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Diary This is Jan's diary. If you want to receive this diary by mail, write your mail on the contact form.
‹ Previous (30/01/2008) MONTH Next (2008-03-30)› ‹ Previous (2008-03-04 - Israel - Palestina) COUNTRY Next (2008-04-06 - Israel - Palestina)› Jordan Amman (see on map) 01/03/2008:
In Amman I had to meet a boy from couchsurfing.com but my telephone did not let me make calls and through Internet I could not locate him. Therefore, after situating myself on the map of the city, I went to park in the summit of one of the hills among which it extends Amman. From high up, near the citadel and with magnificent views on part of the city and close to the Roman amphitheatre, i had free wifi connection (it did not happen since Europe), so I remained closed inside the car all the afternoon after arriving to the Dead Sea and also the following day (yesterday). And surprisingly, after a year travelling through Africa, i was parked in the street, with the window open, with people walking on the side and without anybody upsetting me in any moment; I repeat: it seemed surprising to me. I was working and I also read the newspaper online, I listened to the radio and I looked at the television of my country. But I was also thinking whether i should visit for a couple of days Israel and Jerusalem. It had its risk, a very great risk, because if on the border with Jordan or Israel they printed some seal on my passport, it would be impossible to enter Syria. And powerless to cross Syria (not even logically Iraq), i could practically say good-bye to continue the journey towards Ásia. Syria does not accept the entry to anybody who has visited Israel, and I for example read the history of a boy who did not have a seal of Israel in the passport, but in the hostel of Damascus they discovered that his youth hostel card was sealed by a hostel in Jerusalem, communicated it to the police and immediately expelled him from the country. Anyway, Antonio and Ana that I had met in Dahab had assured me that, if i travelled without car, on the borders between Israel and Jordan they did not seal the passport. It was an important decision, on the other hand, without Alexandra seems that it is difficult for me to decide. Alexandra gets used to seeing only the negative aspects of the challenges and me the positive ones, but without her I have to analyse both aspects, making the decision still more difficult. Anyway, today in the morning I have gone to a bus agency that makes daily journeys to Jerusalem from Amman and for me it seemed so simple that I have decided to try tomorrow. Besides, i had contacted people from couchsurfing that could receive me in Jerusalem. And finally, i had also been able to get in touch with the boy of couchsurfing from Amman at the house of which i could leave the autocaravan put aside without problem. I have met with Thomas of French origin (the boy of couchsufing) and his wife of Chinese origin in a quite modern bookshop-bar and with people relatively snob. The owner of the site, friend of Thomas, is homosexual and as it seems he had many problems to open the business in the Jordanian Islamic society. Thomas was very interested in political subjects and immediately explained to me that the wealth of Jordan, despite not having too many oil resources, is encouraged in the stability of the country, attracting wealth and companies of the other Arab countries. The king of Jordan maintains a difficult balance between Israel and the Arab world, with some strong secret police that controls all that happens in the country. And is not an easy task, because 40 or 50% of the current inhabitants of Jordan are of Palestinian origin, emigrated during the creation of the state of Israel. Taking advantage of the wife of Thomas being of Chinese origin and her having a daughter from a previous marriage, I asked her about the policy of the only son in China. After explaining that she did not like it, she commented that the Chinese government helps economically to have a son, but if you have a second son you have to pay a fine of 5000 € (more the private hospital...). Anyway, if for luck you have twins the first time; the state helps you even more. At night, after parking in front of the house of Thomas, I have gone to a modern coffee of the neighbourhood to connect to Internet, which was full of youth, even attractive girls, dressing in a modern way, conversing animatedly around, celebrating some anniversaries... The only difference with Europe, was the smoke that there was in the atmosphere, provoked by the tens of water pipes that boys as well as girls were smoking. Israel - Palestina Jerusalem (see on map) 04/03/2008:
