Last few days in Egypt

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Our adventures carry on in Egypt. Well after arriving yesterday at Port Said and having to give all our passports over even if we were not getting off the ship and then being allowed to get them back - this Egyptian passport fiasco is getting a bit annoying. Anyway this morning we decide that we are going to have a stroll around Port Said.



What can I say about Port Said. Well the streets are really disgusting with glass, rubble and just general rubbish so not a good start there to be honest.



We walk around a corner and there is a church and if there is a church there is Eric wanting to go inside. Now normally that would not be a problem in most countries but we are in Egypt. We should have known this was not going to be easy when it had armed police guarding the four corners of the church. So Eric goes up and says to one of the policemen can we go inside - to which we are told yes - now the fun begins. Another policeman ushers us forward and asks for our passports - never been asked for a passport before to enter a church but like I keep saying it’s Egypt. Anyway digressing as normal so back to the story. This policeman passes our passports to another policeman whilst this is happening more policemen arrive and our passports are taken over there - now all I can see is my passport being taken further and further out of my sight and we are now surrounded by policemen with semi automatic machine guns and one or two of them had hand guns stuffed in their back trouser bands - not looking good. Then we are told we have to pay $6 each to go in - at this time still no passports. Then we are informed no we could not go in - you guessed it still no passports - now I am getting worried but then we are given our passports - so now a relieved Paula can breathe again. So there is a lesson here if Eric wants to go somewhere we all say NOOOOOOOOOOOOO especially in Egypt.



We did find a nice garden which had a monument about the Suez Canal and if I am honest it was really nice to actually see visually how we have got to where we are in Port Said.



We decide now to return to the ship as we are supposed to be sailing at 12. After making our way back to the ship we here a tannoy, can the medical team please go to the piano bar. So everyone is wondering what is happening here. Then looking at the port side we notice around 20 Egyptian police officers and official port officers standing at the side of our ship. Then it became apparent that there must have been an accident. Unfortunately it was a lady who must have really bashed her head as she had a big head bandage and there was a lot of blood - do not think she will be sailing with us but let’s hope she is okay to join us at Alexandria.



So we land at Alexandria and took a Roman Alexandria tour where we went to the Catacombs which were discovered in 1900 only because a donkey fell down a shaft. Would you believe it is the largest Roman cemetery in Alexandria and is in 3 levels. It started out it appears as a family crypt and then was extended to house 300 bodies - that is a big family! Anyway, would you believe it there have not been any human bones found in this Catacomb, yes not one - so the mystery begins as no one knows why! We then went onto a Roman Theatre which was only found in the 1960s when someone was digging to put foundations in. It was really fascinating. Also fascinating was we had a police escort wherever we went as well as a security guard on the coach - of course they had semi automatic machine guns!



Also just seen the front of cars being sold in shops did not find a Porsche one though but seeing as mine is in the garage for at least 2 weeks before I went away don’t think I will be needing this yet.



So back on the ship and waiting for the group who went to Cairo to return. On their return they had to have another antigen test which was not a pleasant thing for them but thank goodness they were all negative.



In the port we saw a submarine being towed and it appears there were also Russian warships which have been grounded from sailing anywhere.



Oh do you remember the lady who bashed her head, well she has joined us in Alexandria so really pleased for her. We are at sea now for tomorrow so will try to get this published with photos.

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