Blogs from Aqaba, South, Jordan, Middle East - page 11

Der Tag beginnt gleich eigenartig. Ich hatte meinen Wecker auf um 5 gestellt, um pünktlich wieder am Flughafen zu sein, aber mein Handy hat heute Nacht, wohl weil es auf Jordanien eingestellt war (man kann bei den Kisten ja inzwischen die Zeitzone wählen), schon sehr korrekt auf Sommerzeit umgestellt, was ich aber erst am Flughafen gemerkt habe, wo ich dann folglich schon um 4.40 für einen 7.30 Abflug war... etwas arg früh. Positives Erlebnís auf dem Weg war, dass der Taxifahrer das METER eingestellt hat, womit ich überhaupt nicht gerechnet hatte, da man normalerweise den Preis zum Flughafen aushandeln muss. So kam ich sehr billig davon. Am Gate stand dann tatsächlich meine langerwartete Fokker 28. Eine richtig geile alte Kiste, die Royal Jordanian sonst nur für Flüge nach Bagdad nutzt (purer Pragmatismus...). Wieder hatte ich einen ... read more

After leaving the Wadi Rum, we drove another couple hours to the Red Sea in Aqaba. The best options to visit Aqaba for foriegners is to buy entry into a hotel beach. The public beaches are not too welcoming I've been told. We decided to opt for a longer drive but better snorkling and cheaper prices at a resort area about 30 minutes south of Aqaba called The Royal Society for Diving... or something like that. It was perfect. We entered for 7 JD each and rented snorkling gear for 5 JD. The beach was very clean with shade and chairs and the resturant very good. The water was crystal clear and blue as the Carribean. The snorkling was just off the beach with a very nice coral reef and many colorful fish. I was ... read more

for the past week and more I've been roaming up and down the Nile with 3 other travelers and 1 tour leader from intrepid tour. it's been quite good since the activities focus more on local culture immersion than the usual traps, and it's a nice break from worrying about logistics. sorry about not replying to emails since gmail is tempermental, but thanks for all the family and friends checking in on me. when internet connect gets better I'll send personalized emails. if you are wondering about the lower case, blame it on the keyboard. below are day to day breakdowns of what i saw in different locations, quite a bit since we are on the road every day. before that, however, i highlight few things about Egypt: 1. with Suez canal providing the most ... read more

Well kids that looks like it for Jordan. We're at the border town of Aqaba by the Red Sea. I've been looking forward to this for a lonnnnnng time. Tomorrow if all goes well I'll be going diving in Dahab. Yes!!! Can't wait man... Until now we haven't really gotten a chance to actually sit and write without being under a time crunch. This whole internet cafe hopping thing is so not cool. Miss spending hours on the computer doing nothing. Tonight we're getting on an overnight ferry that sails into Dahab in the Sinai peninsular. The ferry crossing is so random that we'll prob end up waiting for hours on each side. Where's a good book when you need one? I've been writing in my journal religiously so that will keep me occupied as well. ... read more

New blog, this time from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. I'm writing this blog from Aqaba, which is Jordan's only port city at the southernmost tip of the country. This is my last stop in Jordan, as I will shortly be leaving Jordan and entering Israel, hopefully. It still remains to be seen what the Israeli border guards will think of my Syrian visa and border stamps, but I'm hopeful they will let me in, although probably not without some sort of search. But, with regards to Jordan, I've been in the country for about 5 days. As with all the countries I've visited, a very interesting place. Compared to Syria, which I just came from, it is much more westernized. Foreign investment is widespread, and there is not as much as an aversion to being ... read more