At 5:30 I left the autocaravan closed in the street, in front the house of Thomas, and I went in taxi towards the bus station, where after waiting for an hour I went up in a big bus where only there was another passenger going also to Israel. Although afterwards they were added more temporary, that confirmed the comment of Thomas that had assured me that between Israel and the Arab countries there is very few business and exchange, in spite of the closeness. When arriving to the Israeli part of the border of the Hussein Bridge, military youngsters with machine guns on shooting position and girls with bulletproof protection stopped the bus. While I was writing down these observations, a very severe officer went up on the bus and made me go down leaving the rest of passengers inside. After passing different detectors of metal and a strange machine that made air through my clothes, the officer with the machine-gun took me for questioning: why i went to Israel, who i knew, what had i done in Sudan, what i was writing in the bus... Surpassed the interrogation I added myself to the rest of the non Palestinian foreigners (these was another queue) and I delivered my passport to a girl of Ethiopian origin insisting that they did not print any seal for me, to be able to enter afterwards Syria. Most of the workers of the border were boys and very young girls ( probably doing the military service) and multiracial. I observed that my passport kept passing through different hands and whenever i could I addressed the person who had it and asked them: - You will not print me any seal, ok? Even then, they stuck an adhesive behind the passport that afterwards I had problems to take it off. While i waited, I conversed with an English that worked for an ONG helping the Palestinian people and he explained me very annoyed that, Israel and the governments that hold it are the only ones responsible for the conflict between Israel and Palestine. A part of the solution would be that the millions of Palestinian refugees could return to their lands and they were also compensated economically. Very probably an unacceptable proposal for the Israelis, and therefore, it seems that the conflict will continue for many more years. Later I have conversed with another also very critical cooperative with the Israel government. And finally I have talked with a Colombian girl who was going to visit a friend and to whom finally they have denied the entry. Meanwhile, the hours kept passing and, observing that the rest of foreigners kept passing, I asked: - What does it happen with my passport? And they always answered to me: - A moment, we are still processing your information. But finally, they called me for a second interview. I had to empty all my pockets and they closed me in a room with a corpulent boy in my back and an interviewer in front, and they started another time to question me. They had fear that i wanted to meet with Palestinians or that i took some message of somebody from Sudan. Finally they made me wait a good while, during which they checked all the information that figured beside my name in Internet, and passing probably a total of 5 hours waiting, printed the seal of entry in Israel in a paper separated from the passport. So much safety on the border was probably owed to the new climbing of the Palestinian – Israeli conflict, in which, terrorists had thrown numerous home rockets from the territory of the Gaza Strip against different frontier cities of Israel, getting to kill some person, and in answer the Israelis had bombarded and killed tens of people, among them children and women. And to consequence also of this climbing in the conflict, in Jerusalem, walking through the former city, all walled, I found the majority of shops closed, as a protest of the Palestinians traders to the israelian killings. Jerusalem is considered a saint city for the three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and amply disputed along the history, with crusades, wars, intifada... although traditionally the city has always been divided up into four areas or neighbourhoods: Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian. I entered through the Muslim neighbourhood and next entered the Jewish one, after crossing a metal detector. There I found in front the wall of lamentations, a wall of stone that the pretty mosque of the dome of the rock formed part of a former Jewish sacred temple that was destroyed, and curiously now it is part of the wall that surrounds the place, that occupies the original situation of the Jewish shrine. Anyway, the Judaism considers that God moved its presence from the former shrine to the wall of the lamentations or named also the Western wall. And as i arrived , tens of Jews dressed in black and with caps (symbolising the aura, according to a friend from Israel) or hats of wing or of eccentric forms, read books groaning out loud facing the wall while, some with rhythmic and violent jumps, swayed ahead and behind. At night, Eli, a boy from couchsurfing received me and I had opportunity of living with a happy Israelí family. From his home, I connected myself to Internet and casually I read in the journal that the same day that was being finished, Israel had done a small military incursion to Gaza Strip killing about 60 people, including women and 8 children. I commented on the news to Eli, but he did not think it was bad, but natural, because in the journals of Israel in Internet they informed in a single line (which cost to find) that the army had killed the same number of people, but indicating that 90% were armed. When asking Eli if he believed normal the disproportion among the Palestinian dead men and the israelian, he commented me that yes, simply because Israel is more efficient militarily. And added that the Palestinian terrorists attack directly the population, however, the Israeli soldiers look for killing the terrorists, even if in the action they can