EGYPT

ALEXANDRIA EGYPT

Arriving in Alexandria was a fascinating experience, deeply immersed in Egyptian Muslim culture—almost every woman wore a hijab or full burka and almost every man’s name was Mohamed! They get around the duplicity with nick names. When they introduce themselves they typically say “My name Mohammed, but I go by……. 

The other occurrence unique to Alexandria was the regular audible drone of their prayers emitting from the speakers of the mosques seemingly located every few blocks in every direction. The five daily prayer times are based on the position of the sun and occur at roughly dawn, midday, just after sunset and at night. Erie at first, and annoying after a while.

Hardly any men were wearing a head covering so I left mine in my pack. Alexandria sits on the Mediterranean, and being the furthest north I’ve traveled in Egypt, the weather felt cool and refreshing.

I passed through rows of merchant stalls selling everything imaginable, including traditional food like shawarma—meat (usually lamb, beef, or chicken) roasted on a vertical spit and shaved into pita with vegetables and sauces. In the U.S., it’s similar to a gyro or kebab.

The Mediterranean was over a mile west, and I had two Hilton hotels to choose from about two miles north; The Hilton Green and The Hilton Corniche. As I zigzagged northwest, I got a real sense of the area—many buildings were in poor condition, trash was everywhere, and daily life had a roughness to it that locals accept, though many Americans would find it hard to imagine. It reminded me a lot of Cairo and Luxor, but getting around as a pedestrian was Hardest here.

Eventually, I reached the Mediterranean Sea. It was beautiful, with 1- to 2-foot waves crashing against a rocky shore. I had to choose between two hotels: the Hilton Corniche, which cost 41,000 points, or the Hilton Green, which cost 21,000 points.

Normally, I would visit both properties in person before making a decision, but they were still quite a distance away. The 21,000-point hotel was located about a mile inland. Given the rundown condition of many buildings I had seen during my walk, I decided to first check out the Hilton Corniche. It was right on the sea and named after Corniche Road—a well-known road that runs for miles along the Mediterranean.

I called an Uber, and a relatively new Hyundai showed up—most of the Ubers I’ve taken in Egypt were in beat-up vehicles, so this felt like luxury. The driver took me to the Hilton without any problems, and surprisingly we actually used the Uber app! 

That was the first time that I noticed that the app tells you how many times this driver had successfully taken a passenger. His history: 1,126. From that point on I looked for that number and noticed that drivers with over 1000 completed trips were totally legit. I rewarded everyone with them with a 200 EGP tip ($4) which was equal or greater than the value of the trip itself.

I wandered around the property and was very impressed with everything I saw. I opened the app to book the 41,000-point room and was surprised to see the availability a new lower rate: 29,000 points! I booked it immediately and walked to the counter. I asked about a free upgrade and was told I could have one if I was willing to wait about 30 minutes. That was fine with me. I left my backpack in storage and strolled the streets for lunch. A pleasure walking without my pack!

There was a street food vendor nearby selling authentic Egyptian food, so I decided to give it a try. Of all the places I’ve visited on this trip, the language barrier here was the toughest—even with my translation app. Most of his customers were ordering food to go, but I gestured that I wanted to sit and eat. He pointed to a seating area next door. I pointed to the dishes I wanted, and he assembled a lunch tray with small plates of various items. Once it was ready, he directed me to the seating area, where I sat down at a nice table.

An attendant from that property brought over a bottle of water. I relaxed, enjoyed the food, and took in the moment. When I finished, I signaled that I was ready to pay by rubbing my thumb and fingers together. The vendor came over and said “200,” then pointed to the water attendant, who said “100.” So, 300 EGP in total—which was perfectly fine with me. I handed over the cash.

The attendant tried to strike up a conversation, and after a bit of struggling with the language, I finally understood—he was asking where I was from. “New York,” I said. Like every Egyptian I’ve met, his face lit up when he heard that. Apparently, for many Egyptians who make it to the U.S., New York is their first stop. When they return home, they talk about it like it’s one of the greatest places in the world. There’s a clear sense here that New York is in a league of its own and Egypt doesn’t come close.

Arriving in Alexandria was fascinating, deeply immersed in Egyptian Muslim culture—almost every woman wore a hijab or burka, and nearly every man’s name was Mohamed, who usually introduced himself with a nickname to avoid confusion.

Mosques with speakers broadcasted the five daily prayers, creating a constant, eerie drone throughout the city. The Mediterranean climate felt cool and refreshing compared to southern Egypt.

