I caught the first bus from Wadi Musa to Aqaba. I was planning on getting on the ferry to Nuweiba straight from the bus but I thought I would give Aqaba a chance. I probably shouldn't have. It was pleasant enough but there wasn't really a lot to do in town but walk around wishing it wasn't son windy and cold.
I arrived at the ferry terminal the next morning to be told that there might not be a boat that day. This concerned me as there wasn't a scheduled service the next day so I would have to spend another two nights in town that I could have easily skipped. I waited an hour and was told that there was a boat. Phew! I got my ticket and waited, and waited and waited. This was broken by a large crowd congregating around a film crew. Turns out there were filming an Egyptian soap opera at the terminal and it biggest star was in scene. I regret that I still have no idea who it was but I have his photo. And then I waited.
Nuweiba was just what i had come to expect of Egypt from the numerous travelers I had met coming in the opposite direction, a shambles. After getting of the boat I was herded onto a bus to the terminal. Get of the bus and I had to find my bag amongst others that have been left in a pile on the concrete. Get my bag and try to find the place to buy visa stamps. I follow the sign "Arrivals". Get there and get sent back as I don't have my passport because I gave it to the immigration officer on the boat. I ask a guy in uniform and badge where I can buy visa stamps. He points to group of tourists near a building. I walk away and am grabbed by the shoulder, "baksheesh, baksheesh". "I only have money for a visa"I explain. He scoffs and mutters something in Arabic. I join the group of tourists and their guide looks at me strangely "visa?" I ask and she points to another building. I go there and wait for the guy to get off the phone. "What nationality" he says as he puts down the phone. "Australian" I say. I get my stamps and ask about the immigration office. "Around the corner" he replies. I go around the corner and see a dozen or so buildings. Nothing (in English at least) suggests that the immigration office is there. I walk around from building to building until finally I walk through an open door and see the familiar face of the immigration officer. I get my passport back and head to arrivals. My bag is searched half a dozen times by half a dozen people I'm sure all thinking that they are alone have the capacity to do the job. Finally I'm in Egypt proper and am confronted with a new type of hell. Taxi Drivers. The bus company conveniently has its last service to Dahab before the boat arrives so I'm at the mercy of the dozen or so people who crowd around me. Thankfully there are 2 Japanese with me so we can share the cost. I owe a lot to one of them, she haggled like a trooper and we got what I thought was a decent price. I didn't ask for a tour of Nuweibas beach camps but I got one anyway. Same as before. "No no your hotel is more expensive / full / dirty". We hadn't even said where we were saying so I found this quite amusing. From the delirium more than anything else. The camps we looked at we all very basic and looked as though a decent high tide could see their demise. I made cubby houses as a kid that looked more homely.
We did eventually get to Dahab for the agreed price. The camp here put the others to shame and the prices were the same. The 'strip' at Dahab is for tourists and tourists only but at the same time was more relaxing than anywhere else I had been on this trip. It reminded me a lot of the north beaches of Zanzibar. The shore was lined with restaurants serving seafood and local cuisine desperate for you to eat there. After eating little more than kebabs, shwarmas and falafels for over a month it was a welcome change. I'm looking forward to spending a few days here after seeing the rest of Egypt.
I arrived at the ferry terminal the next morning to be told that there might not be a boat that day. This concerned me as there wasn't a scheduled service the next day so I would have to spend another two nights in town that I could have easily skipped. I waited an hour and was told that there was a boat. Phew! I got my ticket and waited, and waited and waited. This was broken by a large crowd congregating around a film crew. Turns out there were filming an Egyptian soap opera at the terminal and it biggest star was in scene. I regret that I still have no idea who it was but I have his photo. And then I waited.
Nuweiba was just what i had come to expect of Egypt from the numerous travelers I had met coming in the opposite direction, a shambles. After getting of the boat I was herded onto a bus to the terminal. Get of the bus and I had to find my bag amongst others that have been left in a pile on the concrete. Get my bag and try to find the place to buy visa stamps. I follow the sign "Arrivals". Get there and get sent back as I don't have my passport because I gave it to the immigration officer on the boat. I ask a guy in uniform and badge where I can buy visa stamps. He points to group of tourists near a building. I walk away and am grabbed by the shoulder, "baksheesh, baksheesh". "I only have money for a visa"I explain. He scoffs and mutters something in Arabic. I join the group of tourists and their guide looks at me strangely "visa?" I ask and she points to another building. I go there and wait for the guy to get off the phone. "What nationality" he says as he puts down the phone. "Australian" I say. I get my stamps and ask about the immigration office. "Around the corner" he replies. I go around the corner and see a dozen or so buildings. Nothing (in English at least) suggests that the immigration office is there. I walk around from building to building until finally I walk through an open door and see the familiar face of the immigration officer. I get my passport back and head to arrivals. My bag is searched half a dozen times by half a dozen people I'm sure all thinking that they are alone have the capacity to do the job. Finally I'm in Egypt proper and am confronted with a new type of hell. Taxi Drivers. The bus company conveniently has its last service to Dahab before the boat arrives so I'm at the mercy of the dozen or so people who crowd around me. Thankfully there are 2 Japanese with me so we can share the cost. I owe a lot to one of them, she haggled like a trooper and we got what I thought was a decent price. I didn't ask for a tour of Nuweibas beach camps but I got one anyway. Same as before. "No no your hotel is more expensive / full / dirty". We hadn't even said where we were saying so I found this quite amusing. From the delirium more than anything else. The camps we looked at we all very basic and looked as though a decent high tide could see their demise. I made cubby houses as a kid that looked more homely.
We did eventually get to Dahab for the agreed price. The camp here put the others to shame and the prices were the same. The 'strip' at Dahab is for tourists and tourists only but at the same time was more relaxing than anywhere else I had been on this trip. It reminded me a lot of the north beaches of Zanzibar. The shore was lined with restaurants serving seafood and local cuisine desperate for you to eat there. After eating little more than kebabs, shwarmas and falafels for over a month it was a welcome change. I'm looking forward to spending a few days here after seeing the rest of Egypt.
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