and a surviving Nilometer (a structure used to measure and record the level of the Nile in ancient times). The pillar on top is the only ancient monument remaining whole and standing in Alexandria today.
Next stop are the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. These were really rather eerie. We went down a long steep spiral staircase (yup - more steps!) And the first stop is were they have meals !?! This is a burial place !?! I thought it was rather bizarre ! Then we wandered through the various chambers. Some were buried in sarcophagus' whiles others were placed in 'slots' and some were even cremated. This catabomb held approximately 400 bodies:
This is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle
Ages.
The necropolis (city of the dead) consists of a series of
Alexandrian tombs, statues and archaeological objects of the Pharaonic funeral
cult with Hellenistic and early Imperial Roman influences. Due to the time
period, many of the features of the catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa merge Roman,
Greek and Egyptian cultural points; some statues are Egyptian in style, yet
bear Roman clothes and hair style whilst other features share a similar style. A
circular staircase, which was often used to transport deceased bodies down the
middle of it, leads down into the tombs that were tunneled into the bedrock
during the age of the Antonine emperors (2nd century AD). The facility was
then used as a burial chamber from the 2nd century to the 4th century, before
being rediscovered in 1900 when a donkey accidentally fell into the access
shaft. To date, three sarcophagi have been found, along with other human and
animal remains which were added later. It is believed that the catacombs were
only intended for a single family, but it is unclear why the site was expanded
in order to house numerous other individuals.
Last highlight for the day is the Citadel that is beautifully located on the Mediterranean Sea. First we stop on a bay full of colourful boats and you could see the Citadel in the distance . . . and rats ! When I saw it I tried to snap a picture and followed it for a bit. I think Sarah thought I was nuts because I wasn't squealing in horror - I told her that I have had pet rats over the years and find them rather cute - yup, she thought I was nuts:
The Citadel of Qaitbay (Arabic: قلعة قايتباي) is a
15th-century defensive fortress located on the Mediterranean sea coast, in
Alexandria, Egypt. It was established in 1477 AD (882 AH) by Sultan Al-Ashraf
Sayf al-Din Qa'it Bay. The Citadel is situated on the eastern side of the
northern tip of Pharos Island at the mouth of the Eastern Harbour. The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria is
considered one of the most important defensive strongholds, not only in Egypt,
but also along the Mediterranean Sea coast.
I've had enough of this sinus cold ! It just isn't going away :-( So, I found a pharmacy and got myself some sinus meds. The guys didn't didn't speak English but charades got me exactly what I needed and the box was in English !?!?! So, I knew what I was getting was what I needed.
John wasn't much of an explorer so the first place that had food and somewhere to sit (not many places offered seating) is where we ate. It was good but I like to wander more and see what the options are.
Shisha time ! Tourists wandering aimlessly attracts attention lol. Two young men walking arm in arm (the first time I saw guys walking arm in arm I, of course, was surprised and thought they were gay but nope, this is quite common - the men are quite affectionate with each other. Kisses on the cheeks and hugs too) stopped us and asked what we were looking for. It is awkward because you never know if they are genuinely looking to help or going to ask for baksheesh at the end. They seemed to genuinely want to help us and got us to a great little shisha cafe. I was thrilled with it and grateful - you could see how happy they were to have helped and off they went.
Didn't get back to the room until after midnight but we have a leisure morning to look forward to !
Nighty night xox
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