For an eager traveller, my excitement was kept at bay while I thought about my trip to Egypt as I had never stayed in a different country for longer than six days. Now I would be away from home for 21 days.
It was my mission to read up on blogs about the city of Cairo, home to more than 12 million people, and what I should expect.
I wanted to make sure I could drink the water, eat the food and dress appropriately. My unwavering paranoia was at its highest, so I made sure to put in as much research as possible.
Once in Cairo, after a seven-and-a-half-hour flight from Joburg, the cloudy sky and humidity was the first welcome I had to get used to.
High-rise buildings and billboards in the capital city of Cairo, the Egyptian city which is home to more than 12 million people.
The second was the constant hooting and adventurous drivers on the road. I noticed that most of the cars had scratches and dents on the sides. The close proximity in which they drive is scary at first but after a day or two you get used to it - even the hooting. The traffic goes on until well after 9pm.
The high-rise buildings and countless billboards welcome you into the city on the Nile River.
Egypt’s historical heritage, tracing back to six millennia BCE, can be seen in Old Cairo, the site of ancient national capitals before its present-day state.
Known as the City of a Thousand Minarets, the Islamic architecture can be seen throughout Old Cairo.
The Union of African Journalists fellows outside the Royal Jewellery Museum in Zizenia, Alexandria, Egypt.
While in Cairo I would meet with 20 other journalists from around Africa, all of whom had never visited the north-eastern country as well. Together we would explore, discover and learn about the land known to be the cradle of civilisation.
Our programme from the Union of African Journalists involved a week of lectures at the Training and Media Studies Centre in Cairo followed by a weekend away trip to the second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria.
I was excited to be travelling to the Mediterranean port city, which is about three hours away from the capital.
I wanted to see the famous Stanley Bridge and confirm just how big the Bibliotheca Alexandrina really was.
Qaitbay Citadel is a busy tourist attraction in Alexandria. It has the best view of the city and the sea.
Our first stop was the massive tourist attraction Qaitbay Citadel, which now functions as a museum.
The 15th-century fortress, situated on the eastern side of the northern tip of Pharos Island, was established in 1477 AD by Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa’it Bay.
The citadel is considered as one of the most important defensive strongholds in Egypt and along the sea coast. It was erected on the exact site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Rama Ahmed, our tour guide for the day, explained how the city came to be.
“Alexander the Great found a small island in the sea and ordered his men to connect the island with the city. There were two harbours and he named it Alexandria. There are five main districts, routed horizontal and vertical, like chess shape,” she said. “So if you are in any district you can reach the sea by crossing the road directly.”
Ahmed added that the citadel was one of the only surviving mameluke (Muslim rulers of slave origin) in Alexandria from the Islamic period.
The outer fences of the citadel surround the four sides to protect it and to support the tower. The outer fences are the oldest part of the citadel that have never been rebuilt.
Inside the fortress, every room has a historical value. The Sultan lwan is a wide room with two windows. It overlooks the citadel courtyard and was previously used by the garrison commander to follow up the trainings at the citadel courtyard. On the other side there is the North Sultan lwan for watching the ships coming from the sea.
The mosque inside the fortress occupies more than half of the first floor area. It was built according to mamlouk style and is the second oldest mosque in Alexandria.
After getting in some history, it was time to explore the town. Our lunch stop was a taste of the street food. My ladies from Lesotho and Botswana decided on the El Falah pizza and watched in awe as the pastry chef showed off his skills for us to enjoy as he spun a flatbread to life. Our colleagues chose the shawarma and hot dog options.
Coconut is a main ingredient in many Egyptian desserts.
At the international hotel - Helnan Palestine - we got to taste various local foods like Om Ali (Arabic bread pudding dessert), koskosy (a mashed, flaky rice), soggy meshaltet (a flat, layered pastry), kharoub juice (leaf extract juice), zalabya (deep fried dough balls) and taamia (falafel balls), among many other delicacies.
Egyptians love their bread. Starch is the staple so most dishes will come with the option of rice, chips and bread.
More than bread, they love their coconut treats.
We had a taste of the popular basbousa (coconut cake soaked in syrup and topped with nuts) and some traditional kanafeh or kunafa (a traditional Arab dessert made with thin noodle-like pastry, or fine semolina dough, soaked in sweet, sugar-based syrup and nuts). We also tasted a dessert only found in Alexandria called harissa. It is thicker than the basbousa, made from semolina cake.
The Montaza Palace in Alexandria is a museum facing the sea. The royal gardens have been turned into a landscape park for public use.
Unfortunately, our weekend stay in Alexandria didn’t allow for us to explore the popular fish markets.
Our hotel was situated next to the famous Montaza Palace within the Al-Montaza royal gardens.
The palace/museum overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. It was built in 1892 and was used as a hunting lodge and residence. The Ottoman and Florentine design styles were strongly influenced by the Renaissance period. It is now used as a museum for the Muhammad Ali Dynasty family, who ruled Egypt until the revolution in 1952. The royal gardens are open to the public as a 61-hectare landscape park and forest reserve.
The Royal Jewellery Museum boasts a collection of jewels from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, which ruled Egypt until the revolution in 1952.
Our last stop before heading back to Cairo was the Royal Jewellery Museum in Zizenia, Alexandria. The museum was the former palace of Princess Fatma Al-Zahra. The collection of jewellery on display is from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty. The royal family jewels were initially kept in secret after the revolution until 1986, when former president Hosni Mubarak issued a decree to make the palace a special museum to house the pieces.
Decorative ornaments, vanity sets, jewels, tea sets and a host of other artefacts are on display. Queen Farida’s jewellery and collections made of gold, silver, platinum, coral, quartz, green tourmaline, peridot and agate inlaid with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, topaz and ivory adorned with polychromic enamel can be viewed at the museum.
One of the striking pieces is a gold chess set inlaid with diamonds adorned with polychromic enamel that was gifted to King Farouk by the Iranian crown prince on the occasion of his marriage to Princess Fawzia in 1939.
The view of the sea from inside the Qaitbay fortress in Alexandria.
Alexandria has managed to keep its historical heritage while keeping up with the modern times. As we bused back to Cairo, we were reminded of the important route the sea served for merchants and travellers of ancient times to trade and exchange cultures.
Touring Egypt was an eye-opening experience that allowed me not only to discover different cultures, but also make new connections and friends.
@mane_mpi