This could be part of my Spring break chronicles as an undergraduate student. Spring break 2013 began in April and I think we left for this (budgeted) journey on the 24th. This is how I described it as a caption for one of my Facebook pictures:
"Bus at 11 pm from Cairo, arrives at 6 am in Nuweiba, ferry leaves at 6 pm, arrives in Aqaba at 9 pm Jordan time, we catch a bus to the bus station and wait for an hour, instead we take a cab to Amman and reach at 5 am.
- Spring Break 2013."
"Bus at 11 pm from Cairo, arrives at 6 am in Nuweiba, ferry leaves at 6 pm, arrives in Aqaba at 9 pm Jordan time, we catch a bus to the bus station and wait for an hour, instead we take a cab to Amman and reach at 5 am.
- Spring Break 2013."
The AB Maritime ferry Courtesy of a friend N.O.
Yup, that's how we reached Amman all the way from Cairo. We booked our bus tickets (which I think were around 90 Egyptian Pounds) from Cairo to Nuweiba a few days before, along with the ferry tickets from AB Maritime (Can't remember the price, maybe US$ 100 one way).
It was myself and two other friends, all different nationalities. The bus was to leave at 11 PM. There were maybe around five or eight other passengers on the bus so that gave us enough room to sleep. And we finally reached say around 6 AM in Nuweiba, one of Egypt's cities in the East coast. Now why we took the early bus was because they, at the ferry office, told us we had to be there before 12 noon. If you've never been to Nuweiba, then you won't understand our condition. It was like one of those villages where you can't just sit anywhere, just like in those movies, and I'm glad it was morning.
We were looking for places were we could rest our aching bodies but it was very difficult, and the "security" at the ferry docks said the gate would open a little before 12. We keep asking around for places we could stay at and someone mentioned a Hilton (I think) which was close by. A Hilton?! Okay, we go walking there, it's like walking through a desert, nothing on either sides except for creepy old houses and the blasting heat. It's funny how we see mirages and assume the place is near but it just .. isn't. And finally cave in to a taxi that happens to pass by to drop us to the hotel. No worries, we only paid 5 pounds.
So we reach there in our not so glamorous outfits and walk into this place .. this place filled with old white folks in swim suits! Imagine walking from village to resort. So we ask about room prices and they were just out of our budget and take the breakfast meal, which is open buffet. I think it was around 200 pounds per person. But that's okay! We were hungry and we know how to work with open buffets. Keep in mind it was like maybe around 7 AM. Oh and I forgot to mention I had to submit two essays, so I was "working" during our trip. The receptionist also mentioned that we were only allowed to stay at the restaurant and not go to the beach side ... okay ..
It was myself and two other friends, all different nationalities. The bus was to leave at 11 PM. There were maybe around five or eight other passengers on the bus so that gave us enough room to sleep. And we finally reached say around 6 AM in Nuweiba, one of Egypt's cities in the East coast. Now why we took the early bus was because they, at the ferry office, told us we had to be there before 12 noon. If you've never been to Nuweiba, then you won't understand our condition. It was like one of those villages where you can't just sit anywhere, just like in those movies, and I'm glad it was morning.
We were looking for places were we could rest our aching bodies but it was very difficult, and the "security" at the ferry docks said the gate would open a little before 12. We keep asking around for places we could stay at and someone mentioned a Hilton (I think) which was close by. A Hilton?! Okay, we go walking there, it's like walking through a desert, nothing on either sides except for creepy old houses and the blasting heat. It's funny how we see mirages and assume the place is near but it just .. isn't. And finally cave in to a taxi that happens to pass by to drop us to the hotel. No worries, we only paid 5 pounds.
So we reach there in our not so glamorous outfits and walk into this place .. this place filled with old white folks in swim suits! Imagine walking from village to resort. So we ask about room prices and they were just out of our budget and take the breakfast meal, which is open buffet. I think it was around 200 pounds per person. But that's okay! We were hungry and we know how to work with open buffets. Keep in mind it was like maybe around 7 AM. Oh and I forgot to mention I had to submit two essays, so I was "working" during our trip. The receptionist also mentioned that we were only allowed to stay at the restaurant and not go to the beach side ... okay ..
