| EGYPT ALEXANDRIA |
| I have a very good friend in Alexandria, his name is Yawer. As a matter of fact, I contacted him not long before I set on the trip through ICQ, and he welcomed me immediately and offered to show me around. Such is the hospitality of Egyptians! I spent two days in this lovely Mediterranean city, walking along the seafront and through the many back streets and souqs. Although I could hardly communicate with the local people, we shared one common language: smiles. |
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| This beautiful girl is Yawer's friend, Noha. I spent a night with her family at their summer house outside Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast. We chatted late into the night by the pool, and Noha's father told me, "You have a home now in Alexandria." |
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| Alexandria, a city by the blue Mediterranean. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, it has a completely different ambience that can be smelled in the air. I arrived at night by bus, and I knew immediately that I like the city. |
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| The seafront of Alexandria is lively day and night. The kids can always find ways to entertain themselves. A typical local "snack" is roasted whole corn. Unfortunately, they are often too burnt and hard for me to appreciate. |
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| At the far end along the seafront, on the site of the legendary Pharos lighthouse (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world), stands now the Fort Qaitbay (Citadel of Qaitbey), built in the 1480s by Sultan Qaitbey. |
| Power of the elements |