AQABA, JORDAN--Friday, April 26, 2013

---

Aqaba is Jordan’s only access to the sea and is built at the end of a narrow fjord-like waterway surrounded by mountains on all sides. Israel is only across a dividing irrigation/stream and shares beach frontage with Aqaba. You can easily see development in Israel, but we do not know what the name of the community is. Saudi Arabia is just southeast over the mountains about 15 miles away and Egyptian shores can be seen across this waterway.

Aqaba has had many rulers from the Edomites to the Romans to the Crusaders and lastly to the Hashemites. T. E. Lawrence, along with Arab forces, battled the Ottomans for control of Aqaba in 1917 and with his success, become known to all as, Lawrence of Arabia.

The big attraction for our shipmates, was the nearby ancient, carved in rock, city of Petra, Jordan’s most famous attraction. Tours of this city were scheduled from the ship, but lasted for 12 hours and was billed as a strenuous tour, including a long walk downhill (and then up again) in 90+ degree heat. We were afraid if we went to Petra that we would not have the energy to see Luxor and the Valley of the Kings that we had scheduled for the next day.

After breakfast, we went to the top deck to see the possibility of walking to town or taking a taxi from the gate. It was obvious we were out of luck. So, the ship provided a free shuttle bus from the ship/port to the Movenpick resort complex in town since taxi cabs were not allowed in the port. From there, we got a taxi to give as our usual 1-hour tour of the city. This driver spoke good English and was proud to show us his town and his family home.

We stopped first at the ruins of the old port, circa, 350 A.D., located right on the water and is currently being excavated by the archeology department of the University of Chicago. Concern was expressed that some of the old port might be located under nearby new buildings adjacent to the visible ruins.

We went next to the Al-Sharif Hussen Bin Ali Mosque that was built in 1975. Since only males could enter this mosque, our taxi driver took Valerie’s camera and took some very nice pictures for us while we waited. He insisted he take a picture of Valerie and it was easier to do so than argue.

He drove by the wharf and tourist area where people come to play on the beach and take boats out to dive or snorkel in the coral reefs of the Red Sea. A huge flag pole and flag is flying from this spot and can be seen from all over the town. Taxi driver bragged that it was the highest and largest in the world, but we are sure Dubai must claim one even grander. Many women can be seen out and about even wearing their burkas on the beach and in the water.

The taxi driver then drove us through town and up the hill into an area where he lives. He said he was one of 17 siblings and his mother was his father’s second wife. He couldn’t quite believe that we were only two sisters/siblings as he said his total family numbered about 5000 and they all lived there in town.

We went through a small market that was along defunct railroad tracks. Several people were selling a bundle of green pea-like foliage from the back of their pick-up trucks. He stopped and bought a bundle as he didn’t know the English word for what it was. It turned out to be green chick-peas that the people here eat raw as a snack. They didn’t taste too bad--like a raw green pea.

He stopped the taxi at the top of the hill in a clearing and we got out and walked to a spot we could overlook the harbor, our ship, and in the distance Egypt and Israel. He explained about how the government was currently tearing down the old homes and business and building new ones. This could clearly be seen as the area was completely leveled toward the port area. The mountains there reminded us a lot of the Franklin Mountains in El Paso.

When our time was up, we were dropped back at the resort gates, where there were shops to purchase some diet cokes. We got the cokes and then walked around the side of the building to where the parking lot was and got the shuttle back to the ship in time for some lunch.

After lunch, we went up one deck and looked at the port from that level. It was interesting to see the port from this view after traveling about the town. We could see where we had got our taxi, where we drove up the hill, the mosque, and other points, especially in the modern part of the town. A cargo ship was at our stern with a big blue scoop crane loading grain from the cargo ship into waiting trucks to be taken to the nearby flour factory.

Just before we left port, there were lovely fireworks going off in town. We pretended it was for us, but it was probably for a wedding or some other ceremony as it was Friday night.

---