Alexandria, Part Two: Forts, Fish, and Flophouses

Walking out of the train station, we picked our way through the crowd toward a cluster of cabs waiting curbside. The drive through the city to our place of lodging was refreshing after the dull train ride. Alexandria is much greener than the parts of Cairo I’m used to, and the city was lively, with many people out and about on weekend business. The cab dropped us off on a main road a block or two from our destination, the New Hotel Welcome House. In spite of its pretentious title, the Welcome House is technically a hostel, and it occupies the fifth floor of a building right on the coast. It was recommended by a friend of mine who's been in Cairo since last semester. The disadvantages of such an establishment are manifold: crazy, semi-functioning elevators without doors; beds that consist of two blankets laid over some boards and pillows that feel like they’re filled with lumpy sand; and a bathroom with detachable faucet handles and no divisions between sink, toilet, and shower. On the other hand, the benefits include the price (an incredible 25 pounds per night, which is less than $5) and the truly stunning view from the room windows, which open out directly over the Mediterranean. Spectacular:

After settling in and marveling over the rooms for a while, we set out in search of food and adventure. We didn’t have a restaurant in mind and none of us was particularly forceful in setting a direction, so we ambled aimlessly for a while. It was a struggle to find a place to eat as we were in an unfamiliar city in the middle of the afternoon on a Friday (the Muslim holy day), meaning most sit-down restaurants were closed. It took more than an hour, but we finally found a spot and had a decent lunch of chicken shawerma sandwiches and Coke.

Afterward, we walked down the length of the bay to Fort Qaitbay, a big, old-school castle leftover from the 15^th or 16^th century. This place was awesome, and it was my favorite part of the Alexandria trip. It came complete with parapets and battlements and other such things as one would expect to find in any self-respecting stronghold. It was fun running around inside taking pictures and climbing all over things. Even better was walking along on top of the outside wall, which afforded a spectacular view of the city on one side and the sea on the other. Mike generously boosted me up into a few places that would not otherwise have been accessible, and I felt like Indiana Jones exploring the Temple of Doom.

After a while, we settled down a bit and found a good spot on the outer wall to sit and rest. Looking out, the sea seemed serene and endlessly expansive, populated only by a few massive cruise liners lounging lazily in the distance. A few men carrying massive rods fished along the shore. Anthony nodded off, and Liz and Steph seemed content to sit and stare at the sea for an interminable length of time. Mike worked on getting more pictures for a while, but then calmed down and stared pensively into the distance. Dan got restless after fifteen or twenty minutes (as did I), but he wasn’t antsy enough to come exploring with me, so I took a quick solo tour around the outer wall of the fort, snapped a few more pictures, and came back to find everyone as I had left them. After another half hour of restful contemplation, we left.

Later that evening, we had dinner at Fish Market, a classy upscale restaurant not far from the fort. I would not expect a joint by the name of Fish Market to be a quality institution, but it’s renowned as the best seafood joint in Alexandria (and, therefore, all of Egypt). For my part, I was enormously impressed. After being seated and ordering sides and appetizers, we made our way to a counter to select from a display of fresh fish, which the waiting chef then prepared. Anthony ordered first, and he was ridiculous, requesting shrimp, grouper, red bream, and sea bass. It was comical to see the waiters attempt to squeeze all of his food onto the table. I had grouper and sea bass, as well as the hummus and freshly baked bread shared by the table. The fish was incredibly flavorful and tender, rich without being heavy, and the bread and hummus complemented it perfectly. The meal ranked among my all time most delicious dining experiences. It was also far and away the most expensive meal I’ve had in Egypt – sixteen or seventeen American dollars, I believe.

It was fairly late in the evening by the time our meal concluded, so we ambled around for a bit and then started looking for a place to hang out for the night. We ended up in a bar called Elite, which resembled a 1950’s American diner. The music was odd, as it consisted almost entirely of old love songs and Mariah Carey, with occasional special appearances by Billy Joel. The atmosphere was not much to our liking (Mike fell asleep at the table after taking some pictures, while Liz started playing Snake on her cell phone), so we headed out fairly soon after arriving. Spitfire, our second stop, was a crowded little bar with not enough space to comfortably accommodate us. Our third try was a charm, however, and we wound up at a spacious bar in a back alley, the name of which escapes me. This place was pretty cool. Photos and drawings of old sailing vessels adorned the walls, and a large wooden model of a ship hung over the entry way. Lively Middle Eastern music played in the background and the joint’s owner was very friendly, exuberant even. We set up shop at a table in a small back room in the vicinity of a few middle aged guys and a little family. Before long, a wizened old man ambled back carrying an instrument resembling an oversized mandolin. He perched on a chair between us and the family and began playing what I took to be a traditional Arabic song. After a few bars he started singing as well. This was entertaining for a while, but it was difficult to have a conversation without seeming rude. It was fairly late, so Dan, Liz, and I walked back to the hostel, while Mike, Steph, and Anthony stayed behind for a bit longer. Up in the room, we discovered that the beds were not as comfortable as they first appeared, and Dan and Liz refused to use the blankets provided (despite the precipitous drop in temperature since the afternoon), nor would Dan take off any of his clothes. Being Survivor Man, I had no problem changing into my sleepwear and snuggling under the covers for the night.

Coming soon in the thrilling conclusion:
Trouble with trains, the Mighty Beef Burger, bar brawls, and more!