Aqaba, Jordan - October 31

After two early mornings, I slept until I was slept out - about 9:15 (I'd gone to bed around 12:30).  I puttered around my cabin and left for the shuttle at 10:15. The ride into the city was only about 10 minutes.  

Aqaba is on the Gulf of Aqaba (unless you are Israeli and then it is the Gulf of Eilat).  It is an ancient city and is strategic because it is Jordan's only seaport and it is a gateway to the major tourist attractions of Petra and Wadi Rum.  It also has the southernmost border crossing with Israel.

I wasn't certain how comfortable I would feel walking around on my own but it was fine.  I walked about two miles and looked at all the interesting shops.  Virtually all of them put their merchandise out on the street to view.  Not sure why, but it could be because of the normal heat here - it's cooler on the street than in a closed in shop with no a/c.

After about an hour I took the shuttle back to the ship and gathered my things together to go to the Lido for lunch and to work on uploading pictures for the blog.

After finishing the pictures, I walked out on the back deck and realized it was the perfect day for a swim and some sun.  I hustled to my cabin, changed, and was in the pool within 15 minutes.  I swam for a half hour and did the equivalent of 20 lengths of the pool at home and then sat in the sun for an hour.

I made another pitcher of tea and changed again to go out to watch us sail from Aqaba.

I've been on the ship for three weeks and I finally met my next-door neighbor, Paul.

All five of us were at dinner but four of them are going to Luxor tomorrow which is a 13-14 hour excursion.  Since I will be the only one left, I plan to eat in the Lido.  There was a Halloween Costume Party on the World Stage after dinner.  I looked in, took some pictures, and left.  Quite a few people had costumes on.

We gain the hour we lost Saturday night since we are returning to Egyptian time.  Safaga, Egypt tomorrow.

Smooth sailing until next time!

        On the road between Aqaba and Petra

the dark portions are from ancient volcanic eruptions

we passed a huge wind farm which the guide said was part of a multi-nation project

not much for the sheep to munch on

From my walk around Aqaba

these were in the square where the shuttle dropped us

this cutie befriended me and let me pet her

I passed at least a dozen shops with displays of nuts and bags of snack items

I saw a few shops that had birds in cages outside

ladies clothing

shoes, shoes, and more shoes

need a clay pot?

above and two below are murals painted on this little building

there is a beach beyond the trees and the land you see across the water is Eilat, Israel

a community garden?

the Al-Sharif Al-Hussein bin Ali Mosque

no explanation needed

Halloween on the ship

Ghost and spider cup cakes

decorations in dining room

part of the decorations in the World Stage

Ocean Bar Band

Judy and Bob

I Survived Petra! - October 30

I woke up at 5:30 (alarm was set for 5:45) so I got up to get ready for the day that I had been looking forward to but at the same time, dreading.  

After breakfast I headed to the World Stage (our meeting place) at 7:00.  We had yet to be cleared, so we sat and sat until after 7:30 when we were finally able to leave the ship.  We had to present our passports to the Jordanian authorities, left them with the ship staff, and headed to our buses.

The drive to Petra took about two hours and we had a short break on the way.  Somehow I never realized Petra was in the middle of a city - I envisioned it being out in the middle of nowhere.  The city actually grew around Petra because of the tourist trade.

We followed our guide as we walked about a half mile (although it seemed longer) from the entrance to the beginning of the Siq.  This walk was in the sun so we were lucky that the temperature was only in the high 70s.  

The Siq is where you enter the cleft in the rocks on the way to the remains of the buildings.  The guide stopped periodically to tell us about the different things we were passing.  Unfortunately, I missed much of what he was saying because I was usually the last one.  The walk sloped slightly downward as we went and the ground was very uneven - in most places it was either loose gravel or large uneven stones.  I had to walk slowly so I didn't twist an ankle and fall.  I would finally catch up and hear the last bit of what he was saying.

Briefly, Petra was the home of group of Bedouins called Nabataeans.  They were traders and the buildings in Petra reflect some of their trading partners, such as the Greeks.  Eventually, the Nabataeans were conquered by Rome and with changing trade routes, after the Crusades the city was forgotten until discovered by a Swiss traveler in 1812.  Since that time there have been numerous conservation and restoration programs.  In 1985 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is now considered one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

At the end of the Siq (which is about 3/4 of a mile long), you come upon the most famous building in the complex, known as the Treasury.  Although actually a mausoleum, it was thought to hold treasure so it became known as the Treasury.  You may have seen it in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  Much of the city is carved from stone which is a reddish color, so it is often called the "Rose City".  

We were starting to run out of time but the guide took us a little further in to the Street of Facades.  From there he left us to walk back on our own.  We were supposed to reach the hotel where we were having lunch in under 40 minutes - it took me an hour but at least I made it safely.  I didn't realize how much of a downward slant we had gone until I started back up!

I was very late to lunch (many were already finished) so I ate very quickly so I could be back on the bus in time.  The food was served buffet style and was very good, so I wish I'd had the time to enjoy it more.

We made one rest stop on the way back and got back after 5 pm.  I stopped for a cold drink to take to my cabin before a shower and a bit of a rest.

It was a tiring day but I was glad I did it.  I certainly never would have made it when I was here before in 2014.  If I were ever to go to Petra again, I would take one of the golf carts to the Treasury and back so I could spend time seeing more of the parts we did not have time for today.

Pete and Sherry had gone on a dinner cruise so it was only the three of us for dinner.  There was no show.  We are overnighting here and I plan to sleep late and take the shuttle into Aqaba tomorrow.

Smooth sailing until next time!

map of the site - we only got to the Street of Facades

Obelisk Tomb

one of the ways to get in is by horseback

above and below show the entrance to the Siq - notice the golf cart

striations showing different periods of the rock's formation

above and two below - vegetation grows in strange places

inscription in the rock - it was about 12 feet off the ground

the priest who tended the tomb above lived in the cave shown below at the top of the steps

rock formation that looks like a fish

the guide said that wealthy people often bought a carving in the wall so they would be remembered

remains of a carved figure

The Treasury

in some places you can climb up the rocks

Above and four below are from the Street of Facades

the Roman Amphitheater

a camel wearing a Granny Square afghan

this man was playing strange sounding music on this strange instrument

As I was leaving, I noticed this solar panel at the top of the rocks

Last night it took me 45 minutes to upload 9 pictures, today I uploaded 25 in 11 minutes.  You would think there would be fewer people on late at night.

In tomorrow's post I will show pictures of Jordan on the ride to and from Petra.