kill children of the surroundings. Some not so convincing opinions under the concept of human justice or peace and I ended up thinking that other millions of opinions as this made more complicated the end of the conflict. In the same way that the conformism and consumerism of millions of families from the developed world, including me, are probably collaborating to the misery of the rest of the world. Even if always there are some good actions. For example, Eli was complaining that according to the Israeli law, the earth that is not cultivated loses the owner if another cultivates it, allowing some Israelis to gain the land of many Palestinians refugees that cannot return. Eli, in collaboration with some ONGs and other Palestinians helps plant trees in these lands so that the owners at present refugees do not lose it. On the other hand, I can seem very critical with Eli and other millions of Israelians, but that did not prevent me to make friendship with a magnificent boy who i could have as a real friend. The following day I returned to the old city and i did a long hike above the walls, without too much interest, and next I went up to the mosque of the Dome of the Rock, another sacred place, this time for the Muslims, because they consider that this is the point where the prophet Mohamed ascended to the sky, after his body was transported miraculously from Meca. In fact, the mosque of the Dome of the Rock is the third most saint, after those of Meca and Medina, and even, originally the Muslim prayers were done in this direction instead of Meca. It is not to miss then that exteriorly (it is not allowed to enter inside for the non Muslims) the mosque is wonderful, with some details of Islamic art as always surprising, as its big golden dome, which is visible from most parts of the city. Next, walking through small paved and steep alleys, some desert and another boiling of trades, generally destined to the tourists or pilgrims, I arrived to the church of the Sacred Sepulcra, a church worshiped by all the Christian confessions, believing that was erected on the hill where Jesus was crucifixed and where also he was buried. In the entry of the church there was a big slab of marble where they think that the body of Jesus was shrouded and where tens of believers crouched down to kiss it, to touch it and to lie down devoutly and passionately. Going up on some stairs there was situated a chapel in the point where they thought that Jesus was crucifixed, and, long queues were again waited to crouch down under the altar where the hole that sustained the cross is. And in another end of the church there were still more queues to enter in the small chapel where buried Jesus was (close to the other one). Asking, a monk he told me that the church was of the greco-orthodox confession, but afterwards I have read that the custody is of different confessions, not with few conflicts among them throughout its history. In the afternoon I met again with Eli, conversing animatedly and trying to convince me of the existence of telepathy and at night i went to see a match of básquet to the house of a friend of his, which will soon do a long journey through Latin-amèrica. And today in the morning I have left Jerusalem, I have crossed without any problem the Israelian and Jordanian border and have arrived to Amman where the autocaravan was still in the same place without anybody having touched it. --- I made use of my stay in Israel to take the pulse to the world with Eli, that gave an opinion that the main problem of the world are the human beings that are too egocentric. The solution would be conscience, the peace starts from the interior. In Israel the main problem is the endless war. The solution will be very late to appear. He tries to maintain friendship with all the parts. Eli is considered very happy. he does not need to worry for being happier. The secret of happiness is to be happy with what you have. Jordan Frontera amb S?ria (see on map) 10/03/2008:
Had eliminated any evidence that gave away my previous presence in Israel, had erased files of the computer and concealed folders, and had hidden well for the car a small map of Jerusalem, a bloc of notes describing my stay there and the paper with the seal of entry and exit. Even then, it still thought that it could have problems to enter in Syria (a country with a part of the territory even occupied by Israel), especially for which behind the passport and there were evident remains that there had been an adhesive (which the Israelis had stuck me). In any case, it had revised well a very good history: in a club of diving in Egypt on me they had stuck an adhesive behind the passport when renting a dress of neoprene. I crossed troublefree Jordan but on border with Syria, after observing the brand of the adhesive behind the passport they told me, without showing gravity, that they should receive a confirmation from Damascus. I waited for the two hours that asked me and to 6 communicated me the news that did that the world fell to my feet. It could not enter in Syria because they were convinced that it had entered Israel. I tried to ask for explanations, to argue with them, to talk with the head... But the answer was always it, were convinced that it had entered in Israel and that deprived me of entering its country. A young policeman