Today I'll start the prescription of a couch tour around Algeria. I think, that this information can be interesting for you, because this destination isn't really popular.
13.09.2013
13.09.2013
About 2:30 a.m. we landed in the airport Enfidha-Hammamet in Tunisia. At the airport we had to fill in a special form with basic data. The second part of this form we will get back after the passport control. Remember, keep it, because it is necessary,when you leave Tunisia.
We arrive at Charms El Hana Hotel in Sousse at about 4:00 a.m. Honestly, first I couldn't fall asleep under the sheet that replaced a duvet. At 5 a.m. I woke up feeling frozen. I didn't feel brushed up after so short sleeping. After a toilet we ate quite normal breakfast and at 6:30 a.m. we set off for the Algerian border. All next breakfasts were totally french and soon everyone missed eggs and simple bread.
The bed and bathroom in Charms El Hana Hotel
We stopped for lunch in Tabarca. Luckily, we found the bank in the area. You can't buy anything to eat, if you have only euro or dollars. It is possible to exchange currency in exchange offices, hotels or banks. The exchange rate is almost the same everywhere: 1€≈2,2DTN, 1$≈1,6DTN. Please, avoid exchanging money on the street, because you can be burned.
Are you willing for shopping?
What a pity that we couldn't take part in a wedding party.
A flea market or second hand shop?
We arrive at the crossing point before 1 p.m. Our polish guide took our passports with forms. You should check the information about visa to Algeria in your country.
After crossing the tunisian border we had to fill in new forms again. And also customs declarations. Think before you write something in "profession" field. They don't like especially journalists and uniformed services. We watched a cow from the coach. She didn't have any problem with crossing border in both directions. However, grass on the tunisian site must have been tastier for her. The rest of pride prefer an algierian car park.
The most important is that in a custom declaration you have to write how much foreign currency you import to Algeria. Generally, you are able to exchange only this amount of money in legal places.
Everything passed quite quickly, because at 3:3 p.m. we carried on traveling. From then on the escort of Police or/and Military Police guarded us all the time. Our "convoy" were sensation and traffic jams on the highway weren't terrible for us. I must point out that guard watched us after getting off the coach also. We always had to inform our guide, when we would have like to pull out. Otherwise, gueard was nervous.
After crossing the tunisian border we had to fill in new forms again. And also customs declarations. Think before you write something in "profession" field. They don't like especially journalists and uniformed services. We watched a cow from the coach. She didn't have any problem with crossing border in both directions. However, grass on the tunisian site must have been tastier for her. The rest of pride prefer an algierian car park.
The most important is that in a custom declaration you have to write how much foreign currency you import to Algeria. Generally, you are able to exchange only this amount of money in legal places.
Everything passed quite quickly, because at 3:3 p.m. we carried on traveling. From then on the escort of Police or/and Military Police guarded us all the time. Our "convoy" were sensation and traffic jams on the highway weren't terrible for us. I must point out that guard watched us after getting off the coach also. We always had to inform our guide, when we would have like to pull out. Otherwise, gueard was nervous.
During our tour we had an additional guide from Algeria. It was very important, because we had big problem with communication in many places. Most of people use Algerian Arabic or French. Very rarely it's possible to communicate in Russian.
At 5:10 p.m. we arrived at the Basilica of St Augustine. Unfortunately we couldn't get in. Basilica is available from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and on Fridays and Sundays from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m. Only two priests look after Basilica. The church was built in the Arab Byzantine style at the of XIX century and is really impressive building.
We arrived at Constantine only at 9:00 p.m. We travel seven hundred kilometres within the first day of tour. The first night in Algeria we spent in Cirta Hotel that is pretty modern interesting architecturally. The Hotel Cirta is highly recommended for tourists, because the hotel restaurant offers french menu and... alcohol. It was the first and the last time in Algeria when we had a chance to drink beer (300 DA per can 0,5l). The prices of meals for guests who doesn't stay at the hotel begin from 2000DA.
Ater a tiring day beer tastes deliciously
Each supper in Algeria are served. Usually, the first meal is a well seasoned soup (similar to tomato soup) with couscous. Sometimes it includes meatballs or different meat. The second meal was a chop that we called "a sole" and a bit overcooked vegetables. They served apples for dessert.
After supper and evening toilet we went to sleep to have the power for sightseeing next day. We forgot that at 4 a.m. a muezzin from the proximate mosque woke up us. Believe me, I almost had a heart attack in that moment.
