Next Youth

When we planned our route through Jordan, we knew we had to make a stop in Aqaba. Since we took the Open Water diving course, if we have the opportunity to dive on our trips, we reserve a few days on our route to enjoy this activity. In this post, we tell you about our experience diving in Aqaba.

Aqaba City: Where to Stay
Before talking about diving, let's talk about Aqaba. The city of Aqaba is in the south of the country on the shores of the Red Sea. It is bordered by land with Israel and Saudi Arabia and on the shore in front of the Gulf of Aqaba is Egypt. Aqaba is the only seaport in the country and has a special economic status within Jordan: it has a lower tax rate than the rest of the country. In addition, if you arrive in Jordan through Aqaba, either through the port, the airport or at the crossing from Israel or Saudi Arabia, you will get a free visa for Jordan (ASEZ visa), as long as you leave the country in a maximum time of a month and through this same airport.

The city of Aqaba, we are not going to deceive you, we did not like it. It is a coastal city,
with many hotels, shopping centers, casinos, and many alcohol and tobacco shops. In the city, there is a beach where it is not well seen to be wearing a swimsuit or bikini, but you would have to be on the beach with a t-shirt or pants that cover you. That is why it is not recommended to stay in the city if you come looking for diving or snorkeling tourism.

Past the industrial port, 15 kilometers south of the city and just 15 kilometers from the border with Saudi Arabia, are the southern beaches. In these beaches, it is allowed to be in a bathing suit or bikini and they are also the beaches where all the interesting snorkeling and diving spots are, so it is the best area to stay. Keep in mind that the beauty of the beaches in the south of Aqaba are on the seabed because the sand is hard, you could almost say that it looks like land, and full of cigarette butts, so don't imagine an idyllic beach.

Our accommodation
We stayed in the Aqaba Adventure Divers lodgings, the school with which we dive. They
have a complex with rooms, a swimming pool, a restaurant and a diving school. It is very well
equipped and is fully recommended. The only thing more uncomfortable is that it is not on the beach, but you have to cross a highway, so if you don’t have a car you will be a bit "isolated"

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There are many people who would like to have a wooden terrace in their garden. The terrace is, therefore space on which you can rest to fully enjoy the outside of the house. However, to have one, it will already have to be mounted. Properly installing your terrace is a guarantee of its strength and longevity. Discover our advice on how to build a wooden terrace.

 

Having a terrace is a very pleasant thing for the whole family because they can indeed enjoy the outdoor spaces. To be able to fully enjoy this space, you have to think about the basics before building it. If you are looking for deck builders San Antonio TX, then follow our steps.

 

 

Choose the location of your terrace

 

To get the best of the locations, it is advisable to choose as a priority a space that gives both good exposures to the sun, south side if possible, and also a location that is sheltered from bad weather and wind. Once you find a location that combines all of these elements, you can be sure that your patio will have a long life, and your moments of relaxation outside your home will be very enjoyable. However, for a good installation of terraces, you will have to prepare your land well.

 

Mark the perimeter of your wooden terrace

 

As we said above, before installing your terrace, you will need to prepare your land. And for that, it is necessary to make a delimitation and a tracing of the terrace. It is a very pleasant activity because the tools used for this step are very funny (the stakes and the ropes). You just need to respect the dimensions recommended by the construction instructions for your terrace to easily draw your terrace. Once this is done, you will see more clearly when laying it. Basically, this is about drawing a life-size plan of your terrace.

 

Raise height and level your surface with a rake

 

It is good to lay a terrace, but it is also important to ensure that it does not sag afterward. And for that, you have to work in the field. The suitable tool for this is the rake. During this phase, you have to think about the coating of your terrace (significant thickness of formwork boards, slabs and wooden slats, installation of decorative tiles …). This is what professional builders of terraces and carpenters call thickness excavation. It is necessary to plan, on average, about forty centimeters.

 

Install the support of your terrace

 

Depending on the wooden deck you want to build, install either concrete blocks, studs, or a concrete screed that will serve as a support for your construction. This step is also very important because it is this support that will hold your patio in place for a long time. So give them special attention.

 

Cut, install, screw, and unconvert the wooden boards.

 

Indeed, its stages concern the actual assembly of the terrace. For cutting, which is a fairly technical job, you need to be well equipped and meticulous. Take a tape measure to take the dimensions, a marker to note the cut, and a circular saw for precise and clean cuts. Regarding the installation, it will have to be done well, respecting the limits that you draw beforehand. As for screwing the elements, once the first planks and tiles are installed, you can start fixing the materials, and as tools, you will need screws and an electric screwdriver for your convenience as a handyman.

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A deck is an outdoor space at the heart of the house. A living space, the deck can be landscaped and vegetated to become a real oasis.

