made it to Jordan

Before I get going, let me just say that I don't read Arabic so trying to figure out which of the series of characters at the top was log in was a real trial and error.

So, we're here. Radisson Blu Tala Bay in Aqaba Jordan. It's been a long day of travelling. We got up this morning at 1:30, aiming to leave at 2 for the drive to Stockholm. The roads were icy. We'd be driving along in the ridge of clearer pavement with a ribbon of shiny ice along the side, and then we'd hit patches of ridgy ice in the middle of the road. It occurred to me about 3 hours in that driving across Sweden in the dead of winter might not have been the smartest thing to do, but we made it to Arlanda in 5 hours, with plenty of time to spare to clear security and eat breakfast before our 11:10 departure.

The flight was 4 1/2 hours. SAS is a seriously no frills airline. They won't even give you a glass of water - you have to buy it! We flew over mountains. I don't know whose mountains. Too bad countries aren't really coloured the pretty colours they are in atlases so you can tell who's who. What I found interesting flying over the desert in Jordan, is that it isn't flat and sandy like the Sahara. It's hilly. (see picture). Getting through the airport was a breeze. No fuss about visas. The Apollo travel reps were right there where they said they'd be (and only spoke swedish) and directed us out to the right bus to take us to our resort. The rep on the bus (who only spoke swedish) pointed out cool things like ISRAEL RIGHT THERE ACROSS THE WATER and See that bright light? That's the point where Israel ends and Egypt begins. It was dark by this point, so we didn't see much other than street lights. The stars are magnificent though.

The resort seems to be absolutely massive. We appear to be the only people in this wing - adjoining rooms (boys and girls). There's an outdoor gym on the beach (which from a distance looks like a playground - yes well a playground for grown-ups) and more pools than I can count. Our weather forecast isn't promising heat, just sun. E and I will put our suits on anyway and try and catch some rays with these pale sun-starved bodies.

Considering the distance we've travelled, it's been remarkably stress-free day, but boy am I tired.

Good grief - I'm in the Middle East! Cool.