Red Sea on Picturing Jordan https://picturingjordan.com/tags/red-sea/index.xml Recent content in Red Sea on Picturing Jordan Hugo -- gohugo.io en-us Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Aqaba is Dirty and Disappointing https://picturingjordan.com/2016/10/aqaba-dirty-disappointing/ Wed, 05 Oct 2016 10:46:23 +0300 https://picturingjordan.com/2016/10/aqaba-dirty-disappointing/ <figure > <img src="https://picturingjordan.com/2016/10/IMG_20161002_131313.jpg" alt="A picturesque view where you can&#39;t see the trash on the beach" /> <figcaption> <h4>A picturesque view where you can&#39;t see the trash on the beach</h4> </figcaption> </figure> <p>I&rsquo;m struggling to find words to describe my trip to Jordan&rsquo;s coastal city Aqaba. Initially, the contrast between dry desert, rocky mountains, and the turquoise water of the Red Sea is quite striking — imagine Matt Damon in <em>The Martian</em>, but where he goes snorkeling on a coral reef instead of growing potatoes.</p> <p></p> <p>If that sounds too good to be true, it is! Sadly, I found Aqaba to be dirty — used diapers on the beach, locals arrogantly throwing trash on the street, trash floating around the reef, etc — and full of obnoxious, poorly behaved tourists.</p>