accompanied me outside, but without paying him attention, I addressed a hotel of the same border to do a call to the embassy of Spain in Syria, whose consul told me that the day after he would try to find a solution. I returned to the car disconsolate but not surrendered yet. If it did not manage to enter in Syria, very probably, neither it could enter Iran, for this country lets either enter Israel to anybody that has visited. On the other hand, the only way of arriving to Turkey through the ground was across Syria, and in that moment did not consider any other option feasible. The young policeman of Syria, accompanied me in the selfcaravan up to the border of Jordan, but remained well dazzled when I informed it that it did not want to enter in Jordan and I parked at half of the 100 meters in which they separate both borders. New civil servants of Syria made me park a little nearer to Jordan. Afterwards they were the Jordanians who came there to wonder what it made put aside. But when did I announce to them that it could not enter Syria but that it did not want to enter Jordan again and did they let me be camped there without too many problems. It remembered a small revolution that had appeared few years behind, as soon as possible of doing a journey to Kenya and Tanzania, I went to a centre of vaccination that to me had assigned some weeks ago. I admit that I arrived 5 minutes late to the consultation, but because of this delay, the nurse that was vaccinating many other travellers, refused to pricking me. I knew that if I did not vaccinate that day, they would give me hour after three or four weeks again, after the exit of the aeroplane, and that if it did not have the card of vaccinations in rule I risked not being able to enter Kenya (or to fall ill). In the face of such a situation, I caught a paper of a counter, I wrote "I want myself to vaccinate!" and I sat in the stairs as a sign of protest. After two hours, even after wrestling with the security guards, another nurse vaccinated me. In any case, he knew that this fight with the authorities and the Syria law would be much more complicated and long. On the following day in the morning, the policemen of Jordan left me to go to buy in the facilities of the border a Jordanian card SIM for the mobile telephone, with which I sent a message to Alexandra and I called the embassy Spanish in Jordan and Syria, who told me some hours later that they could not do at all that it could allow me an entry to Syria and they recommended me of returning behind. It was pissed off with the authorities of Israel for sticking adhesives behind the passport when of good insurance they knew that that deprived the entry in Syria, it was also pissed off with the Jordanian authorities for which probably they had a mole on its border that it was informing about who entered Israel or who not, and of course it was pissed off with the Syrian authorities, although it understood that they were observing its law, probably with the information received by its spy in Jordan. Anyway, he did not think yet to yield me. I started to stick posters to the windscreen and in the door of the selfcaravan on the message in English "I want to cross Syria to enter Turkey". Meanwhile, Alexandra tried to create conscience through Internet to defend my cause, but probably there are much more important problems in the world and I only received a couple of calls of some Syrians of couchsurfing commenting on me of what they could not make at all to help me. Even then, he still thought that he would wait for me for many more days or weeks between both borders until it found a solution. It had quite a lot food in the home, besides, of insurance that the truck drivers could offer me eaten further on, because even if they did not talk English, these seemed to have friendliness for my situation, and some of them had already offered me water to load the selfcaravan. In spite of everything, as they passed the hours and the few days, I also realised, without the victory having insured, that really should be weeks, months or years between both borders. On the other hand, even if it considered completely unfair not to be able to go through a territory, this neither was my fight, and thought that further on it would find other more important wars to which to dedicate my time and energy, and that now it was due me to keep traveling to know world and probably to discover which will be the future battles in which really I will want to fight. Anyway, to yield me I filled up of pessimism. The options to embark the car towards Turkey were Israel where they would hardly let me enter the car; Egypt, where it would probably have the same problems to enter it as the first time; crossing Iraq, almost completely discarded; or to forget Turkey and to try to cross Saudi Arabia, Arab Emirates and to take boat towards Iran, where neither they would not let me enter Israel if they discovered that it had been. In any case, before abandoning, I decided to pass one another night between both borders, during which I sent a SMS to the Spanish consul of Syria asking him whether the option that a driver drove my car for Syrian lands up to the border with Turkey, while I took the aeroplane, was valid. The day after in the morning it returned me the optimism another time when I received