Red Sea and Aqaba

The drive to Aqaba was incredibly hot. It kept getting more and more humid as we neared the Red Sea.  It was so beautiful though! I was so excited to see the Red Sea, since it's the site of one of the greatest miracles in the Bible. 

When we finally arrived, we checked in at the Radisson. The five-star resort was a huge contrast to the Bedouin camp we stayed in the night before. Even though it felt like most hotels I've stayed in before, there were a few things here and there that reminded me we were still in the Middle East. For example, the dresser in the room was marked with the qibla (direction of Mecca) so that people would know which way to pray. 

Swimming in the Red Sea was amazing! The water was so clear that we could see all the coral and marine life swimming around underneath us. In the evening, some of us took a boat ride down the coast. The bottom of the boat was transparent so we got a good look at the reefs and sunken parts of boats. On the opposite coast, we saw parts of Egypt and Israel. Everything is so close here in the Middle East! 

We walked around downtown Aqaba for a little while afterwards and got some shwarma. When we got back to the hotel, we hung out outside with the group to watch the belly dancing show. It was a wonderfully relaxing evening after a weekend full of adventures. The next morning, we packed up for the five hour drive back to Amman. 

Catherine A.