Petra to Hong Kong

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Well here we are in Hong Kong after two days of travel, the worst part of this sort of trip.
Anyway better start at the beginning.
Saturday, I think, it was that we left Petra after a rather leisurely morning. Our driver, Sa’ad didn’t pick us up until noon so we did some computer work (a blog of photos) and went for a last wander in some souvenir shops near to the hotel. The thing that really surprised us was just how cold it was. Don’t know the exact temperature but it was quite cold with very cool breeze blowing. Here we were in the middle of the day in the middle of the desert and it was very, very cold. We hadn’t struck weather quite like it since arriving in Egypt.
We set off in the car for the Dead Sea and then Amman, the capital and biggest city in Jordan and the weather didn’t improve at all during the day. In fact it worsened.
Sa’ad took us to the Dead Sea via the scenic route. He said that the Kings Highway was too boring with nothing to sea so we headed out into the byways of Jordan. We drove through small towns and saw a very old castle somewhere out in the hinterland. The roads were very windy and Joy had to put her travel sickness bands on her wrists. We stopped at one little village handicraft shop where they were huddled in a big cave making jewellery etc. They were huddled around a gas heater, similar to our ones in NZ, that’s how cold it was.
From Petra we were at a very high altitude and it wasn’t until we got towards the Jordan Valley that we could appreciate just how high up we actually were. When the Valley opened up before us it was magnificent to see. We had driven for nearly 2 hours through sandy, rocky desert and it was very mountainous and craggy. All of a sudden the Jordan Valley with the River Jordan at its centre was a mass of green and from the very high altitude we were at we could take in the whole vista. As we wound our way down off the high area towards the valley floor cropping could be seen and once we got to the floor it was like driving into a whole new world. Tomatoes by the mile, bananas, egg plants, potatoes and what looked like sweet potato, corn and all other manner of food was being grown in a reasonably narrow strip of desert along the river. We could see irrigation everywhere. Also there was a huge Bromide plant and a huge Potash plant close to the river. No oil in Jordan but they do have other minerals etc. Phosphate is another big export product and they have a railway line from just out of Amman to the port at Aqaba just to cart the phosphate, no passenger trains just phosphate.
Eventually we came to the Dead Sea and drove along it for about 50kms. It's a rather uncanny place to be actually because you look across the other side of the Dead Sea and you can clearly see Israel. There are Jordanian military posts all along the road with lookout towers and armed vehicles. Just as a metter of interest as it got dark you can really see Israel over the other side as the towns and cities are well lit up. We stopped at one point for Sa’ad to show us an area where the build up of salts against the cliffs was huge. Quite amazing to see.
Then it started to rain. There was a very heavy downpour just before we arrived at the beach!
We eventually arrived at what is called Amman Beach. There are a number of huge resorts along the Jordan side of the Dead Sea with some public beaches and the resorts seemed very busy. We had lunch at a restaurant at the beach and then donned togs and walked down to the ‘sea’. By this stage it had stopped raining and was a lot warmer down in the valley. It was a very uncanny experience. It just looked like any other ‘lake’ when you walked towards it but you could smell the saltiness. But when you carefully flopped into the water you just stayed afloat. It was shallow at first but then got very deep very quickly but it was perfectly safe. I lay on my back and you just stayed on top of the water. It was actually very difficult to actually roll over onto your stomach because of the incredible buoyancy. It was certainly an experience!!!.
We left there about 5.15pm and headed into Amman where we were scheduled to visit a couple of places and the Souk before heading to the airport but in came the rain and it set in rather heavily. We didn’t really feel like walking around in the pouring rain so Sa’ad drove us all over Amman and showed us the sights from the car.
Like most cities, Amman is a place of contrasts. We saw very poor areas and then incredibly rich areas. You could tell simply by the class of houses. Many western style shopping centres and chain food stores, e.g. McDs, Starbucks, Dinkum Donuts etc. etc. but then you would be in a typical Arab souk shopping market. It was a great look at this big city, over 2 million people, after dark and in the pouring rain. I don’t think Sa’ad knew how to work his windscreen wipers and washers, it was all a bit of a novelty I think.
