There are no land borders between Egypt and Jordan and travellists have no choice but to cross the Gulf of Aqaba from Nuweiba. There are two ferries daily (but possibly not Saturdays). Fast / Slow ferry-boats cost US$70/US60 departing at 3pm/2pm, and i am told the fast ferry (one hour) is worth every cent extra. Unfortunately it has broken down at the moment so i have a three hour journey instead.
Tickets can only be purchased with US dollars, and these are not always available at the local banks. Thus i have to dip into my precious, much dilapidated hoard. Just enough left to pay for a Syrian visa – or so i hope.
It seems highly appropriate that the ticket seller in the office tells me there is an extra US10 port fee, but it states on the ticket that i have paid US60. When i ask to see his superior, he quickly changes his tune. “Oh yes – it is included after all”’.
During the Haj tickets must be purchased well in advance.
The ticket office is opposite the Red Sea Port entrance in a sand coloured building signposted only in Arabic. It is recommended to get to the terminal two hours before departure. Customs and immigration can be very slow.
The ticket office inform me that the boat is scheduled to depart at 3pm, the immigration officer confidently tells me the boat will depart at 2pm, but on board the boat, an announcement in Arabic informs us the boat will leave at 4pm. It finally departs at 3.45.
Whilst the Arabs around me get their passports stamped on the boat, my passport is confiscated and i am told i can collect it again in the immigration office in Aqaba. Whilst Lonely Planet also mention this, i hate being seperated from my passport for however short a period. Sure enough it is waiting for me in the dock outside immigration and the visa is valid for a month not 14 days as claimed by Lonely Planet.
It takes some three and a half hours before docking, although the chaos on arrival means i don;t disembark for a further hour. True enough my free Jordanian visa is stamped into my passport, but only for 14 days. One of my first jobs will be to get this extended only possible in Aqaba or Amman.
A taxi (metered) costs JD2 into the centre form the dock.
For those tracking ALITD, Jordan marks our thirteenth country in eleven and a half months. And we still have a few more to go.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment