We went to the market to buy dates, tried to buy wool (all the shops sell turkish plastic, nobody expects that people could want anything else..), had Lablebi in my room, I was asked if I am really going to meet and trust a total stranger in Algiers,.. and then we went to find a taxi… There, the discussion started: my bag is big.. could it go on top of the car? But it will rain, it might not be waterproof! (I do hope it is! I would be quite disappointed with Freitag, otherwise!) And I’d have to pay for it. It could take it’s own seat, then I’d have to pay for the seat. In the end, it was put in the trunk for no additional fee, and other peoples’ stuff could go on the roof. I chose my seat – the single passenger seat in the front – and all was good 😉 I was told the trip would cost 900.
Then a woman came, the driver put her in the second row in the middle and I was told I must sit next to her! It’s not like she’s touching any less men anyways,.. well… I put in my earphones and didn’t speak a word with anyone 😛
On the way, it started raining, the driver was happily typing on his phone, we saw some accidents, it rained more.. and then, just in time to get off, the rain stopped.
Getting off the taxi, I was welcomed by around 5 men trying to get me to take their taxi to continue,.. A ‘little’ price discussion followed and then I was free. Islem found me – yes, it was me 😉 – and we went to the church, to see Algiers from above, and then for a drink and an interesting conversation! (Let’s just think of this, now…). Afterwards I got to see 3 more – quite different – bars, and then we went home.
The next day, I discovered that my room has seaview..
then we went to the great royal mausoleum of Mauretania and to the roman ruins of Tipasa. After a photostop up on the hill, looking down on the coast, we were on the way to eat something.. There was loud music! We followed it, and through a back door next to the restaurants bathroom, we ended up in the bar. Unfortunately we didn’t stay long – Islem wanted to leave after just a beer as he felt that everyone was staring at us 😀 Welcome to *my* Algeria 🙂 We had dinner, and when we left, the guy at the next table proudly wished us a nice evening in English.
