Well, the Amsterdam finally received the much needed delivery of food and supplies this morning. Watching from deck three, we spotted beverages such as soda and beer, which will make a whole lot of people happy. Every box of produce was inspected very closely, giving us the idea that if everything was not up to snuff, the delivery may have been rejected. This shipment may have been a partial delivery, because more will come in Naples, Italy, we heard. Hope the regular salad dressings are among those supplies received. Lately, the ranch, Caesar, and Italian have been different, because the chefs are trying to duplicate Ken’s Dressings, which are the normal salad toppings. Remember, it’s not nice to “fool” Mother Nature…….ha-ha.
Today we left the ship a little later, like around 10:30am, since most everything was not opened in the city yet. Our destination was really hotel explorations on the north shore of the gulf. From the bus drop off point, we walked across the roundabout (carefully) and headed towards the avenue of the hotels. At least, these are the largest and most elegant of the local hotels and or resorts.
Along the way, we passed by the site of the first Islamic city built in this area called Ayla. It was the original port and the stopping place for Egyptian pilgrims on their way towards Mecca. We could see the remains of the city’s gates, walls, a large mosque, and other buildings. Compared to the city of Aqaba, it was relatively compact in size.
Then we ran into friends that gave us the rundown of their day in Petra and Wadi Rum yesterday….all 13 hours of it. Although they did visit both sites, they wished to have seen more of Petra, as there was not enough time to make it from the Treasury further into the canyon. Maybe next time. We figured that would be a lot to jam into one day of touring.
We walked past the Movenpick Resort & Residences, which was connected by a bridge across the road. It appeared that there was a swimming pool on that bridge, but we’re not sure. We could have taken the time to go into this hotel, but it was located across the busy road, and we did not want to jay walk here. The cars don’t always stop or even slow down.
Continuing on, we went past the Kempinski Hotel, which was nice the last time we went inside. But our first stop was going to be at the Intercontinental Aqaba Resort, a very scenic property. To gain access here, we asked the gate guard if we could pay a visit to the hotel. The first thing he asked was if we were guests. Of course not, but we wished to view the hotel for a possible visit in the future. He said OK, and we walked up to the front entrance. Here we had to put our one bag through xray, and pass through the scanner before we would be admitted. Much the same as we did at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai.
We have been here two years ago, and we knew our way around somewhat. But right in the lobby entrance, we ran into Allan and Sandra with Hazel. They had also made their way here for cocktails and lunch. It really is a beautiful property, and we suggested the pool area was even nicer. It was still too early for lunch, which is served closer to 1pm. So we went down to the seaside swimming pool, lounge area, and beachfront. Many local people were there, but at the poolside, they were dressed a lot more casual than on the outside in town. Not so covered up and having fun. There was also a group of guests from the Amsterdam with sticky bus numbers on their shirts. So this must be the resort they would spend 5 hours using the pool or the beach with lounges and towels. Food purchases were not included with the $100 shore ex fee. Bet the hotel would have a day use fee for a lot less, then all you had to do was walk here from the shuttle bus stop. Easy peasy.
Since it was still too early for lunch, we continued on to the next hotel, which is brand new. It is called Al Manara, a luxury collection hotel at Saraya, Aqaba. And we mean LUXURY. Two years ago, we saw this hotel and surrounding property being developed. We knew it would be something special. We passed by the security building that sat directly in front of the gates. There is a guard that will drop the barrier for the vehicles going up their driveway. Obviously, there was no problem with us walking in without a security check. But that happened once we entered the hotel, where we went through the same xray process as the previous hotel. Once through the checkpoint, the hotel greeter said welcome back. We answered thank you, as if we were guests there.
Then we were on our own, and wandered through the lobby, checking out one restaurant on the way to the back. Outside on the patio presented a view to die for. It was a scene that we would expect to see in Dubai. A large opening to the gulf had been directly cut into this property, creating a bay with sandy beaches here and there. It was full of fish, which could be seen in the crystal clear waters. Directly across from the water, there was a city of condos or apartments rising up out of the ground. One day, these will all be sold, and a new area of the city will exist. They even thought to add a moving river with waterfalls that wove in between the condo buildings.
