In Jordan

We spent yesterday in Aqaba, Jordan. The day didn't turn out like we planned but it was a great day. We had arranged a private tour of the desert and the old city of Petra, but the tour didn't turn out to be what we expected.

There were to be four of us together in a private car which was to meet us outside the ship. The car turned out to be about a mile away outside the entrance to the port and to be a small taxi. The details were not as advertized. After a drive into town in the taxi and a quick stop where the guy asked for all the money, we decided to just give it up and leave. Our friends Ron and Sandi were then able to have more space. Jim actually wasn't feeling too great so it was all for the best.

We got out of the taxi, said good-bye and wandered in the town for a little bit. We saw interesting food, huge stainless steel pots, beautiful jewelry, and other facinating shops. We didn't take pictures. After a while we found a taxi and thought the guy understood we wanted to go to the port. We started driving and I realized we were going in the wrong direction. The ship is good to always list where we are docked on the daily newletter, so I showed it too him but naturally it was in English and he couldn't understand. Jim drew a picture of a ship and the guy got it and got us back to the entrance to the port. We repeated the walk back to the ship across the pavement in the hot sunshine and enjoyed a calm day on board the ship.

Turns out from our ship we were able to see from the back Saudi Arabia, from the middle Jordan, and from the right front Israel and from the left front Egypt. Amazing place to be.

This morning we awoke to the sight of beautiful resorts on the Red Sea. We watched the huge hotels go by until we reached the very tip of the land and turned into the Gulf of Suez. We are now headed north and are at sea for this day, May 1.

The weather is hot and the sky is hazy. But we are having great fun.