My Favorite City on Earth

Aqabah












I first heard the name of this city in an Anthony Quinn swashbuckler (no, not Lawrence of Arabia). He was a pirate headed for Aqabah, the greatest city on Earth. Something about the sound of the name intrigued me, and I had no idea if it was a real place or not. Forty years later I would find out.


Eventually, I did learn about Aqabah, most notably through Lawrence of Arabia. It was a destination, a target, but little of it was portrayed in the movie. Perhaps it remained a vestige of my boyhood romance, for it never left me. Years later, when I was travelling through Jordan on my way to the Sinai Peninsula, I was excited to learn I would pass through Aqabah. I really didn't know what to expect, almost worried that like so many idealized notions of my youth, it wouldn't hold up. I wasn't disappointed when I finally made my way into the city.
Aqabah is as beautiful as it is simple. It is an ancient place with a western sensibility that balances comfortably between the two worlds. Desert meets sea in an intimate oasis. There are luxury hotels, open marketplaces, mosques, schools, parks, and beaches. There is something there for everyone, witnessed by the equal numbers of tourists and Jordanians enjoying the warm, relaxed ambiance. I love that dichotomy, love the fact that I can eat freshly caught fish at an open-air barbecue or wander down to the Movenpick for a grand buffet. I love walking through the market area, a warm Red Sea breeze in my face. I love strolling though the ruins of an ancient fort, then dashing off to McDonalds for some fries. I love staying in cheap hotels with friends, or maybe splashing out at the Intercontinental. I love snorkeling at a private beach, or spending my evening on the public beach watching families enjoying a Red Sea sunset. There is nothing about the place I would change.
Aqabah would be a great place to retire, or maybe even spend a honeymoon. I can imagine walking arm in arm with someone I love there. I've been to Cairo, Paris, London, Nairobi, Zanzibar, San Francisco, Jerusalem, Amman, Alexandria, Athens, Montego Bay, Honolulu, and I still can't imagine a better place to be in love than on a balcony in Aqabah looking out over the palms.