From Alex - Return Trip Home

Our train tickets were for 11:00 AM on the "Express Train" back to Cairo. ETA: 1:00 PM. We left the hotel around 10:00 AM with Hassan the taxi driver. In case you don't remember him, he's mentioned here. Below: A complimentary VW photo for this leg of the trip. The Beetle just passes us along the Corniche, as we wait to turn.


A car you will never see in the U.S.A. This is an Iranian built Peugot. As The Boss Man said, "double bad." Actually, according to Wiki, these are also built in Egypt.


Again, we make our own lanes.


The main station in Alexandria is closed for repair, so there is a detour.


At the temporary waiting area, there are no coffee shops, just kiosks. As usual, people jump between cars to avoid paying the fare.



It was busy when we arrived, but this train pretty much cleared out the station.


Due to repairs, the underground walkway to exit the station is no longer in use. Now you must wait until the tracks clear out to exit. You can see the old brick station behind the yellow barrier wall.

A thumbs up from a passenger.


Another train arrives.


Below, in the right hand corner is the dickhead who hounded VB while she was waiting. (Actually, VB was kind of startled when she found this photo of him.) We originally had our luggage assembled by a light pole when we first arrived, as no benches were available. That's when he moved in, smoking a cigarette, and VB kept a stink eye on him, as she did not want his ashes on her luggage. Then we moved to some nearby benches, and he moved with VB. First he sat two seats over, and when VB got up to take photos, he moved closer. Way too obvious, he kept eyeballing the luggage, which we noticed, messaged each other about, and kept a close (stink) eye on him.

Reflections from a passing train. No more photos after this from the platform, as VB puts her camera in the case (cross ways on her body) because, dickhead here started getting edgy. As Number One Son said, "he looked like he needed a fix." Number One Son was on his ass, like a fly on garbage.


Our train was an "Express Train." These trains make only one stop between Alexandria and Cairo. It takes about two hours for the whole trip. As we started off, the train was breezing along. VB got out her New York Times crossword puzzle book and worked on a crossword. She finished the crossword before we arrived! WTF! Then suddenly the train slowed. It slowed down so much so, VB said, "I can walk faster than this." Getting pretty peeved, VB got up,walked to the back of the train, and asked a few people hanging out between the cars if they knew what happened. An engineer was back there, as well. Apparently something was wrong with the engine. We would stop in a small town, get a new engine car, and be on our way, tentatively arriving in Cairo at 2:30 PM, (Inshallah) God Willing. Below: This boat is almost going as fast as we are (and it's standing still.)

This time the train we had, as one man explained, was a "French Train." They are over forty years old. (Really? Fuck me. Remind VB to not take this particular train again!) The newer one (as seen in previous posts) is referred to as the "Spanish Train (a much younger model.)


We finally arrived at 3:00 PM - two hours late.

Tomorrow - getting home from the train station.

Day Two, Alex, The Night

Our last night in Alexandria, we decided to eat at the hotel. VB will have to do a hotel comparison, at a later date. Suffice it to say, this was a rip off. After dinner, we went back to our rooms to retrieve our cameras. VB hears a strange noise, like you hear coming from a loud music thumping car. But there's no car below, and no vibration. We don't know where it's coming from, but it does not seem to be from another room either.

We then went out for a walk. Number One Son wanted to photograph a Heinz Ketchup six story tall ad. VB wanted a photo of "Crazy House" all lit up - no luck! They appeared to be just getting set up when we passed.


There's a Beetle (black) somewhere across the street from us. The photo is blurry. The people are blurry. You might want to enlarge it, so you can see the blurry photos up close and personal.


Number One Son was luckier. He gets his photo. Hope it's better than VB's.


And as we stroll, and look a few auto dealerships, we bump into the cause of the thumping sounds VB heard earlier. It's a wedding! The bride enters. Where's the groom? Just kidding - yeah, VB has no clue here.


They all start clapping and dancing.







The wedding car.


Tomorrow it's back to Cairo.

Only In Egypt

A break from VB's diary of her vacation with Number One Son. Three videos of some zany Egyptian driving antics. Two of the videos are called "Only In Egypt," and the third one makes reference to the "Only In Egypt" phenomenon.

The first is a presentation of a five wheeled car. The second shows buses (big ones) driving on the sidewalk. And the third video, which does not have great ratings, displays some Alexandrian taxi moves. It's a bit longer than the others, and the action starts around 1:40 into the video. Enjoy.



