I'd been to Cairo a couple of times before. My impression of that ancient city is that it's too damn big. And dirty. And crowded. I think there's about 10 million or so living there now.
I took the train to Alex, as it's called there. Only about a 3 hour ride through the mostly green countryside. That was a surprise as I'd always thought of nothing but desert. The train runs close to the River Nile where the land remains rather fertile. The train itself is clean and a smooth ride. Very pleasant.
Alex is a huge city too with a population of 6 million. I got to do a little bit of sight-seeing while there and even spent a day at the beach. Made a lot of friends from a restaurant/bar that I'd made "my home". Alex is quite safe. I walked around at all hours of the day and night in various stages of sobriety and otherwise. The primary danger is being hit by a car in the narrow and crowded streets as one must dodge them endlessly. Working there was pretty easy; the people were friendly and helpful. I lived in the Sofitel Cecil Hotel, a place with more history than Bette Davis.
Definitely a wonderful experience and worth the visit if you get the opportunity. Lots of history to check out and the new library is one for the ages.
texandave guarding The Fortress @ Qaitbay
King Farouk's Palace (you oughta see the kitchen)
now the Presidential Palace
Sunset in Alex
Mahmoud & George (my boys from FAR & AWAY RESTAURANT)
No comments:
Post a Comment