Today we took the ferry from Hurghada to Sharm El Sheik and then a bus to Dahab. We are staying at a resort with a private "beach" - more of a coast line with a pier for jumping in and snorkeling in the reef. We can see lots of coral and beautiful colorful fish from the pier. For dinner we (Fiona, Linda and Julia and I) took the shuttle into town and walked around to find a koshary place. After eating koshary we were pressed for time to catch the shuttle back. We ended up walking way out of the way in the wrong direction and having to find our way back to town cutting through alleyways. We say a camel napping in the field and some stray dogs. Ended up missing the shuttle and having to take a taxi back to the resort. But wouldn't trade in the experience of wandering through Dahab's back alleys while Julia did arm exercises with her two 1.5L bottles of water and we joked about Sa'ad being really worried that his habibi was lost in a slightly sketchy area. :) Another good night!
Tomorrow morning we will go snorkeling in the famous blue hole, most of the group will go quad biking after. Julia and I will probably come back and snorkel more at the reef at the hotel. Looking forward to the excitements of the underwater world!!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Float in the Dead Sea & Pepsi
This morning Stephan and I went to the Dead Sea for a float. It was pretty cool although grossly warm...like pee. ;) A bunch of tourists paid too much money for someone to rub mud all over their bodies...but it was pretty funny and I took lots of pictures of them. =P After the Dead Sea we hitched a ride to Madaba to see the (slightly overrated) mosaic map. The first car we rode in was a family that insisted on buying us sodas...one of the few times in my life that I have drank a Pepsi. They were the nicest people ever and I could not decline! After dinner tonight I got some "Ramadan cookies" (I call it Baklava but when I say that no one knows what I'm talking about, go figure).
Tomorrow morning I will cross the border into Israel and head to Jerusalem. Can't wait to talk to Hadas and see someone familiar!
Tomorrow morning I will cross the border into Israel and head to Jerusalem. Can't wait to talk to Hadas and see someone familiar!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Cheap bus rides and mobile phones
Ok, so maybe those aren't the highlights of Jordan but the bus rides are certainly extremely cheap and EVERYONE (and I mean EVERYONE) has a mobile phone. When I was walking around Petra I met a Bedouin trying to offer me a ride on his donkey. I didn't want to pay for the lift, and thought the exercise would be good for me, so I declined but he showed me around much of Petra anyway - and even let me ride the donkey! He took me to see the Snake monument and then to tea with his cousins...in their home - a cave...seriously. The mother of the family (she has 12 kids and is pretty old) had a mobile. Here is this woman that lives in a cave and she has a phone. She is texting on it!!
Before I go into detail and I lose everyones attention, here are the HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR:
diving in Aqaba
beautiful sunsets
every man I meet tells me I look Arabic and have beautiful eyes (literally, like an obsession with my eyes...it's kinda cool since all you American fools obsess with my @$$ ;)
tons of hiking!!! - Petra, Wadi Rum, Dana, Ajloun - my butt is literally sore
friendly people - like, really really friendly and helpful
FOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
did I mention the sunsets?
non-highlights:
not only do I have to squat over the toilet but often there is no toilet paper - I have learned to carry extra
lack of seatbelts (and the driving is scary)
cold showers
kay, now on with my story...
I don't remember the Bedouin's name, but due to his dread locks and love of Bob Marley, all his friends call him Rastafari. His donkey's name - Michael Jackson. He took me all over Petra and when we started to run out of time we both jumped on his donkey and boy did that donkey go. Not very fast, but it was faster than walking...and bumpier. At the end of the day we hiked up 850 steps to the Monastary. Definitely the highlight of my trip so far (of course there have been many and it has only just began). As we waited for the sun to set him and his friends sang while one of them played the Ud. I can't wait to show you the video I took. The sun setting over the valley was absolutely gorgeous. After sunset we ran down the steps and jumped on the donkey and rode it up some pretty strenuous hills to the Bedouin village where he called his friend to take me back to Wadi Musa. He wouldn't let me pay him for anything after all he did (except for his friend who drove me back).
The next day I headed to Wadi Rum (EARLY in the morning). I went on a 4x4 tour with a Polish couple - Teresa and Peotr. Even though I was wishing my brother Stefan was around for the hiking and climbing, they made for pretty adventurous company and I was happy to be spending the day with them. Again, another beautiful sunrise in Wadi Rum. Then we spent the evening with a young British family and our Bedouin chef. The Bedouin dinner was good, very interesting taste to the chicken - cooked under the sand. The next morning they gave us a ride back to Rum village from the camp to catch the bus back to Petra.
