Up early this morning as we have to meet at 7.50 for our excursion. No gym today! It is a bright sunny morning with a moderate breeze and 28 degrees. We are off the ship before 8 and pass through immigration effortlessly. Just a quick glance at the passport photos. We were supposed to have a shuttle waiting for us after we went through immigration, but apparently they are not allowed onto the port area, so we have to take a princess shuttle to the city centre and we will get picked up from there. We arrive at the pick up at 8.20 but the pick up is not due until 9.10 so we have some free time. Unfortunately not much is open.
Our transport arrives and we are off to the Bernice Resort for our glass bottom boat and snorkeling adventure. It is about a 15 minute drive and it seems it is a roundabout route as we go back towards where the ship is docked. The scenery is pretty bleak. Rocky Mountains undergoing quarrying on one side and then a few palms on the beach side as we enter the resort areas. The Bernice resort has a large open swimming pool, restaurant, and private beach area with umbrellas and lounges on the sand. It is starting to get very hot.
At 10 we board the glass bottom boat and it is a large craft that accommodates 12 each side seated indoors looking through the glass bottom. The water is very clear, but a little choppy. We get great views of the coral and fish and are also taken over a submerged ship laying on its side, a tank and a plane! Just before 11 we anchor for our snorkel. While it is a bit choppy, the water is really clear. The coral is not as colourful as back in Australia or the pacific, but there is plenty of it. There are heaps of fish and they come right up to you. I decide to swim under the glass bottom boat but no one was watching. The hull really needs a good clean.
At about 12 we head back in for lunch. It is even hotter as we trudge up the beach to our lunch. Lunch is good but the two beers we buy are icy cold and the glass have been kept in the fridge. They are Petra Lager at 8% proof! After lunch we are free to do whatever we like, we are able to use all the resort facilities. Ann is getting hot so we decide to head back to the ship. We share a cab with another couple and the driver takes us directly to the ship which is a great help as we do not have to get the shuttle back from the city centre. I give the driver an extra 5 dinar ( about $10 AUS). I am not going to have much use for their currency as it is unlikely we will return to Jordan. We are back on board by 2 and it is 40 degrees.
I order a bucket of ice and fill it with beers and then we head off to the pool and ice cream! When we get back it is 41 degrees and the beers go down very nicely.
At 9 pm the temperature is still 39 degrees. We heard that there were some medical issues at Petra. May get an update tomorrowz
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Great photos, really clear ! Glad you headed back to ship - it sounds so hot 🥵 - Kate
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