Channeling Our Inner Indiana Jones - Petra, Jordan.
Our inaugural uniformed flight has us flying to our first stop in the Middle East - we are Aqaba, Jordan, bound. We will all channel our inner Indiana Jones as we set out to visit the lost city of Petra; the backdrop in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Wheels up from Athens, Greece.
Crossing over Egypt
Aqaba, Jordan, below and Eilat, Israel to the left. You are not allowed to enter Israeli air space when flying to Jordan - we were well briefed on this.
On the approach into Aqaba
Landing in the Middle East gets 2 thumbs up!
JP Jets FBO took great care of us with a nice modern facility. In no time we were off to our hotel.
The Kempinski Aqaba Red Sea will be our home for the next 2 nights. Located right on the Red Sea, it took only minutes after our arrival to find members of our group down at the beach for a Red Sea swim! The 104' degree temperatures helped as well! Surprisingly, the water was much chillier than expected.
Our visit to Jordan falls during the holy month of Ramadan; for those participating, this means a full fast during daylight, no food or drink, not even water, until sunset every day. Out of respect to those participating, hotels try to juggle the tourists, us, in providing us with our customary meal experience. Their efforts were much appreciated.
Our only full day in Jordan was scheduled for our visit of the ancient city of Petra. Although many were familiar with Petra, many were unsure what they were about to experience. A quick 1hr45min drive through Bedouin villages, the mountains of Jordan and driving next to the world famous Wadi Rum Valley - known also as the "Valley of the Moon", we arrived in Wadi Musa, home to Petra, in no time.
Roaming camels on the side of the road - these are owned by Bedouin families in the area as livestock. They roam freely during the day on their own but are gathered nightly for milking.
Wheels up from Athens, Greece.
Crossing over Egypt
Aqaba, Jordan, below and Eilat, Israel to the left. You are not allowed to enter Israeli air space when flying to Jordan - we were well briefed on this.
On the approach into Aqaba
Landing in the Middle East gets 2 thumbs up!
JP Jets FBO took great care of us with a nice modern facility. In no time we were off to our hotel.
The Kempinski Aqaba Red Sea will be our home for the next 2 nights. Located right on the Red Sea, it took only minutes after our arrival to find members of our group down at the beach for a Red Sea swim! The 104' degree temperatures helped as well! Surprisingly, the water was much chillier than expected.
Our visit to Jordan falls during the holy month of Ramadan; for those participating, this means a full fast during daylight, no food or drink, not even water, until sunset every day. Out of respect to those participating, hotels try to juggle the tourists, us, in providing us with our customary meal experience. Their efforts were much appreciated.
Our only full day in Jordan was scheduled for our visit of the ancient city of Petra. Although many were familiar with Petra, many were unsure what they were about to experience. A quick 1hr45min drive through Bedouin villages, the mountains of Jordan and driving next to the world famous Wadi Rum Valley - known also as the "Valley of the Moon", we arrived in Wadi Musa, home to Petra, in no time.
Dirk enhancing the views of Wadi Musa behind - Wadi Musa hides the ancient city of Petra.
Mike and others dressed like locals
Deb and G looking great in red!
Family picture!
Typically flooded with tourists, we were lucky to arrive to Petra early and enjoy our exploration of the area nearly alone. Another perk was the cooler temperatures in the morning hours compared to later in the day - a pro-tip: go early!
When Jim and Deb go missing briefly appear on horse back!
The rest of us were left to walk :) Behind us was our first glimpse of the many tombs and temples that make up the Rose city of Petra - all carved in the pink sandstone cliffs. For many, Petra is most known for "The Treasury" building but Petra expands much further than just one building. In total we walked 3 miles down and 3 miles back and barely touched the top of what Petra really is - there is so much to see but with only one day to visit it all - we are hitting up the highlights!
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