Taxi Driver

"It is a pity indeed to travel and not get this essential sense of landscape values. You do not need a sixth sense for it. It is there if you just close your eyes and breathe softly through your nose; you will hear the whispered message, for all landscapes ask the same question in the same whisper. 'I am watching you -- are you watching yourself in me?'

- Lawrence Durrell

 

On first impression the winding road of the corniche that snakes around the miles-long waterfront of Alexandria's harbor is home to a row of medium-sized highrises that could be at home in an older section of Miami Beach.

 

But on closer inspection, the dilapidated state of many of the buildings with their crumbling facades feels more like the Malecon of Havana, Cuba.

 

On our second day in Alexandria we were lucky to stumble into the taxi of a man who spoke reasonable English and became our unofficial tour guide to the city and answer man for our curious questions about his home town and the country's checkered history. Muhammed grew up in Alexandria at a time before the revolution that brought Gamel Abdel Nasser to power and transformed colonial and multi-cultural Egypt. He knew the city like the back of his hand, and took us to many of the official and unofficial sites to see. He had a wonderful sense of humor and laid-back personality, and a collection of expressions ('just wait an Egyptian minute') honed from driving around various members of the American 6th Fleet when they docked there.

 

The bird market

 

The boat construction yard

 

Graffiti

 

Pompey's Pillar

  
 

One of the few places of shade on a scorching day

 

 The Central Mosque

 

Sidi Gabel Train Station

 

 

We said our goodbyes to catch the night express train to Cairo from the Sidi Gabel train station. He was a kind and generous guide and parked and came to the platform to see us off, then called us several times on the train to make sure we were okay and on our way. 

In the spirit of Lawrence Durrell, "he was watching us, and we were watching ourselves in him." 

william

Comments

[Diane]

Wow! What a great adventure. And what stunning photographs. My favourites are the black and white in the cab and the Central Mosque. The wall graffiti is wonderful. so lyrical.

[Maiz]

It's amazing how you can find wise cab drivers all over the world, and they all use the same air "fresheners!"

[Elsita :)]

I love this post Billy!
Specially the last thing that you wrote.
You're a poet.
And the taxi driver was a cool man
:)

[Janet M]

When you look beneath the surface, there are all sorts of interesting things. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.