Introduction
Contemporary English language guidebooks to Algeria are hard to find. There are a few in French such as the slightly interesting Petite Futé and a couple I've seen on Algiers. I'm not a great guidebook (Lonely Planet etc) enthusiast but they do have their uses. On the other hand the scarcity of tourists from Europe and the US, while hardly surprising, is greatly regretted by many Algerians who would prefer not to be isolated and I'm sure resent being collectively characterised as posing a danger to Christians, Westerners, democracy etc.

These days of course people from Arab countries have had to bear the stigma of being associated with terrorism even more than they had to prior to 2001. But the greatest preoccupation for Algerians in a country with rich resources and wealth potential is the low level of employment, rising living costs, worsening public education and health, corruption, crime and the consequential obstacles to realising ambitions and enjoying the things that other young people in 'western' countries enjoy - so in that sense just like most other underdevelopped countries. This is certainly a general statement of mine which doesn't go into the many differences to be found in countries structured around socio-economic class, different 'ethnic' and 'racial' group identities (Kabylie, Tuareg, African inmmigrants), gender, generation, job rank and sector, attitudes to the predominant religion of Islam and just personal differences. Where many people think things would improve by embracing free market liberal economic, so called, others feel a strong connection with the struggle against colonialism culminating in national independence on July 5th (my birthday as it happens) 1962, state socialist principles, and a wariness of getting close to the West seen as antagonistic towards Arab interests. Again, this just gives a general idea; I certainly don't regard myself as an expert on Algeria after just three visits in the past two years. However hard one tries to be objective, our experiences are as rich as our knowledge allows as well as being strongly influenced by our own contributions in given situations and the way we are perceived as individuals and 'representatives' of our own national cultures.

Places visited east of Algiers
Annaba is a port of about 350,000 inhabitants situated 90 km from the Tunisian border. It has featured importantly in historical events from the time of the Phoenicians, the Romans, Vandals, Christians, Ommayids, Ottomans, the French colonials through to allied landings in World War II. A 30 minute walk from central Annaba gets you to the Basilica of St. Augustine (lover turned hater of harlots, father of the Catholic Church or hammer of the heretics - depending on your point of view) which stands prominently above the remains of the ancient Roman city of Hippo Regius where there is also a museum with some interesting mosaics, statuary and stone reliefs.

Tourists who ask for little more than the tranquility of a sandy beach in a mediterranean climate could easily enjoy themselves here. In summer I would guess that the modesty of bathers would strike a contrast with the unconstrained equivalents on the other side of the Mediterranean.

Nevertheless, there is a typically Mediterranean aspect to Annaba which is only about 250 km from Sardinia; middle aged men wearing peaked caps playing board games, drinking coffee in the city square. At the same time it is a muslim city where the day is divided into five parts by calls to prayer and fridays are similar to how sundays used to be in England.

During this era of climate change it is hard to give a very reliable idea of what kind of weather to expect along the Algerian coastline but 2008 mid-January daytime temperatures ranged from 12 to 18 celsius, from wet and windy to warm and sunny. The further inland you go and particularly in the Kabylie mountains the nights are often freezing.

Food and accomodation
I didn't look inside the more modern hotels, preferring instead the medium to high quality traditional models which ranged in price from €10-€20. These wouldn't merit any stars in Europe but they are fine if you're willing to tolerate some reduction in standards of cleanliness. Some of the hotels also serve as brothels with their characteristically depressing atmosphere. I stayed in the Hotel Khalidj on the seafront. Cheap restaurants in the central market area provide good basic hot food, and for something more bespoke that you can have with a bottle of wine or beer there are restaurants near the main square and the sea front. Here there still seems to be plenty of local fish such as bream, grouper, red mullet, whiting and crustacians.I had a few interesting meals at Le Valut near the city centre.

Money changing
When I first went to change money in an Algerian bank the teller advised me to take my euros to street based money changers. It isn't legal but it's done as if it is, albeit with some discretion.

Travel
There are three ways of getting from Algiers to Annaba via public transport: plane, train or collective taxi. In all cases the earlier you set out the better. Last year I took the train to Constantine 90 km south west of Annaba, a town well worth spending a few days in. The return journey back to Algiers did take a good deal longer than the scheduled time, but if you are really not in a hurry and come prepared for delays (which may not be such a shock to the system if you are British) it may be worth doing. I like trains basically. In the summer it might be possible to find a local ferry operator in the Algiers port and station area. Anyway I went by taxi this time, paying €12 equivalent(per seat). For much of the 500 km ride my heart was in my throat and I'm not normally a nervous passenger but I found the driver's 'hands free' approach to steering or overtaking around blind bends worrying. Officially there is only a single lane for each direction but that's just seen as a rough guide to the highway code. During a welcome refreshment break in the journey one of my fellow passengers plausibly told me he owned a valuable painting by an 19th century Italian painter and showed me a dog-eared photo of it. I looked up the painter's name later on an on-line search and sure enough the painting had been catalogued.

Places to visit in Annaba state
The hot springs, Hammam Meskatine, at about 75 km south of Annaba.

El Kala, 75 km east of Annaba and 20 km from the Tunisian border. formerly known for the exploitation of red coral.

Constantine, built on a huge outcrop of rock, with a once predominantly Jewish population.

Places visited west of Algiers
Tipasa is about 100 km from Algiers. It is a small coastal town with an ancient history. An ancient map would show it as an important Roman port founded by Phoenicians. The ruins may not have been excavated to the same extent as equivalent sites within the Roman Empire but therein lies its appeal - that there still remains more to discover under the surface and also under the sea. It doesn't cost much to enter (20 centimes), so it's an attraction not only for foreign visitors but for anyone wanting a tranquil setting with a view of the sea and an historic theme. Young lovers can find privacy here as they did amidst the pine trees, cypresses, artemisias, bougainvilleas, hibiscus and wild roses in spring, as described by Albert Camus in an essay entitled Noces a Tipasa(1936-7). There is a large modern or modernist holiday complex built in 1970 with rooms in the medium price range of €18 - €20 equivalent.
The town of Cherchell 30 km further along the coast also has an ancient past, more modest than that of Tipasa, but it has a more impressive museum, two in fact. There's also a youth hostel which was almost empty in January. Cherchell Square with its gnarled Belle Ombre or elephant trees and a neo-classical church built by the French mid 19th century, subsequently transformed into a mosque, is a pleasant place to pass the time of day or to listen to the imam's midday Friday sermon.