This morning we bid farewell to Michael and most of the group as they continued to Amman having dropped just eight of us off in Aqaba.
Aqaba is a coastal city on the Red Sea, close to the border with Israel. After checking in to the rather smart Oryx hotel …
… several of us set out to explore, heading towards the beach, where we saw families enjoying the holiday weekend.
In the background is a huge flag, but looking closer, it isn’t Jordanian as you might expect. Instead, it’s the banner of the Great Arab Revolt, commemorating the Battle of Aqaba in 1917. The capture of Aqaba was a key moment in the revolt against Ottoman rule in the Middle East and the flagpole was the tallest in the world when it was erected in 2004.
We took the chance to relax and enjoy a seafood lunch with a delicious lemon & mint smoothies.
We passed a liquor store on our walk back and a couple of us picked up some wine.
Despite the hotel sign saying no external food or drink, we’ve never known a place to actually scan for contraband and one chap got charged corkage, although Chris managed to slip by unnoticed. After the excitement, we spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool.
Next day we went to the Berenice Beach Club, and after a short shuttle ride, we soon settled ourselves on loungers admiring the Red Sea.
Our ticket also included a brief trip in a glass bottom boat with an opportunity to snorkel.
We saw lots of jellyfish and some areas of coral through the glass.
Chris had brought some prescription goggles and also his new waterproof camera, so was eager to try them out. Unfortunately where we stopped, we couldn’t see coral or fish, just more jellyfish, but Chris was delighted with this picture.
On the last day, we returned to the old part of Aqaba town …
… past a mosque …
… and through the colourful Souk …
… to Aqaba Fort.
Next door was a museum filled with black and white images, telling the story of the Arab Revolt and interestingly, despite the prominent part Hollywood gave Lawrence in the affair, he was only mentioned twice, but then there are always several sides to any story.
And here is the great Arab Revolt Plaza, with a flagpole so tall, you cannot see the flag …
… and then we found a cafe overlooking the beach for another refreshing lemon & mint …
… as the girls on the next table puffed on their shisha. They are everywhere, often smoked by young women and apparently usually contain tobacco, albeit fruit flavoured.
Unfortunately, by the time we were ready to eat, Hashems, the most famous falafel cafe in Aqaba, even visited by the King of Jordan, was closing. Instead we stopped a couple of doors down at a bakery selling small Middle Eastern pies with different fillings – meat, cheese and hot potato among others, some open and others closed, that are heated up in the bread oven – a bargain, 3 for 75p!
We took the hotel shuttle back and spent the rest of the afternoon quietly by the pool.
Off Travelling Together 