We walked over the Rabin border crossing today from Aqaba, Jordan to Eilat, Israel. I’ve never walked over a border before. It was a cool experience and it was easy - the whole thing only took 40 minutes. We paid a 5JD exit tax then had to go thru bag checks, passport control, and customs. The bag check was pretty crazy - when Jim emptied his pockets the security guards used one of those swab things (what do they do anyway?) and swabbed down his wallet, his CHAPSTICK, his little packet of TISSUES and even his Fresh Strips.

At passport control, a tough looking dude asked us: How did you get from Egypt to Jordan? Why are you coming to Israel? Are you traveling together? What is your relation? How long are you staying? Where are you going next? (more…)

Our driver asked us how Ramadan was going for us. We didn’t know how to answer, so we said, Good. He asked if we were fasting and then said he didn’t like Ramadan. Again, we were unsure of how to answer. jim asked if he didn’t like it because of the fasting, and the driver sort of snapped back, No, that’s not it. He said it is very difficult to fast and not drink water all day as a cab driver. We didn’t say anything else. (more…)

(more…)

There were lots of goats walking around the streets of Nuweiba, like packs of dogs.

At the ferry terminal, we first entered an outdoor “holding area” and sat by a western-looking couple, much older and well-to-do. They were English. The wife heard us talking and said with relief, “OH! You speak English!” and proceeded to tell us how they had an all-inclusive tour through Viking tours and they’d had a miserable experience. They were left alone for 3 days and seemed amazed that we figured everything out for ourselves, and also seemed glad to have us to sort of guide them along. When I mentioned that I didn’t get to finish souvenir shopping in Egypt, she gave me a beautiful stone “egg” from St. Katherine’s and said she didn’t want it. Wow! How nice.

We weren’t sure where we were supposed to go to wait for the ferry, but we finally found an indoor “holding area,” like a terminal filled with people sitting on benches and lying on the floor and there were flies buzzing around everywhere. It was filthy. The English man suddenly got a text message from his tour agency saying the boat wasn’t leaving today because of rough seas and that his tour agency arranged alternate transport for them to get to Jordan. So the English couple left and actually ended up going back to Sharm, because they were so frustrated. (more…)

I looked at Jim and asked, “Why are you taking pictures of your bed?”
(more…)

JIm calls this pic “Newport Kelly”

At the start of the day, the captain gave us a short safety lecture but told us, “If you remember nothing, at least remember the name of the boat.” (foreshadowing!) So for the next few hours, our boat took us to three different places to snorkel. At the last one, they let us sort of go off on our own and told us to be back at the boat in 45 minutes. Jim and I had a fabulous time and saw so many beautiful fish and were able to go at our own speed. (more…)

Snorkeling, fish, and me telling Jim it’s time to go back to the boat.

(more…)

We snorkeled today and it was fantastic.

Jim took this with his underwater camera

As always I have no time so no chance to tell you anything. I hate that! The net at the hotel is INSANELY expensive and we are in the touristy part of town for a little while. It’s like being in stinkin’ Cancun. (more…)

There’s really not much to say - it’s hard to really take in the scope and size of what you are seeing when you are there. Also, it’s very hot and there are touts bothering you - so that makes it a little harder to enjoy.

Us at the Pyramids (click for larger)

The Sphinx seemed so small next to the pyramids. We walked around the Great Pyramid and spent 2 hours there total.

We went back to our cabbie and the traffic in Cairo was SOOO bad. We just sat there in a huge traffic jam. People there just make their own rules and somehow make 6 lanes out of 3 and honk at EVERYthing and everyone.

We got back, showered, relaxed, then went our again in Zamalek (the name of the area we are in in Cairo) which apparently is a nice, middle to upper class neighborhood. Did I mention that everywhere in Egypt you’ll walk past butchers with giant pieces of meat hanging in the window, usually legs… and we saw one that still had a hairy tail attached… like a donkey.

The next day we took a super early flight to Sharm el-Sheikh.