Shifting sands

Alexandria

The next day, we went to Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt that lies along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was once one of the world's busiest trading ports. Many goods, especially silk from China, passed through to the port city from as early as before the first century.

The streets and alleys in the coastal city are much cleaner than in Cairo. To visit the Roman Amphitheatre built in the 4th century, we had to drive through a busy market where it seemed everything one could think of was for sale, from food to daily necessities like clothes, shoes, kitchen ware and even car parts.

"You can find any car part from any brand very cheap here," our Chinese guide Cai told us, pointing to car repair shops full of parts. It seemed as if the shop owners had divided cars to several parts and sold the head, the body or the trunk.

Arriving at the Roman Amphitheatre, we found we were the only visitors of the day. The site hosted artistic events till the 7th century, and it is considered one of the most important Roman architectural achievements in Egypt. Strolling around the site I felt like a VIP, able to enjoy the entire attraction with my tour group of six.

I had the special VIP experience at the Pompey's Pillar, a 25-meter-high granite column built in AD 297. The tall column with two stone sphinx-like sculptures was in a large space surrounded by complexes of houses. The Greco Roman amphitheater is like a playground for people living nearby. It was strange to see how relaxed this important global tourist site was, without any protection from its surroundings.

To be honest, this seemed to be the situation at all relics I visited in Egypt: no protection and a go-as-you-please attitude toward visitors.

"We have such a large trove of treasures and antiques. Maybe the stone you pick up from the road dates back to the time of Cleopatra," said Meng, who was very proud of his country's ancient history.

In the evening, we went to the street along the ocean. We ate fresh seafood at the best restaurant facing the sea. We enjoyed our dinner in peace - we were among the few customers at the Fish Market, a restaurant where diners once had to wait in line for a table back when the city was crowded with tourists.

For the rest of our trip, we visited as many sites as we could in Cairo. Mosques, Christian churches, ancient castles used as fortresses, museums, pyramids and tombs. We found ourselves lured into an ancient world full of myths and legends. But the occasional modern skyscraper and security police with guns would jolt us back to reality - we were in a nation struggling for stability.

I asked Meng, who is only 22, what his plans for the future are. He answered me with a shy smile and said he would like to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs to help change his country for better. As for our Chinese guide Cai, who planned to move to Canada, he hopes to return to Cairo when the city is back on its feet.