All Roads [try to] Lead to Damascus
Trip Start
Jun 21, 2008
1
11
23
Trip End
Jul 24, 2008
Damascus,
Syria
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Yesterday the 4 guys and I went around to the desert Crusader Castles, the whole Lawrence of Arabia stuff, etc. etc. It was actually pretty cool, I got some good shots. The sun was brutal though and as usual I felt pretty climate sick. Nick gave me some stomach/ intestinal / digestive / health medication which did the trick.I've had this for around 2 days now.. it feels like I imagine heartburn would feel- an intense pain in my chest after every meal. I think it's because of a diet change.. instead of veggies, tofu and rice that I'd eat back home, my diet has been consisting of falafel, Bedouin tea and juice. I think it's the fried food. Anyway, all of us passed out when we got back to the hotel- by the time I woke up 2 hrs later the stomach pains were gone. We walked to this posh "granola-y" ecofriendly place called Wild Jordan, it was a definite treat... spending around 15USD on a quality meal. I know that doesn't sound like much but when you're spending 5 times more on dinner than you are on accommodation, it does sound pricey. Nick and Andrew wouldn't stop raving about the place so on our last night, it was done. I had an Apple Walnut Flax Salad (woah, that sounds like home!) and Nick and I split a "Chocobanana" for dessert. It was a really wonderful evening, the restaurant was top notch and the view was incredible. I felt like I was back home actually but not, in a good way. (I know that doesn't make too much sense). We closed the place out around midnight and just sat chatting on the rooftop of the hostel until 3am. I didn't really want to leave the next day... I loved traveling with those guys and I loved Jordan, and it's always hard saying goodbye.
The next morning I was awoken by Shane knocking on my door at 6:30am. Not only did my alarm clock not ring, but I was 10 minutes late and we needed to catch the bus to Syria!!! I seriously freaked out, ran downstairs still in my nightgown and we started heading for the bus station. I felt so naked, what a strange sensaton walking around in public directly out of bed! We caught the bus.. but didn't make it too far. The events that followed are still popping around my head, it was quite a scene.
We got through the Jordan side of the border crossing with no problems. Shane had been traveling around Israel but he didn't get an exit or entry stamp (which is good). He didn't even get a stamp out of London either. So the story was going to be that he came from France to Amman, did not get stamped because he didn't want to fill it up, was not able to obtain a Visa for Syria from his homecountry of Australia since he was in France. So the way this works is that most nationalities (EXCEPT American citizens) can obtain a visa at the border, with a 50% chance of success. It depends on the dude you get and how generous he feels that day. And if you have any evidence of having visited Israel, absolutely NO. And if you have gaps in your stamps (suggesting that you visited Israel and had them stamp something else..), most likely NO. Shane played the odds... we walked up to the guard who spoke decent english, this extremely intimidating Syrian soldier who I couldn't get a smile out of as much as I tried. He flipped through Shane's passport, asked him why he didn't have an entry stamp from Jordan, and when Shane started to contest, this man became enfuriated. He started yelling at Shane that he'd been in Israel, told us to go away and not come back, he even got up out of his chair and started hitting Shane on the hand and wrote his name down in the "denied" book. I've never seen someone so angry. I don't know how other travelers have gotten through the cracks with this stuff, but there was NO WAY this guy was going to budge. We said our goodbyes and he started finding a way to get back to Amman. Not only was I sad to see him go because we've become good friends, but also because we were the only foreigners on the bus!! I was completely alone now, which always scares me a bit. It is hard to get into Syria, Americans especially, and while I was clear, it was a bit of a scary feeling.
I got off the bus in Damascus and tried to find my way. I asked a dude how to get to the city, I ended up walking around a km to the minibus station where I asked more people how to get to this hotel. The scene went how it always goes.. one guy asks another and he asks another, within 1 minute I have 10 Muslim men yelling and gesturing wildly about which way to go and I'm stuck in the middle saying nothing. Finally this one guy said to get in his minivan, we drive in the city for 10 min and that's when I realized he had no idea where he was going. TRAFFIC IN DAMASCUS IS INSANE. He'd literally drive around 2 inches from another taxi/minivan saying "Foduk Al-Rhabi" along with some other Arabic mumbo jumbo and no one knew where the hell it was. They'd be having a full conversation out the window going 10 mph in rush hour traffic. He pulled some manuvers that could have killed me, I'm convinced. At one point he inched between a tractor and a pickup full of rice, with literally maybe 1 cm on each side. I was cringing the whole way. We went in circles asking people for around 1 hr, I prayed he wasn't going to charge me up the ass but finally I just said to let me out, I'd walk and find it! I paid him the equivalent of $2 USD, which is 20 times more than I should have paid, but whatever. I am sleeping on the rooftop of the hostel for $3 USD. After such a long day I haven't done much here yet.. my plans need adjusting now that Shane didn't make it into the country. We were going to take a sidetrip to Beirut but now I'm not so sure. Damascus is supposed to be a beautiful old city with great food so I'll try to get in as much as I can.
