Jordan in 4 days - Probably not enough time
I got here 4 days ago. I crossed the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea into Aqaba from Egypt. I was given all kinds of counsel about how to go about there including going back through Israel over land - which would have taken a long time because the buses don't always seem to coordinate not to mention having to cross TWO national boundaries. It would have cost about $60-$80, I think, though my calculations always seem to be a bit off. Or, I could have taken the public bus to Nuweiba and taken the public ferry for (from what I hear from other travelers) between $80-$95. I took the last option which was organized through the hotel I was staying at, which I kind of regretted at the time of a bus to Taba, a private ferry and a bus to Petra for about $100. This was BY FAR the best deal. I got to Petra from Dahab, Egypt in about 7 hours where as the other trips would have taken between 6 and 20 hours, depending on my luck. I done good.
On the way over, I met an English couple, Caroline and Adam, and we spent a couple of days together. These two were SUPER DUPER cool. I want them to come to Canada and hang with me sometime. They really made the trip that much more enjoyable.
Petra was mighty impressive. It's all these old buildings carved into the sandstone and a series of tombs and caves that the bedouin people actually still inhabit. I met a nice you bedouin man who showed me around this place and took me to this spectacularly high point to watch the sunset. He then took me to the desert and cooked me chicken over a fire he built for us under the stars in the middle of nowhere. (I told myself I wouldn't tell mom and dad this because they would have a fit over how careless I was to do this... but I got good vibes from this guy and it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had in my life).
I spent two days in Petra which was more than enough with the heat and dust. I was exhausted and was so grateful to have a decent room in Petra with my own bathroom and satellite TV. For once the room was clean and quiet and had everything I could possibly want at that moment.
On the third day, I got on an early bus to Amman, the capital of Jordan. On the bus, I met a nice Aussie couple, Aaron and Lisa, and we decided to hire a taxi to take us to the Dead Sea and split the fare 3 ways. What a deal! When we arrived at the bus, the taxi driver offered to take us to Mount Nebo (yeah, the one from Deuteronomy) and the Dead Sea for 40JD, which is about $60. Not a bad deal, if you ask me. We paid about $20 to get into the beach that had access to the Sea and fresh showers and swimming pools. It was worth it!
Allow me to describe the Dead Sea: a little slimy, murky, terrible-tasting, mysterious and relaxing. You couldn't sink even if you tried. Holding your body upright was a challenge. But that stuff is dangerous to the eyes! Aaron dove in face first, even though he was advised against it by lonely planet. He had to be led by the hand to the freshwater showers to rinse it out. The water tastes as thought it has more than salt in it, which it does. It's really like nothing I've ever experienced or likely will experience again.
So, that brings me to today. I got up, did some laundry in the sink and headed down for breakfast in the classily dingy dining room of my $10/night hotel. Simple breakfast but good. I met a nice American girl who decided to do some sightseeing with me. We saw some Roman ruins at the top of a hill and the Roman Theatre which was the best-preserved I have seen yet. There was NO ONE there so I sang a little ditty to test out the acoustics. Then we saw some museums which were quite informative regarding the history and culture of the region.
I tried to find the shopping district but to no avail. I'm not sure if it's because I was in the wrong area or because it's Ramadan and people shouldn't be enjoying their days. I didn't get lunch because I was worried about offending the people around me who were fasting.
Tomorrow, I head back to Israel (no one knows the word Israel here, it seems but they do seem to understand Palestine... interesting stuff). I'll go through the north, which will likely be a bit of a challenge for me since I have to walk about 2km across the border and hope I find a ride to a city in Israel. Wish me luck!
On the way over, I met an English couple, Caroline and Adam, and we spent a couple of days together. These two were SUPER DUPER cool. I want them to come to Canada and hang with me sometime. They really made the trip that much more enjoyable.
Petra was mighty impressive. It's all these old buildings carved into the sandstone and a series of tombs and caves that the bedouin people actually still inhabit. I met a nice you bedouin man who showed me around this place and took me to this spectacularly high point to watch the sunset. He then took me to the desert and cooked me chicken over a fire he built for us under the stars in the middle of nowhere. (I told myself I wouldn't tell mom and dad this because they would have a fit over how careless I was to do this... but I got good vibes from this guy and it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had in my life).
I spent two days in Petra which was more than enough with the heat and dust. I was exhausted and was so grateful to have a decent room in Petra with my own bathroom and satellite TV. For once the room was clean and quiet and had everything I could possibly want at that moment.
On the third day, I got on an early bus to Amman, the capital of Jordan. On the bus, I met a nice Aussie couple, Aaron and Lisa, and we decided to hire a taxi to take us to the Dead Sea and split the fare 3 ways. What a deal! When we arrived at the bus, the taxi driver offered to take us to Mount Nebo (yeah, the one from Deuteronomy) and the Dead Sea for 40JD, which is about $60. Not a bad deal, if you ask me. We paid about $20 to get into the beach that had access to the Sea and fresh showers and swimming pools. It was worth it!
Allow me to describe the Dead Sea: a little slimy, murky, terrible-tasting, mysterious and relaxing. You couldn't sink even if you tried. Holding your body upright was a challenge. But that stuff is dangerous to the eyes! Aaron dove in face first, even though he was advised against it by lonely planet. He had to be led by the hand to the freshwater showers to rinse it out. The water tastes as thought it has more than salt in it, which it does. It's really like nothing I've ever experienced or likely will experience again.
So, that brings me to today. I got up, did some laundry in the sink and headed down for breakfast in the classily dingy dining room of my $10/night hotel. Simple breakfast but good. I met a nice American girl who decided to do some sightseeing with me. We saw some Roman ruins at the top of a hill and the Roman Theatre which was the best-preserved I have seen yet. There was NO ONE there so I sang a little ditty to test out the acoustics. Then we saw some museums which were quite informative regarding the history and culture of the region.
I tried to find the shopping district but to no avail. I'm not sure if it's because I was in the wrong area or because it's Ramadan and people shouldn't be enjoying their days. I didn't get lunch because I was worried about offending the people around me who were fasting.
Tomorrow, I head back to Israel (no one knows the word Israel here, it seems but they do seem to understand Palestine... interesting stuff). I'll go through the north, which will likely be a bit of a challenge for me since I have to walk about 2km across the border and hope I find a ride to a city in Israel. Wish me luck!