First Impressions of ALGERIA Exploring the Crazy Capital ALGIERS الجزائر
what comes to mind when you think of the country of Algeria the very center kilometer zero off to the UK somewhere hopefully the world's cheapest pizza now for a tank set zero one two three one two three in trouble they're getting over is there a new you know what this has got like bubble gum taste to it so from the gardens set of Algerian transportation of the city a very Rusty Rusty looking Cable Guy up this was what comes to mind when you think of the country of Algeria perhaps the Civil War perhaps the revolution but to be honest probably not too much being the fact that this country has had one of the hardest visas to obtain in the whole world it's pretty mysterious but things are starting to change after six weeks going back and forth to the Algerian Consulate in London we finally got the go-ahead while on the Caribbean island of Antigua so quickly came home Pat our bags took the two and a half hour flight to the capital of Algeria Algiers we're going to be spending the next 15 days exploring as much of this country as possible which probably won't be too much it's the largest in Africa but anyway welcome to Algiers we're actually located right by Algiers airport which is actually about a 30 minute drive from the center and we use the app hitch which is like the Algerian Uber we heat a ride and it's really really affordable actually for that Journey it cost around three English Pounds um and look behind me it doesn't look like you're in North Africa the architecture is absolutely stunning so right now we're in the very center of our gears and you can see why they call it the White City with a lot of these buildings dating back it's a French Colonial period hey how are you great to finally meet you so yeah it's been a long time coming all right we're excited thank you so much so I've actually just met our friend we've seen who've been talking to for months trying to help us organize our trip to Algeria because it's a little bit confusing for us how to get the visa so it's amazing to finally meet him and he's going to shout around sort of the main spots of the city today is going to be like our first impressions taken in the city center and basically just being a complete tourist right behind me there the grand post office dating back to 1910 I mean have you ever seen a blooming post office that fancy it's actually put in our post offices to shame it really is it's an unbelievable building right now I'm standing on um kilometer zero which is the exact center in the house of Algiers oh no they're very center kilometer zero as the grand post is actually out of action you can buy your postcards from this tiny little shop here that only sells I think postcards and books so we're gonna get a postcard and we're going to send it off to someone from the new post office this is so cool it has literally every everything you could ever want guides books but what we want is the Algiers postcards for 35 dinar each who's going to be the lucky person we send it to us hi thank you it's your friend now it's time to post them at the new post office off to the UK somewhere hopefully so as soon as actually staying above the post box it's a sign commemorating all of the postmen lost their lives During the Revolution when you send your postcard make sure that you remember them I really can't get over these streets you would definitely think you're walking through a Boulevard in Paris you've got the flower Cellars on the corner you've got all the balconies with people's clothes drying over the top and uh I don't know I don't know what I expected from Algiers like I say maybe it is a little bit mysterious um definitely misunderstood it's very unique I've never seen anything like it before anywhere hello my friend in everyone's very friendly as well in Africa you look good very nice I've seen machine this looks unbelievable the Algerian pizzas this was 50 dinar which works out about around 20 P each insane definitely the world's cheapest pizza now for a taste test when they said it's called Pizza Curry I thought it's gonna have Curry on top it's very Saucy but so delicious and even better that it was only 20. Saha from the cheapest pizza in the world to a traditional Algerian mint tea we have come into the tontonville which is one of if not the oldest cafes in all of Algiers dating back to around 18 17 you just come here and you people watch everyone along the boulevard I still don't understand how you drink a really hot mint tea in 30 degree heat but for some reason okay they cool you down drink your mint tea and then just get back out and head to the side streets of our gears get lost and just again look at this architecture this isn't even one of the main streets the hustle and bustle of a city of over six million people apparently eight million during the week because people will come from other places to work six million at the weekend this is sort of like the sports Market type Street and every country I go to without fail recently this hasn't been forever I'll get a football shirt So the plan is to find an Algerian football shirt and become a real Algerian man oh this one is nice this one is good can I see it ah it's nice what is the two stars is that both times you want African Cup of Nations we need a third star next year third star next year inshallah this one I can try to on this is the tiles kind of style I can try this one as well yeah thank you I do green first and then new stuff I'm fat catfish and you know how it goes here one two three yeah one two three I think I'm too Paddock for this one maybe you think I think XL they're better focus one two three so one two three oh Instagram thank you so much you're matching now Habibi Habibi baby one two three one two three [Applause] Thank you Grandma bye one two three Viva algeri I am now officially a proper real Algerian man and we are now actually heading down towards the port side right there is the Mediterranean Sea and it's where a lot of ferries come in from Marseille and some other Spanish cities I think that we're headed down there to hopefully get some traditional food and some lunch I'm starving it's so hot it's June the sometime in June right now by the time you see us it'll be later lemon hot in Algeria and this is us for lunch Sapori it's so cute it's like a little hole in the wall feels very like Seaside you know because it's small Brighton yeah fish and chips a little one under the bridge but this does couscous we were actually really lucky because they were about to close the restaurant but they've stayed open for us we've ordered some traditional food I love the fact that this is a hole in a wall serving traditional Algerian food and we've been told that this my label's upside down