After we've fed ourselves well, my friends were just too sleepy. Both of them went to the pool side and slept on those sunbathing chairs, talk about making the best of what you have. And while they were sleeping it off, I had to work on one of my essay and I was worried at the same time, because I'm a bit of a "don't break the law" sort of person. Just a bit before 12, they rise from their majestic somber, and proceed to get ready. Oh, we made use of the bathrooms alright. (I actually woke them up suddenly, one of them got pissed at me)
So we leave to the ferry docks. We pass through x-Rays and stay at the waiting room, which looked like a slaughter house for cows. You must understand that the people who were there were not .. middle class. Not that it bothers me, it's just, you sort of draw attention to yourself when you're no longer in places you usually go to.
And we wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. That's all we ever did. Until it was finally almost 6 PM! And we get to board the fabulous ship that exceeded our expectations (no sarcasm here). It was really clean. It was smooth and took maybe around two hours to reach despite the warnings from fellow friends that it would take forever.
Not much pictures during this passage because of the crap we had to go through. So when we reach Aqaba at around 9 PM, they ask one of our friends to follow them to an office outside the ferry (passport stuff). And we wait at the docks. We wait and wait and wait. We get our bags and our friend's who just left. We then follow the crowd (with no sight of our friend) to an office after walking through what looked like a scene of the docks from GTA.
So we leave to the ferry docks. We pass through x-Rays and stay at the waiting room, which looked like a slaughter house for cows. You must understand that the people who were there were not .. middle class. Not that it bothers me, it's just, you sort of draw attention to yourself when you're no longer in places you usually go to.
And we wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. That's all we ever did. Until it was finally almost 6 PM! And we get to board the fabulous ship that exceeded our expectations (no sarcasm here). It was really clean. It was smooth and took maybe around two hours to reach despite the warnings from fellow friends that it would take forever.
Not much pictures during this passage because of the crap we had to go through. So when we reach Aqaba at around 9 PM, they ask one of our friends to follow them to an office outside the ferry (passport stuff). And we wait at the docks. We wait and wait and wait. We get our bags and our friend's who just left. We then follow the crowd (with no sight of our friend) to an office after walking through what looked like a scene of the docks from GTA.
Hallelujah, we find our friend on the top floor of a shabby security building. We then proceed to go through corridors and x-Rays, like how airports operate. And then finally, the backdoor where buses and taxis wait for us. Just US. There were maybe only one more group. The funny thing is, though the ferry was packed with people, only foreigners which were a group of maybe 20 were taken through this security process. And we couldn't find them either because they probably took a different door or booked a tourist service which take care of them.
My friend (same passport person) walks towards a cab and make an agreement. Just as we were following the driver, another taxi drives past us fast, stops and gets out to argue with our driver. So we freak, cancel and hop on the empty bus we find because it was public. Just three of us where in. This was almost 11 PM. Yes, it took us that long. And the bus finally decides to leave. And we were glad. Because the way from the port to a city in Aqaba was so empty. I don't know if we would ever be lucky to find a cab while walking to the main road from the port.
We reach a bus station in the city and feel better surrounded by people. The bus waits and waits and waits. It's around 12 and still doesn't move. It's waiting for people to fill it up, but even the people become restless. So maybe around 1 AM, the same friend looks for a taxi service (they call them that) that would only move once filled with four passengers. He agreed to 12 Jordanian Dinars each but no no, that's not how it works. Of course he'll ask for more later 915 each). So we were like F this, we're taking a cab to Amman. And we did. It was a long ride, three of us and one strange passenger in the front. Some of us doze off from time to time. And we finally reach the house of our Jordanian friend at around 5 AM. Yes, we reached.
We finally reached. Then showered and slept.
My friend (same passport person) walks towards a cab and make an agreement. Just as we were following the driver, another taxi drives past us fast, stops and gets out to argue with our driver. So we freak, cancel and hop on the empty bus we find because it was public. Just three of us where in. This was almost 11 PM. Yes, it took us that long. And the bus finally decides to leave. And we were glad. Because the way from the port to a city in Aqaba was so empty. I don't know if we would ever be lucky to find a cab while walking to the main road from the port.
We reach a bus station in the city and feel better surrounded by people. The bus waits and waits and waits. It's around 12 and still doesn't move. It's waiting for people to fill it up, but even the people become restless. So maybe around 1 AM, the same friend looks for a taxi service (they call them that) that would only move once filled with four passengers. He agreed to 12 Jordanian Dinars each but no no, that's not how it works. Of course he'll ask for more later 915 each). So we were like F this, we're taking a cab to Amman. And we did. It was a long ride, three of us and one strange passenger in the front. Some of us doze off from time to time. And we finally reach the house of our Jordanian friend at around 5 AM. Yes, we reached.
We finally reached. Then showered and slept.
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