Last time I wrote it was the last dig day...tomorrow is my last actual day in Israel. How sad! I've really enjoyed my time here and I wish I were able to stay for the next two weeks with the rest of the team. I've loved every minute I've spent here. Yes, even the early mornings!
We had quite the adventure this weekend in Jordan, even without taking into account any of the touring we did. Each time we crossed the border we took about 2 hours and 45 minutes to do it. What a nightmare! Crossing the border between Israel and Jordan is unlike anything I've ever experienced. First we had to "sign out" of Israel and get our passports stamped with an exit stamp. No big deal, right? They let me into the country, they should have no problem letting me out. WRONG! When I handed over my passport to the woman behind the glass, she took it, got a very confused look on her face, consulted with the girl beside her, called over her supervisor and proceeded to ask me my father's name and my grandfather's name. Then her supervisor took my passport, told me to sit "over there" and that the security people had to do some extra checking. What a feeling, watching your only proof of identity and citizenship taken from you in an unstable foreign country half way across the world! So I sat in the chair and waited and waited. Thankfully Dr. Schuler saw what happened and calmly waited with me for about 20 minutes or more while they checked whatever they were checking. Finally they gave my passport back to me all stamped with no further explanation.
That made us delayed getting through the exit process. Then we had to wait for the shuttle to actually take us across the border. Our first bus was supposed to shuttle us across, but the driver must have got tired of waiting and decided to take off on us. So we waited. Of course we wouldn't all fit on the first shuttle, so we waited some more. We crossed the Jordan with no complications. Now we had to go through Jordanian passport control. Another long line. I wasn't looking forward to it after my first experience of the morning. I was even less thrilled when they took my passport, kept it and then said, "Okay, you can go." WHAT? GIVE IT BACK! That's what I wanted to say. But I didn't. Sami, our tour guide looked at me, laughed and told me not to worry, he would collect it and give it back once everyone had gone through. I felt only marginally better. As our group went through baggage screening and finally met up with each other on the other side of the check points, everyone had the same question, "Did they take your passport, too?" Still, the fact that all of our passports had been collected made me feel only a little better. Although Sami soon came along with a handful of passports, I was not totally relaxed until I had mine back in my hand and then stowed away in my money belt. Talk about stress! We had arrived at the border around 8am or so and we did not leave the other side until about 10:45. Exhausting!
Coming home wasn't much better. Our bus had mechanical problems and we were an hour late, getting to the border around 5:00pm. Getting through the Jordanian side was a breeze. But as soon as our bus got through to the bridge over the Jordan and almost into Israel, we were waved aside by Israeli security. We sat there for over an hour, waiting. Finally they came along and interrogated a few individuals. Then they asked us all, "Do you have any weapons? Does all your luggage belong to you? Have you been asked to carry a package across from Jordan?" All the while, Dr. Schuler was on the phone to the bus company waiting for us on the other side, letting him know we would be late. Finally they let us through, only so we could get into another line to go through Israeli passport control and customs. Some had bags x-rayed, some were questioned extensively. I had my luggage searched, and all my books rifled through. Finally we made it to the other side, only to find that our bus had left without us! In addition to this, we had by then missed supper at the Kibbutz. I enjoyed supper of ice cream and chips from the concession at the terminal. By 7:45 we were finally on the road back to the Kibbutz. I've never been so glad to see it!
While we were in Jordan, we did a lot of exciting things, too. We saw Jerash, Mt. Nebo, Madaba, Petra, and Aman. But those are for another day. Right now it is about 11:00pm and I have to be on the bus by 6:00am tomorrow for a side trip and then the airport. Time to go home! But first, time to sleep.
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