Once back in Wadi Musa I caught a bus to Ma'an and then from Ma'an to Dana Nature Preserve. On the bus to Ma'an, who do I meet? Stephan - 24, German, studying medicine in Austria but just finished 5 weeks in Lebanon. He decided to join me on my way to Dana where we went hiking for the afternoon and then slept on the roof of very quirky Dana Tower hotel. After not showering in the Bedouin tent in Wadi Rum and spending two days hiking, I was ready for a shower - unfortunately, it was cold. The next morning we went to Karak castle and then on to Amman. In Amman, we are staying at Abassi Palace hotel. Dying for a warm shower I turned the water on and what comes out for the next 10 minutes...cold water. At least it was not as cold as in Dana.
Today we went hiking in Ajloun and walked around the beautiful Roman ruins of Jerash. A French guy joined us for the adventure. Tomorrow we will probably all go to the Dead Sea. Tomorrow evening Guillob (sp?) heads to Ireland for 2 weeks and the next morning Stephan goes to Lebanon and I to Israel. It has been fun in Jordan and I am sad to be leaving such a friendly place.
Before I go into detail and I lose everyones attention, here are the HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR:
diving in Aqaba
beautiful sunsets
every man I meet tells me I look Arabic and have beautiful eyes (literally, like an obsession with my eyes...it's kinda cool since all you American fools obsess with my @$$ ;)
tons of hiking!!! - Petra, Wadi Rum, Dana, Ajloun - my butt is literally sore
friendly people - like, really really friendly and helpful
FOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
did I mention the sunsets?
non-highlights:
not only do I have to squat over the toilet but often there is no toilet paper - I have learned to carry extra
lack of seatbelts (and the driving is scary)
cold showers
kay, now on with my story...
I don't remember the Bedouin's name, but due to his dread locks and love of Bob Marley, all his friends call him Rastafari. His donkey's name - Michael Jackson. He took me all over Petra and when we started to run out of time we both jumped on his donkey and boy did that donkey go. Not very fast, but it was faster than walking...and bumpier. At the end of the day we hiked up 850 steps to the Monastary. Definitely the highlight of my trip so far (of course there have been many and it has only just began). As we waited for the sun to set him and his friends sang while one of them played the Ud. I can't wait to show you the video I took. The sun setting over the valley was absolutely gorgeous. After sunset we ran down the steps and jumped on the donkey and rode it up some pretty strenuous hills to the Bedouin village where he called his friend to take me back to Wadi Musa. He wouldn't let me pay him for anything after all he did (except for his friend who drove me back).
The next day I headed to Wadi Rum (EARLY in the morning). I went on a 4x4 tour with a Polish couple - Teresa and Peotr. Even though I was wishing my brother Stefan was around for the hiking and climbing, they made for pretty adventurous company and I was happy to be spending the day with them. Again, another beautiful sunrise in Wadi Rum. Then we spent the evening with a young British family and our Bedouin chef. The Bedouin dinner was good, very interesting taste to the chicken - cooked under the sand. The next morning they gave us a ride back to Rum village from the camp to catch the bus back to Petra.
Once back in Wadi Musa I caught a bus to Ma'an and then from Ma'an to Dana Nature Preserve. On the bus to Ma'an, who do I meet? Stephan - 24, German, studying medicine in Austria but just finished 5 weeks in Lebanon. He decided to join me on my way to Dana where we went hiking for the afternoon and then slept on the roof of very quirky Dana Tower hotel. After not showering in the Bedouin tent in Wadi Rum and spending two days hiking, I was ready for a shower - unfortunately, it was cold. The next morning we went to Karak castle and then on to Amman. In Amman, we are staying at Abassi Palace hotel. Dying for a warm shower I turned the water on and what comes out for the next 10 minutes...cold water. At least it was not as cold as in Dana.
Today we went hiking in Ajloun and walked around the beautiful Roman ruins of Jerash. A French guy joined us for the adventure. Tomorrow we will probably all go to the Dead Sea. Tomorrow evening Guillob (sp?) heads to Ireland for 2 weeks and the next morning Stephan goes to Lebanon and I to Israel. It has been fun in Jordan and I am sad to be leaving such a friendly place.
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