Middle East

While traveling through the Middle East in mid-June 2015, I had a chance to see the beautiful new Amman Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan. It is especially nice.
In the business-class lounge, the seats are comfortable and the meals quite sufficient. Located on the second floor, the lounge also has an information desk, with the shopping floor accessible below.
A taxi can take you into the city, 20 miles north, to one of many hotels. The one I chose was the InterContinental Amman (Jabal Amman, Amman, Jordan; phone +962 6 464 1361, www.ihg.com), where I spent the night.

We hopped on the donkey cart at a dusty corner in the Bahariya Oasis, about half a block from our hotel. The driver of the cart spoke no English and we spoke no Arabic. The lead donkey walked with a slight limp as we started down the main road. 

On Aug. 6, the Suez Canal opened a new expansion that allows greater amounts of 2-way traffic to move through the waterway.

The 21-mile bypass along the center of the 120-mile canal cost $6 billion and took one year for 43,000 laborers to complete. It is estimated it will reduce wait times for ships queuing to enter the canal by as much as eight hours. It is the third expansion of the canal since the passage first opened in 1869.

In mid-May 2014, my husband, Bob, and I began a ’round-the-world trip using the frequent-flyer miles we had accumulated during 10-plus years of commuting. Our second of six booked stops was Amman, Jordan.

On May 6, Jordan announced that it has waived visa fees for most visitors arriving at the airport. 

To qualify for the fee waiver, a visitor must either be entering Jordan through a Jordanian tour operator and spending two consecutive nights in Jordan or, if arriving without booking a trip with a tour operator, must be spending at least three consecutive nights in Jordan.

At land border crossings, Jordan has reduced the fee from JOD40 (near $56) to JOD10 for any visitor who will be spending at least three consecutive nights in Jordan.

My husband and I were privileged to have Jonathan Kohn as our guide through historical and biblical Israel, March 8-19, 2015.

A licensed tour guide, Jonathan has taken classes in Christianity and has an extensive grasp of the archaeological sites, including Masada, Herodium and Capernaum. His explanation of Israel’s politics was the best we’ve ever heard, and we feel he has an unbiased view of his country and the rest of the Middle East. He also has a great sense of humor. 

An exhibit of Byzantine-era gold and silver coins and medallions — discovered 50 meters south of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem in April 2013 during the excavation of a sixth-century-AD building — is being held until Jan. 30, 2016, at the Israel Museum (11 Ruppin Blvd., Hakirya, Jerusalem, Israel; phone +972 2 670 8811, www.english.imjnet.org.il).

ILS54 (near $13.50) adult or ILS27 senior or child (under 17).