After five days at sea, it sure was nice to see land in sight early this morning as the Amsterdam docked in Aqaba, Jordan. With a population 0f 6,400,000 people, Jordan has the reputation of being a country of remarkable stability in the toughest of neighborhoods. It borders Iraq, Israel, and Palestinian Territories. The capital is Amman, a very hip and sophisticated city, it is written.
It is best known for Petra, crusader castles, Lawrence of Arabia, Wadi Rum, and diving or snorkeling in the Red Sea. Or if floating on the incredibly salty waters is for you, a visit to the Dead Sea will work.
Their favorite food is mensaf, a Bedouin specialty of spit-roasted lamb basted with spices and served with rice and pine nuts. Their everyday drink is tea, their symbol for Jordanian hospitality.
Aqaba, where we are docked today, is the country’s only seaport, a beachside oasis and a place for vacationing Jordanians to get away from the bustling city of Amman. It is also the gateway to a number of important sites. There was a warning that we saw repeated in many places….women need to dress modestly. Especially if they want to see the mosques. Heads, shoulders, arms, and legs must be covered. And swimwear is only appropriate on the beach, unless you are a local, then it is not allowed at all.
The tours offered today were many. Some were local with Aqaba highlights, or a resort stay, and even a sunset cruise, since we are over-nighting here. But the biggest most visited area had to be the rose red city of Petra, the ancient Nabataean city of red rock temples and tombs - a 3rd century BC trading route of 400 square miles. It is another UNESCO World Heritage Site as well. Equally of importance is Wadi Rum, the Valley of the Moon, a desert landscape with fresh water springs surrounded by 1000 foot mountain ridges. The stunning backdrop of this desert was the scenery in the epic 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia. TE Lawrence participated in the Battle of Aqaba in the Great Arab Revolt of 1916. Under the leadership of the Hejaz Kingdom, British and French forces fought the Ottomans.
Anyway, the tour to see Petra was 9 hours for $300, or a combo Petra/Wadi Rum was 13 hours for $310. Most folks opted for the long one. For the first time that we can remember, there was a very long warning in the tour book describing conditions and reasons NOT to go. Slippery unpaved paths with a 5 to 6 mile walk each way could be expected in possible temperatures of 105 degrees. And there is limited shade….that much is true. They advised that the horse-drawn carriage rides, the donkeys, camels, or horse rides can be done at your own risk. Nothing is insured. We heard that the round trip carriage ride to and from the Treasury could be as high as $150. Will definitely follow up on that rumor.
In addition to this, there were four different overnight tours added. They ranged from $600 to $700. And finally, there was always the local hop-on, hop-off bus for the sum of 20 dinar or $30 USD. We need to add some info on passports and visas. Many of the guests going over night or traveling independently out of Jordan, were concerned about having their passports with them. They made it clear that an overnight stay would not require passports shown at the hotels. Only a copy of the passport was needed. However, if you were going to Israel, for instance, you would need to obtain a passport stamp from Jordanian Immigrations for about $100 USD. Always good to check this out well ahead of time to avoid complications.
Another cruise ship was in port when we arrived……the Mein Schiff 4, we assume the newest of the Tui line. If this is a sister ship to the Mein Schiff 3, then it is 99,300 gross tons with a capacity of 2500 to 2790 passengers. It appeals to the younger German-speaking families who are looking for a casual setting. They ended up leaving their berth around 7pm tonight. And while we were gone this morning, another ship docked behind us….an Aida vessel, but we could not see the name on her.
Since we have seen the marvels of both Petra and Wadi Rum many times, we decided to stick close to Aqaba. With the amount of buses on the pier, we figured a lot of folks were going on tours today. Some of these same excursions will also be available tomorrow as well. There were shuttle buses that took the passengers to the center of town, mostly due to the fact that no guests are allowed to walk in the port area. The service began at 8am and would end at 9pm. Even though it said the ride was 25 minutes each way, it was half that time.
At the bus stop, there was a trailer with the best info that could be provided of Aqaba and the outlying areas. Better maps and detailed info is always appreciated. From here, we navigated or way through town to see the shops and restaurants in town. We did locate the big souk up high on the hillside by climbing a series of stairs up to a park. At the souk, there was a combination of Arabic clothing, as well as western-style jeans and t-shirts for the locals. It definitely is not set up for tourists, but for vacationing Jordanians with families. Much of the merchandise was for kids.
