Alexandria, Egypt

Greetings,

Alexandria the Great founded this city back in 332 B.C. on the site of a small fishing village. Trade allowed Alexandria to become the richest commercial center in the East. It was also the center of Hellenic scholarship and science. There was a 400-foot lighthouse that stood as one of the 7 wonders of the world until an earthquake destroyed it.

Today, Alexandria is the 2nd largest city in Egypt, located on the Mediterranean Sea at the western edge of the Nile River. Alexandria has a population of about 6 million…. This may explain why the city looks like it looks. Old and dirty.

This has to be the dirtiest city I have seen anywhere in the world. When we first pulled into port… Harry thought the morning haze had not lifted from the skyline. But a few hours later we realized the haze was a cloud of pollution.

The streets are lined with litter. Canals and streams are dumping sites for everything. The state of this environment makes me wonder the health problems Egyptians living in Alexandria are experiencing. I guess my Environmental Law class is turning me into a tree-hugger. Never before have I been so aware of the environmental surroundings as I have now that I am studying ambient air quality and the likes.

Although, I will have to admit after a few hours in this smoggy mess… I have a massive headache and my allergies have been on the frits. For the first time in my life… I want to wear one of those masks that most Asian travelers use when going abroad. And hand sanitizer has become our best friend.

Oh… and another tid bit of useful information you may want to use in trivia one day:
Alexandria is the city where Cleopatra met Julius Caesar.

Blessings from Alexandria,

Kristie