Travel Insights-EgyptJordon-Part-2
- Satish Jayaprakash
- Jun 7, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 24, 2024
Continuing from Egypt, on our 10th day of the journey, we took a short flight from Cairo to Aqaba, Jordan. Aqaba, a small town, surprisingly sits in very close proximity to the borders of Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. It boasts the Gulf of Aqaba, a part of the Red Sea which connects to the Suez Canal near Saudi Arabia. Thanks to the Jordan Pass we had, we were exempt from visa fees, saving us at least 60 USD. The airport is a low-cost facility with very few international flights operating. Upon landing, I purchased a Jordanian SIM card at the airport with enough data for 3 days.
From the airport, we took a taxi ride of 2 hours to "Wadi Rum" costed around 40USD, a protected area of Jordan spanning 700 square kilometers of breathtaking desert. We had booked an overnight tent stay in the center of the desert. The drive from the main village of Wadi Rum to the heart of the desert was mesmerizing.
On the way to our tents, we stopped at multiple Canyons, important landmarks, Short treks and ended up at an ultimate Spot for a perfect Sunset.
Alkazali Canyon is one of the oldest canyons, adorned with ancient inscriptions, rock drawings, water pools, and captivating natural formations. It stands as a prominent attraction that should definitely be included in your itinerary when visiting Wadi Rum
At around 7 pm, we arrived at our Bedouin tents, named 'Rum Boutique,' which we had booked a few days earlier through booking.com. The Bedouin are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes with a rich history of inhabiting the desert regions of the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). Originating in the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, they spread across the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa following the expansion of Islam
Our one-night experience in the middle of the desert was truly amazing. Our host, Mr. Emad, had prepared dinner in a traditional Bedouin style using a Zarb, an underground oven for cooking beneath the sand. The dinner was served in a spacious dining area set up for a buffet, and afterward, we enjoyed an open dance floor with traditional Arabic music along with other fellow travellers.
After some healthy discussions with our fellow travelers, Host Emad and the chef, we called it a day and settled into our Bedouin tent for a restful night's sleep. It was a memorable moment when we learned that Chef Amir hailed from the conflict zone of Yemen, having lost his family and possessions in the war. He had come to Jordan in search of a livelihood. We were honored to join him to break his Ramadan fast in his humble abode.
11th Day of our Journey, We rose early in the morning, taking some time to wander through the desert before preparing for the day ahead. After a quick buffet breakfast, we readied ourselves to return to the main village, where a public transport minivan departed at 9:30 AM bound for Petra city. Unfortunately, we were running late, and the bus had already left the village. Thankfully, our host Emad intervened by contacting the driver and requesting them to wait for our arrival. Emad's brother graciously drove us to where the minivan was waiting outside the village, ensuring we caught the bus in time. Surprisingly, neither the existing passengers nor the bus attendant made any fuss about the delay, displaying a remarkable level of respect and understanding. After a three-hour journey costing us $30, we finally arrived at Petra city.
We were greeted by rain and strong winds, but fortunately, our stay at the 'Value Place' was very close to the bus stop. A short taxi ride brought us to our hotel, conveniently located right next to the entrance of the UNESCO site 'Petra'. That evening, we relaxed and discovered a charming coffee shop where we enjoyed a customized dinner, savoring a few Kuboos "An Arabic Pita bread" with some chicken gravy before calling it a day.
On the 12th day, it was clear sky and we started early around 8 AM, had a quick breakfast at the same coffee shop. After withdrawing some cash from the ATM, we entered the Petra site using our Jordan Pass. Anticipating a long day ahead, we began our walk. It was nostalgic to tread the same path that people used 3000 years ago for trading and living amidst these fantastic natural rock formations. Traders from around the world came here to exchange goods and cultures. Petra is also mentioned as one of the holy places in the Jewish Torah, the Bible, and some clerics claim it was the previous Islamic Qibla 'Direction of Namaaz' before Mecca.
Along the pathway leading to the Treasury, we observed old river beds that are now dry and man-made channels used for drinking water. Further along, there are hundreds of chambers where traders and artists once stayed along the path. We also explored multiple quarters partitioned and used for different purposes like stay, Storage or meditation in ancient times.
Then, we entered the main amphitheater, nearly as grand as the Colosseum.
There are multiple trails in Petra catering to different physical abilities and time constraints. While many complete these trails over two or three days, we had only one day for Petra. We grabbed a quick lunch and continued exploring. By around 3.30 PM, we had almost covered 6 km Trails. From this point, many visitors opt to return to the entrance via donkey ride or golf cart, as most of these services close by 6 PM. Walking 6 km back might not have been practical, but we decided to take a chance and reach the last mile to visit the iconic Ad-Deir Monastery atop a hill. Our plan was to return to this point by 6 PM to catch a donkey ride back to the entrance.
Tired but satisfied after climbing all the way to visit one of the oldest monasteries in the world, we started our trail back and reached ground level around 6:30 PM. With no donkeys or golf carts available to take us back, we were surprised to find a pickup truck waiting to transport goods to a nearby town. After a conversation, the driver, though not supposed to carry passengers, agreed to take us for a small tip of 30 JD. He drove us via a back entrance of Petra directly to our hotel. We crashed early, still savoring our lucky day.
On the morning of our 13th day, it was raining again. We made a short visit to the museum and strolled through the streets of Petra before enjoying Arabica coffee and breakfast at our hotel. The previous day, upon arriving at the bus stop in Petra, we had already arranged with a taxi driver for a 4-hour ride back to Aqaba, the city where we had initially flown into from Cairo. Our journey was almost complete, with tickets booked from Aqaba to Abu Dhabi, then Abu Dhabi to Mumbai. We planned to spend a couple of nights in Mumbai before flying from Mumbai to Bengaluru.