With the help of the local map, we located the central vegetable and meat market that snakes its way through a few city alleyways. It is here that we could see the outdoor tables of fresh veggies, like gigantic radishes, cilantro, and herbs. Following the aroma, small shops displayed their fish selections, while further up the road, freshly-butchered goats hung in the windows. The heads were still attached, so you know what you are buying. They were the Nubian type of goat, which out our way in California, these are raised for milking as well as the meat. As we passed by the produce sections, we spotted discarded boxes showing that the bananas came from Ecuador, and the table grapes were imported from Afghanistan.
Next we made our way downhill, past the gold souk streets, to the seaside and the Great Arab Revolt Plaza. We had noticed that the 449 foot flagpole was missing the 65.6 foot by 131.2 foot flag was not flying today. Once we made our way between the ruins of the Aqaba Castle, museum, and the home of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, the great-great grandfather of the current ruler, King Abdullah II. That’s when we found the reason why the flag was not present. This entire area was under construction and the plaza was totally dug up and fenced. The next time we visit here, we expect to find the area re-modeled and tourist-friendly.
A long stretch of Aqaba’s sandy beach begins here. Many local families were enjoying the banana boat and tube rides, although it was still early for the jet skis, canoe rides, a submarine ride, and water skiing. There were several wooden glass-bottom boats to see the coral reefs full of tropical fish. We must have been asked one dozen times to take a harbor ride from the vendors. But the most interesting sight were the local ladies, dressed in the black chiffon robes and headdresses floating in the rubber tubes in the surf. Yes, completely dressed – perhaps not wearing shoes. We can say from previous visits, that some of the younger Muslim ladies, accompanied by the husbands, will wear swimwear, but only at the private resort hotels.
It was getting close to lunchtime, and we headed towards the Royal Yacht Club, which was a short walk from here. This marina area is most civilized and upscale. It came as a surprise to see a row of newly-built small restaurants and shops on the marina grounds. There were a few customers, but for the most part, we think people dine later here, and much more on weekends. We went to the Romano Restaurant located at the hotel across from the marina. Although they did not open until 12:30pm, we relaxed for 10 minutes on their outside patio. The owner said that a sand storm had hit the area, and they were still trying to clean the sand out of the property. Guess we are lucky that the winds are not that strong today.
The food and drinks in Aqaba are not cheap, mostly because the dollar is only worth 70 cents here. And anything alcoholic, is taxed even higher. The beer we ordered was Amstel draft, and ran about $10 USD each for a pint. So worth it though. And their pizza is very good here, so we ordered one Margherita to share, of course. Same goes for the apple crisp with vanilla ice cream we ended the meal with. In the end, we spent over $50 USD for lunch, but we expected to pay as much….no surprise. Yes, we could have gone to nearby McDonald’s, which is priced-right, but spending 1½ hours in a very uncrowded restaurant with the service of very friendly waiters was wonderful.
It was close to 3pm by now, so we walked back to the bus stop which was right up the street. Tomorrow, we will explore the high-end hotels and resorts on this end of Aqaba. The ride back to the ship took about 15 minutes, since the driver waited until our bus was mostly filled.
The rest of the afternoon was spent working with photos, taking more notes from the info materials, and snapping more pictures of the Aida ship docked aft of us. The last time we were here, dozens of golden eagles could be seen flying in a canyon, aptly named, Eagle Hills. A new housing complex has been developed, and perhaps they drove the graceful birds of prey out of the area. The only birds we saw were pigeons, a few gulls, and swifts.
Dinner tonight was in the Pinnacle Grill featuring their new menu and revised dishes. All of our favorites were still on the menu, namely the filets and the lamb chops. Only the presentation had changed and the sides usually served with those entrees were different. Caesar salad is no longer made tableside. And the prawns with cocktail sauce were served on a rectangular plate instead of in the glass. And only three shrimp were given for us to share. Breaded onion rings came with the steak, and the sweet sides were gone with the lamb chops. Missing from both plates, were the “greens” sticking out from under the meat. So much better. Guess what dessert has been eliminated? Their signature chocolate volcano dish. Two new desserts we tried were tres leches cake and Key lime pie….both excellent. And if anyone had a huge appetite, extra entrees would set up back $15 each.
When the ship is overnight in a port, there is never a live show in the Mainstage. But the scheduled movie, Green Book, could not be shown due to their inability to obtain a licensing extension for the movie. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) had been substituted. Interesting what goes on behind the scenes that we do not know.
The seaside city in Israel, across the Gulf of Aqaba, was lit up and sparkled like gold. With the crescent of the moon shining brightly in the sky, it sure made for great view from our room window. Have to rest up for another day of walking in town tomorrow.
Bill & Mary Ann