a SMS of the consul telling me that it would try to find me, a driver. Animated, I also got in touch to a Mr. Siriano that two days ago had stopped next to the selfcaravan to offer me help. After little the Syrian phoned me to report that it had found a driver for 300 me $. But an hour later it was the consul that called commenting that it had found a company that would charge me only me 100 $. In the face of this new perspective, I pulled the posters of the car out to soften any tension that there could be with the Syrian customs officers. And even more, I decided to leave the no-man's land, the space between the two borders to enter the facilities of the Jordanian border again. But this return, which he thought would be positive for the Jordanian and Syrian customs officers, originated another problem. The Jordanian policemen informed me that he could leave the car parked there, but I could not pass the night in the border facilities. But I did not want to go to Amman, nor not to take the car of the border either, for the rates of entry in Jordan were increased. On the other hand, they did not let me either turn the last ones over between the two borders where he had been camping three nights. Then I suggested them, that it would leave the car in the facilities, but I would catch the shop and would camp exactly to outside the borderrontier]>, and in the face of this proposal that is so ridiculous, finally the head of immigration left me to live in the car exceptionally. And now I was not capable of repressing the tears even of crying in silence. The head of immigration it asked me what passed me, but I was not capable of explaining myself. These days the had lived with too much tension, but separately, the tears seemed the only way of the immense feeling of gratitude expressing that it felt for all those people (Alexandra, the consul, the head of immigration, friends in Catalonia, and others) that were worrying about me, being implied beyond its responsibilities to find a solution. Now my friend Marc, manager of the company Servicios of Internet Javajan and owner of the selfcaravan, signing a document granting the power of conduction to the chofer found by the embassy was only missing. But when calling to Marc, this commented me that they were celebrating in another population the holiday of farewell of solero of another good friend that was married, and that the holiday would follow the day after, therefore (without desires of spoiling this dear wildness) it should wait for me two more nights, until Monday. Today Monday in the morning, Marc has confirmed to me that it had sent the fax with the powers to the embassy of Spain in Syria. Then I have called the director of the company of the chofer, informing her that this could pass to look for the fax in the embassy and come afterwards to look for the car on the border. But when the border]> has been introduced to the driver at noon, this had forgotten the fax, but on the other hand, when it has gone up to the selfcaravan and I have started to show him all the things that the selfcaravan had its cheerful face has gone off immediately. And immediately I have realised a problem that it had not had. To me they did not leave me to enter in the Syria customs, therefore the driver should show all the contents, but it could not explain all the things that the selfcaravan took (for example medicines), and maybe the authorities would retain the car until somebody - which could not enter - could declare the contents. The driver has turned over towards Damascus with the promise that the day after he would turn over with the fax. Anyway, the idea about the chofer any longer did not seem so good to me. When talking with the consul, this suggested once other to me to return to Jordan. And finally, as it can not talk with the director of the company of the chofer, and 6 days after being retained on the border, without Internet, without interacting with almost nobody, confronting daily problems, boring, tired, desperate... I have decided to abandon, without not even so alone to wait to morning, and at dusk I have paid again the cups of entry for Jordan for the car and have gone towards Amman. Amman (see on map) 16/03/2008:
I have spent a week, half depressed, without desires of doing anything, discouraged in spite of trying to solve all the uncertainties. With the help of Alexandra and passing many hours connected to Internet, the unknowns about how to arrive to Turkey have kept being solved. This new horizon has diluted the pessimism of my soul, although the optimism has not appeared either. From now I was a marked person, i was not a European any longer with the possibility to travel all over the world, a step had now gone down, and some countries would have my entry forbidden, as Syria, Iran or other Arab countries. In any case, a step had only gone down, and i still had the right and the opportunity of following my journey, taking the pulse to the world. On the other hand, my history could not be compared, even a lot less, with the problems that millions of people suffer because of the visas. As the story that Akram explained to me after he gained sufficient confidence in me(a Jordanian Palestinian that I got in touch with through couchsurfing). A year ago, Akram met a girl from the United States, whom he fell in