jon3

Today was the start of our trek home. Yesterday we hung out in Amman, Jordan all day so that we wouldnt have to wake up early to catch a bus to the airport. We flew from Amman to Dubai and had about 11hrs here in Dubai. We actually left the airport and went out into the city for awhile. We got to see the world's tallest building and the Dubai skyline. It is pretty amazing considering there was NOTHING here about 15 yrs ago yet now giant aquariums, golf courses, new island chains in shape of palm trees and the world's tallest building. Anyways, we went from the airport to the local major mall. It was a place of excess and extravagance. We got to see 1,000$ USD Jeans and such. I had sushi for lunch/dinner. ... read more

The final stay in Egypt was in the city of Alexandria. This city was founded by Alexander the Great a long time ago. It has a ton of history and culture. It also has a lot of trash cleaning crews since it is a major tourist destination. Our hotel, The Plaza, provided an wonderful view into the Mediterranean. It also was just a quick cab ride to the old citadel. The citadel over looks the main harbour that was designed by Alexander the Great. The Great Light House has sadly burned down, so we were unable to see it. However, we did get to have dinner at at the sea during sunset. The mixture of floating boats, splashing waves and swimmers and the colours of the sun made for an amazing experience. The other major attraction ... read more

Aqaba was the final major location along the trip. It is a resort town that is also a tax free area! This is supposed to mean that things are super super cheap here. However, all the meals and such still cost more than they would in Irbid. The area proved to be a very relaxing place just chill. We went to a resort area, The Royal Diving Club, to swim and snorkel. Along this area is a natural reef, which is actually pretty beautiful. Even though the land is lifeless except for tourists and bracelet sellers, the seas teamed with life. There were schools of fish everywhere along with sea cucumbers and corals. The reefs were nice to swim through during the hot day. I was sure to lather myself lavishly with sunscreen all day to ... read more

The next stop on the weekend tour was Wadi Rum. I left Petra with an ingrained image of man ability to manipulate nature and make a niche. I also left with a hell of sun burn that still requires hourly-ish gallops of aloe. I feel like a lizard shedding my skin. Anyways, Wadi Rum proved to be almost the opposite of Petra. It is a barren waste land sorta of place. It leaves you wondering why people would ever what to live in such a place. The result is that there isn’t really anyone who lives here but bracelet sellers. These people set up little “booths,” which range from little shacks to a rock with a sheet on it. They all sell the same “handmade Jordanian” products. I will believe this once I see it. All ... read more

The day trip on Sunday was not as adventurous as the day before. The day was devoted to visiting old desert castles. It was neat to see the desert; it is a very desolate place. The castles themselves where not truly castles except for one. The first was an old retreat for the princes in like the 7th century. It was even equipped with a bath area with heated water. The main feature of the place is its murals on the walls. Some how they have survived through the ages there in the desert. Considering the number of visitors who carve their names on the walls, this was surprising. They are quite ornate murals with human and animal figures. This was a scandalous idea considering Islam forbids the depiction of God's creations because it can be ... read more