Mother nature has consecrated Algeria with sky-high palm trees, Tiffany turquoise oceans and miles of golden mountains.
But all that glitters is not gold; beneath this glittering surface lays an obscure world. The air is filled with fatigue, whitewash and despair. Algiers and Oran are one of the main tourist cities โ domestic tourism that is. International tourism comes with restrictions, for many reasons. The streets are polluted with garbage, one can witness people throw bags of rubbish from their car whilst driving.
French residential buildings are left to deteriorate in what seems to be a form of rebelliousness against their former colonizers, while French private and government-owned buildings are refurbished as a form of attraction.
The general public turns a blind eye to homelessness, sex workers and alcohol abuse. It is also unlawful for unmarried couples to share a hotel room and establishments ask that wedded couples bring a marriage certificate with them for verification. There is a loophole in this regulation, by discretion of hotel management or if the hotel is foreign-owned.
As for homelessness, people are treated terribly. This is not limited to black migrants who struggle with finding shelter and work in Oran, but also Algerian born individuals. The beaches at Ain-Al Turk are littered with alcohol bottles and cans. Many drink alcohol during the day and in public. While there, I witnessed a middle-aged man collapse due to what appeared to be alcohol poisoning on a mid-autumn day across the street from Hotel Amel.
