Slumming it in Alexandria

[Stan_Lite]

Well, here I am in Alexandria.
My colleague and I arrived in the early hours of Tuesday morning. We were supposed to be going off to the rig on Thursday but that has been put off until Friday now.

Here are some photos of the hovel we are slumming it in until Friday - it's a hard life

Front.

Back.

The garden.

The weather yesterday was quite nice, not particularly hot but comfortably warm and sunny.
The weather today is not good, very windy with occasional heavy showers (tomorrow is forecast the same). There is sand blowing everywhere.

We were hoping to go into Alexandria proper today (about 40 minute drive) to see the sights but the weather is not condusive to sightseeing today - maybe if it gets a little better tomorrow we will go.

We had visitors yesterday, one of our sales managers from the UK and one of our contacts from Cairo.
We went out for a meal in the evening to a very nice restaurant at a nearby hotel. The food was very good and very very cheap - about £26 (UK) for five of us and four drinks.

Whilst we were having our meal one of the joint owners introduced herself to us and invited us to visit her bar around the corner. Bars are very very rare here due to the population being predominately Muslim (usually, the only place you can have an alcoholic drink is in a hotel) so we had to have a look.

The bar turned out to be very nice indeed. It had a very British feel to it with a snooker table, a pool table, a dart board and sky TV.
The choice of drinks was, understandably, very limited - there was a local lager (cans) called Sakara, some alcopops, quite a decent selection of wines and 1 bottle of whisky.

We had a couple of the Sakara and whilst I wouldn't normally drink lager, it was all that was available and not too shabby.

The "pub" is situated in a residential compound used a lot by companies trading in the nearby "Alexandria Public Free Zone" (a business area which is used by a lot of British and European companies) and one can only assume that the bar was opened to cater mostly for these people.

It was a pleasant surprise to find a bar so close to where we are staying and we will certainly be visiting it on the way back from the rig (we will have to "endure" another two nights here after we come back from the rig).

Our housekeeper/cook took us to the supermarket yesterday (about a half hour down the road) to get supplies - the place was huge and was very much like one of the huge, everything under one roof Asda type stores back in the UK.

Provisions are very cheap over here and a huge, overflowing trolley only cost £815 (Egyptian) (about £90(UK)). The selection of fresh produce was incredible, especially the seafood (we had some lovely Red Mullet for lunch today).

All in all, I like it here and I think that if I come here for another work trip, I will ask for an exended Visa and spend a week or two here on holiday. It is only a 2 hour train journey to Cairo so there would be plenty to do and plenty of things to see.

One thing out here that scares me is the traffic. The main road through is a dual-carriageway. It would appear that one simply drives in whichever lane one wishes (or between) and many vehicles drive at night with no headlights - apparently this is so that other vehicles cannot see them approaching from behind and prevent them from overtaking

If there is an Egyptian equivalent of the MOT test, it is not enforced. There are a great many vehicles on the road which wouldn't pass one, even in the dodgiest of garages.
Most vehicles have signs of having been involved in at least one accident.

Stan

 

[Stan_Lite]

When i travelled through Egypt I stayed in downtown Alexandria (opposite the Eastern Harbour). I took the train 1st class (~ 3 english punds) to cairo and it wasn't very packed at all. The cabine I went in was just about 2nd class on English train.

As for the driving, they don't take any notice of the road markings. It's like a free for all. At least you'll be travelling in a resonalby well working car (i assume the one in the pic) and not travelling in decaying taxis! Also they beeb the horn all the time for no reason what so ever, so if you want to merge in with the crowd then just join in. The majority don't seem to sleep either, though it was Ramadam when I visited, so they just drive thier cars around for the sake of it beebing the horn when your trying to sleep. Though you may not have that problem.

Also, the strawberry juice they make in resturants is exquisit, a must try.
There is also a tourist office, in downtown, which will supply you with a guide to sights to see in Alexandria.

Hope you enjoy Egypt.

Our sales guy came up from Cairo on the train, he said it was about £4.50 (UK) for first class and took about 2 hours - sounds good to me

The area we are in is pretty quiet so we don't hear much of the beeping - althought there is a Mosque nearby so we hear that at prayer times.

Our villa is in a secure compound with security guards at the gate so there is very little traffic.

Thankfully, we have a driver as well so we don't have to do any driving. I don't think I'd fancy it to be honest.

One of the locals who works for us said that you could probably buy the villa we stay in for about £400-£500K (Egyptian) - about 50 grand (must speak to bank manager).

Stan

 

[Stan_Lite]

Well, I've made it onto the rig at last.
Had a few relaxing days at the villa but a bit dull due to lack of things to do.

There are a few subtle differences between this rig and the ones I have been on in the North Sea.

Firstly, smoking areas: In the North Sea, rigs will normally have a smoking area accessible from outside, where one can smoke without having to change out of working gear, and one indoors where one can watch television and have a cigarette. The carrying of matches and lighters is forbidden and would result in one being “NRB'd” (Not Required Back). Matches and wall-mounted lighters are available in the smoking areas only.
Here, there is a smoking area outside on deck and the inside smoking area is also accessible from outside with no TV. There are no matches or wall-mounted lighters in the smoking areas – you purchase a lighter from the “Bond” (rig shop) on arrival and carry it around with you.
There are pros and cons to both systems. It is nice to be able to have a cigarette whilst watching TV but it is also nice to be able to enjoy a cigarette outside on a sunny Mediterranean day.

Secondly, the food: The catering is done by a local company and as such, the food tends to be of North African influence – I enjoy the delicately spiced dishes and the diversity but I miss my bacon rolls in the morning.

Thirdly, the mixture of people: On rigs in the North sea one would expect, out of 100 people there would be; 80 Jocks, 5 English, 2-3 Americans, 1-2 Canadians, 2 Orientals, 3-5 South Americans and a few various others – there would also be between 1 & 10 women.
Here, the mixture is much different, it seems to be about; 40 locals, 20 Americans, 20 Jocks, 10 English and one or two others – and there are no women

Lastly, I have never seen a Mosque on an oil rig in the North Sea.

Stan

PS: Spookily, I have come all the way out here to work on an oil rig in the Med and I end up sharing a cabin with a bloke from back home in Shetland I haven't seen in years