Visiting Algeria

Algeria, a country in North Africa, shares its borders with a few countries and the Mediterranean sea. The capital and largest city is Algiers, in the North, on the coast. Algiers is a hilly city with impressive architecture, were you to walk around, you would definitely get your steps in and stay fit with the incline.

The currency used is the Algerian dinar. 

Algeria has a lot to offer in terms of tourism but is not commercialised compared to other North African countries. However, getting the visa is not the easiest, it took me about 5 weeks to get mine. I got the impression that there is a deliberate attempt to keep it unspoiled, which I think is a good thing. People would help if they saw someone in need with no expectations of a reward/tip in comparison to many other countries. I visited in November which was a little chilly and it rained on some days, the weather is warmer between April and July. I only saw a very small part of this huge country. 

Women are respected such that if a man offended a woman by catcalling or any other thing, he would be arrested if she reported it. By standers would step in if they saw a woman in distress. I found people to be generally kind. Some stared, out of curiosity, which I no longer take offense at, especially when you look different. 

Food brings people together in so many parts of the world and Algeria was no exception, but I was warned that people could eat non stop. There were two things I observed which were part of everyday living and loved by many; the flag and cigarettes. A lot of people smoke, then there are flags everywhere you turn; they line the streets, they are attached to buildings and you sure can't miss them.

I tried a few local dishes which I enjoyed. A staple that was served as an entrée was crushed bell pepper with local bread and baguette. 

My friend asked me to try masagran, a mix of lime, coffee and ice, a combination only found in Algeria. I'm not a coffee drinker but I had to try it!

At a restaurant called En Meqnin, they serve a variety of local food in small dishes and you can keep the food coming. This is definitely a good way to try as many specialties as you like.

More food came after this photo but I was busy eating and didn't take any other photo.

Local sodas

The seafood was yummy

As I am drawn to places where there is art and history, I visited the Museum of Fine Arts of Algiers/ Musée des beaux arts d'Algers. This museum is one of the largest in Africa and has paintings, sculptures, old prints, drawings and furniture on display. The collection spans across different times and nationalities, carefully documented. 

I can bet that there are many stories behind this typewriter

We were fortunate to visit an old library which was meant to be locked at the time we visited. We walked into history and I was beside myself. 

There is something about books that makes me happy, I love to see and feel them even though we were not allowed to touch any in this library.

The museum has 4 floors, one level was closed off while we visited. There is an entry fee of 20 dinar and another fee to take photos which we paid. The museum could do with more inscriptions by the art works to give visitors who do not speak or cannot read Arabic an idea of things, but overall, it was a good visit.

The jardin d'Essai closeby is a botanical garden known for its collection of trees and plants. We went there after the museum and on another day. 

We wandered until we found the Tarzan tree 'Arbre de Tarzan', a historic tree that stands tall in the garden. The first Tarzan film in 1932 was allegedly shot there, which explains the name.

There was a farmer's market we visited on a Saturday morning, we got fresh produce, cheese, olive oil, there were a lot of snacks and a few other items I travelled with.

My friend told me about two cities (Tigzirt & Tipaza) just outside of Algiers, so we went on day trips which was convenient and I quite liked.

Tigzirt - a coastal town which is a combination of sea and historical heritage with remnants of temples and mosaic that give a glimpse of different civilisations. The archaeological sites of Roman ruins, of a Christian Basilica are balanced out with the deep blue waters showing a bit of the beauty of Algeria. 

The archaeological site made me feel like I walked back in time, it sure is one of the main things to see in this tourist town. 

My habibti, the reason I visited Algeria

Some restaurants line the waterfront but the drive there, the place is hilly! I worried about eating as I wasn't sure if my stomach would survive the drive back, but it did.

Tipaza - another coastal town which I quite liked. The highlight of our visit was the Royal Mausoleum of Mauritania (la Mausolée royal de la Maurétanie), the tomb where the Berber King Juba II (son of Juba I of Numida) and the Queen Cleopatra Selene II, sovereign of Mauretania, were allegedly buried. However, their human remains are no longer at the site. 

Word has it that Cleopatra Selene II, princess and daughter of Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony missed the pyramids at home in Egypt, so this was built from her nostalgia. The monument is entirely built from stone, with its main structure in a circular form. 

The Royal Mausoleun of Mauretania is a unique archeological site recognised and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

I loved the decor in this restaurant

Back in Algiers, Notre Dame d'Afrique is one of the few churches in Algiers as the Christian population is less than 1%. 

However, this church is significant in the neighbourhood where it stands. It served as a place of refuge during the revolution so the neighbourhood protects the church. I noticed people hanging out on the church grounds which was nice to see.

This memorial is on the church grounds

I knew I had to go for a hammam and it was every inch worth it. A totally different experience that I would repeat over and over. I was taken to an original Algerian hammam which is communal. It was beautiful to see women comfortable in their bodies, all getting care. We got scrubbed on the floor then washed, that's a topic for another day. I left that place feeling purified. I hear there is a men's section too.

Hanging out on the terrace of El Aurassi with my amazing hosts

Hotel El Aurassi, an old hotel symbolises the rebirth of the country, showing the willingness to build a new country after independence, it was inaugurated on May 2nd 1975. We looked around the lobby then had drinks on the terrace where we were treated to a lovely night view of Algiers.

We drove past the monument of martyrs so many times. It lights up nicely at night with the colours of the Algerian flag.

It was common to see paintings like this and graffiti

If you are looking to explore North Africa and can start with Algeria, I totally recommend it as a travel destination.