The cultural side of the holiday is over and there is only ourselves and another couple from Voyages Jules Verne who have booked extra days in Aqaba to languish a bit in the warmth of 23-25 deg C.
The flight home for the other 22 holiday makers on this trip is delayed due to adverse weather and storm Dennis, so they all get another night in the Intercontinental Hotel while the four of us head back to the Movenpick for 3 nights. The facilities in the hotel are superb and it is not crowded, so we can truly just relax and take our own time.
Whilst out shopping and generally finding our way about the city centre and beach we come across a "Ladies Co-operative" which is a group of women who are effectively taking care of themselves and their families.
Their shop and wee set of stalls is a mere half a mile from where we are in the hotel and they sell various items and they are there every day. Bunty and I have taken to them as they are a very friendly and kind group trying to support themselves in the absence of husbands and fathers to their children. The sort of Matriarch is very sweet lady whose name is Eman Qaisi and we all hit it off from the outset.
The flight home for the other 22 holiday makers on this trip is delayed due to adverse weather and storm Dennis, so they all get another night in the Intercontinental Hotel while the four of us head back to the Movenpick for 3 nights. The facilities in the hotel are superb and it is not crowded, so we can truly just relax and take our own time.
Whilst out shopping and generally finding our way about the city centre and beach we come across a "Ladies Co-operative" which is a group of women who are effectively taking care of themselves and their families.
Their shop and wee set of stalls is a mere half a mile from where we are in the hotel and they sell various items and they are there every day. Bunty and I have taken to them as they are a very friendly and kind group trying to support themselves in the absence of husbands and fathers to their children. The sort of Matriarch is very sweet lady whose name is Eman Qaisi and we all hit it off from the outset.
That is Eman behind Wilma.
The Mosque dominating the city centre is the "Al Sharif Hussein bin Ali" Masjid. Architecturally it is fairly traditional but beautifully appointed. The call for prayers gets both of us there at the time and as we'd normally be at St Michaels in Inverness for mass and it is a Sunday we both go to the Mosque. For me this is fairly straight forward, as it is merely leaving my shoes outside and ritual washing of feet etc; Bunty though has to dress in accordance with Islam.
This has been a moving and culturally uplifting experience, as indeed has the whole Jordanian trip.
A walk further up and along the sea front and we find ourselves with a last trip on the "Oggin" with a glass bottom boat trip into the bay and over towards the Israeli city of Eilat and besides the Palace of King Abdullah II. Searching for turtles according Ahmed the owner. I suspect not a chance of seeing them but nonetheless, getting Wilma out to sea is a plus.
The ladies have invited us to eat with them at the co-operative so that is our final date as it were, except for the fact that I get roped into another cut-throat shave and every bit if hair removed from my kisser with a thing called "threading". Bunty too gets the treatment with threading which is a bit eye-watering.
The meal with the ladies was Goat and a variety of spices through the rice accompaniment and was so tender. I bow to Wilma's superior knowledge in the matter of "Goats" as a former show judge and breeder of the same.
Then it is all over and back to reality in the form of temperatures of 3 deg C and wind and snow showers. The flight back and overnight stay at Gatwick bring us back to earth without too much of a bump !
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