A deck is an outdoor space located in the heart of a home. Particularly pleasant, the deck is a living space that allows you to garden, to receive friends or family, or to relax. What is the origin of the deck? How to organize this unique space? Here is all you need to know.

What is the origin of the deck?

The deck has existed since Antiquity. Originally, it took the form of a closed courtyard located inside the houses. Very popular with the Greeks and Romans who popularized it, the deck is still very common today in Arab and Mediterranean countries. There are different types of deck.

• The Moroccan deck is a cool space reminiscent of riads. Shaded and equipped with a fountain, it takes on light colors and dense vegetation. Used as a relaxation area, it is furnished with outdoor lounges.
• The Spanish deck is an enclosed courtyard surrounded by an arcade reminiscent of ancient haciendas. Very vegetated, this oasis of freshness allows you to relax when the outside temperatures are too high.

Most often, the deck is a square, closed space. Located in the heart of a house, this skylight sometimes serves as a garden. In cooler regions, the deck remains a privileged space that can be covered by a bay window. This protects against bad weather and makes it possible to create a winter garden.

What coating for the floor of a deck?

Like a terrace, the deck floor must be equipped with a solid coating, resistant to rain and frost. Here are the different coatings you can choose from.

• The wood is available in the form of slats or planks, such as a parquet floor, or slatted floors. It is important to choose a durable wood suitable for the outdoor environment (treated wood, exotic wood)
• Paving is both an aesthetic and a practical solution. Easy to maintain and durable, it adapts to your decorative desires.
• Mosaic is the traditional coating, the one used for antique decks. Very aesthetic, it gives a lot of character to your interior courtyard.

How to arrange a deck?

For a deck to become a living space, it must have sufficient surface area. From 15 m², you can install tables, armchairs, or sofas. You can also add plants and flowers in pots or planters. If that is your choice, opt for species that appreciate the climate in your area. If your deck is smaller, it is still usable thanks to a well-thought-out layout and shelves that can accommodate plants. Also, remember to provide lighting in the form of wall lights or recessed spots that will magnify this space.

Dining area, relaxation area, or small garden, the deck is a living space in its own right, which sometimes allows you to enjoy larger and brighter accommodation. The layout of your deck is done according to your needs but also your desires!

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Having the deck and garden well-maintained generally results in you having to spend more time than it first appears. The reward is that you are very grateful to take good care of it. Cleaning the deck and garden means, among other things, having the drain grids clean of the land that the rain drags and deposits on them, not having branches or fallen leaves on the ground, that there are no spider webs on your plants, having tile joints with joint mortar in good condition. These are some of the many tasks you can do to keep it in good condition. 

 

A deck with a landscaped corner

 

This image conveys a deck with proper order and cleanliness. To get to this, you have to eliminate all those things that have been depositing in the yard, such as pots that have not had soil or plants for many years, disused bicycles, but that you have there for a day repair, cans of paint half-finished. By listing some of the possible objects that you may want to get rid of. In short, throw away what does not serve and order what can come to serve.

 

A soil without leaves

 

If you want to have a clean and neat corner like this, it is quite evident that you have to take a broom and dustpan and sweep it conscientiously, it is not worth the repeated phrase of it is not worth doing it thoroughly because it will re-fill with leaves right away. A thorough sweep involves not only removing fallen leaves but also branches, butts, plastic bottles, in short, a large number of elements that dirty and deteriorate your deck or garden.

 

Cleaning the deck flooring

 

When you consider that the day has come to thoroughly clean the flooring of the ceramic tiles in the deck, a task that you previously assigned to rainwater, you will have to take a root brush and use vinegar dissolved in the cleaning solution that you usually use and with the help of the brush, rubbing on the dirt will make it disappear.

 

Details are an important part of the whole

 

To get this lawn, before using the lawnmower, you have to pass a rake to remove the pebbles that may be lodged in it, and that can damage the machine. Once you have passed the mower, you have to go through the rake again to remove the grass or cut grass that the machine has not carried in its mower and has fallen to the ground. Just as you regularly clean inside your house, you should regularly clean it in your deck or garden. 

 

Safety equipment to clean the deck or garden

 

No doubt cleaning the exterior of the house is more arduous or heavy than cleaning the house’s interior. To clean the deck or garden, we will use a knife, a masonry, or painter’s spatula, chemical products for possible pests of mosquitoes, ants, or cockroaches. Not forgetting natural herbicides to eliminate weeds from taking root. Therefore it is advisable to use the appropriate safety equipment such as protective glasses if you are going to mow the lawn and gloves that will protect your hands from possible cuts. If you do not dare to do it, you can only resort to a gardener or expert’s help.

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