a legend returns - Nissan Lebanon

industry, agriculture and household use. Scientists
predict that the sea may dry up by the year 2050.
Because of its extremely high content of salt and
other minerals, the Dead Sea is devoid of plant and
animal life.
On The Road Again
We are back on the road and the Altima is
eating up the miles as we head towards Aqaba.
Being a sensitive area, with the borders with
Palestine just behind us, there are a lot of check
posts. This compels us to stop at regular intervals
to have our documents checked and our car
searched as well. Nonetheless, we make good
time.
Coming from the mountains, the topography
changes on this stretch and now we are in the
plains with the desert on our left and the Dead
Sea on the other side. With a full complement of
four and luggage, the Altima 3.5 buzzes about
merrily and there is a lot of cheerful banter going
on amongst us.
The international airport is the first sign that we
are nearing Aqaba and we enter the city to find it
bustling with life. Aqaba is in a very strategic place
as just a thirty minute drive from the town centre
can take one to the international borders of Egypt’s
Sinai and Saudi Arabia.
Aqaba’s long history dates back to pre-biblical
times, when it was known as Ayla. According to
the Bible’s Old Testament, King Solomon built a
navel base at Ezion Geber, just 3 kilometres from
where the modern town of Aqaba stands today.
From 106 AD, the Romans, who ruled the
region from their base in Sypria, also used Ayla
as their trading sea port, until it came under the
control of the Byzantine Empire in the early 4th
century. The Byzantines appointed Christian Arabs
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from south Arabia to rule the port city on their
behalf.
When the Mameluk Sultans of Egypt took
control of the region, they renamed the city Aqaba
and, in the 14th century, built the town’s famous
Mameluk fort. The Mameluks were followed by the
Ottomans, who ruled Aqaba for 4 centuries.
Aqaba was taken from the Ottomans, in 1917,
by Arab forces together with the famous T.E.
Lawrence.
With its wealth of other attractions, Jordan’s
splendid Red Sea resort is often overlooked
by modern-day visitors. But apart from being a
delightful place for discerning holidaymakers, this
is actually a great base from which to explore
various places of interest in southern Jordan, as
we found out.
Aqaba is a fun place. But perhaps Aqaba’s
greatest asset is the Red Sea itself. Here you can
experience some of the best snorkelling and diving
in the world. The temperate climate and gentle
water currents have created a perfect environment
for the growth of corals and a teeming plethora of
marine life.
Day 2: Aqaba – Wadi Rum - Petra
DISTANCE TO TRAVEL: 225 km
TIME OF DEPARTURE: Aqaba (11.30 am)
TIME OF ARRIVAL: Wadi Rum (1.00 pm)
TIME OF ARRIVAL: Petra (3.45 pm)
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Resort (Petra)
Getting There –
Hit The Road: The day begins at 9.00. With
a hearty and leisurely breakfast, we are back in
the Altima and looking for unleaded petrol. It is
a frustrating exercise as we go from one petrol
station to the other without luck. Time is passing
and at last we strike it lucky. With a full tank, its
now time to head towards Petra, but on the way
we have a destination with Wadi Rum.
We are now travelling on the famous King’s
Highway heading towards Petra. The Kings’
Highway has been in continuous use as an
international trade and transit route for the past
5000 years, when it was first mentioned in the
Bible as the way travelled by four kings from the
north who came to do battle with five kings who
ruled in south-western Jordan.
Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum is yet another of those ethereal,