Global Wanderer

6/4/24 – 7/4/24

Wadi Rum was an incredible experience (even down to my goat-hair tent!), but on Saturday morning, I found myself in the back of Ibrahim’s Jeep, heading back to civilisation.

I said my goodbyes, and was left in the carpark outside the Wadi Rum Village Rest House. My next destination was the Red Sea resort town of Aqaba, located right on the southern tip of Jordan. I was, however, lacking in transportation, and relatively unwilling to fork out the $60+AUD for a taxi. Luckily, as I was walking out of the carpark – intending to hitchhike my way to the main highway – the Asri Tours minivan pulled in. The owner, who I’d chatted to on the way out to Wadi Rum the previous day, was in tow, and offered to take me out to the highway and ‘see what we can do’. Seeing what he could do, it turned out, was calling one of his local van-driver friends, who was travelling southwards – I was picked up on the side of the highway not long after, Aqaba-bound!

Palm Tree Central!

I’d been on the road for a month at this point, and was intending on using my night in Aqaba to rest my feet before heading off to Egypt. In the spirit of Rest and Relaxation, I had booked a room in a hotel, the Luciana, a slightly cheaper subsidiary of the 5-star Bratus Hotel. The desert is an inhospitable place for many things, Wi-Fi included, which meant I hadn’t received any messages from the hotel – missing an important one letting me know that some urgent maintenance had to be done on the property. When I arrived, having walked up from the main street where I had been dropped off, I was told that I had instead been booked into a suite at the Bratus Hotel – and I was whisked over in a car immediately! Talk about luxury (having spent the previous night in a tent!).

The Bratus Hotel.

That night, I walked up and down the public beachfront, marvelling at the the Red Sea, and checking out some of the ruins of the old city that once stood here. The coast of the Red Sea is the meeting point of several countries – Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia – and Aqaba is located right next door to the Israeli resort town of Eilat. This made for some interesting views, as you can see the lights of Eilat close by, followed by the Egyptian town of Taba slightly further along. If I had a few more days, I probably would have been tempted to walk all the way across (3 borders in a day!).

Aqaba by night.

After a hearty dinner, and a bit more walking, I headed back to the Bratus Hotel for a proper sleep, which I must admit, was very much needed!

My final day in Jordan began with an enormous breakfast spread, which I did my utmost best to polish offer, followed by a trip to Aqaba’s incredibly small airport. There was a single departing flight that day (mine, to Amman), but amazingly, this airport is actually equipped for international departures too – which seem to happen a few times a week. Seems that in season, and when there isn’t a conflict going on next-door, Aqaba is quite a popular destination!

Off to Cairo (with a quick pitstop in Amman!).