Alexandria

Another MEDA staff person (from our Winnipeg office) was in Egypt at the same time as me. Bob Kroeker, and his wife Joyce, spent 2 months there (see Bob’s blog: http://www.medaegypt.blogspot.com/). They invited me to go along with them to Alexandria for a weekend. We had a blast! Alexandia was interesting. We learned later that there aren’t many tourists there because it’s quite conservative (tourists, especially European ones, prefer Sharm Al-Sheikh where they can be scantily clad). We received a good deal of attention. When we visited Fort Qaytbay, a group of young women greeted us, posed for photos (they loved seeing themselves on our digital cameras), and asked if we had business cards to remember us by. I only had a few which they practically fought over. Inside the fort, a man asked if we would pose for pictures with his children. We thought is very strange until we found out that Alexandria doesn’t attract many tourists.

We could have spent more time visiting monuments, however, Joyce and I twisted Bob’s arm into a day at the Mediterranean Sea. The muslim women kept covered at all times–when swimming too. I felt a tad self-conscious in my swim suit, so I made my into the water quickly, and while on the beach, kept covered up with a wrap or towel!