For our now traditional Thanksgiving trip this year, we traveled to North Africa, in large part so Brian could finally visit Algeria. It was an adventure to say the least! You can read about the Algerian leg of our trip (including all of the logistical aspects) in greater detail here.
The first stop on this whirlwind “vacation” (which was quite possibly the strangest honeymoon of all time) was Algiers, the whitewashed capital of Algeria on the beautiful blue Mediterranean.
On our first full day there, we were fortunate enough to get to meet up with the delightful and generous Bilal, a friend of Brian’s Algerian friend in SLC. He and his friend Mohammed were gracious enough to show us all around the city, which included visits & pics to the Notre Dame d’Afrique, Mémorial du martyr, Jardin d’essai, the port of Sidi Fredj outside Algiers, and back for pretty evening vistas of the city atop the hills. We owe them a debt of gratitude, if for no other reason than braving the horrendous Algiers traffic so we could sightsee.
Brian with the excitable Bilal.
Mémorial du martyr
Our first of many forced couscous feedings. At this time it was a novelty, but as time wore on...
Happy because maps came alive...
The next day, the tour company we used in order to get the visa arranged for us to visit the ruins of the Roman city at Tipasa, about 40 miles west of Algiers. Here we were led around by the wonderful Mr. Bensalah and his equally charming son, Ahmed. Tipasa was situated on the gorgeous Mediterranean coast with amazing views of the mountains and sea. Mr. Bensalah was an expert on everything Tipasa and an all-around delightful person to spend the day with.
He also insisted on constantly feeding us wild asparagus.
After the ruins, they took us to their hometown of Cherchell for a stroll around the charming seaside town.
On the way back to Algiers, Brian asked Ahmed if we could visit the Casbah, the famous old part of the city. Ahmed was kind enough to take us on a quick walk through the upper Casbah, which was amazing and full of friendly people, before dropping us off at the hotel. And just like that our brief visit to Algiers was over! It was an interesting place: very busy with friendly locals set against a faded colonial backdrop.
"My wife."
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