We knew today was going to be a long travel day, with flights from Luxor to Cairo, and Cairo to Amman, ending with a drive to the southern desert of Wadi Rum. Since our connection in Cairo was a bit long, Moustafa met us at the airport and took us to our “home away from home” in Cairo, the Intercontinental. Although it is inconveniently located 30-45 minutes away from downtown Cairo, it is only 15 minutes from the airport. Besides sporting good food, wi-fi everywhere, pool and the fitness center, it has the best elevator system. Instead of choosing the up or down buttons to call it, you choose your floor destination from a panel of buttons outside the elevator bank. Your destination is shown on a small LED display screen and within moments the screen will flash up either A,B, or C which corresponds to one of the elevators, so you know which one to step into. The wait time for the elevator is no more than a minute, and usually you have it to yourself.
I watched the boys and Will swim and sunbathe from my perch on the elliptical machine inside the pyramid shaped fitness complex. Then while they ate their lunches, I showered in the ladies complex located on the second and third floor. This is where all those gulf state women feel free removing their black gowns and face coverings. They are safe from the eyes of men. There were massage rooms, steam and dry saunas, several whirlpools, and a beautiful tiled pool underneath the glass point of the pyramid. Several women with eyes rimmed in black eyeliner and dark hair streaked red and brassy blond lounged in the water.
After this two hour break, it was back to the airport for a 3:30 pm flight to Amman, Jordan. In contrast to the chaos of Egypt, Jordan seemed more orderly and calm. We got our visas and passports stamped and met Mohammed our van driver and guide for the next four days. Driving south on the Kings Highway, the Jordanian landscape looked bleak and monotonous. Chunks of caramel colored rocks stretched out from the edge of the road to the horizon. Apparently the Jordanians mine for potash along the road. The highway speed limit is 60 and when we approach residential areas speed is reduced and mandatory speed bumps appear to ensure compliance. None of knew why we had to stop at the scheduled late lunch at 6 pm at the tourist restaurant expensive souvenier shop. We already ate lunch at the hotel, then ate the sandwiches on the 50 minute Royal Jordanian flight, and we were planning on eating dinner at the Bedouin camp. Mohammed said its paid for so, we complied and ate the traditional oriental salads and grilled meats again. There wasn’t much difference that I could detect between the Jordanian and Egyptian fare.
Mohammed liked to talk which is both good and bad. He had attended college in Tallahassee and lived in Florida for a total of 13 years so his English had just a trace of an accent. Back in the car we rode for 4 more hours before arriving at the Captains Camp in Wadi Rum. We were all tired and grumpy. I thought we had missed dinner and the entertainment. Clearly I forgot we were in the middle east and in the low season. We pulled up to the camp nestled into a rock formation similar to those in Utah.
We were immediately offered tea and our bags carried into our tents. A small bonfire was going, and it appeared that we were the only guests. Within minutes were served the most delicious dinner. The light of the full moon obscured the star speckled sky.
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