Because I can

Flying from Antalya to Algiers

The meal was good as usual on Turkish. The 4h flight went quickly and we descended a little early, passing lights from a huge stretch of urban area before landing at Algiers about 20 minutes ahead of schedule at 0150.

I appeared to be the only foreigner at the immigration queue (separate line for foreigner). I was given a card to complete (only in French and Arabic), and with that done with some guesswork, I was landside in no time.

Because I didn’t change any Liras to Euros, I didn’t have small Euro notes. There was no money changer airside and the one landside was closed. I did have some small USD so agreed on a USD15 ride to the hotel. I read that the normally try charge EUR10 but mine was equivalent to EUR12. I was tired and I didn’t care. And besides, there were only 2 taxis around.

I got dropped off at the City Hotel Alger, which was quite a good find. It was a nice new place at a good price. Other options were all pricey or absolute hovels (and only marginally cheaper than my selected choice). I was in bed at 0300 … only 1h10 after touchdown!.

Good morning Algiers!  

I’m here in Algeria because I can.  Malaysians are one of seven nationalities that can just pop in visa free!  I woke at 0700 after 4 hours of solid sleep. I took it easy and wandered down 0800 for my included breakfast before leaving the hotel for a wander around 0900. I had no money on me except for the DZD600 give to me as change for my USD20 by the taxi driver.

I kept a look out for money changers as I climbed up to the main road (Rue Didouche Mourad) which ran parallel to my street, then to the Post Office. The street was lined with old French buildings, many of which were white and some had blue shutters and balconies. The ones on the main road were in much better shape than the ones around my area.

As I continued my walk to Place Emir Abdelkader and Port Said Square, the feel became less European and more Oriental. Narrow alleyways with people jostling past clothes racks and mannequins (in the porticos of the French buildings). As I arrived near Port Said Square, there were money changers “for Africa”. They quoted rates that ranged from 135 to 165 Dinars for USD as opposed to 109 officially.

I changed USD50 before finding my way to start my Lonely Planet recommended walking tour. The starting point took a little backtrack to find. It was Palais de Rais Bastion 23. It is a collection of traditional houses on the waterfront that have been restored. It had a nice courtyard and some rooms adjacent, all lined with decorated tiles.

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I made my way to the casbah area and wandered amongst the alleys and steps keeping to the lower areas (there have been reports of muggings). The buildings were crumbling in parts and some had to be reinforced. People are literally dying from building collapses.

The buildings in the lower casbah are generally very simple looking without adornments, except for perhaps an arch for the front door. From the outside there wasn’t much to admire architurally but it was a glimpse into the past. Some peple say you can literally smell the history. There were garbage bags waiting to be collected (not sure from how long ago), scraps of food left for cats, bags of leftover bread for the poor and whiffs of sewage from poorly maintained plumbing.

Visiting the Museum of Popular Arts & Traditions, I realised that the “nothingness” on the outside opens up into a private oasis of rooms and courtyards.

I walked back through a higher route past lots of French buildings and market stalls where I bought peaches for DZD85 per kg. They turned out to be pretty good.

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It had been a hot and sweaty walk and I stopped at the Tontonville Cafe on Port Said Square for a drink and a snack lunch before continuing back to the hotel along a more coastal route. The buildings here were more old French office buildings (rather than Parisian residential),

Having had only 4h sleep, I thought I had done tremendously well with my sightseeing efforts. Nevertheless it was time for a wash and lie down in air-conditioned comfort.

Evening Explorations

Around 1700 I decided to venture out. The temperature was beautiful but still hot in the sun. It is more pleasant here than in southern Turkey, temperature-wise. I tried getting a taxi to Basilique Notre Dame d’Afrique but it was third time lucky (the first two must have been service/shared taxis).

I agreed to a rate of DZD700 which I thought was over-priced until I realised the distance. It was like a never-ending journey through narrows windy roads and alleys. I was convinced that he was taking me to the wrong place as it didn’t look that far on the map. So I was surprised when I actually arrived; the distance was very deceptive on the map as it wasn’t a straight-forward journey.

The cathedral was worth a few minutes of admiring from the outside and inside, but the panorama here was superb. I looked below at the Christian cemetery and back at Algiers.

Having come all this way, I thought it would be a waste not to go to the Christian cemetery below. I asked (using Google Translate) if it was difficult to stop there on the way back (in case the road doesn’t join to the lower levels). He upped the return price to DZD1000 and I didn’t quibble.

It didn’t seem like a long drive down even though it took a couple of attempts to find the right entrance. The driver negotiated entry for me; there was some reluctance on the several people there (money, closing time etc) but I was soon enough let in. No photos were allowed though. I didn’t stay too long as I didn’t want to overstay my welcome.

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Back in the city, I had dinner on Didouche Mourad at an Algerian restaurant. I had a chicken tajine which was delicious. Visually, it was served on a plate even though it may have been cooked in a tajine pot.

I treated myself to a crepe as I approached the hotel. It was heavenly! Apparently due to the French influence, it is something they do well here. The people were very nice in their mannerism and gestures. And in the end they charged me only DZD200 instead of DZD250.

A few observations about Algiers:

• Walking back to the hotel I couldn’t help notice how the streets were deserted when I first ventured out in the morning, then became really buzzy in the afternoon before settling down again in the evening.
• Black people here seem to be doing the manual work (along with plenty of more Arab-looking ones).
• There is a huge discrepancy in the price of food depending on where you eat. In stand-up/takeaway places it is only DZD30-50 for a croissant or pizza slices. At a simple sit-in place, it could be DZD250 for a shwarma/sandwich, DZD350 for a whole pizza and DZD550 for a plate meal. They all serve about the same stuff. However in a restaurant that doesn’t serve fast food (hard to find) prices start at DZD900 and range to typically DZD1500.