Only in Egypt





Only in Egypt






Driving in Alexandria: Best Left Turn Ever

Funkengroovin Wednesday - Day Two - Late Afternoon - Back To The Hotel

We get into the crazy, sexy taxi en route to the hotel. The traffic was worse than before, but our driver knew a few side streets to maneuver through, before we hit the main drag - The Corniche. As you can see, traffic is backed up. We spotted several Beetles on the way to the hotel.

Here a blue Beetle sits in traffic. A major traffic accident occurred just ahead of it. Several cars were pulled over along the median strip, policemen were investigating, and we saw a man on lying on the ground a bit further up the strip. We're not sure what happened. Pedestrians constantly dart out into traffic, thinking they can make it across the Corniche, without getting run over. On the other hand, some drivers think it's an expressway, and whiz by at speeds that quite literally scare the beegeebees out of you. After a car sped by us rather close on his side, then veered off in front of us, Number One Son exclaimed, "I almost got creamed!"


We chase a red Beetle, but can't catch up. Go Figure!

Nearing the hotel, we pass a gold Beetle. The driver was now going so fast, VB just caught it, in the nick of time, as we rounded a corner. VB actually bumped her camera against the door, as she tried to take a photograph, while getting knocked sideways.




And, what do we see parked across the street from our destination? Another Beetle. Don't you just love the hood tie down?






Next to the beetle, sits a brand new taxi. One that VB would love to have taken. But, nooooo. The Boss Man became "frriinds" with Hassan, and his broke down taxi with broke down locks, and a piece of wood he uses as a parking brake, and his fucking little giggle when things got sketchy!


Later, VB hears a strange noise in the room.

Traffic - Dear Mr. Fantasy

Funkengroovin - Day Two, Alex - Afternoon, Starbucks / Pompey's Pillar Revisited

The Starbucks at the Four Seasons Hotel sits directly on the Corniche, so people and car watching are optimum.
Several Buses and Beetles drove by, which VB could not capture quickly enough. Here's two that did not get away.



After a snack for a still growing Number One Son, and coffee, we decided to head over to Pompey's Pillar. We weren't enthusiastic about it, but wanted to show Number One Son at least one ancient site. We visited the site back in October, in the morning. On this day, it was around 2:00 PM, when we set off. Traffic was bad. Again, the driver decides to make his own lane.


And, he can clearly determine how close we can get before touching.


A Notchback sits double parked along the route.


A bright yellow Beetle crosses through an intersection.


And we arrive, to a deserted site. The last time we were there, during October Eid, it was packed. You could not get a photo, without having people in it. Today, we were the only tourists. As they say, "It was postcard perfect."




Number One Son was not so impressed with Pompey's Pillar. He did have fun in the catacombs, though.


A policeman hailed a taxi (the crazy, sexy one) to take us to the Corniche, and declares, 'No more than 10LE!" He didn't know where on the Corniche we were going. We were headed back to the hotel.

Funkengroovin - Day Two - Mid-day, Bibliotheca Alexandrina

After fleeing the fish market, we took a taxi to the Library of Alexandria, aka Bibliotheca Alexandrina. We had tried to visit in October, during our Eid visit, but it was closed for the holiday. Today, it was packed. When we arrived, two gatekeepers informed us we needed to buy tickets, and turn in our bags. The tickets for "Foreigners" cost 10 LE each. We turned in our bags, and received a numbered retrieval card for the bags. There's no problem with cameras, though.

Outside the library was packed with what appeared to be students.


Once inside, the library looks awesome. Number One Son said, "Oh, this is a real library." No shit Sherlock. The Main Reading Room looks like an auditorium with various levels of tables, books, and displays. There are even more, upper levels, to the right.



Some of the displays are of old printing devices.





After touring the Main Reading Room, VB spotted the Espresso Book Machine room. WTF!? According to Wikipedia: "The Espresso Book Machine (EBM) is a printing press that will print and deliver physical books within minutes and works much like a soda vending machine. The result is the print on demand principle, but without a publisher directly involved. The machine is an invention of the On Demand Books company."


On we went into a display area containing old photos and lithographs of Alexandria.






There are more exhibits on the same level. After going through several rooms of various exhibits, we arrived back at the information desk. We picked up what was called "a map," but is really just a brochure outlining what's on the different floors of the library, memberships, and a "how to" section. Beyond the information center, are sculptural displays, some of which are shown here.








And back at the main entrance, is a sculpture that can be seen outside the main window.



We retrieve our bags, and decide we need a Starbucks, so we hop a taxi, to the Four Seasons Hotel (or as our driver finally realized, "Aahh, Khamsa Saison"). On the way, we followed a VW Bus, getting up close and personal, then we were left in it's dust.






Now, for some coffee at Starbucks.