After having greeted, thanked, and paid Ateh, we snuggle in a taxi booked by Guides of Wadi Rum, which takes us to Aqaba, to My Hotel, which has been booked in a somewhat odd way, since apart from the price of the room they no longer gave me any confirmations despite my reminders, and neither took care to ask for my credit card number.
In any case, even if they would be fully booked, it would not be a problem, since surely there is no shortage of hotels in Aqaba, and we are not even in a weekend.
We are in the center, near the sea, on the An Nahda Strett, which is the inner parallel to the Corniche. The My hotel is located in a slightly recessed square, next to Al Cazar Hotel.
There is plenty of empty rooms, they would like to assign me a first floor one, but I noticed that the top floors have terraces, and I need a balcony since I have to do some laundry. Although it is evening, a warm wind blows, which is ideal. The room, 502, on top floor, has a beautiful appearance, but little by little the flaws emerge, all concentrated in the shower, taps are almost detached from the wall, another piece falls on my head. I just had a discussion with the receptionist, who would claim for payment JD 100, whereas the agreed price was 100 USD. Good that I brought with me the email confirmation. Then he puts me a lot of pressure to be immediately paid. Since I do not want to give him my credit card, I give him cash, and then, just to be pedantic and get on his nerves, I ask for a receipt. He also gives us wrong information about the Maritime AB, the company that runs ferries to Nuweiba in Egypt. To tell the truth, even the Lonely Planet is inaccurate in this regard. The ferries can be paid in any kind of currency, we give them 54 Eu each. In addition, the offices, which are located near the post office, are also open in the evening. .
We have dinner at the Floka Restaurant, crowded with both tourists and locals. A generous portion of grilled chicken, including the various vegetables and French fries, costs 7.5 JD to Lorenzo, I take a grilled fish fillet for 9 JD. Italian prices, almost. Lorenzo tries my dish, and declares that it is definitely frozen, and not fresh fish. The fresh one is exposed in some glass cases, covered by ice, and must be paid by weight, so I thought better not to risk to be ripped off.
I buy, as souvenirs, Dead Sea Salts bags, a pack of 250 grams costs 1.5 JD.
At 23, all my laundry is already dry.
18/10
The buffet breakfast is fantastic, the best one so far, with everything one could think about, including dried fruit trays and dates.
The ferry leaves at 13.00, but we have to be at the port at least 60 minutes before. Because of the chaos, I recommend 90 minutes. We still have available from 10.00 to 11.30 for a very superficial exploration of Aqaba. We head towards the sea, the marina is not far from our hotel. We look out from the rocks, in front of us is Eilat, a stone’s throw away.
To our left, next to the port there are some buildings under construction, and then some public beaches, behind them stands a huge Jordanian flag.
In hindsight, I regret that I went to Dahab and did not stay here. The city beaches seem unappealing because of the large commercial port which is located just to the south.
Perhaps it would not have been bad trying the guesthouses run by Bedouins in the Tala Bay area, 12 kilometers south, or at least just go to see them, and then decide whether to embark for Egypt or not .. oh well, I screwed up!
The city center is tidy, green flower beds and palm trees, the streets are clean, it looks like a Ligurian town !!
It is 100% clear that there is a huge difference between Jordan and Egypt!
We do the last shopping tour and, by taxi, 5 JD, we reach the ferry terminal. We have to climb to the second floor: there are counters where our passport are stamped and we pay a 8 JD fee for leaving the country. At the moment there is a long tail composed of American tourists. Then, on the same floor we have to reach other counters where they control or stamp, I can’t remember, the ferry ticket, checking that everything is in order. At this point, we go outside and wait for a AB Maritime bus which takes us to the ship..
The ferry, modern model, also transports cars. Upon arriving at the passengers floor (It is forbidden to stay outside) independent travelers are directed to the Egyptian immigration office. Here they are unable to issue visas, (Sinai pass excluded) so either you already have one, or they explain where to do it the port of Nuweiba, just landed. Though, they make you understand it’s better if you already have it. We just need the Sinai Pass, free of charge, as confirmed by the Milan Consulate (or at least it is what we think, but that’s another story and we will tell it in the Dahab travel diary).
On board there is not much to do, a duty free shop sells mostly Chinese pans and appliances, as well as some obscene clothing. The sea is calm.
The hectic frenzy at the port has totally distracted me from the thoughts and meditation that I usually overwhelm me when I’m about to leave a country that I loved. It’s a period of balance, of reflection, of some sadness, while I am comfortably curled up on chairs, with Lorenzo sleeping beside me.
On the web there are bad reviews about these ferries, and their delays, but this time everything runs smoothly and we reach the land of Egypt on time. I hope it might be a good omen, but I am wrong.
Jordan has really surprised me. It deserved more than the dedicated week