Alexandria, Egypt - Port to Highway

5/15/2012 Alexandria is a fascinating city with museums, palaces, resorts, beaches, antiquities and ancient remains, mosques, temples and churches.

Our group selected the tour that took us to Cairo for two days.  So we didn't have time to see the wonders of Alexandria.  Instead, we were able to see the day to day life of those living in this ancient city.  It was our first wide-eyed exposure to Egypt and the myriad of inhabitants.  We were with "Group 9" on a bus.  I don't know if that means that there were nine buses going to Cairo, but I do know that there were at least three.

I know that I'm rattling on here, but quite frankly, we have a long discussion ahead of us and I don't know where to begin.  My best guess is to follow the flow of the photographs, talk about what I saw in the order that actually happened.  I won't give any spoilers, and "end result of all of this" or "it turns out that".

We departed in a bus from a port. So I know that there is congestion and transportation.  Those who can stay leisurely close can opt to take a horse and buggy.  I am sure that these vehicles are for local, casual transports. The motorcycle looks functional for the rider.  Safety with a helmet...good.

Oh, one more thing. Let me remind you that I am taking photos through the bus window for this section.  We are moving and I don't have the chance to redo something if it is a bit blurry.  Please be kind and just enjoy the ride.

 A street scene.  Looks like shops on the ground floor and offices or apartments in the higher floors.  Some cars have car covers. The man is casually sitting on a bench-around-a-tree.  The woman has local dress.  The columns on the white building are covered with posters, likely for the upcoming Presidential election.  Sidewalks look clean, streets a little littered.

 Another city street.  The trucks have truck covers.  On the left side of the street is a farmer's market, likely opening for the day.  On the right side there are tables set up for business.  The building in the back right side has signs by the windows, so maybe these are all businesses.

 This area looks like a cafe on the ground floor and some work going on to finish the upper level.  Notice that the cafe is filled with men.  Drinks are on the table and hookah pipes sit throughout.  Some men sit along, pondering the meaning of life. Others sit in groups.  I caught the heads of two women walking by.

 The ground floor seems to be all shops. The rolling door is raised and the shop is open. I actually liked the painting scheme on the upper floor with different wall color and various window paint.  It looks quite quaint.  Rugs and towels hanging out to dray from the balconies.

 A horse and buggy carrying a few baskets.  The balconies on the buildings on the left are heftier. No street lines or parking markings, so you are on your own to figure it out. Is this a one lane or two lane street?

 We passed this victory arch. I will continue to research until I can figure out what it is. I'll report back later. If you know what this is, please leave the name in the comments.

 One of my favorite subjects: hanging laundry. To me it says "Life goes on." I noticed in this photo that the windows are painted different colors. I don't know if that is by design, or if the paint color changed. One balcony in the upper left corner is glassed in.  The one to the right of that has painted walls.

 This building looks newer.  The concrete outside facade has fancy cuts.  The window shutters match, at least in our view. And again, laundry is drying. The patio on the left building seems to be recently painted. The right building bottom balcony is painted, but the family with the laundry has some patching. Perhaps getting ready to renovate?  Thick wires are run to the building, but if you look closely you can also see a line draping into the upper right window..and the lower one also.  Oh, and the bottom balcony has a fanlike barrier to keep people out. Or animals. I don't really know but it is a a barrier none the less.

 This photo is clear enough to zoom in to sections and give you a better view of the details.  Wiring on the outside of the building is run inside of pipes, and then sometimes just strung between the floors.  The construction details, intended to make the building a bit more ornate, is showing signs of wear and tear.  Some of the porches are glassed in, some have shades, and some have torn shades which no longer work. At the top right you can see that the construction is not completed and that "penthouse" has a way to go.

We passed several canals, in various conditions. Some looked fairly clean and some had trash floating in it.

The mall is built, but there aren't many cars.  I don't know if the shopping hours are at a different time, if we are too early in the day, or if the construction on the inside is ongoing.

Fields extend from the road as we exit Alexandria.  Billboards were common, and the ditch alongside of the road is an irrigation ditch.  I don't know how to read the road markings yet.  A darker white line is near the bus. You can see it in the lower left side of the photo. (I am on the right side of the bus.).  The faded white line shows the edge of the road. Is this a lane?

And here is where the lines come in to question. This truck has quite a load.  The driver is in the right hand lane, maybe, not entirely.  So the bus had to move a little to the left.

From the map, it looks like we are driving through a delta area from the Nile River.  There were several groups of fishermen floating around.  Both of them are standing. This takes coordination!

I saw a lot of these dome mounds.  There are little holes at all levels.  These are bird houses.

We have left Alexandria on our three hour drive to Cairo.  Traveling on the highway is an adventure all to itself.  More to come!