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In Transit, fog covered the initial part of our journey, and later, the highways and landscape surprised us with changing mountain rocks and colors amidst the rain. It reminded me of our own backyard "Ladakh". Before we knew it, four hours had passed in the taxi. The driver safely dropped us off at our hotel in Aqaba, where we had booked accommodation, around 1:30 PM.
Aqaba, a quiet and cozy coastal city with fewer people, greeted us warmly. While our hotel rooms were being prepared, we left our luggage and found a nearby restaurant where we enjoyed a relaxed lunch of Haleem made from fava beans (in India, Haleem is typically made from moong or toor dal). After checking in, we took a couple of hours' nap before preparing for a walk along the shores of the Red Sea.
As dusk fell on Aqaba, we could see the towering multistory buildings and city lights on the opposite shore—that was Israel. During our beach walk, we engaged in conversations with locals about Hollywood , our culture, food and Prime minister Modi as well. To cap off the evening, we enjoyed a large farewell dinner at a Jordanian restaurant, reminiscing about our entire 14-day journey. On our way back to our room, we met a solo Indian traveler "Vimal"—a student from Gujarat studying in Abu Dhabi, staying at the same hotel. We expressed our pride in seeing young Indians like him, demonstrating that we are no longer perceived as a third-world nation constrained by GMT. With thoughts of our flight to Abu Dhabi scheduled for 9:30 AM the next day, we retired for the night.
On day 14, Early in the morning around 5 AM, we received multiple texts and emails informing us that our flight with Wizz Air, a low-cost airline, was delayed and rescheduled to 12 noon. We also informed the Indian student, whom we had previously talked to and discovered was on the same flight, about the delay. Taking advantage of the extra time, we slept in a bit, had a relaxed breakfast, and spent time browsing the internet at a nearby restaurant. We had to cancel the taxi we had arranged to take us to the airport, but we accepted that such changes are part of the journey.
Around 10 AM, we received another update that the flight was further delayed and now scheduled to depart at 4 PM. Since we had already checked out of the hotel, we carried our luggage and explored the streets of Aqaba, passing time until approximately 1 PM when we arranged for a taxi through the hotel. Along with Vimal, we reached the airport by 1:30 PM.
While waiting in line, we ensured our travel documents and onward journey tickets were readily accessible. However, upon reaching the Wizz Air counter, we were informed that we could not receive boarding passes due to lacking an Abu Dhabi visa. We explained that our next flight from Dubai was within 3 hours of landing, and the Dubai immigration website clearly stated that such transit passengers did not require a visa. Despite discussing our situation with multiple higher officials, we were still denied entry. We said goodbye to Vimal and took some time to reconsider our options.
After deciding to cancel our Abu Dhabi to Mumbai flights, along with our hotels in Mumbai and the subsequent Mumbai to Bengaluru flights, we opted to book a direct flight to Bengaluru. The incurred loss amounted to approximately Rs 40k, and rebooking cost an additional 50k. Dealing with low-cost airlines proved challenging due to their varying rules and poor customer service. Wizz Air had also denied boarding passes to five others on our flight. We then booked an Etihad Airlines flight from Amman, the capital of Jordan, to Bengaluru via a 3-hour transit in Abu Dhabi. Interestingly, this time there was no requirement for a transit visa, highlighting the unpredictable nature of travel regulations!!! Funny world it is.
After leaving the airport, we booked a taxi to Amman and secured a hotel at Amman using booking.com. The journey was far from over! Everything happens for a reason, though the reasons are often unknown. The drive took approximately 3 hours, during which our driver kindly stopped at a good restaurant for a meal. Our hotel was situated in a predominantly Christian neighborhood, offering a distinct cultural contrast to our previous experiences in Jordan. To move past the day's earlier setbacks, we took a leisurely stroll through Amman, a vibrant and bustling city. Following a brief search for local attractions, our evening concluded with a relaxing shopping trip for fresh fruits.
On the 15th day, the hopefully last day of our journey, we started early morning around 8 AM. We enjoyed a buffet breakfast and espresso at the hotel before beginning our exploration of the city. We were in a locality called Madaba, where we visited Byzantine churches, the Mosque of Jesus Christ, and saw ancient mosaic floors dating back 3000 years. We admired unique Christian-era art and did some window shopping before checking out and heading straight to Amman Airport.
At last, we checked in and obtained our boarding passes for Abu Dhabi and Bengaluru. We spent any remaining coins and Jordanian Dinars on souvenirs and traditional Jordanian sweets. Upon landing in Dubai, we felt a sense of accomplishment. While my wife and son relaxed at the boarding gate, I decided to refresh myself at Murphy's Sports Bar inside the airport. After an hour, as Etihad Airlines announced the boarding call, we realized with dismay that we couldn't find our boarding pass and passports! Had I left them on the table at Murphy's bar? In a panic, I rushed back and thankfully found that the waiter had kept them safely on the same table, untouched even though many travelers were still around. It was reassuring to see such honesty in the world. After thanking everyone, I hurried back to the gate and boarded our flight to Bengaluru, our final destination. This incident reminded us of the importance of mindfulness and gratitude as we continue our journey towards freedom, happiness and liberation.
Until my next journey blog, please take some time to read my other blogs as well. Namaste!
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