All the way to Constantine

by Hillary Elegeonye (Algeria)

I didn't expect to find Algeria

It was my fifth week in Tlemcen, North-Western Algeria; A city about two hundred kilometers from the border of Morocco. I had heard so much about the ancient city of Constantine and its magnificent bridges. My feet itched to locate the wonders. Chinedu magically whispered to me that he would be embarking on a tour to the east of Algeria. The east of Algeria consists of Annaba, Constantine, Guelma, among other less popular Wilayas. Yes! It was the perfect opportunity to go there. Maggi and Rice would come along. The next day took hundred hours to come. We had set out on a journey with so much excitement. Night busses are more popular in Algeria. It was a smooth ride down to Annaba, as I basically could not blink throughout the night. I struggled to take note of all the routes, but it was dark unfortunately. I had my eyes fixated on the Google map all night. The journey to Annaba lasted exactly twelve hours. Rev. Father Hillary Basil is a fellow Nigerian and an Augustinian priest at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba. He welcomed us to the basilica where we settled in preparation for the bigger day. The Basilica is built on a mountain. It therefore stood so tall that it could be seen from almost any angle in the city. The building is magnificent, built with rocks laid one upon another. We climbed to the cliff. It was awesome as we could see Annaba so clearly, the Mediterranean Sea was few miles away. I could see the waves of the sea from the top of the basilica as it rippled. It was the peak of winter, so it felt very cold. The appointed day had come. We prepared so early. Father Hillary drove us all the way to Constantine in his Peugeot. It was a four-seater car; we were a perfect number. We set out by exactly six O’clock AM. He had estimated the journey to be about 3 hours, if he drove fast enough. We played some good music as he drove. Rice suggested that we played the music in turns so everyone could get to play what they enjoyed. This was not debated. The topography and the grassland on both sides of the expressway were amazing sights to behold as we zoomed on the smooth roads of Algeria. By exactly 9:15 am, I saw the first bridge. This must be the giant bridge which was newly constructed and the newest among all the bridges of Constantine, I said. Father Hillary nodded in affirmation, he was our tour guide. I smiled. I had seen the pictures on lonely planet sometime in the past. The sight of the bridges was amazing. I could see three more bridges a few miles away. The first bridge we stepped on was Pont Melah Slimani. The elevator bridge as it is called is a narrow footbridge across an ‘almost unending depth’. No one would survive a fall off the cliff because the fast running water beneath was another horrifying sight. I first observed how it dangled. It looked weak, although people walked on it with confidence. We walked across the bridge with our hearts on our hands. Maggi wouldn’t miss taking a ‘selfie’ for every five steps she took. We crossed over to the other side of the bridge and took the elevator. At the exit door was a street into a commercial part of Constantine. We made way to Sidi M'Cid bridge. Along the way was the oldest bridge in the city, the El Kantara Bridge, It looked stony but didn’t look old. We got to the bridge with the highest suspension in the country with an estimated height of 175 meters, which made it the tallest bridge in the world as at 1912, when it was newly opened to traffic. From the top of Sidi M'Cid, we had a clear view of the city, seeing almost all the other bridges; including the monument of Constantine, the Devils Bridge, The Gantaret El Hibal bridge, two distinct flowing rivers and two different tunnels carved under the rock. Constantine remains one of the most amazing places to visit in North Africa.