As the plane descends over the Mediterranean and into Annaba, on the east coast of Algeria, the man in the seat beside me says: "Don't be alarmed if there are people with machineguns marching around the plane when we land. It's normal and doesn't mean anything."
I am the one passenger on the flight who is not Algerian and I remember my mother saying, "Let's hope they don't lock you up in the desert for a couple of years."
My new friend offers to walk me to the passport control. My mind is in a whirl. Are Algerians hostile to foreigners? Are they strict about dress codes? Will I need to adhere to Ramadan and its dawn-to-dusk fasting? I haven't done much research, which is why I don't know that children and non-Muslim visitors are exempt from this discipline. But I'm not seriously concerned. As long as I can get through customs with my new friend as my guide, I've got an extended family waiting for me.
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