Eventually we suggested that Sa’ad drop us at the airport which was 35kms out of the city. We aid we were happy to sit and read a book there and that would allow him to head back to Petra a drive of about 3 hours down the Desert Highway. He reluctantly agreed as I think he felt we were being shortchanged in our sightseeing but we assured him we were more than happy.
However it was a bit of a long wait as our flight to Frankfurt didn’t leave until 01.30am the next morning so we were knackered by the time we were even allowed to go through into the boarding gate area at 11pm but as we have found on this whole trip, the travel days are days that tend to be endured rather than enjoyed and this two day period was no different.
Nearly 5 hours from Amman to Frankfurt and an uneventful flight. We had scored ‘exit row’ seats by talking nicely to the very charming Jordanian lass on the check-in desk so we had good leg room for this one.
Once at Frankfurt we headed to the Mercure Airport Hotel where we had booked a room for the day as we had a 12 hour layover and didn’t really feel like spending that in the airport. We slept or dozed most of the day and were able to have a shower before heading back to the airport around 4.30pm for a 6pm liftoff to Hong Kong. They had checked our bags through to HK at Amman so we only had our carry on bags where we put fresh undies and under-arm smellies. (Forgot the razor though so was very scruffy by the time I arrived in HK.)
Flight to HK, 11 hours and boring as!!!!! Had good seats with plenty of leg room. Boeing 747 – 400 and it was full. Uneventful fight and landed in HK around 11.30am Monday local time and we were shattered again.
Got a limousine into the hotel from the airport, a drive of about 30 minutes, very comfy new Mercedes Benz with a chauffeur wearing a black peaked cap and all. Cost $500HK which is just under $90NZ so not too bad. Very stylish though!!!!
Checked in at the Nathan Hotel just up from one of the busy, bustling parts of the city and we have a lovely room on the 9th floor, that has FREE internet!! Yeah.
After a shower (and a shave for me) we headed out on foot to find a laundry as we are running out of clothes. ‘Chinese’ laundries are very cheap here and for $73HK (about $12.50NZ) 2 big bags of washing will be all ready by 10am in the morning. We found somewhere for some food and then hit the metro as we had to meet Emily (Robyn and Trevor’s HK daughter) at Central Station as she was taking us to an optometrists appointment. Joy had new glasses done last time we were here and she decided to get a pair of prescription sun glasses made this time as well as renewing the ordinary glasses lenses in the same lovely green frames she got last time here. It is very much cheaper to get this sort of thing done here than in NZ. This time about $650NZ for everything compared with $1000NZ just for new glasses at home. They will be ready to pick up on Thursday afternoon…..amazing!!!
We wandered around the shops, took Emily for dinner to a lovely Chinese style restaurant and wandered through some more shops with her before deciding around 8.30pm that we were bushed and ready for bed. Said goodbye to Emily and headed back on the Metro t the hotel.
Joy unfortunately seems to have an infected toe. We’re not sure if there is something in it that she picked up at the Dead Sea or what but she woke up this morning in Frankfurt with a small ‘puss’ plaster in the side of a toe. She could hardly walk so we pricked it a relieved the pressure but tonight it is a bit bigger so we went out and got some antiseptic cream and a dressing and pricked it again and dressed it. It felt much better apparently after that and she had started taking a course of antibiotics that the Doctor at home gave her to take away just in case!!!! Hopefully it will settle down but we have really been very lucky with our health while away. Survived Egypt without picking up anything too bad and hopefully this won’t be anything serious. Considering the miles we have walked and the countries covered we have stayed remarkably healthy, thank goodness.
That’s us up to date. Not sure what tomorrow will bring yet …..shopping I ‘fear’!!!!! We have booked a trip to the new Territories for Wednesday and have tickets to ‘Ocean Park’ that we will visit on Thursday.
Bye for now!!

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Comments

[Craig]

Its all Chinese to me
You must be relieved to be out of Egypt it appears to be going off at the moment. Just a word....no matter what you eat in Hongkong it's all Chinese food. If you buy it in China it's Chinese. Hope Joys toe is better but it could be advantageous as it may slow shopping down?? NOT! Enjoy your last days of freedom and live it up