Nova Hotel Eilat

... pas si bas que ça (peut-être 2-3 fois moins que la France pour les produits de consommation courante). Ca les motivent pas trop pour faire des études et ça rapporte presque autant de profiter des touristes au black. Il n'est pas marié et cela semble être pour lui un lourd fardeau. Il m'explique que le problème ce n'est pas de trouver une femme à marier (ça les familles s'en chargent dans la majorité des cas) mais c'est l'argent! Pour se ...

... get to where you can snorkel, you have to cross the "coral bridge" which despite it's name is actually a regular pier-like walkway that bridges over the coral (rather than being made of coral). Then you dip your toes in and say to your partner: Shouldn't this water be warmer?<br>After finally getting into the cold water, Rich and I both realized that we're not snorkelers. Though we pretended that we were for long enough to get sunburned ...

... a traditional Bedouin dinner and fell asleep in our tents. We started day 2 in the desert by hiking up a large Jebel where we could see the biggest mountain in Wadi Rum (about 1800 meters) half of which is in Saudi Arabi. The views from the top were spectacular and well worth the climb up. Our guide made us tea at the top of the Jebel while texting some friends on his cell (odd we know). We also witnessed Bedouins talking on their cell ...

Farwelling the group this morning we headed off for our last day in Aqaba. Deciding that the bakery looked good to take photos as well as sample some breads and pastries we headed there first. The Hamam was closed so that was cancelled and there were lots of touristy shops and restaurants. We wanted seafood. So we headed to the one restaurant that we kept walking pass and drooling ...

... sandstone carvings have been weathered over time. Just after noon we started the long, hot walk up to 'The High Place'. It is aptly named and has a 1km vertical drop and stunning desert views as well as The Monastry, another collosal carved building. By 3pm we were back at the bus, hot, dusty and hungry. We took the Kings Highway south and my heart sank as once more we were ascending and descending steep slopes. Luckily this didn't last for long. We had no idea when the ferry ...

... I've spent the last 2 nights in Jordan. Amman was totally uneventful, slept in a dorm with 2 Australians, the first I'd met on the trip. They were from Melbourne too. It was so good to speak normally again without having to articulate every word, and to hear the accent again. Stayed in the Farah Hotel, rooms were good, had net access, DVD collection, common room, but bathrooms and toilets were typically middle eastern. Got out to the ...

Wadi Rum is one of those places that is rather difficult to get to and from in the low season. Wadi Rum is a vast expanse of protected desert, with only the tiny town of Wadi Rum nearby. There aren't enough locals moving to need minibuses, and most locals hitch. We had to sign up for a ridiculously expensive tourist minibus from Petra. The other problem was what to do when we got there. In a move with dubious motives ...

... way, sometimes I wish I could fly away. When I think that I'm moving, suddenly things stand still. I'm afraid because I think they always will. And I'm looking for space and find out who I am. And I'm looking to know and understand. It's a sweet, sweet dream. Sometimes I'm almost there. Sometimes I fly like an Eagle. Sometimes I'm deep in despair. All alone in the universe. Cause sometimes that's how it seems and then I look in the center and ...

... a copper mirror as they used a copper razor to shave their beards. There is evidence they even had copper pipes for plumbing and irrigation. The protector of these desert dwellers was the goddess Hathor. Looking up at the clear night sky, Egyptians saw the Milky Way as milk flowing from a heavenly cow, personified by Hathor. The park contains the remains of a temple dedicated to her, where thousands of figurines, seals, beads ...

... will start university next fall to study as a teacher. She thinks the education nowadays is not good enough. She will change that when she starts teaching. Teachers are not as well regarded as lawyers and IT people, but she doesn't care. She will make a bigger difference as a teacher. Her parents tell her she will change as she grows older and she'll want to have more things for herself. She doesn't think so, although she winks and makes a face ...