Algeria in a day

So I found myself in the bustling city of Bab Ezzouar for two weeks during the third African Youth Games. In between attending the games, I managed to get some hours to myself and guides to show me what the city has to offer. I decided to go with N$1 000 which translates to 8 989.70 DZD (dinar). Boy was I in for a treat! Here is what I managed to do in five fabulous hours. First of all, I had not prepared myself with even a passing knowledge of the language. That kind of made my trip to the city hard as only few people spoke English and for the love of me, I can't speak French to save my life. Situated in North Africa, Algeria is a Muslim country where French and Arabic are spoken as the main languages. From my brief visit to the Musem de l'Armee or in English the military museum; I learned that Algeria was ruled by various Arab dynasties from the eighth through the 16th century, when it became part of the Ottoman Empire. The decline of the Ottomans was followed by a brief period of independence which ended when France launched a war of conquest in 1830. Algeria gained her independence from France on 5 July 1962. All this and more is available in the museum so should you find yourself in Algeria, do make a turn there to acquaint yourself on the country's history. The sad part for me is that they do not allow photos to be taken inside, so you kind of have to take it all in right there and then. Lucky for me, they gave me a book with all the exhibits of over 49 models of battles, walled cities, incidents, forts; you name it. Algeria is Africa's second-largest country with a population of a whopping 40 million people. Bab Ezzouar alone has a population of 100 000 people so you can imagine how amused I was by the number of people on the streets, malls and metros. Algerians are a very reserved people, from young to old who wear their traditional clothing, all covered up from head to toe. You will get those who wear European infused fashions - mostly the young folks in jovial spirits in shorts and shirts that reveal their arms. A cultural shock for me was the form of toilet system used; it took quite a while to get used to squatting when using the loo, let alone having to use water instead of toilet paper.It was an experience for sure. Bab Ezzouar is located a good 20 minutes away from Algiers, the capital city. The form of transportation is vast and one always has an option that will definitely suit the pocket too. The Uber services are very safe and efficient.I used it to go get around majority of the time. The local minibus transportation is the cheapest but it can get crowded because, everyone is on it, literally. The metro is the fastest form of transportation but one can only purchase a ticket if they can read Arabic or French. Algiers is a green city that experiences four seasons and is currently having summer. Right now, it is hot; the air is humid and one needs to have a bottle of water always. During end of summer (July) the temperatures go as high as 45 degrees. One place I enjoyed an awesome glass of ice cream to cool off was in front of a café overlooking the 19-metre Maqam Echahid or Martyrs' Memorial monument. The monument is shaped in three standing palm leaves that shelter the Algerian eternal flame under it. It is meant to commemorate the war of independence and was opened in 1982 on the 20th anniversary of Algerian independence. A famous landmark and a must-visit structure is the Notre Dame d'Afrique (Our Lady of Africa), also known as Lalla Meriem or Madame d'Afrique. It is a Roman Catholic basilica that was opened in 1872, after 14 years of construction. The spectacular Notre Dame d'Afrique is to the north of Algiers, on a 124-metre cliff overlooking the majestic bay of Algiers. The sister who gave me a tour said the basilica contains 46 stained glass windows installed in the 19th century. It was damaged in 2003 in an earthquake and its renovation took three years to complete. The church is still operational to today. Being the first basilica out of the four in Africa, its symbolic and religious importance can be summed up by the inscription on the apse: Notre Dame d'Afrique priez pour nous et pour les Musulmans, which, when loosely translated, means' Our Lady of Africa, pray for us and for the Muslims'. Always remember to dress appropriately especially when visiting religious places as a sign of respect. Algiers is full of eateries and fast food joints. Every second shop in the busy town is either a pizzeria or bakery. One of the street snacks I tried was the classic Mahjouba that is basically a thin flaky flat bread that is stuffed with a jammy tomato onion-based filling. For lunch, I had a yummy shawarma sandwich which is common amongst the Arabic community. For preparation, the meat which was turkey and in my case, stacked on a cone-shaped skewer and as it rotates the outside cooks and thin slices are shaved off. It is then dished up as a wrap with chips or rice. I had mine served on a plate which was fun and messy as I had to make the sandwich myself. Dinner was a dish called Motawam (meatballs), Tchakhchokha (pasta with red sauce), Bourak (red meat), couscous and it was washed down with Hamoud Boulaam (soda-like Algerian drink). The meal is eaten with the hands. The words Bismi Allah (the name of Allah) and El Hamdo Allah (Praise to Allah) are uttered before and after finishing meals. French cuisine is still strong in Algeria with croissants and coffee readily available throughout the day.As much as there is a lack of tourist infrastructure, it doesn't make Algiers the easiest country to tour. The residents are also very quick to offer their assistance to anyone who looks lost. The language barrier hit me when I went into a shop without a guide and had to speak English and eventually drew the adapter I wanted on a piece of paper to indicate what I wanted. This was after my Google translate app failed me for the umpteenth time when I really needed it. One must always be on the lookout though; there are some smart foxes that will try to make you a victim of your helplessness.I would recommend any adventurous holidaymaker to put Algeria on their bucket list because of the beautiful and vast landscapes from beaches to deserts, especially for the photography enthusiasts. They have interesting ancient ruins that go way back BC era and are well taken care of. Their infrastructure still resembles their colonisers as most buildings, especially downtown, were built by the French and the Turks. Each town and city tells its own story which is incredible. Algeria borders Morocco and Tunisia, which can also be visited. One can surf on the dunes, skydive, and hike and visit the botanical gardens. June ShimuoshiliPHOTOS: June Shimuoshili

Algeria in a day

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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Algeria in a day

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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