I had a lovely breakfast on top of the Windsor Palace hotel this morning before leaving at 8am. The hotel is at a central point in the harbour and I sat there feeling as if Ptolemy could have sat in the exact same spot and watched over the city while having his breakfast.This time around I think I had definitely gotten a sense of what Alexandria was supposed to be.Alexandria is meant to be enjoyed, its nothing without a fancy hotel, good food and plenty of money.Its not one of those places you should go on your own as a backpacker, as I did last time.

We drove out of Alexandria, which I had mixed emotions about and straight to the WWII site of El Alamein.We went in the military museum and a guide showed us around.I know nothing about this place and it was lovely to just be ignorant and listen for once.After the short tour of the museum I went outside to take pictures of the war machines sitting in the garden of the museum.They had tanks, a British troop carrier and even a spitfire.We then moved onto the cemetery and I spent most of the time there talking to the guide, who was a lady and our leader Mostafa about my travels.The guide seemed incredulous that I had been travelling on by myself (without anyone I knew beforehand that is) on a truck through Africa for four months.

We got back on the bus and drove out to the sea side town of Marsa Matrouh.We checked into our lovely hotel, its funny I keep expecting to find a drop toilet in one of the rooms or to have to pitch a tent in the grounds.The bed here is the biggest I have ever slept in and the bathroom is bigger than the bathrooms at the Met Centre, the shopping centre I used to work at when I was at Flight Centre.

I brought my stuff up, including a plastic bag with all my junk food in it, which had in it the chips from the hotel provided lunch box.I had to remind myself I no longer needed to stock pile junk food and other luxury items as these are not scarce in Egypt and I am on a four star tour.

As soon as I was settled in my room I hit the beach.Now you can't wear conventional swimmers here, so I put on a black singlet and awesome shorts to swim in.I took nothing with me and ran into the incredibly blue Mediterranean sea.Once in the water I thought to myself, Coast to Coast!I had come from the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to the Mediterranean in Egypt.

Holidaying Egyptian families cluttered the beach, the bright red Vodafone umbrellas creating a sharp and unexpectedly pleasant contrast with the strikingly blue water.Women swam in full Islamic dress and everywhere I floated although not wearing a bikini I attracted attention.Even one little girl told me I was "Lovely".I thanked her.I don't mind being told that by you I thought to myself.

I walked back into the hotel, which was literally across the road from the beach, dripping wet, without even a towel.Sheepishly asked for my room key and went upstairs for a shower before dinner.I'VE SHOWERED EVERYDAY THIS WEEK!I haven't done that since I left home.I had dinner with the group and stayed and chatted about Siwa and Alexander, after Mostafa left us.

I decided to go for a walk around town at about 10pm, it was a little bit like an English seaside town.I was the only foreigner and hardly anyone took any notice of me.There were a lot of people selling clothes, bags and other junk and a small amusement park with a Ferris wheel and dodgems. The dodgems reminded me of our unexpected sojourn in Asyut and I missed my Drago group.I don't really fit in with this crowd.

I walked home along the promenade next to the sea and went back in my hotel and went upstairs to bed.After four long years of trying to get there, tomorrow Siwa awaits!