Aqaba has a very distinct atmosphere to Amman. It is a town by the Red Sea, in the south of Jordan. It has a port, beaches, surfing and scuba diving centres. It is the ultimate holiday destination. As soon as you enter the city, you can smell the sea and hear the sea gulls.
Amman is located on a hilly area, with the latitude being higher than the souther parts of Jordan. At the point of Dead Sea, the altitude is already significantly lower, evidenced by the blocked ears and slight feeling of dizziness associated with the drive down from Amman. By the time you reach the Red Sea, you are below the neutral point. Some people need a little time to get used to the altitude changes that can cause dizziness, nausea and headaches.
I personally had a permanent headache the entire time I was in Amman. Prone to headaches, this is how my body reacted to being in a higher altitude. When I was in Aqaba, my headache was gone. I certainly felt the dizziness and light-headedness on the way there, but like a miracle, it was all gone by the time I saw the bright blue sea.
Aqaba was famous for its hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars. It was also famous for cheap shopping. The city centre consisted of different bazaars, each selling food and goods. Apparently, much of these products were much easier to find in Aqaba than elsewhere in Jordan and they were much cheaper. A number of families and business made special trips to Aqaba in order to do cheap shopping. Nuts and blankets were Aqaba’s specialty. Since many tourists came to Aqaba for holidays, in particular of younger generation, there were more liquor stores around the city than in Amman.
After checking into our small cozy hotel, my colleagues decided to go to a local scuba diving centre. They were both fond of the activity and didn’t have a chance to do it in Amman. I went along but decided to stay at the pool and the beach since I did not have any experience in scuba diving.
The diving centre was a calm oasis next to the buzzling city centre. Chill out music was playing in the background and there were deck chairs out on the pool side. There was a cozy little bar and restaurant next to the pool. The staff were friendly and welcoming. It really felt like I had entered paradise.
I went to walk by the sea. There many tourists lying on the beach, sun bathing and dipping into the sea once in a while. I could see Eilat of Israel on the other side of the sea.
One of the diving instructors walked over to talk to me.
‘This is why I love it here. The sea, the sand, the nature... the atmosphere heals you. Once you have lived here, it is hard to live in a city far away from the sea.’
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyone interested in visiting Aqaba, see this site:
No comments:
Post a Comment