Alexandria

Saturday- May 26, 2012

Today we traveled to Alexandria.

Catacombs

The first place we visited was a catacomb. The catacomb we saw is the largest found in Egypt. Seriously, it was huge. It is big enough for 650 people When the tomb was first built by the Egyptians it was made for 3 people. It was expanded by the Romans to this large size. I can’t even explain how big it is. It has three floors. We weren’t able to enter the 3^rd floor because it is still covered in water due to how far underground it is. The amount of Harry Potter references while underground was awesome. No joke, it looked like the Chamber of Secrets. It even had snakes around the entrance to the burial chamber of the royal family that owned the tomb.  I tried speaking Parseltongue but nothing happened. Darn it.

The Fort

Next, we got out first view of the Mediterranean Sea. We visited a fort that overlooks the sea and is built on the exact spot where the old Lighthouse of Alexandria use to be. The lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake in the 7^th century. The fort was built in the 14^th century.

Citadel of Qaitbay

I made the mistake of wearing a skirt. The back of the fort has an amazing view of the Mediteranean but it is also very windy. I was definitely struggling with staying covered. I think I succeeded, though!

Skirts are a bad idea!

Lunch

After seeing the fort it was time for lunch. We went to the best seafood place in Alexandria. It was amazing! Without a doubt, it is the best seafood I have ever had in my life. We had shrimp, calamari, and the catch of the day. I have no idea what type of fish it was but it was fantastic. My favorite part was the shrimp. They were huge! I didn’t know shrimp could even be that big! I was in love. I ate so much.

When we were done eating we sat outside and chilled outside the restaurant. A lot of students had Turkish Coffee (definitely not my favorite- there are so many coffee grains!). I stuck to tea. Many of us enjoyed shisha while having our drinks. It was so relaxing. The restaurant was off the beaten path for most tourists. For the first time, I felt as if we were all experiencing the true Egyptian culture.

Shisha!

Hotel

We stopped for ice cream for desert during our long drive home through the heavy traffic. Eventually, we got checked into our beautiful rooms that overlook the Mediterranean. I discovered there was free WiFi in the lobby so I spent the rest of the evening online. I was able to finally update my blog and skype my parents.

Just another great day in Egypt!