Day 30, 3 August 2012, Day Trip to Alexandria - Established 321 BC by Alexander the Great (no modesty issues there then dude...) We had no prior intentions of visiting Alexandria but our driver from the airport reckoned it was definitely a day trip and 2-3 hours each way in an air-conditioned car seemed like nothing after Africa. Now not being particularly "seat of the pants" type folks, it was completely out of character for us to be reading the guidebook en route. Which is when we discovered there were ancient antiquities to be dived upon in Alexandria harbour. Despite having the most useless cabbie in Cairo driving us, we made it to the dive shop only to find that Friday is of course the weekend in Muslim countries and it was a shut shop. However the almighty dollar does talk and whilst sitting around was involved and a snappy visit to the Citadel of Qaitbey undertaken to amuse us in the meantime, they managed to whistle up a 50 foot motor launch, a captain and a dive guide within 2 hours. Geared up and off we went - relishing the space of being 2 people on a 20 person dive boat. Alexandra Dive at the Fish Market is definitely the place to go. Our first dive was at Pharos Island (obviously now submerged), just outside the harbour, turn left at the modern, green, lighthouse. We dived on the original lighthouse - touched the old sphinxes, the lighthouse, the obelisk, statues and even a huge old wine press. It was build between 280 and 247 BC to guide sailors into the harbour. It stood between 120 and 140m high and was for centuries one of the tallest man-made structures on earth. It was also one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. And we were touching it - phew - sudden rush of blood to the head. For more info here is a link to our good friend wiki... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse_of_Alexandria. The second dive was the immersed Palace of Cleopatra where she used to meet with Mark Anthony. We held ancient amphorae and ran our hands over the silky smooth, finely grained surface of a table of blood red marble. Slipping between warm currents and chillier water we felt like time travellers diving on history. (more info: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1281419/Sunken-treasure--divers-recover-stunning-artefacts-Cleopatras-palace.html).
Alexandria is thumbnail version of Cairo and the traffic, if possible, is even more insane. At one point in the back streets our car had to thread it's way between 2 trams heading in opposite directions. Truly - a tram-sandwich. What is most incredible is no-one seems bothered. Even in the extreme heat in the middle of Ramadan (or Grumpy-dan as it becomes by late afternoon), things just happen. Cairo's worst cabbie couldn't manage (even in Arabic) to get accurate directions to the Catacombs in Alexandria, but we did end up next door at Pompey's Pillar - which of course it wasn't. In fact it was a column erected to honour the emperor Diocletian (pictured above). Made of red granite it is flanked by two sphinxes. Or sphinc-kisses as our dive guide was fond of saying. Speaking of which, in a couple of days we will be gazing upon the mother of all sphinc-kisses and also the pyramids of Giza. Assuming of course that we survive the Khan al-Khalii Bazaar which is tomorrow's plan. Keep in touch - emails and messages always enjoyed. Vivienne & James, Dive Team extraordinaire.