As we walked around a massive patio, someone was waving from two lounge chairs on the edge. They happened to be the Tai Chi instructor, Ray, and his wife Gillian. Funny thing, we have talked to them for several years now, and did not know until this year, that he was the instructor onboard. We have never attended a class, and they never mentioned it. Most times, we have seen them on their bikes while we were hiking in many different places. One thing led to another, and we ended up chatting for quite some time. While we were busy talking, a golden eagle soared by quickly, chasing a pigeon. Too fast to snap a photo, at least we saw one. We still had enough time to continue checking out the swimming pool area with the best views of the gulf. We considered staying for lunch, but we would have had to dine poolside, and it felt a bit intrusive to us. So we left, and headed back to the yacht club.
The waiter we had yesterday at the Royal Yacht Club did not seem surprised to see us back. We ordered about the same items as yesterday, with the exception of dessert, which was two scoops of pistachio ice cream in crispy waffle cone cups. Today we stayed until almost 3pm. We did leave our waiter a nice tip, since yesterday he swiftly returned a wallet, which had dropped on the chair unknown to us. This has never happened ever, but we certainly appreciated his honest gesture, as it could have been a huge problem. Money and credit card……yeah, huge problem.
The ride back was quick, only taking 10 minutes. That gave us plenty of time for our homework on this port. By 6pm, we took the camera out to deck nine to snap photos of the sunset and the AIDAvita. There were four feral dock dogs that were keeping the rope pullers busy. When we saw the largest male dog wagging his tail, we knew that one of the workers had some food for him. When the happy dog consumed his treat, the worker gave him water in a plastic cup. Lucky dog, but he was in good condition, so this must happen almost every day. The fellows poured the last of their water on the ground, and the smart crows came down to suck it up. It’s survival of the fittest here. Anyway, the AIDAvita left the pier shortly after 6pm, and headed south to parts unknown.
The sun disappeared behind the Israeli mountain range, giving a red hue to the jutting peaks on the Jordanian side. Walking back through the Lido, as we often do during the dinner service, we found the Arabian Dinner with cuisine from the region being served by waiters dressed in Arab-style garments. There was a quarter of a roasted lamb on the cutting board, and many specialties food selections brought onboard from town today. We decided to test-taste some of these at our dinner tonight.
After some of us being gone for two days, all five of us were present tonight, although Barb was late in arriving. We learned from Greg and Heo that Barb had another major leak in her room today. The most frustrating thing is that when she reported it to the front desk folks, they had her room stewards check it out. Twice, they said there was no leak. But the carpets were wet, so there was a leak somewhere. Barb went directly to the housekeeping office to talk to Shiv, the Head Officer. He was not there, but his trusty assistant was. He followed up immediately, and discovered the leak had been coming from the walls or the windows in between the cabins. Not sure if she would have to vacate her room, but for sure, the carpets would have to be cleaned, and dehumidifiers would be added. Needless to say, she was not a happy camper, since this is the second time her cabin flooded on this cruise.
Dinner was a mixed bag, with our orders of Arabic dishes. We have always wanted to taste falafel, which is balls of fried mashed chick peas, served in a pita bread. Ours came flattened with small slices of pita chips. It was rather bland and dry, and according to the fellows, not seasoned like it should have been. One of us ordered the shawarma, with sliced chicken, peppers and onions, but wrapped in a burrito shell. Once again, the seasonings were light, and it should have been served in a pita shell. The dessert was the best, however. The plate of baklava had three pieces of the filo pastry dough filled with ground pistachios and walnuts, and drizzled with a sweet sugar-based syrup, probably including honey. Greg had ordered a plateful, but then admitted that he snuck a serving of the treat while passing through the Lido earlier. Good for him. The ricotta/blueberry tart was really close to a cheesecake, but it missed the mark. Guess it is difficult to please everyone all of the time.
During dinner, Ian announced a change in the 9pm promised Mainstage show of the traditional Arabic Dabke dances, as performed by a local group. They had been denied boarding for some unknown reason, and their dance had been cancelled. Instead, other entertainers on the ship substituted a show of some kind. Oh well, sometimes these things get sticky when it comes to getting clearances. That makes us even happier that we made it onboard the Ovation with a last minute notice. But that was Mumbai, and not Jordan.
The Amsterdam left the pier at 11pm sharp, slowly turning around, and sailing silently out of the Gulf of Aqaba towards the Red Sea once again.
Looking forward to a day at sea, and also getting an extra hour back on the clock tonight.
Bill & Mary Ann
Friday, April 12, 2019
Report #83 Aqaba, Jordan April 11, 2019 Thursday Sunny & 83 degrees
