World Cruise 2017 Day 83 Al ‘Aqabrah, Jordan

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Today the ship spent the night in Al 'Aqabrah, Jordan.  At 8:45 AM I left on a tour called "Aqara Highlights & Wadi Rum Lunch".  We drove around the city for a view of some of the sights and at about 10 AM we left the city for Wadi Rum Area.  At 11 AM we stopped and got out for some photos and at 11:15 AM we stopped at the visitors center for Wadi Rum.  At 11:50 we arrived at Captains Desert Camp for lunch.  We had lunch and at 12:45 PM we left for a drive back to the ship.  When we got back in town we stopped for some shopping and we arrived back at the ship at 2:45 PM.  The Wadi Rum is an area of Jordan that includes ridges that are a thousand feet tall and are topped with domes worn smooth by the desert wind.  This area was used in the film Lawrence of ArabiaThe show tonight was put on by a local Folkloric Band.  They were not very good as they had very little variety in their music and the dancers had very little moves during the entire show.  Many people  left before the show was over.

Jordan officially The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is an Arab kingdom in Western Asia, on the East Bank of the Jordan River. Jordan is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the east and south; Iraq to the north-east; Syria to the north; Israel, Palestine and the Dead Sea to the west; and the Red Sea in its extreme south-west.  Jordan is strategically located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. The capital, Aalmman, is Jordan's most populous city as well as the country's economic, political and cultural centre.

Aqaba also spelled Al'Aqabrah is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba. Situated in southernmost Jordan, Aqaba is the administrative centre of the Aqaba Governorate.  The city has a population of 188,160 and a land area of 375 square kilometers (144.8 sq mi).  Today, Aqaba plays a major role in the development of the Jordanian economy, through the vibrant trade and tourism sectors. The Port of Aqaba also serves other countries in the region.

Aqaba's strategic location at the northeastern tip of the Red Sea between the continents of Asia and Africa, has made its port important over the course of thousands of years.  The ancient city was called Ayla, its strategic location and proximity to copper mines, made it a regional hub for copper production and trade in the Chalcolithic period.  Ayla became a bishopric under Byzantine rule and later became a Latin Catholic titular see after Islamic conquest around 600 AD, when Ayla became known as Aqaba.  The Great Arab Revolt's Battle of Aqaba, depicted in the film Lawrence of Arabia, resulted in victory for Arab forces over the Ottoman defenders.

Aqaba's location next to Wadi Rum and Petra has placed it in Jordan's golden triangle of tourism, which strengthened the city's location on the world map and made it one of the major tourist attractions in Jordan. The city is administered by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, which has turned Aqaba into a low-tax, duty-free city, attracting several mega projects like Ayla Oasis, Saraya Aqaba, Marsa Zayed and expansion of the Port of Aqaba. They are expected to turn the city into a major tourism hub in the region. However, industrial and commercial activities remain important, due to the strategic location of the city as the country's only seaport.

Wadi Rum also known as The Valley of the Moon is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan 60 km (37 mi) to the east of Aqaba; it is the largest wadi in Jordan. Wadi Rum is Arabic for Roman Valley,or "Valley of the Romoioi" (Ρωμοιοί), as the Greeks were also called in the early Byzantine era by Arab people, probably referring to Christian Byzantine monastic or ascetic communities in the area, for which they were also known as "monks of the desert", before the expansion of the Rashidun Caliphate

This picture was taken near the cruise terminal in Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the bus.  This picture is typical of the area outside of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the bus.  This picture is typical of the area around of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the bus.  This picture is typical of the area around of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This is a picture of the beach in Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the bus.  

This picture was taken from the bus.  

This picture was taken from the bus.  

This picture was taken from the bus.  

This picture was taken from the bus.  

This picture was taken from the bus.

This picture was taken from the bus.

This picture was taken from the bus.

This picture was taken from the bus.

This picture was taken from the bus.

This picture was taken from the bus.  This is the remains of an old church.

This picture was taken from the bus.

This picture was taken from the bus.

This picture was taken from the bus.  This is the checkpoint of Aqabrah, Jordan area.  It is for both Jordan and Israel Area.

This picture was taken from the bus.

This picture was taken from the bus of the Wadi Rum area.

This picture was taken from the bus of the Wadi Rum area.

This picture was taken from the bus of the Wadi Rum area.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area.

This picture was taken from the bus in the Wadi Rum area.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area for lunch.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area for lunch.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area for lunch.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area for lunch.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area for lunch.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area for lunch.  This is one of the hotel rooms located here. 

This picture was taken front the bus in the Wadi Rum area. 

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at a stop in the Wadi Rum area for lunch.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken in Aqabrah, Jordan from the bus.

This picture was taken from the ship of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the ship of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the ship of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the ship of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the ship of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the ship of Aqabrah, Jordan.  Behind the wall is a site for future development of apartments, hotels, etc. 

This picture was taken from the ship of Aqabrah, Jordan.