Hi
Me had quite a trip, all the way across Turkey, from the west to the east, across Syria
from north to south and then half way through Jordan and into Israel to Jerusalem.
this all in four days on busses, taxis and some other kinds of busses. cost about $45
The bus ride across Turkey was pleasent and comfortable with service and comfort
that can be compared with flying.
At Hatay(turkey) 9am,i got a ticket to Damascus and i was told i would have no problem at the border.
ha ha, firstly, when we reached the Turkish border their computer system had a ‘problem’ so we all had a five hour delay, then at 3pm when we got to Syria customs the first thing the bus driver did was unload me bag. The service and reseption at customs was below third world standards.
all i got was “fax Damascas, 1 or 7(hours? )you sit,wait there.”
So i went to the bus, me asked the driver for a refund (10 Turkish Lyra , i later discovered the trip should only cost 6 TL) as i had to wait for my visa, he say “you have problem, call head office Turkey” closed the door and drove off.
So back to customs, after 5 hours me cooked some noodels that managed to travel with me all the way from Hong Kong and by 10am it was pointless getting a visa for there where no busses. so me told the official i was gona go camp out side and sleep. he say “no ,visa come ,one (1am)you stay”. me smiled and made like i dont speak english and went camping.
At 1am sharp i get woken up “visa ready come get !!” With one eye half open and bare foot i go to get it.
Then i get told “32 dollar or euro” i ask if i can pay with Syrian money, they say “no ! dollar only”
so i went back to me tent and slept.
Up at seven, i wait till 8am for the official official to arive. Then back to the $32 ordeal. the official exchange does not take Syrian money(and this is in Syria), then the man who walks about poring coffe offers to help and explains to me what i have to do and where to go.
So this is how the scam works: first i got to take my Syrian pounds to a man on the bench who give me us$ for what i can only hope was the right rate, i then take the $ to the exchange where i have to pay for my visa, they first convert the $ back to Syrian pounds(this is the counter that did not whant to accept Syrian money) and then process the payment, give me a receit and the syrian money which i have to take to a man who gives me postage stamps which i have to take back to the front desk to get the visa stamp.
So the whole deal for them is to get $’s in and to make exchange profits, and i cant even be sure if i officaly had to pay $32 because when i called the tel no. for complaints the person on that end of the line did’nt know and could only say “can you call tomorrow.”
mmmm…..Im baffeled why a nation so keen on burning USA flags can be so keen on wanting USA money? Just a thought…..
So now i got me visa but no bus. The coffe man spoke to an official who does vehicle checks outside.
He tells me “He put you on bus,you pay no money, i tell him you my friend”
The same bus i was on arrived at 12am but was fully booked. The next bus arrived at about 1am and only had about seven people onboard. I got on ,didnt have to pay again.
After 28 hours of border crossing, being on the bus was verry pleasent,The land scapes in Syria are very
beutifull, but i was surprised at the conditions of the towns, streets littered with rubish and builing rubble and general neglect. Damascus reminded me of Mexico City.
I the had to take a taxi to another bus station, a kind young man offered me a place to sleep at his house.He paid for our bus ride to his home.I met and chatted with five of his brothers and had a good nights rest.
Early in the morning i got a mini bus taxi form the house to town where i had to get a private taxi to cross in Jordan. The service of the customs leaving Syria was no better than the entry, the official read every page in my passport, and stamped the wrong date which ment that at the last check point we had to drive about 1km back to get a stamp again.
Jordan was like a different plannet. The cars were getting stip serched, getting my visa took less than five minutes. It went so quick i thought i missed some thing. Well done Jordan!
It then took three mini busses and a taxi to get to the border and a bus over the Jordan river to the Israel border. (verry near to the place where Joshua & Israel crossed the Jordan to enter into the promised land)
Security was tighter than an airport which was comforting. then a shutlle buss to Jerusalem, and about a two mile walk to accomadation place.
The best part of the journy was the many pleasent people i met on the busses, people from Turkey, Russia, Syria, Jordan and Kenya.
