We have always enjoyed our travels with a sense of adventure. The more you travel the more you realize that flexibility and tuning into the local customs can be quite delightful and actually allows you a glimpse of life outside your own. So with that in mind, when it was time to leave Israel, we decided to forgo getting a rental car and take the bus to the Southern most tip of Israel and walk over the border to Jordan. From there we would rent a car, visit the sites we wanted to see, drive up to and then fly out of the Northern part of Jordan. We had taken the ‘Arab’ bus to Palestine and the Jewish bus around Jerusalem so we felt fairly confident with our plans. We checked the visa and passport requirements and when we had that all in order we packed our stuff for departure. We said our goodbyes to Yossi and Vardi and set our alarm for 4:30 AM for a 7:00 A.M. departure from the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem. You have to go through a security check and customs so we decided to arrive a little early in preparation for this procedure. We arranged for a cab to deliver us and we arrived at the bus station at about 6:15 A.M. with out any hitches. It’s been along time since either one of us has ridden on a bus but when we saw the bus terminal we were amazed at its size.
It was four stories tall and a buzz with activity. People in a hurry to get …just about everywhere! There are guards with machine guns that usher you through each floor of the station. By the time we got to the ticket office the last ticket for the early bus departure had been sold. We purchased a ticket for the next bus, which left three hours later. With ticket in hand, we thought we would go to the bus platform and wait and see if there was any possibility we could get on the earlier bus. That’s where all the excitement begins. If you didn’t know there was a system, you might wonder about the commotion right outside the station on the platform. There is a man I called the “Bus Jockey”. I watched him for a few minutes and soon figured out he was the man to know. There were a few seats left on the bus and he was the man who could give them to you. What you do is hold a shekel (their money) in your hand, visible enough so he can see the denomination but not so blatant it looks as if you are paying him off. You wave your hand around as if you are pointing the direction you want to go so he is aware you are in the ‘bidding’ process. It is a fascinating system to watch. The Jewish culture is very sedate by nature but here, even they get into this process. And I am not talking about a few people, there must have been fifty people vying for these spots in a small crowded area. By the time I figured out the system and was ready to act on it, there was only one seat left. Needless to say the two of us didn’t take it.
We got on the 10:00 bus and enjoyed the drive through Palestine and then on through the desert. All the Palestinians said we would enjoy Jordan, as it is as beautiful as their land.
We drove through miles and miles of desert and wondered what they meant. Lush and green are two adjectives I associate with beautiful landscape and these were never to be seen. But, a funny thing began to happen. The more we drove the more beautiful it became. The immensity of it, the stillness all around elicits such a feeling of peace and respite. Miles of rolling sand, covertly changing colors until it had gone from a
pale white to a deep terra cotta and the observer never knowing quite sure when this happened. Occasional oasis, which quickly disappear. The Dead Sea sits in the middle of nowhere, a beautiful turquoise body of water. We felt our self-drifting in out of deep thought brought on by this drive without distractions along the way. In the quite and the stillness it became a beautiful place to us.
By the time we reached Eliat, we were pretty pleased with our plan for travel. Quiet, restful, beautiful, and well within our budget. We needed to take a cab the short distance to the Jordanian border and cross over by foot. We explained to the cab driver our destination and even our plans while in Jordan. We drove for a while again lost in the landscape. He pointed out the Red Sea and explained why it was red. After what seemed like a rather long time, he dropped us off at the border. We walked through customs, excited to see the beautiful Red Sea in the background. When we went to change our money at the bank, we got the surprise of our life.
We weren’t in Jordan, we were in Egypt! Somehow, unknown to us, the cab driver had taken us to the wrong border. And once you’ve crossed, there is no such thing as turning around and going right back out. They did take pity on us and after awhile and with the help of the supervising Border Patrol agent, we did manage to leave.
When we got back in the car, we were very clear about were we needed to go this time. It was starting to get dark and without GPS we had hoped to be on the road during daylight hours. But this was not to be. There is no such thing as rushing through customs, especially in Jordan. We sat outside while they looked through our paperwork and chatted for a while with people employed at the customs office. This is really is a casual place, with young men and women who take their jobs very seriously. In the vast open desert we were able to see the most beautiful sunset and so, we sat and enjoyed it while we could.
After an hour and a half they let us through. Believe it or not, I think they enjoyed our company.
We did not get the early start we had planned nor did we enter Jordan during daylight hours. They have a GPS in Jordan but somebody else was using it so we set out on our own. Driving was pretty easy as there really is a minimum of traffic and the signs are in both Arabic and English. We were feeling pretty comfortable about how we had managed all the unforeseen events of the day, when much to our surprise, we were being waved down by a Jordanian police officer who was standing on the roadside. Not quite sure what the problem could be, we pulled over a bit perplexed. He said is name was Masan and he was a “Jordanian/Bedouin/Police Officer”
and he needed a ride to his next station. So, what else can you do? We took him with us thinking that this was our first hitchhiker…ever (but not the last!) and it should be pretty safe…
Well, all that to say, we arrived at our hotel near Petra, starving, where the chef made us…well, we are not sure but it was tasty.
Off to bed we went with a thousand memories of our adventure tucked into our hearts.
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