but this is selecto which is like the Algerian Coke right um and is this available yeah which is only available in Algeria but also in Marseille in France Montreal and Paris so now I'm gonna try to go I'll coca-coder in drop they're getting over there is you know what this has got a slight bubble gum taste to it I don't think Coca-Cola are in trouble but this isn't too bad thank you so much it's huge wow yeah it's massive thank you very much thank you I just love the bowls that it comes in it comes with the sauce and like a Little Teapot as well so I'm just going to pour some of that on but we have couscous with meatballs and vegetables that looks good I'm gonna just do a quick taste and chickpeas as well like massive chickpeas so you need the sauce obviously because couscous is quite dry okay [Music] foreign it tastes amazing I don't know how else to describe it it's come out sort of in like a I don't know you could say like a modern type Fusion the sauce is not for salsa I've never had a sauce before and it makes it so much better we've had it in other countries and after a while it's a little bit dry yeah it's a lifesaver so all of that food came to less than 10 English Pounds basically in Algeria in Algiers there's two exchange rates you can get the exchange rate from the bank or there's a somewhat other rate that is about as much as I'm gonna say but the other eight gets you a lot more for your money but we're now burning off that couscous walking along the Che Guevara Avenue I didn't realize that Algeria had such a good relationship with Cuba you can see the ship that'll be heading out to Marseille probably later tonight then behind me just the Promenade of French colonial buildings Mediterranean in the distance fresh air blowing in doesn't get much better than this you probably don't know that and only the second Metro in Africa after Egypt so that's what we're gonna do we're gonna get the Algerian Metro [Music] this is fancy I wasn't expecting next and two minutes later we are out we have made it to the botanical gardens for 50 dinar around 20 English Pence and the London Underground needs to take some tips from the Algerian Metro hello my friends hello hello hello crunchy [Applause] this way everybody's so friendly in Algiers um yeah we're heading to the Botanical Garden welcome to the Botanical Garden this is actually a beautiful right down behind me you can see all the way down to the seaside this was built back during the French Colonial period back in the 1800s and this botanical gardens is actually split into two I believe I think you have like the English side Savage side it's all overgrown the English size like a jungle and the French side obviously is beautifully well kept and uh yeah this is 70p to get in 70p to get in I mean it's not bad almost blending into the jungle in my Algerian football shirt but you would not expect or think that this was in the center of the capital city this is the British side of the Botanical Garden the the Jungle the bit that's a little bit overgrown Pond behind you it's nice it's hot it's really hot so it's nice to come somewhere like this and just relax get out of that midday Sun we are now deep in the jungles of our cheers look at this Capital City really from the gardens we're taking our next set of Algerian Transportation oh the city a very rusty old looking cable car up above the city to the Masters monument and it was only 20 dinner each I don't even know how much that was Tempe here we go it's gonna be three minutes off I think and uh it's a bit bumpy it gets really really cramped because this is used not just by tourists it's used as locals public transport it's unprepared to be squeezed three minutes in the Algerian cable car stroke sauna later we have made it up to the Martyrs Monument this was actually built in 1982 to commemorate a lot of the Fallen Soldiers during the battle for Independence just look at the size of this thing 92 meters high on the Hills above Algiers that is impressive yeah I was about to say wow she knows everything you don't know how hard this was actually from the Martyrs Monument it was like a beer hunt of Algiers obviously it's not common for people to drink alcohol but in hotels you can find it but unfortunately we've come to the orasi hotel which is the most expensive hotel City but we have a great view the sun is set in in the distance over Algiers and we have a Beaufort premium a lot I've got one of the beers of Algeria they're kind of situated like I would say in no Max land on the Hill from the very end of the city 's beautiful sea breeze takes the edge off walking around in 30 degree heat I think we're gonna waste away by then the problem is I feel like these two beers are going to cost more than anything everything we've done today good morning what a way to end our first day in Algiers Up on the Rooftop of the arasi hotel trust us to find draft cold beer in the city of Algiers but I will show you where we're staying so we're staying at the M Suites hotel which as we said was near the airport um and we've been given a hefty upgrade I must admit this is the living area sofa we even have a little kitchen area and then we have TV number one and a dining table a separate toilet I love the bathroom because look it's got like pink marble I love that and then you come in and we have our massive bedroom we've actually been having our breakfast in bed a couple of times and also down at the buffet because why not really very greedy and lastly this is just crazy like it takes me minutes to walk across this room check out our balcony you can actually watch the planes taking off from here yeah you can watch the plane Stadium but I just think it's like a nice little addition to our spot you know what I really like this location it's about a five minute drive to the airport it's more of a relaxed area and if you want to go to the city center it's been like two to three English pounds on hitch the Algerian Uber but that is our first day complete in the 10th largest country in the world the largest in Africa Algiers is not what I was expecting at all what were you expecting from Algeria don't believe what you read online it's definitely dated it's an incredibly safe vibrant you know what beautiful city and if you do want to explore it I'd highly recommend going around with wassini actually has his own tour company we've been talking to him for months we've become friends and he's been telling us what to see and do how to get our visa and to be here finally it's pretty surreal but we've got so much more coming up 15 days exploring probably a speck of this ginormous country but we're very excited we've got a lot more to see and do in Algiers so we'll see you in the next one from Algeria [Music] thank you foreign [Music]
2023-08-05 12:13
