Traveling to Jordan

A quiet night in "camel shake" and up early with a bit of time to wander around the resort, we had breakfast and were in the bus and headed north through the mountains to our embarkation town of Nuweiba. There we will board our ferry to Jordan.

The drive was spectacular with the early morning sun shining on the red, gold, and mauve colored rocky mountains. The road followed the bed of a dry wash, called a "wadi" in Arabic. This "canyon" ran on for 30+ miles ending at a summit of 3,500 feet. We renamed this the "painted canyon."

At the top it was a very fast (yikes) downhill run through yet another canyon. Thankfully the four lane divided highway was in excellent condition. Halfway down at Dahab (the gold town) we stopped at possibly the cleanest and well-stocked gasoline station in the entire country. For a moment we thought we were at a 7-11 in the states...smile!

From there to Nuweiba we traveled through the St. Katherine Protectorate (national park). The rock formations were even more stunning than before. Along the way were passed by an UN convoy on their way south from Israel.

We reached the port where we waited for processing. Maged warned us to NOT talk to anyone except uniformed officers and to stay together. In he warning he mentioned "mafia," criminals, and thugs. We all were very alert and the process was painless. Sometimes I wonder if the situation they claim to be is often more hyperbola than reality; choosing to err on the side of caution. Once we were cleared through customs and immigration, we got back on our comfortable and air-conditioned bus and waited some more. In total it took three hours before saying goodbye to Maged and Emad and boarded our ferry. We wandered around the upper decks and watched as the trucks and other passengers were loaded. Our boat sailed mid afternoon up the Gulf of Aqaba with Egypt to the west and Saudi Arabia to the east.

We had a grand time and always felt safe and cared for. Egypt was by far the most unique place we have yet visited. You have to look past the poverty and debris, the congested streets and noise, the politics, in order to see the welcoming smiles and the genuine sincerity of these good people. This experience was certainly more than the pyramids and the amazing antiquity. It was a journey of spirit and hope for a new nation and for a short time, we were part of it.