Sinai, Then and Now in the Gulf of Aquba
The Sinai Peninsula includes Israel's beach resort and spectacular entranceway to Egypt at Taba called Eilat.
Across the Red Sea from Eilat, which is the beach city of Israel, one can see the mansions, palaces and hotels at the Jordanian coastal city and the Port of Aquba.
It is here at Aquba where the King of Jordan vacations, according to the biography of Queen Noor Sharing the border with Israel on the Sinai Peninsula is both Jordan and Egypt.
For travelers heading into Jordan, about two hours inland by car is the ever popular, Petra, Jordan. Petra is where the Indiana Jones movies filmed the ancient ruins of the royal tombs there for the last of the Indiana Jones movies.
Historians claim Petra was also where Moses wandered off after his banishment and separation from his people the Hebrews whom he freed from slavery from the ancient and mysterious nation of Egypt.
Forty years later Moses finally made it to the ''promised land'' of Israel but he upset the Almighty when he broke the tablets of the first ten commandments.
God's punishment for Moses was that he was forbidden to enter into the Holy land. His people went without him as he must have watched them leave.
The rock tombs of Petra were built approximately a thousand years after Moses was banished to this land.
Moses, it is believed was destined to wander off alone while his people would soon become the Israelites.
The view to the other side of the Red Sea from Eilat continues past the buildings and past the Jordanian coastal city up to and beyond to even the Red Mountains of Jordan.
The name of these mountains comes from the fact that when sun light hits the Jordanian mountain range it gives them a reddish brown hue.
Of course at night it is too dark to see the barren, distant Red Mountains of Jordan from Eilat. However, one can see the far away flickering lights coming from the thousands of residences and homes and even from the traffic in Jordan.
From a distance this view resembles millions of tiny, bright, white and yellow neon twinkling lights that almost appear to be connected.
If you can imagine what an aerial view at Douglaston, New York City would look like, where all the major highways connect at night during rush hour you could almost share this vision.
In early December there is no winter in Eilat. Winter doen's exist in what once was all desert before it became this beautiful city on the Gulf.
There are many vessels on the Red Sea including one very large yacht as big, perhaps as the biggest vessel in the Jordanian Navy; other ships, sail boats; even little sail boards and even a few parasailing surfers are gliding along the vast blue sea.
There are also oil refineries, oil tankers, navy ships of Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian nationalities cruising not too close to one another while protecting their respective spaces on the Gulf.
There are several huge freighters and large cargo ships that are anchored to exchange goods at the Port of Eilat by unloading and then reloading to leave with a full cargo.
The vessels are then destined, possibly for the Far East or Africa. Despite the Arab League's boycott and insistence that other nations also boycott Israeli goods since they still do not recognize Israel as a legitimate nation.
Many countries still elect to sell their exports to Israel and accept imports since there is much prosperity in the Holy Land.
One of the freighters has a cargo of hundreds of Japanese compact cars that are being unloaded and then driven to where thousands of other cars are already parked.
These cars seem like they are part of a huge car dealership; or a car factory with all these cars on display.
The Israelis love compact cars, the smaller the better for the few parking spots around in the cities, if that. They also like driving in cars with high fuel efficiency.
They don't buy many American cars in Israel. The Israeli's buy mostly Nissans, Mitsibishis, Toyotas, Hondas, Mazdas, Hyundais and Kias.
Eilat is located on the southern most tip of Israel on the Sinai Peninsula that borders Jordan and Egypt at the Coast of Eilat which is all part of the Gulf of Aquba (or Aquaba).
Aquaba is an Arabic name for the gulf which includes Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel at Eilat, and Egypt.
The Coast at Eilat is part of the Aquba Gulf and is considered the gateway to Africa and the Asian Rim for importing and exporting goods from the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea.
The way into Taba, Egypt at the Sinai Peninsula is at Eilat where the Israeli border exists with Egypt.
Ben Gurion, the first Israeli Prime Minister back in 1949, knew that one day Eilat on the Red Sea would be developed and become an oasis in the desert.
Although he was a visionary, Ben Gurion could not have possibly envisioned Eilat becoming what it is now, the 'pearl' of Israel with its' summer like climate even in winter.
Eilat may be one of the ten most beautiful places on this earth. With immaculately plush and green landscapes with tropical trees many bearing fruit of all types, bushes and plants with many different varieties of flora, Eilat on the Red Sea has indeed been turned into an oasis.
This is all proof of Israel's irrigation success of being able to recycle water for reuse even in the desert.
Along the beaches the Israeli residents and tourists take their beach chairs on to these beaches and then stretch out with their feet in the Sea.
Many Israelis come here almost every Friday and Saturday to celebrate the Sabbath, when Israelis have off from work since the Israeli work week begins Sunday for them having Fridays and Saturdays off from work.
The biggest attraction for many tourists is the world renowned snorkeling and scuba diving; which may have the best shallow water coral reef experience anywhere.
It is here in the Sinai where the rare Black Corral can be found. Black Coral is sold as a commodity on the black market and is as valuable as gold. Black Coral is found in jewelry and has many medicinal uses and sold as art for it's beauty.
The Sinai is indeed a perfect place to visit especially if you are an ambitious traveler.
Related Tags: israel, egypt, jordan, taba hilton, anwar sadat, petra
The writer has been invited on 'World News Tonight' with Peter Jennings He is a writer and journalist. He holds weekend escapes at his Hampton beach estate for writers and others to 'unblock' To read more by Mark go to http://www.Google.com and type in ''Mark P. Greenstein.''
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