love with. Making use of some working holidays and having obtained a visa of 5 years, he flew to United States, where after few weeks and of quitting his work in Jordan has married the girl. After three months they did a trip through the North of the United States and two days to Canada. But when returning from Canada, the police of the American border denied him the entry and invalidated the visa, without any explanation, simply because he was Muslim. The way how he explained the drama that he lived really touched me. It was about three months in Canada living badly, occasionally meeting his wife who visited him when she could. And finally he returned to Jordan, where he does not have possibility to return to the previous work and he has to wait a year and a half that the American authorities validate his marriage and they grant him the option of turning back with his wife. But few desires remain, at present he would prefer going to live to Egypt, an Islamic country where life is cheap. Another day that I met with Akram I started to talk about Israel, but immediately he cut me, indicating that for him there is not such country, only occupied Palestine. Akram is of Palestinian origin, as many of his friends, born of parents that took refuge in Jordan after the war of 1948. When asking him about the solution of the conflict,he answered me that the Jews should abandon the occupied land completely (again solutions difficult to accept for the opposing party). Then he explained his vision of the history, in which, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Arabs were hospitable with the Jews who arrived to Palestine, until these took them the land. To the point of celebrating 30 years of life, Akram complained that he never visited his land. Then I asked him: - But do you think that there will be a day again when Palestine will be for the Arabs, free from Jews? - For sure. Before the day of the final judgment. - But where will the Israelis have to go? - The Jews who occupy Palestine have their land of origin, and they will have to return there. Then the conversation entered in a phase difficult to be forgotten. After explaining to me that he detested the Islamic terrorist attacks, that a Muslim would never kill innocents, and that he really cried during the attacks to the two twin towers of New York, I asked him: - Then you are you against the terrorist attacks against the Jews of Israel? - That is not terrorism – he answered very seriously. - We, the Palestinians, have our land to fight for and to kill all those that occupy it by force. In the face of my speechless expression, he asked me: - Do you think that I am a terrorist? - Not, but you could be. In the presence of Akram, i met Hamin, a Christian. his religion surprised me in Jordan. Then he explained me, that 7% of the Jordanians are Christian, but that before nothing, they feel Arab and that for example, when the United States attack an Arab country, they are annoyed as the rest of the people. Maybe that's why, the communal life with the Muslims is very pacific, although they also have to abide by some of the rules. For example, a Muslim boy can marry a Christian girl, but a Christian boy cannot marry a Muslim girl, because the Islamic law forbids it, the same as he also forbids a Muslim being able to forsake his religion. And another surprising fact, when asking Hamin whether his God was also called Allah,he answered me: - Of course, we, the Jordanian Christians, speak Arab. I had not been so many days in Jordan, but it seemed that all the options to arrive to Turkey, passed through Egypt, but i could not enter with the carnet de Passages of the car expired. That's why, the first day after arriving to Amman I sent the old carnet de Passages to Spain in order to receive the new one, if everything goes well from here, next Sunday,in a week. During these days, I have also renewed my visa of stay to Jordan, I have visited different times the embassy of Spain where the consul is a very nice and collaborative person, I have renewed other papers for the car... Even so, after doing all these formalities, I still had a week before leaving. Perhaps, tomorrow, I will visit some days the lands of Palestine and Israel again. In spite of everything, I feel that I do not want to visit anything else. I feel like reaching as soon as possible Istambul to meet Alexandra. I feel like being with her, relaxed again, and leaving that all the problems pass next to us. This separation, of a month, is proving to me that it is difficult to live without her. And she says that she feels the same. So, we have already reported that the proposal of marriage that we did, continues standing and that maybe soon, in some exotic country, we will take it to the practice. ---- In Aman I interviewed Aiman, a friend of Akram, which opined that the main problem of the world is the oil, which causes a lot of instability in the middle east. The problem cannot be solved, but besides will be increased due to the industry and to the emergent countries, and it does not seem that anybody can do anything to stop. Aiman, of Palestinian origin, opined that the main problem of his country was the nonexistence of peace or solution, at least an acceptable solution for the politicians or leaders of both parties. The solution needs new leaders thinking for the future, they think that there is sufficient land for everybody. Maybe at present the Arabs are more prepared than the Israelis for the peace. The solution has to be found between the people of both sides. Aiman is considered happy although he would be happier with peace in the middle east that allowed him to settle and to live. The secret of happiness is the peace in the heart and in the mind. 18/03/2008:
Yesterday I went again towards the border of Jordan with Palestine. I felt like visiting these troubled lands again with some Palestinians, but i was shitted scary, for i feared that (as the previous time) the Israeli authorities would return to stick an adhesive in my passport or even to seal it, complicating the future entry in Iran. For this reason, when the Jordanian authorities told me that my visa only allowed me to visit Israel one more time, I cheered up and I relaxed. Next, taking advantage of being retained in Jordan waiting for the Carnet de Passages of the car, which if everything goes well has to arrive next Sunday, I decided to try to cross another border, this time that of Syria. I chose another border, but the authorities immediately saw that i had been refused once, and after verifying in the computers they informed me very nicely about my name being on the black list, and that even if i tried to bribe them (how I did with 300 $) they could do nothing to change it. And like this it would follow even to the end of times, or even if Syria changed the legislation. And today I have decided to visit the Roman ruins of Jerash, the second touristic attraction of Jordan, which i had not visited yet because i had not lost in a complete way the expectations to enter in Syria, where for as i have seen, there is a former still more interesting Roman city, that of Palmira. In any case, Jerash has surprised me and i would have considered myself a sinner if i had let the passivity of the last days influence me not to visit it. Jerash surprises for the hundreds of columns that still keep standing, of stylised forms and capitals with floral engravings. It also surprises, apart from its temples, avenues, arcs and hippodrome, for the conservation of two big theatres, that confirm the interest that the Romans expressed for these shows, but, the big number of inhabitants especially confirm that they had to populate the former city. 22/03/2008: I have spent some days more waiting for the carnet de passage of the car (which finally has arrived today Saturday) and passing the hours bored and discouraged. Anyway, the few times that i made use of my spare time, i tried to clarify which was my next destination, that each moment got complicated, because when i was going to confirm the offer of the boat of Egypt to Turkey, I took measures of the autocaravan and I realised that in the container would not enter, when being 10 centimetres higher than the door of the container. I sent the Egyptian company a mail to see whether there was any other solution, but they did not answer me. So, the only solution that remains seems that of Israel, from where I have an offer (quite expensive) to arrive with boat to Athens, Greece. Tomorrow I will start to go again towards Israel, unless i receive some other offer from Egypt. On the other hand, I have also met some more days Akram and some of his friends and other couchsurfers, although in general I have followed the meetings without too much interest. In all these days, only one conversation with Akram caught me the attention enough as to note it in my note block. Akram was confirming to me that they believe firmly in the Islam, the men as well as the women, with the virginity and with the prohibition of the sex out of the marriage. Next he complained that in the Occidental countries many men (and women) have sex out of the marriage (and during the marriage) with ten, twenty or even more people different to the opposed sex. And according to him, it was a hypocrisy that these that fornicate with so many women how they want (even with prostitutes) criticise them, the Muslims, because they can get married even with four women, if the husband can maintain them and they accept the situation. I thought that it was quite a convincing reasoning to explain because in the Islam the men have this possibility, although I did not deepen either questioning why the women could not marry more than one husband. 23/03/2008: When trying to start the car after buying vegetables, I have discovered that the estárter did not work, even so, I have started off the car and I have just arrived to the border of Jordan with Israel. I have passed all the Jordanian formalities without stopping the car and paying the 20 euros of rates of exit for the third time. As I feared, to the first control before entering in the offices of the border of Israel they have made me stop the car, anyway, after inspecting superficially the vehicle, some boys that waited and an Israeli helped me push the car until it started off. Despite warning them about the problems of the starter they have asked me to stop the engine in the following control. Then the typical questions have started and discovering that i had been in Sudan, the things had gone again serious. Anyway, it seemed that there would not be too many problems apart from the typical waiting and after an