Reflections on Algeria

Day 1

So this huge silver bird in the sky did it again - transported me to another strange and fragile place. The airport was modern with a gaggle of men in beautiful suits waiting in front of the security and visa processing section. Unfortunately when you're 6 foot five and white you kinda stick out so they asked me if I was Mayor Jamie. We all smiled and kissed two times on each cheek.I was through security within a minute (and I'm not kidding), so much passport for security... and a convoy of 4 wheel sped off to take me to the hotel.

So what is all this about Algeria being safe? Yes safe because there are four body guards for every foreigner. Later that night they mentioned the government is 'winning the war' against the insurgents - great just what I want to hear. But back to the airport and the media.
Yes the media - I thought I had escaped all that in sunny Sydney - no I spoke too soon. After interviews with Algerian TV and radio and Spanish international radio we ploughed through the traffic at an impossibly fast speed dodging rusted Renaults and zippy puermutes with the driver's hand permanently on the horn. I put my seat belt on - firmly.

Beautiful hotel by the beach with the French influence underpinning the smoke-filled reception. French, Arabic, Spanish and a little English. As usual I sought out the Commonwealth countries for a bit of English reprieve and a few hours later we were sitting in the 'bar' with the South African ANC/ Community Party delegates and a Mayor from Botswana along with an Algerian academic and French socialist who has the gift of English.

One of the books that changed my life was by a courageous man called Steve Biko. Murdered by the apartheid police, he remains a giant. His book 'I'll Write What I Like' is pure heart, passion and a love for all people. He 'fell' from a window during an horrific interrogation. We talked about him a great deal.

The South African comrade who is charge de faires in Algeria is a jolly round man with bright teeth and a mesmerising stare who drifts from a smile to gritted teeth. I love a well read person. "I am Mr Kaya Somgqeza" he said. We spoke about the Arm of the Spear (armed wing of the ANC), Mandela and Sisusolu, Biko and more. We spoke about the 1978 trip of the ANC to Vietnam where they built with the four pillars of struggle -Underground networksMass mobilisationArmed struggleInternational solidarity.This is the vision, the struggle of the people of Western Sahara and why I'm here.

I found it hard to sleep.

Day 2
Jogging next to the beach at 6.30am (electricity doesn't come on for lights until 7.30am and yes it took me ages to work that out). Jogging with a security guy keeping an eye on me as the young men run their horses along the beach and oh yes, not that there is a security problem here! They are winning the war remember.

I wasn't quite sure how to take breakfast - huge buffet with croissants, coffee and heaps of dried fruit and yoghurt. Not kinda sure how the dried fruit goes with a choc croissant - no jam or butter either. Really tasty but I'll organize tomorrow what you are supposed to eat first and all that. Diet officially out the window. I forgot to take my clothes to get pressed so I've got a crinkly shirt on but it looks remarkably normal under the suit jacket. I think I'll pass as a grown up.

The conference room was huge with about 500 delegates from around the world. As usual the French look the best with the Mayoral sashes, great hair cuts and the immaculate beautiful French women. I have to say the Algerian women look French to me. It must be the perfect clothes and manicured nails. I spent quite a bit of time chatting to the youth representative from the Algerian Red Crescent as her English is great and we can talk about real life. More about her later...

They'll take me out to the Kasbah tomorrow that should be fun.

The Mayor of Algiers, a young fashionable man with intense eyes tells me I'm speaking at the opening ceremony! On my... I've got to come up with something. Seems I'm a bit of a novelty coming all the way from Australia. Everyone seems to think we are pretty cool and they are impossibly friendly and helpful to me. My French is improving with a few new words but my Arabic is still so painful but I'm trying and people smile with pride when I stumble a few sentences.

First we hear from the President of the Republic of Western Sahara - the leader of the Polisario. Then from a French Mayor then the USA solidarity group. Then they call my name. Ok here goes...

I talked about the fact I was President of the Australian Western Sahara Association from 1999 to 2002 and what we have done, the need for solidarity with lots of metaphors and imagery.
I encouraged them all the fly the flag of Western Sahara on independence day the 27th of February. Leichhardt was the first municipality in the world to do it. Next year there will be hundreds of mayors flying the flag that should rightly be flying over Western Sahara - the flag that means torture and imprisonment by the Moroccan authorities if found in the occupied territory. Long live the resistance - Onwards to victory. Everyone clapped enthusiastically. It felt good.

