Aqaba

It's short drive from Wadi Rum to Aqaba.  It’s Jordan’s only contact with the sea and right next to Eilat, Israel.  Also a few km. from Saudi Arabia and across the water from Egypt.  Two days ago, rockets were fired from somewhere in Egypt into the city of Eilat, no one was killed, but I’m sure it’s cause for increased security in Israel.  Also, yesterday, someone in Jordan had unkind things to say about the US bombings in Boston and made some kind of threat, so the US embassy—close to our hotel in Amman—has beefed up security.  It looks pretty secure to me

 

—all it’s missing is a moat!  It’s a big place with a high, solid stone fence around the perimeter.  Several large black SUVs with guns mounted on top stand guard along with Jordanian soldiers.  Back to Aqaba—

It’s a 4 hour drive from Amman to Aqaba and trucks go back and forth with supplies for Jordan and goods to export.  Phosphate is the main commodity and there is even a narrow gauge railroad from the desert where the phosphate is collected to the port of Aqaba.  This railroad is left over from when the British were here.  It’s a tax free city and that’s quite something in a country where tax is 26%.  As we entered and left the municipality, it was necessary to stop at a police check station.  Apparently, this tax free status is to encourage Jordanians to live in Aqaba, not for a shopping mecca for the rest of Jordan.  Nabil said it is possible to buy small items, like electronics or a shaver, but big items like TVs can’t be taken back to other municipalities.  As foreigners, we can buy anything, but it needs to leave the country with us.

Our hotel was on a bay south of town and could have easily been a Hawaiian or Mexican resort.  Great pool, restaurants, gift shop, and pool bar.

Our guide rented us a glass bottom boat from one of the locals. 

 Just the five of us spent 3 hours cruising on the Gulf of Aqaba looking at one of the best coral reefs in the world.  The crystal clear, variegated turquoise colored water full of coral and brightly colored fish was quite a contrast to the barren, brown hills surrounding us.  Schools of fish darted in and out of the coral and a couple old, sunken ships.  The coral varies from a small bright blue patch to a massive grey coral that looked like a brain, some look very solid and others are feathery and move back and forth with the water movement.  It was like being in a fish tank full of tropical fish.  Mustafa, our “captain”, is 22 and from a tourist-business family and has been on the water since he was 10. 

As we were in the boat, Jordanian Air Force planes were doing fly overs.  I don’t know if this is a show of force to whoever is bombing or if it was a scheduled event.

There is a private aquarium along the coast.  It looks like there’s a lot of research going on.  Tanks have pieces of coral and sea grasses tied to small clay pieces that look like they’re trying to grow and reintroduce to the Gulf.  Recognizable fish like clown fish, royal angel fish, sea turtles, moray eels share tanks with fish that I’ve never seen or heard of like spotted sweetlips and humphead wrasses and a couple other bizarre fish that look like rocks.   

 

Back to Amman for our last night in Jordan.  What a wonderful place it is!