hour, they decided to inspect the car. I wanted to be present, but they have closed the car in a garage and I have had to wait in a room in front of a scanner of X-rays, across which they have kept passing different objects of my autocaravan: the spare wheel, all the butane gas cylinders and even the chemical toilet (that yes, making face of disgust and laughing). During the process a man has presented himself loading a big plastic bag with all the vegetables that i had bought in Jordan inside: Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bananas, oranges, cauliflowers... He has informed me that i could not enter with fresh vegetables in Israel (international norms) and, after asking to eat three bananas, he has taken the sealed bag. I feared that they would break something of the car, during the hour that have been turning it upside down, but, no when I have been able to enter again, all the things were well messed up but in their place. Then I have listened with joy that i could enter in Israel after making the insurance of the car. I went to the corresponding office with all the papers, but when studying them, the girl of the insurance company has informed me: - You have the international driving licence expired - expired for only 15 days!! - I cannot do the insurance for you. And evidently, the Israeli authorities have immediately informed me that i could not enter the country and that i had to return to Jordan. The world fell another time for me. It was the third time in twenty days that a country denied me the entry and returned me to Jordan. Seemed a nightmare and my bad humour was naturally directed in silence towards the Israelis. My only consolation that I have had, is that these have had to sweat a little to push the car and to start it off. On the other hand, I have also recovered all the vegetables that they had stolen previously from me. Turning to Amman I have called to my father with the expectation that he had not sent the new renewed driving licence to an address of Turkey that i had given him, but unfortunately he has informed me of having sent it last Thursday and by error having also sent my Spanish driving licence, done that it could complicate the request of a new international driving licence. Besides, in arriving to Amman I have realised that an exterior protection of the fridge had fallen and had gotten lost due to the bad placing of the customs authorities. In any case, I have not wanted to despair. So many slips it seems that they are giving me quite a lot of patience. The next days I will dedicate them to fix the car (it will be more economic in Jordan than in Israel), to visit the Spanish embassy (perhaps to ask them for work in Jordan) and to negotiate a price of the boat that has to take me up to Greece. 30/03/2008: I passed another week in Amman, another parenthesis in the journey of which basically would stand out the joy that I felt yesterday when I received the international driving licence from Turkey. Previously, i had taken the car to fix, but after looking for the spare part of the starter in all Amman, I finally convinced myself of its nonexistence and a mechanic had to do the same manoeuvre that the boy of Edfu, in Egypt, had done. The operation was good to keep starting off the engine more or less well during all the week, and also today in the morning, when I have crossed the border of Jordan again and I have passed the first formalities again on the border of Israel. Today I have asked to be present in the inspection of the car, but they have again denied me this possibility and a boy has gone up to the car to drive it in a closed garage. But the engine has not started and the boy has called me so that I tried it. The starter did not seem to work again, but suddenly the boy has warned me that a strong smell of burning was coming out (I do not feel smells). I have gone outside, I have opened the capon and horrified i have realised that the engine was on fire, not all the engine, but there were some cables burning. Running I have gone up to the autocaravan, have pulled the fire extinguisher and have jumped in front of the car shooting against the flames. The flames have gone off immediately, without having provoked at first sight any severe damage, but my spirits were through the ground again. Anyway, the officers have continued with the process and they have pushed the autocaravan inward of the garage and after little while they have taken it out informing me that they have already inspected it. I have carried out the insurance of the car, this time trouble free, and the nice officers have helped me push the autocaravan another time and it has turned on with no problem and later I have arrived without any other incident to Haifa. * Another negative note of the customs of Israel was the exterior protection of the fridge, which the customs had placed badly for me the previous time and has been lost. The second time they commented me that the insurance of the customs of Israel would pay it to me and an officer called Igal Malca confirmed me that it would be like this, but once arrived to Greece they denied contact. ‹ Previous (30/01/2008) MONTH Next (2008-03-30)› ‹ Previous (2008-03-04 - Israel - Palestina) COUNTRY Next (2008-04-06 - Israel - Palestina)› |
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