FUN-travel: Dubai to Amman, Jordan – Holy Land – Day 1

March 30, 2013 by  

The ABC’s of The Holy Land
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration

Trip Day 55 – Monday, March 25 – Dubai to Amman, Jordan – overcast & cloudy upon arrival – clear & warm 80’s Amman

Silver Explorer 4

Dining Room on Silversea Explorer

  • BB (big bummer) – Emirates biz class seats are recliners, not flat beds (like what 1st class was in the 90’s) & we are on it for 9 hrs
  • 8:30 – flight lands
  • B – 2 hr time change ahead
  • B – airport is chaotic – not sure where to go – we paid for business class & since we missed our flight we’re booked in “no class”

    Silver Explorer 10

    Evan (my favorite waiter) & me at Crew Show

  • B – told we have to wait until 1:00 & try @ the departure gate
  • B – also told we have no hotel room (cape town agent said we did)
  • A – do get into Emirates biz class lounge
  • C – it’s huge! biggest biz class lounge I have ever seen – as big as half the length & width of the terminal – I am not kidding!
  • C – don’t need a hotel room – have everything we need & don’t have to leave the airport
  • 1:00 – head to gate
  • B – lady @ gate can’t confirm biz class
  • A – 1:15 – new agent (clearly in charge) confirms biz class
  • 1:30 – board plane
  • C – 2:00 – take off on time
  • 4:30 – arrive Amman
  • C – got an hour back!
  • B – have to buy visas
  • B – only take Jordanian money – costs $20 JD each
  • C – no line in customs!
  • B – baggage claim takes forever
  • 5:30 – walk out & greeted by Ali our driver for the next 6 days
  • B – need bigger car to accommodate all the luggage from this long trip
  • A – Ali says theft is not a problem in Jordan (didn’t want baggage in front seat in plain sight)
  • A – take scenic drive to all of the places we missed today because our flight was delayed – see citadel – roman ampitheatre in old city, US embassy, kings palace offices & upscale neighborhood
  • 7:15 – arrive Crowne Plaza hotel
  • B – only have room w/2 beds – not happy – say so & insist we paid for king bed months ago
  • C – miraculously they find room – get upgrade
  • A – 8:00 – dinner on 12 (top floor) – hummus/pita – grilled halloum cheese, rack of lamb
Silver Explorer 5

Panorama Lounge

FF – (FUN-fact) – Emirates lounges are on the 2nd floor above the duty free shops and the 1st class lounge covers the other half.  Each one has over 1000 seats in various areas. They also have showers, a spa, main dining room, multiple bars and lounges with food, kids play area & food corner, shoe shine, business centers with computers, quite area and a prayer room. There are 3 terminals and the lounges are all just as big. The main dining room had 24 different cold items including salads, fruit and cheese. There were 8 hot main dishes.
More FF – Emirates is the only airline we’ve flown that has stickers you can put on your headrest that alerts the flight attendants to 1) no wake up during flight 2) wake up for breakfast 3) wake up for duty free.

Silver Explorer 14

Me & Fred (AKA Milly)

 

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