We met a French dude in Amman that is still in my mind- hearing his stories made me rethink my choices and my direction, or lack thereof. I'm not sure what I am going to do in the next month or two and beyond, I am still trying to find my way.
July 10th- I found this very amusing.. an email from Shane accounting the rest of his journey that day. This is how unpredictable and sh1tty things go sometimes.. it's always an adventure.
"So here's what happened:
Sheryl and I rocked up at the Jordan/Syrian border at 9am...she got through no worries (of course). Within 20 seconds of my turn the immigration officer said to me "how'd you get into Jordan?" I said I flew to Amman...he basically told me I was full of sh1t. And that was pretty much it...he was ruthless. the fact I cannot prove how I got into Jordan means I probably set foot in Israel...which is enough to deny me entry.
anyway, that's where the fun started. I walked around to the other side to get my passport and get a bus back to Amman...but the border guard wouldn't give me my passport. Instead he handed it to some random Syrian taxi driver (obviously to make sure I left the Syrian side and went back into Jordan). So this huge fat taxi driver has my passport. I say; "give me my passport"...and he just says "no...I have to take you to Amman". I ask how much will it cost...he says 20 USD. I basically say "f#ck you, give me my passport!" But he refuses. He could tell how p1ssed off I was so he bartered with me and said 10 JD. I say, bollocks...give me my passport. Eventually he says ok, 7 JD. I was tired by this point so accepted.
Anyway, after several hours waiting in customs for them to not even look through my bags, I deal with Jordans immigration again. No dramas there...it took 20 minutes or so sitting in the bosses office, and then they cancelled my exit stamp from Jordan. (I didnt get my exit fee back though).
So we drive for ages and then this burly taxi driver stops somewhere that looks like the outskirts of Amman, he tells me to get out and get a taxi to the centre. I tell him to f*ck off and just walk away without paying him because he told me he'd drop me off downtown. After walking away 200 m or so this fat dude chases me down and brings me back to the taxi. There's a whole lot of argument going on with this American Jordanian woman as translater and anyway, the taxi driver says he'll take only 5 JD and he'll pay another taxi to take me to the city centre. So I'm about to agree, i have the 5 JD note in my hand when he snatches it off me and jumps in his car and leaves. Of course I'm yelling out loud what an arsehole he is, swearing and cursing and so locals come and talk to me. I ask where I am and it turns out I'm not even in Amman....I'm in some town called Zarqa, only two thirds of the way to Amman!!!!! Mother f*cker!
So I find a minibus to Amman for half a dinar....and guess what, he drops me off on the outskirts of Amman (but near a bus station at least). So I walk over there absolutely furious about being gyped so badly, and end up talking to some arab dude who speaks english well. he buys me a tea then proceeds to lecture me about how the western countries have f*cked over the middle east...which of course I nod with agreement...almost everything he said was actually true, and then this guy takes me to a taxi and tells the driver to take to me the Cliff Hostel and not to rip me off. He tells him in Arabic, then says in English to the taxi driver; "I can trust you cant I, you'd not going to be an arab bastard to this man are you!!" So I got back to Downtown at 2 pm. At least I found a nice guy in the end.
So my little border adventure cost me a total of 20 JD...all to get no where!
Anyway, Joe, for you mate...I reckon you will be able to get into Syria as long as the Israelis didnt stamp your passport (because you have a valid entry stamp coming from Egypt...so there'll be no evidence you ever went to Jerusalem.)
As for buying the visa at the border, I think you can...there was a list of countries on the board with the cost...but I can't be sure...it will still be a slight risk.
Sheryl...how's Damascus?...I'm jealous I couldnt make it! I hope you have a great time. And enjoy Beirut, i've heard its awesome.
Joe and Sheryl...let me know how the bed bug bites go. They'll last a while I reckon."