Walking through busy merchant stalls, I saw traditional foods like shawarma—meat roasted on a vertical spit and shaved into pita, similar to a gyro.

Alexandria’s streets were rough and littered, reminiscent of Cairo and Luxor, and pedestrian travel was challenging. The Mediterranean was over a mile west, and I had two Hilton options about two miles north: Hilton Corniche by the sea and Hilton Green a mile inland.

I chose to visit the Corniche first, taking a surprisingly nice Uber in a Hyundai. I noticed the app showed driver trip counts and tipped generously those with over 1,000 rides.

I took a video of my Hilton Alexandria Corniche as it was another perfect stay. Last I checked it would be 41,000 points for a second night but everything considered I figured it was worth it and this would be my last hotel stay in Egypt.

Totally satisfied with everything going on I decided to extend my stay for another night only to discover it was booked. I asked about it the desk the next morning and they apologized saying they had a large group from Qatar that was occupying the entire property. I requested a late checkout and was granted one until 3 o’clock. 

The Hilton Green was about a Mile inland so I figured I’d go check it out, but I was quite certain you couldn’t come close to the Hilton Corniche on Mediterranean, particularly since it was only 21,000 points.

My plan was to visit Qaitbay Citadel on the site of a a lighthouse built by Alexander the Great. The lighthouse used the most modern technology of the time, a giant mirror reflecting a fire at night. But since then the lighthouse had been completely destroyed and its remnants are now at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Quitbay Citadel was located about 9 miles south of my hotel and I would be traveling along Corniche Road on the Mediterranean the whole way, giving me an opportunity to see everything happening on that stretch of the Mediterranean Sea. I got an Uber driver with over 5,000 rides and it went without incident.

It is now a huge and beautiful castle with a mosque on the third floor level. The property has experienced an evolution of many structures that were destroyed and rebuilt, and owned by various entities, including France during Napoleons rein.

I’m only gonna attach three pictures though it was fascinating, so if you have any interest in learning more about it, go here:

The next morning, I learned the hotel was fully booked by a large group from Qatar, but I was granted a late checkout until 3 p.m.

Curious about the Hilton Green, about a mile inland and cheaper at 21,000 points, I planned to check it out but doubted it could compare to the Corniche on the Mediterranean.

I also planned a visit to Qaitbay Citadel, built on the site of Alexander the Great’s ancient lighthouse, once famous for its giant mirror fire beacon, now submerged under the sea.

The citadel, about 9 miles south along the scenic Corniche Road, is a huge, beautiful castle with a mosque on the third floor. It has a rich history of destruction and rebuilding, including French ownership during Napoleon’s reign.

I’m sharing three pictures here, but if you want to learn more check out this link.

When I left the entry gate, I noticed something that caught my eye. A fisherman with a 30 foot fishing pole! I took a picture and a video and sent them to my son Nick who’s the best fisherman I’ve ever met. He said it was crazy and that he had never seen anything like it.

After the Qaitbay Citadel I tried to Uber, but for some reason, there were none around. As I got near the taxi area, they all started heckling me. I walked over to an older cabbie who was non-aggressive and said, “Hilton Alexandria Corniche?”.  He said “Yes”.  I said “How much”. He said “50”, I said “50 US”, he said “Yes”. I said, “How about $10 US”. He said “OK”.  I reached into my wallet and took out two five-dollar bills . one had a torn off edge, which I wanted to be sure he saw, because those are typically not accepted here or in many countries that I visited. he looked at them and said OK, and Off we went.

Upon arrival, I gave him the two fives and got out. A few seconds later, he came running up to me and pointing to the missing corner on the five dollar bill. I handed him two 200 Egyptian notes, and he gave me a thumbs up. 

After visiting Qaitbay Citadel, I couldn’t find an Uber. At the taxi area, an older cabbie agreed to take me to Hilton Alexandria Corniche for $10 US, despite initially quoting $50. I paid with two five-dollar bills, one with a torn edge. He accepted it but later ran after me, pointing to the torn bill. I gave him two 200 Egyptian pound notes instead, and he gave me a thumbs up.

Now back at my hotel, I took another look at the app. Yup! A room had come available for 34,000 points! I booked it and approached the front desk. I asked the lady at the counter if I could stay in the room that I was in. She agreed and I was all set!

Certainly, there was more to see in Alexandria, but I felt satisfied with everything that had happened so far. So, I decided to relax before my true road warrior evening began.