Comments on: The 1 hour ferry that took 9 hours: Nuweiba to Aqaba http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html making travel happen is a way of life Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:31:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Kelly http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1587 Kelly Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:14:38 +0000 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1587 Hi Shirley, wow, that sounds terrible. It really makes you appreciate transit that is run in an orderly fashion. You are right, the picture of us waiting in the terminal doesn't look that bad, but it's because we dragged those chairs to an area sort of away from the other people. Just on the other side of us was a giant room packed with people all over the place and it was filthy (see the toilet pic). Glad to hear you made it out of there in one piece and with your sanity!!!! Hi Shirley, wow, that sounds terrible. It really makes you appreciate transit that is run in an orderly fashion. You are right, the picture of us waiting in the terminal doesn’t look that bad, but it’s because we dragged those chairs to an area sort of away from the other people. Just on the other side of us was a giant room packed with people all over the place and it was filthy (see the toilet pic). Glad to hear you made it out of there in one piece and with your sanity!!!!

]]> By: Shirley http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1586 Shirley Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:46:03 +0000 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1586 By the way, the photo looks like the waiting area in Jordan (which was quite civilised), not like the woolshed in Egypt. By the way, the photo looks like the waiting area in Jordan (which was quite civilised), not like the woolshed in Egypt.

]]> By: Shirley http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1585 Shirley Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:44:06 +0000 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1585 We took the ferry both ways. I thought the first trip was bad enough, with a "fast 1 hour ferry ride" taking 4 hours from the time we got inside the boat (oh, yeah, no windows that opened and hundreds of people, in the middle of summer). Then after chasing around to get my passport back with the visa, the "4 or 5 hour" bus trip across the Sinai in a bus so bad that we opened the roof vent and windows (in the heat of the day in the desert) rather than the pitiful excuse for airconditioning. Even the Egyptians thought it was too hot! So on the return trip we left Cairo just before midnight, arrived at 6 a.m. for the 7 a.m. ferry. Which was late. It was supposed to come at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., just after 12, in another half an hour, around 4 p.m., maybe tomorrow, and finally we stopped asking and just slept on the dirty wooden benches with hundreds of others. The 7 a.m. ferry left at 11 p.m., so at least it was technically the same day! I was coughing and ill by the time the boat came - Cairo in summer can do that to you. So two lovely Palestinian Jordanian guys my husband had been chatting with carried our luggage and wouldn't let my husband do anything except support me on board. Fortunately as a woman, I got to go to the front of the queues (almost entirely composed of men) and so my husband and I and the friends travelling with us got on and off with less hassle when the time came. The car was in the parking lot at Aqaba - with a flat battery! We took the ferry both ways. I thought the first trip was bad enough, with a “fast 1 hour ferry ride” taking 4 hours from the time we got inside the boat (oh, yeah, no windows that opened and hundreds of people, in the middle of summer). Then after chasing around to get my passport back with the visa, the “4 or 5 hour” bus trip across the Sinai in a bus so bad that we opened the roof vent and windows (in the heat of the day in the desert) rather than the pitiful excuse for airconditioning. Even the Egyptians thought it was too hot! So on the return trip we left Cairo just before midnight, arrived at 6 a.m. for the 7 a.m. ferry. Which was late. It was supposed to come at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., just after 12, in another half an hour, around 4 p.m., maybe tomorrow, and finally we stopped asking and just slept on the dirty wooden benches with hundreds of others. The 7 a.m. ferry left at 11 p.m., so at least it was technically the same day!

I was coughing and ill by the time the boat came - Cairo in summer can do that to you. So two lovely Palestinian Jordanian guys my husband had been chatting with carried our luggage and wouldn’t let my husband do anything except support me on board.

Fortunately as a woman, I got to go to the front of the queues (almost entirely composed of men) and so my husband and I and the friends travelling with us got on and off with less hassle when the time came.

The car was in the parking lot at Aqaba - with a flat battery!

]]> By: Sammie http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1582 Sammie Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:43:44 +0000 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1582 Thanks so much for sharing pictures and pertinent info! Thanks so much for sharing pictures and pertinent info!

]]> By: Kelly http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1581 Kelly Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:43:17 +0000 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1581 Ha! Good point. Actually, there is plenty of complaining in my blog, but the title was more referring to people who always SAY they want to travel, but never make it happen. :) Gpod luck in your passage! Ha! Good point. Actually, there is plenty of complaining in my blog, but the title was more referring to people who always SAY they want to travel, but never make it happen. :) Gpod luck in your passage!

]]> By: Vin http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1580 Vin Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:12:20 +0000 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1580 Thanks for sharing. I plan to take this trip with a bicycle in a few months time. I can't help see an irony with the title "Quit Whining and Go Somewhere" - clearly this was somewhere to make an exception. Thanks for sharing. I plan to take this trip with a bicycle in a few months time.
I can’t help see an irony with the title “Quit Whining and Go Somewhere” - clearly this was somewhere to make an exception.

]]> By: Luci http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1579 Luci Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:36:31 +0000 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1579 I did that ferry trip back in July. It was a bloody nightmare and it took around the same time as yours did so I feel your frustration!! Luckily I was staying in Aqaba that night but the night before, we climbed Mount Sinai for the run rise so was up since 2am that day. Bloody tired! I did that ferry trip back in July. It was a bloody nightmare and it took around the same time as yours did so I feel your frustration!! Luckily I was staying in Aqaba that night but the night before, we climbed Mount Sinai for the run rise so was up since 2am that day. Bloody tired!

]]> By: Yann http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1578 Yann Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:44:02 +0000 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-1578 Good to know, I am going the other way, but it is still good information. The thing is, in Jordan transport are not better !!! Good to know, I am going the other way, but it is still good information.

The thing is, in Jordan transport are not better !!!

]]> By: Shawn http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-753 Shawn Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:32:05 +0000 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kelly/the-1-hour-ferry-that-took-9-hours-nuweiba-to-aqaba.html#comment-753 Funny post, I can't help from cracking up. Not because of the headache you had, because, I am in Nuweiba right now after traveling Egypt for five months. Heading to Jordan. Funny post, I can’t help from cracking up. Not because of the headache you had, because, I am in Nuweiba right now after traveling Egypt for five months. Heading to Jordan.

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