Sunday, 14th of July, 2019.
I am going to Eilat. On my researches I found out that at their border, Wadi Araba, I might not need to pay a Visa to go to Jordan. Since I do not pay for my transportation I can simply go and check. If I need to pay for the Visa, I check how much and then I might go back North and take a more wrathful crossing.
A wonderful couple picks me up. And I do not hoe the hell I could lost the paper where they wrote their names! They are going to Eilat as well. Actually Sinai. She is this wonderful girl, Oh my Loki, she is so beautiful! She looks like a lot that French actress, Mélani Laurent, from Now you see me. The first one. The good one. And he is a very sweet young boy who just left the army and is taking his first vacation.
I really do not know if they are a couple or just friends or relatives. They have a beautiful energy and that is what is important for me.
We stop in this special hummus place that they always wanted to eat. And they buy me a hummus sandwich. He paid actually and said he would pay anyway even if I did not take it. So sweet! Just a boy and so kind.
They get out of their way a bit just to be able to drop me at the border. We take a picture together and I really loved to hug she. She is so cute!
At the gate, I start to talk with a woman and we get inside together. So the woman officer asks us what is our relationship. Laugh. She also asks me when I am coming back to Israel. And I tell her I am not. So she just releases me.
I might do not need to pay a Visa to Jordan but I need to pay for leaving Israel anyway. What? Yeah. 35USD. I mean, come on!
Crossing to Jordan side I meet this Uruguayan old man who makes a joke about Brazilian people being not good. Just before he tells me he is from Uruguay.
At Jordanian side, everything is so simple and quickly. No questions at all about anything. Just full fill a form, get the stamp and that is it. It is quite disorganized though. But at least no paying Visa. Yay!
To leave to Jordan it is a bit crackly though. So I want to walk in the direction of the next town and hitchhike on my way there, right? An old man from the taxi’s side yell at me that I cannot walk through that way. Why not? I will hitchhike, I explain to him. “It is not allowed, military zone”, he says. I kind of do not believe on him, you know, the big majority of taxi drivers are leeches. And I tell him I will stay in the road, waiting, and hitchhike there. But then a police officer arrives in a car and it is very nice to me when he tells me it is true: no walking, and probably hitchhiking will take long since most people with cars do not take this border. If I had not money I would need to stay anyway, but he says that the taxi could be 5 USD if I get three more people. So I remember of the lady I talked before plus I saw two other ladies somewhere. I wait for them. In a few minutes they arrive and I explain to them everything. We make a deal: 5 bucks each.
When we get in Aquaba, I ask the taxi driver where is the road I can hitchhike to Petra. He shows me is just over there. I ask him if he will be back to the border otherwise I will get out now. He says he is going back. As soon as we drop the ladies at their hotel, piece of shit asshole becomes a completely different person (he was being very polite before, while offering his services to Petra for the girls) and says he is not going back to the border and I must get out. I say something rude to him, because I am pissed of, but I do not remember what.
Walking through the street, I see a bus stop and an old man offering the ride to Petra. I ask him for help as if can tells me the road to Petra because I want to hitchhike. And I explain quickly to him why. He says he will help me and charge me the just the local price: 3 Jordanian money. I think the price is really low so I trust him and accept. It is the real local price for the local buses. Amazing! Plus, I ask him where I can full fill my bottle in a tap but he goes to the shop and get a big bottle of water to me for free. Really nice soul.
Important fact happen while I am waiting outside of the bus: An old man gets interested in my situation and call his son (who can speak English). I talk to his son. He is the owner of a guest house in Petra and as we talk he mentioned that if I want, I can come and volunteer with him any time. Keep that in mind.
So the trip looks longer than I though and for a long time in the road I see just signs saying: “Amman”. So I get a little concern. Are we going to Amman and from there I would need to take another bus to Petra? It can not be! The written outside the bus says: Aquaba – Petra.
But I finally see a sign saying Petra so I relax.
In Wadi Musa (the actual town, because Petra is just the Archaeological Park), a nice tourist guide, who has a travel agency, calls Mohammad (mu Workaway host) and they talk. They know each other. We grab a 4×4 and go half of the way together. He is dropped at his agency and I must continue to the Mars Camp, the Bedouin camp where I will do my volunteer work.
Once in there, I first meet Mohammad, Belal and his horse and his dog, plus the rest of the team: Abu Mahibub, his son and Ali. I planned to stay for three weeks in here. What I still do not know is that I will be leaving much sooner than that.