When I took my seat I was ushered out for more TV interviews and radio. It went for about an hour. I sent my solidarity especially to Aminitou Haider who has been hunger striking at Lasaroti airport in Spain for over two weeks. She has been refused entry to 'Morocco' because she wrote in 'Country of Origin' on her re-entry the words - Western Sahara and refused to write Morocco. This is Moroccan hospitality. What an honorable and courageous woman. They say she will die soon. And the tourists in Morocco party on ignorant to the trade in drugs and people that sustain this evil empire.

Lunch of course was incredible with a fantastic chicken feast. I sat (as usual) with the Africans and chatted to the Mayor of Harare whos wife and child were kidnapped by thugs of Zanu PF (President Maugabe's party). His wife was killed in front of his child and his child released earlier this year. What an incredible man to battle on as Mayor with the support of the people but with the threat of murder every day. The woman who is the Deputy Mayor of Harare is another proud brave woman. She is so funny. Everything is a joke. These women inspire me. I laughed with the Zambians who seem to enjoy life more than any other people I have met.

I'm in my hotel room resting before the afternoon session looking at the sea from my bed.

Everything looks so calm and beautiful. Apparently you can surf about 20kms from here.

Day 2 afternoon session The conference is soaked in coffee. I don't know if I could drink a coffee with milk again.

The speeches were very special with different countries explaining what thery were doing to support the dignity and human rights of the people of Western Sahara. Often against the odds these people had nothing in common with these Muslim nomads but they know that love and respect should be bigger than greed and power.

A thin man from the camps went to the stage and told how he went on to the streets in 2007 with his flag and protested... then they came for him. He described to a silent room what they did to his mother and sister in front of him. Their cruelty knows no bounds. Then they took him to prison which was worse. Just so bad I can't type it. He escaped after being released and now lives in the refugee camps. At the end when he was speaking he got louder and the English translator stopped. He said, "No he is saying bad words about Morocco and I don't want to say these words." I think we all knew what he was saying.

At dinner I was ushered into a very smart restaurant in the hotel complex and seemed to wait there by myself for about 30 minutes. Apparently a delegation was coming to sit with me?
The President of the Sharawi Republic came in with a bunch of people and sat with me. We talked for a bit but he can't speak English and the guy who could speak English only spoke Italian so the conversation was very slow. An honour I guess and he seems like a really down to earth guy.

After a while they called over my friend from an NGO. A young smart and pretty girl who sat next to me and we got lost in conversation. No one else could understand what we were saying. She said she wanted to got to another country. She was divorced even though she was only 25 and to people here she was dead and she wasn't 'pure' any more. I really, really felt for her. She said that people would talk that we were talking so much so we met up after kinda secretly before going to a birthday party for one of the French delegates. So much dancing and all this Arab style dancing. Good fun!

I slept so soundly.

Day 3

As I got back to the hotel very late the Mayor of Algiers left me a gift. You have to look at the picture. It weighs about ten kilos plus a huge branch of dates, and that is the only way I can describe it. Now how the hell am I gonig to carry this around the world? Especially because this seems like it is now the plan.

Tomorrow the camps until the 19th. Then to London. Then to NY for New year in Time Square. Somewhere between then and NY and London on the 6th I'm thinking of going to Mexico - just a thought. Then to BKK and Burma and then to Vietnam. Should be fun. I think I'll start at the end because just so much happened!. Im really enjoying hanging out with the comrades from the Spanish communists. We really get on and I'm looking for a way to get to Spain now! Mmmm... can I fit it in?

So I stayed up till 2 in the morning talking to the guys from the Red Cresent. We watched the procession of 'bad girls' in the lobby. You can get married here for one night. Wow I said you can do the same in Australia. The oldest profession and all that. Ugggh.


Day 3
Today was fantastic. I went to Algiers with an incredible convoy of police in order to bust through traffic. It was a sight to behold. We cruised around the French district and just enjoyed ourselves. Took some pics as well which I'll stick on facebook. Then we went to the Martyrs monument to those killed in the uprising against the French. I don't usually go for the national monuments but this was pretty incredible looking and had a wonderful feeling.

