Jordan: Saturday, September 4: River Walk in the Siq Canyon and Snorkeling in the Red Sea

 After breakfast we walked across the highway to the start of the Siq walk, a 1.5 mile round trip walk into the longest gorge in Europe, walking and swimming up the river to a waterfall which we could climb behind and stand  under. On the way back we slid down a rock next to waterfall. It was one of the most fun hikes I have ever done.

The Start of the Siq Canyon Trail

Standing under the Waterfall at the End of the Trail

Video of me Sliding down the Rock Slide

After our walk we drove to Aqaba in the South of Jordan, just across the border from Egypt and the southernmost part of Israel, staying at a diving hotel right on the Red Sea.

View of the Darna Diving Center and Other Hotels from where we were snorkeling

This area is known for its coral reefs, many of which are which right of the beach. We snorkalled for a couple of hours, following a complex rope system which led from the beach past all the corals in that area.

We had dinner right on the beach. Kristen and I had a Jordanian salad, finely chopped tomatoes and cucumber, and our friends had a whole grilled fish which came with all of its parts.

Food: We loved the minted lemonade at the hotel. Many places served it with no surgar which did not taste good. Kristen and I always ate salads when we ate out. 

Accommodation: We liked the Darna Diving Hotel. One of our friends was less pleased, but we suspect they are used to higher star hotels. The shower was hot with good flow.  Internet was only available near the pool/office.  The staff was super helpful with snorkeling equipment.  We would stay here again, although if there were a similarly priced hotel closer to the Japanese Gardens, we would consider that instead since we prefered the snorkeling there. 4/5

Notes: The Siq trail fills up quickly. We got there at 9 and were one of the first groups there. In retrospective we could have gone swimming again in the Dead Sea at 6 AM, had breakfast at 8 and then gone right to the Siq Trail which opens at 8AM. The Siq Trail was one of my favorite activities. Even our friends, one of whom is a beginning swimmer and the other of whom is a nonswimmer, did well since there were ropes to hold on and lifejackets were required. You can rent both watershoes and drybags, but we brought our own. 

Water Shoes I like mine so much that I often wear them for regular shoes. One of our party bought the ones that look more like sandals. They tended to pick up stones.

Dry bag  We brought our backpacking drybags which are more for rain than submersion.  The heavier vinyl drybag like the link would have been better.  We carried our wallets and passports in the bag.  They probably would have been fine in the car, but we didn't like to chance it.

Snorkeling Equipment: Kristen and I brought our own since we like to snorkel and didn't want to be tied to the hotel's schedule. I bought a silicone mask with separate snorkel but didn't test it. Turns out it was defective.  I cobbled it together with zipties (which I travel with to hold my backpack and/or suitcase shut instead of a lock). That worked, but I with I had tested it first. Kristen had a full face mask (similar to this) which she had purchased in Montreal. It worked well with less fogging.  I now have the same mask.