Visum bemachtigen (in het Engels dit keer...)

So, my current visa expired at the 20th of February and my only option to get a new one was to cross the border again. Since I'd already been in Egypt (and this is not really the best time to go there again), I decided to go to Jordan. The nearest bordercrossing from Nazareth is about 40 km away.


Almost there.

 

Digging at Pella.



My plan was to go to Pella, an archeological site just 7 km in to Jordan. Wanted to go by bike to save costs. Calculated it would cost me 300 shekel to get out and in to Israel with all the fees, visa, bustransfers etcetera and pay for the busride back. Brought 370 shekels with me. Took the bus to Afula at around 9am. From Afula I biked all the way to the border crossing. About 30km. Good weather, nice views, good bike. Had a great time and really enjoyed it. Took me a small two hours to get there, so I crossed to Jordan at noon. Many curious faces, staring at me and my bike. Took my bike in the transferbus. Because the luggage compartment was full, I had to take it up in the bus. All went well getting in to Jordan, but at the last exit, leaving the border crossing they stopped me and said I could not go in by bike. It was forbidden they said and I had to take a taxi. I asked them why and where the law stated that it was not allowed to ride a bike in Jordan, but it came down to this: it was not safe for me to bike in Jordan, alone. They gave me no choice, so I had to take a taxi. 7 dinar. Bike in the back of the car and off we went. Okay, the taxi was much easier and it would have take me a lot of effort to climb up there. Arrived at 13pm and decided to stay two hours. The taxidriver would pick me up there. Pella is huge and there still digging. Met with some Jordanian workers, an archeologist that works there since 1979 and some Australian volunteers that help for three weeks at the site. According to the archeologist Pella is, after Petra, the most extensive and important archeological site in Jordan, with many layers back in time. Had no idea of the significance of the place when I planned to go there. Beautiful views too over the Jordan Valley and the mountains of the Westbank. Clouds coming up from Israel with bad weather, but at that moment it just created gorgeous rays of sun on the hills.

Took the taxi back: the driver send a friend with a van to take me back). Again 7 dinars. He dropped me at the first checkpoint, and from there I biked back. Arriving at the second gate, where they made me take a taxi earlier, they told me I had to go back to come in by taxi. Then I got pissed. No way I go back and take a taxi. I've just been dropped by a taxi. My bike is my taxi. And I don't have any money for a taxi anyway. One of the guys that was there in the morning recognized me and after some calls I could go. Grr.... Going through all the checks was okay. Exit stamp. Changed my 3 dinars back to shekels and went to the bus. Had to buy two tickets, because of my bike (hadn't payed anything on the way in). Payed 1 dinar (was left in one of my pockets) and 11 shekels. Once in the bus they asked me if I payed the exit fee. Damn! Forgot that one. So back to the office and I had to pay 8 dinars. Shoot! So whatever amount of shekels I had left I changed back to dinars (couldn't pay with shekels), but that was only six. That was all I had left... Told the guy I didn't have any more money, that I had more expenses in Jordan then I calculated and that that was it. Busdriver came in to check on me. Eventually he payed 2 dinars for me (sort of refund for my second ticket) and I was good to go. Laughed about myself in the bus and thought I was very foolish not taking enough money with me. Checked with my neighbour if getting in to Israel would cost me anything. Luckely not. But I realized that I would have to take the bike back, instead of taking the bus from Beit She'an to Nazareth. I had no money to pay the bus. I had 40 kilometers of road ahead of me, rain coming on and it was about to get dark soon.

But first the next challenge: getting the visa! Hoped so hard that I would succeed, knowing that that would give me energy for the ride back. The girl at the passportcontrol looked nice. Doesn't say anything. Asked me some questions: name of my father and grandfather (??), where I was going, how long I would stay (showed her my ticket back to Holland), if I knew anyone. The usual. She stamped it and to my delight I saw it was three months!! I think showing the ticket did the trick.

It was 16.30pm when I got on my bike and started off. Low on energy, but with enough water and food to last me on the way. No raincoat though, and it started to rain already, and no light on my bike. It was one hell of a ride. My ass was sore, my legs were close to being cramped and the traffic was crazy. Tried hitchhiking, but that sucks with a bike. Thought about stopping a bus, but guessed they would not take me in without money. Thought about taking a taxi and just paying them at arrival, but had to much selfesteem to do that. "I'm strong and fit enough to do this. Yalla", is what I kept thinking. Music on, my phone in my left hand as a light for the cars, a plastic back around my backpack and regular stops to drink and eat something at the busstops. Reached Afula completely exhausted. My ass could not take the bike seat anymore. So I walked through Afula towards the 60 highway. Nazareth was is sight, but I also knew I had to climb quite a hill to get in the city. Half biking, half walking I crossed the distance between Afula and Nazareth. Halfway my legs really hurt and I was close to crying from exhaustion. Wanted to stay tough though to be sure I could make it, but I prayed that somebody would pitty me and stop with the car. Could not have imagined that five minutes later a car did stop, two ladies inside that picked me up. Kathy and Salam did not care about my muddy bike, by stinky and dirty clothes or my messy sneakers. I told them they were like angels to me! Apparently I had looked like an angel to them with my white vest (which was dotted with brown mudstains...). They took my to the Old City, and then gave me their number and said they wanted me to come to their house so we could be friends. ...REALLY?!?!?!? Wow! That was just the most amazing end of the day. A big wink from heaven.



Dirty, muddy legs.

 

Exhausted, but home.



So I biked about 70 km in one day (personal record), I saw something special in Jordan, I got a three month visa and I made new friends in Nazareth.

It was a big succes!! And more than I expected to get from my visa-trip :-)