When I got back (sirens blaring) I thought it was time for bed but I got an invite form the Saharwi ambassodor to go for dinner with an MP from Cuba, and mayors from Columbia and Brazil. A car took us there with no sirens which was a relief and we pulled up at this old french house. Set in nice grounds right in the city it was a little refuge form the traffic and noise. The dinner was fantastic and the talk was even better. A bit slow as our Cuban friend hd to translate everyhing as the ambassodor can only speak about 7 languages but not English. I feel a little inadequate! There was a huge curtian at one end of the room and I thought it was for decoration but after being received in the main room he pulled back the curtian and there was the dinner table. Delicious food - who could ask for more. What an adventure! : )We shot through the empty streets at about 11.30pm and I couldnt believe I was here.

Oh I forgot to mention that when I came back to the hotel I had a another gift from the Mayor of Algiers - a huge ceramic picture thing which has to weight about 8 kgs. Mmmm. Not exactly good for a world tour but very beautifully hand painted. How am I going to get this stuff home. Another challenge! Day 4 The conference is over and there is a great feeling about the place. I met the Spanish crew for breakfast after a run. I finally broke and muched away on the choc crossants and the black coffee is becoming a habit. Fascinating to hear about what is going on in Spain.

So people are leaving and I'm heading off to the camps on Tuesday at 10pm (yes I land at 1am so that's all a bit weird) so I have today and tomorrow to myself. Went to the lobby to use the wireless and did a fair bit of emailing and all that. The security guys are so nice so they said you've got a few days so you can go where you like and we can take you there and look after you. So off to the Kasbah...

We drove to the centre of town about 20kms away with pretty good traffic and no police escort. Yes, I thought that was a bit of overkill and I can sit in traffic - I get plently of practice in Sydney.

Oh and I had an excellent intreperter. When we arrived we went to the police station to get a 'guide'. Now I have to confess I am not sure what attracts more attention a single tall white dude or a single tall white dude with 5 security guys. They tried to be discrete god love them but it was great to have them there as I got to see really interesting places I would never have found and there isn't really a guide book. The streets are so wonderful and secretive. Little hidden places.

The Kasbah was the heart of the resistance to the French occupation for 7 years, so of course just about everythnig is called martys something or rather. The French were brutal bastards. Martyrs place was the place they would line up and shoot people so everyone from the Kasbah could see. It's a large square at the bottom of the Kashbah next to the sea.

We went to the coffee shop where the resistance activists would organise. Kinda cool and the coffee was great and the cake even better. Coffee with five security guys. Well at least we got a table quickly!!! 15 dinas for a coffee and 15 for the cake. 70 dinars to the USD so pretty good. It was wasn't chilly but it was raining a little. A rainy day in Algiers to remember. Oh yes and the post office was fantastic. The most beautiful carvings on the walls. Just breathtaking to walk into. An absolute must for any vist. Bought a few stamps too just for good measure.

One guy in our possee was a local plain clothes police dude so it was great having him around to show us stuff and talk to people. We went in to the very small houses of local artisans as there were trades behind every door spread out among the children, cookers and televisions.
He showed us this great art show in a refurbished house which was a a kind of museum, a restored example of the Kasbah in all its glory.

Just perfectly beautiful and the art was actually really quite good. You know, I thought it would be a bit suffocating with all these guys around but they didnt send five guys for nothing. I was speaking to a guy in the hotel later in the night and the fact is that Kasbah is a dangerous place. It was actually good to have them to show me around then to be able to go off on my own look at what I wanted and see what I wanted. All in all a fab day. I didn't see anyone who looked like a tourist the whole day not in the post office, or the main streets, nowhere.

Off to dinner - yummy!

You know this place is just too much. I went downstairs for a yummy interesting dinner (as usual) and I was waiting for the big spoon for the soup (it seemed to have dissapeared) and as I turned around I saw a guy sitting at an otherwise empty table and I kinda smiled to say hello. When the ladel finally came I asked if I could sit at his table. All of the 'sorry I don't speak french thing' wasnt necessary as he spoke perfect English. Relief! And wait for this, we went into a huge rave about the DRC Democratic Republic of Congo and how horiffic the war was and all about the place. He was (obviously) from the DRC and it was the most moving breathtaking discussion. Really fascinating and what a battle for the country after such a brutal civil war. I have to admit the first time I have ever met a person from the DRC. There you go another first in this strange life.

I'm going to sleep and dream of the Kasbah. I'll swim in the morning. It's nice to feed your mind fill your head and relax your body.