Saturday, April 3, 2010

Say It Ain't So ... Hot!

Aqaba, Jordan

Aqaba is a free trade zone, so everyone coming and going is subject to Customs inspections. We stopped just past customs and rode our bikes down, down, down and through the streets of Aqaba to the resort hotels.
From Good Friday in Wadi Rum, Then Aqaba
Then we had a few hours to do whatever. Sameh, Mel and I had lunch, and bought the requisite coffee and cigarettes for my visit to Wijdan tomorrow. Then we found a bar by a pool on the roof of a hotel, and spent the afternoon sipping fruit juice in the shade.

It was soooo hot! I'm definitely not looking forward to moving to Aqaba on Thursday. Imagine how much hotter it'll be in another month!

3 comments:

Live in Aqaba said...

Hi Maryah:

I stumbled across your blog entry while doing a Google search for Aqaba. I moved here a year ago from the USA and yes, Aqaba does get pretty hot. You really can't live without an A/C. Problem is that electricity here isn't cheap and in the heat of the summer, you can start running up to 260JD in electric bills if you have the A/C running non-stop. But you also learn to take long afternoon naps and venture out at night when it is cooler. Hope you'll check out our website about Aqaba and find it useful. If you're moving to Aqaba next month and have any questions you want to ask about living here, I'd be happy to answer them.

Good luck,
Muna
http://liveinaqaba.com

Maryah said...

Your Website is fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing that with me! I actually do have a question. I want to know if it's possible to get a monthly pass to one of the private beaches in Aqaba. Would I call the hotel resorts and ask them?

Thanks also for the heads-up about the A/C. Better make sure my employer's paying the electric bill....

Live in Aqaba said...

You're welcome Maryah and thanks for liking our website. Hope you'll tell your friends about it :)

All 5-star hotels in Aqaba offer swimming pool membership. I would visit each one in person before I decide which to pick. It is better than calling. I know the annual membership at the InterContinental is 1200JD whereas at Talabay it is 400-600JD, maybe more. If you won't have a car, it is better to get the membership at the InterContinental or Movenpick in town. If you have a car, you may want to opt for the Movenpick, Radisson, or Tala Bay at Aqaba's south beach (Tala Bay).

If you want something much cheaper, the Aqaba International School has 2 pools and offers membership to non staff ans students. They have 2 nites for women, but I would go to the school and check the indoor and outdoor pools before deciding. The link to the school is on our website under "Around Aqaba/Learning Institutions".

Hope this helps,
Muna
http://liveinaqaba.com