Walking into Jordan

The Rabin border crossing between Israel and Jordan

Parked at the Rabin border crossing

Sunday October 20, 2019

WADI MUSA, Jordan – With Petra, the great archeological site about a 15-minute walk from our hotel here, this experience will have to wait until Monday. We arrived here about 6:30 Sunday night and hope to get an early start to Petra in the morning.

The trek to get here is challenging at best but we managed with no chaos.

First, we left our apartment in Jerusalem before 9, caught the 274 bus and the tram to the City Hall stop. From there, we walked about 15 minutes to the Europcar location. When I only had my driver’s license and not a credit card as the main driver, Waynette was forced to use her credit card to secure the purchase. That put her on as a second driver and we were on the road by a little after 10 in the morning

We headed for Eilat and the border crossing with Jordan. That’s about a 300 kilometer drive and we penciled in about four hours. Heading east out of Jerusalem for about 25 kilometers, we made a right and hit route 90 that runs parallel to the Dead Sea. Interesting to note the water was an emerald green in some parts and we witnessed salt excavation operations in several locations.

About half-way, we stopped for lunch in a community of hotels and shops which sprang out of the desert. In a hurry, we poisoned ourselves with McDonald’s, something we vowed never to do. This was an emergency, we rationalized, and quickly resumed the journey.

Waynette took over for the final hour and guided us to the Rabin border crossing. To leave Israel, we had to pay 212 sheqels, or about $30 each. Since rental cars from Israel are not permitted in Jordan, we used a large parking lot to leave our car and walked over the border. Our documents were all in good order and passports stamped entering Jordan.

As soon as we crossed the border, the barrage started.

“Do you want a cab?” one guy shouted

“We need to go to Wadi Rum,” I replied. “Can you take us there?”

Quickly, he formed a huddle with about four others and designated a driver. Since we only had a backpack, that was flipped in the trunk and we took off for Wadi Rum near Petra. From the border, the driver took us into Aqaba, the port city in southern Jordan made famous by T. E. Lawrence and his daring raid against the Turks from the desert.

In a few words of English, he said another would drive us and he was finished for the day. Soon, he picked up the other guy who drove the original driver home

Then, off to Wada Musa.

“Wait,” the new driver said in his very limited English. “You said. Wadi Rum. Now it’s Wadi Musa?”

“Yes,” I said.

In no time, he was on his phone and began to speak in Arabic. Then, he hands the phone to me and gestures to speak. The guy in the other end said In English, “you want to go to Wadi Musa?”

“Yes,” I said. “We made a mistake.”

“Then it’s more. It’s 40 Jordanian dollars to Wadi Rum. It’s 55 to Wadi Musa; that’s further”

Agreeing to the price, we set off to Wadi Musa and within walking distance of the entrance to Petra. Along the way, the driver said his name is Basem and his “real” job is working as an accountant in Jordan’s agricultural department. His dream is to come to America, marry and have a family. At 31, Waynette told him about Lindsay and he immediately fell in love with her without seeing a picture. At once, he wanted to marry her and quickly move to America.

After a 2-hour ride, we arrived in Wadi Musa at dusk and Basem had difficulty finding The Petra Sky Hotel. In time, he found the place and in his best English wanted us to call him on Tuesday. We wants to drive us back to Aqaba.

He charged the 55 and we can get bus back for less than 10 Jordanian dollars each. The math here is rather simple.

Checking in at the hotel, we arranged for a second night because Petra is too vast for one day.

From the hotel, we sought dinner and settled on Al Wadi restaurant. There was a guy outside making fresh pita and that enticed us inside. We each ordered roasted chicken with rice and salad with a mint-flavored dressing, very Mediterranean.

Our waiter was Mohammad from Syria and very friendly. He invited us back tomorrow night and said we’d try and make it after walking around Petra all day.

“So what do you think about Turkey moving into Syria?” I asked him and guessed he was in his early 30s.

“Whatever happens in Syria is bad,” he laughed and walked away.

For Monday, it’s walking and suspect we’ll do around 20.000 steps. That’s reaching about 10 miles and hope it’s not quite that bad.

WEATHER- We’re expecting a great day for pictures on Monday. Clear skies and temps near 80

Saturday October 19, 2019

JERUSALEM, Israel – Since our travels abroad began in 1995, something happened on Saturday that never occurred.

We stayed home!

Mainly because we were grounded in our airbnb due to Shabbat, we found a few places to visit but unsure of the bus schedule coming back. For that reason and physical, we never set foot outside on Saturday.

Overall, reliability of the bus became a rather significant concern. Not only are schedules not printed but most arrivals and departures are sporadic, at best. In planning our stay here, we considered two travel options, and both concerned bus transportation.

First, there is the ability to get around in the metro area and second, to secure bus transportation to outline areas, such as the Dead Sea, Masada, Bethlehem and other sites. So, we pulled out our calculators and began crunching numbers.

We decided that a car rental was our best option to avoid any bus issue, prevent stranded and held hostage by cabbies. Plus, we’re not certain whether cabbies would actually drive this far out as we are very close to the border with Ramallah in Palestine.

In securing a rental, we found some great rates. Having a car gives us the flexibility to get around and not held prisoner to bus transportation and its marginal reliability.

That will also provide easy transportation for day trips and allow access to Ben Gurion Airport. Our stay in Israel ends Tuesday October 29 (we fly to Athens) and tried to figure out how, with all of our luggage, to get to the airport. Having a car easily solves dilemmas, real and the unexpected.

After breakfast, we each pulled our phones and the lap top. The wifi here is great and, unlike other locations on the trip, I’m able to easily get on the net with my laptop. Mazel Tov, as we say. That means, “congratulations.”

We settled on renting a car from Eurocar, but they are closed until 8 on Sunday morning. From there, we’ll drive to Eilat, park our car, cross the border into Jordan and head to Petra. Rental cars, we understand, are not permitted from Israel but there is taxi transportation from the border to Petra, about a 2-hour ride. We’re planning the rest of Sunday and all day Monday in Petra and that will have to be enough time. Can’t wait to see the Treasury and Monastery in the Siq and experience this site.

We plan to drive back Monday night, or possibly Tuesday, and it’s about 3 and one-half hours between Jerusalem and Eilat. Beginning Tuesday, that gives us eight days to see the sites in Jerusalem and day trips on our itinerary.

Back to Saturday.

After we cleaned up the breakfast dishes, and Waynette proofed today’s blog for final publication, we pulled our maps and discussed the day.

“So, where do you want to go,?” she asked.

“Right here,” I replied and crawled back into the bed. “Sorry, it’s nap time.”

The physical demands of the past weeks caught up with me and the thought of going anywhere was just not appealing. Pulling the covers over, Waynette quickly joined me and together, we had a delicious, 3-hour nap.

We want to venture out at night but not sure of the bus schedule. That’s why the car now looms as a vital form of transportation.

For tonight, we’ll likely chill out here and munch on chips and soda. We have to be in Jerusalem early in the morning and pick up the car.

For Saturday, there are no pictures and that’s because we did not venture out of the house. Plus, no steps and felt proud that I saved by legs and shoulders (from carrying the backpack) for at least one day.

Beach