Landing and overnight stay in Algiers

Arrival in Algiers

The irritating wind that has been lashing the Turin area for two days does not create any obstacle for air traffic, but we still leave half an hour late and with a little apprehension. We nevertheless arrive in time for the connection to Algiers, which in turn will not be punctual. ITA Airways seems to carry the same weaknesses as the previous management, although in recent years the new Lufthansa ownership has hardly been exemplary in terms of punctuality either. The trip was supposed to begin in the morning, but the flight was cancelled a couple of weeks earlier, moving all passengers onto the evening service. This gives us an early hint of how Algeria is not a particularly popular destination among travellers, whether for tourism or business. Air traffic over the Mediterranean tonight is not especially heavy and the winds are not against us, so we reach our destination only fifteen minutes late.

The passport check on arrival is a product of the bureaucracy that characterises these countries, with few officials and limited help from computer systems, but it takes place without problems thanks to the visa obtained in advance. A brief digression on that subject: to obtain an Algerian visa one must submit, in addition to the application form and four photos, an employer's declaration and a bank statement, in order to prove the good financial standing of the person entering the North African country. On arrival we meet the members of the agency handling our trip and are introduced to the guide, the coordinator and the driver. We board a spacious Chinese-made coach, which has clearly already had a long career at home and is held together by divine mercy. We are taken to the hotel, in a quiet and reasonably well-lit area of the capital, one that can be considered reliable at least until a certain hour. Along the way we already get to admire the illumination of the new mosque, which we will visit on the last day, and also get our first image of the city, even though our eyelids are by now trying to meet and close our eyes. The coach leaves us on the main road; it is then up to us to climb three hundred metres along a sloping side street to reach reception and finally the room. We are one hour behind Italy, but when we get ready to sleep the local clock still reads half past one in the morning. It is hotter than one would expect in Algiers towards the end of October, with daily highs of 31 or 32 degrees.