Israel - gehaal!

Die uitsig van my venster in Eilat / The view from my window in Eilat.

Die water van die Rooi See is kristalhelder / The water of the Red Sea is srystal clear!

Vandag was ‘n dag wat my maag laat draai het en na planne B, C en D laat gryp het.

Plan A was om vanaf Taba (Egipte) die grens na Israel oor te steek. Ek lees toe in Lonely Planet dat by Taba slegs voetgangerverkeer toegelaat word, geen voertuie nie. Die enigste ander moontlikheid, die grenspos by die Gazastrook, is weens die probleme daar gesluit. (Dankie Johannes!)

Anja in Duitsland gaan doen toe uitvindwerk en laat weet voertuie word wel toegelaat. So steek ek, Sib en Nic gister toe die Sinaiwoestyn oor.

Gisteraand in Taba by ons hotel (dit was luuks na weke se kampeer!) vertel die manne ons toe dat geen voertuie toegelaat word om die grens oor te steek nie. Ek wonder of dit die rede was vir al drie van ons se omgekrapte mae.

Vanoggend bel die hotel toe die toerismehoof persoonlik en hy bevestig: Geen motors oor die grens nie. Nic en Sib sou toe oor Jordanië uitwyk. My keuse was of Jordanië of terug deur die woestyn Alexandrië toe en dan ‘n skeepsverbinding Europa toe soek.

Na ontbyt (ek kon niks eet nie) ry ek toe grens toe om self te gaan uitvind. Na talle padblokkades (die polisie het geweet ons was drie wat van Kairo gekom het) kom ek toe daar en van wat ek hoor, besluit ek om die kans te waag. Ek was baie skepties want niemand het in Egipte ons meer belieg as uniformdraers nie.

Toe sak die Egiptiese doeanebeampte op my toe. Ek moes ALLES uitpak. Toe hy die GPS, satelietfoon en satelietmodem kry, is die gort gaar. Ek word met ‘n polisieman heen en weer gestuur en orals moes ek verduidelik hoekom ek dit by my het. Nie een blikslaer verstaan eers behoorlik Engels nie, so word ek toe na die volgende een gestuur met meer sterre, en die volgende een, en die volgende een…

Intussen kom Nic en Sib ook by die grens aan. Hulle het afgesien van hul direkte inreis na Jordanië. Arme Nic moes sy Prado totaal uitpak en alles oopmaak, tot sy yskas ook. En dit vir mense wat ‘n land (wil) verlaat …

Na ‘n ewigheid het ek my GPS, satelietfoon en –modem teruggekry en kon ek immigrasie toe gaan. Daarna die niemandsland na Israel toe …

By die Israelse grens staan ‘n James Bond-tipe met sonbril en ‘n skoonheid my en inwag. James Bond steek sy hand uit, groet, en toe hy op my paspoort sien dat ek van Suid-Afrika is, salueer hy en vertel sy grootste buddie is ook ‘n Suid-Afrikaner!

Van daardie oomblik af het die Israeli’s my met die grootste hoflikheid behandel en is ek tussen al die voetgangers deur in Israel in!

Ek is bly om in Israel te wees. Na agt weke se vuil en stukkend en verskonings en stink en drek is dit lekker om nou in ‘n skoon plek te sit waar my stort werk en ek die heerlikste koffie reeds gedrink het.

Dis lekker om in die Midde Ooste te wees.

Anita, dankie vir jou geesdrif waarmee jy Israel aanbeveel het. Anja, baie dankie vir die moeite om vir my die vragskip te vind waarmee ek vlg. Saterdag van Haifa kan vertrek. Rina, jou inligting sou plan B via Jordanië moontlik gemaak het. Ek is so bly dit was nie nodig nie! En die KLR, tot hier het hierdie wonderlike motorfiets nog net een pad geken, en dis vorentoe, sonder enige probleem. Ek kon nie ‘n beter fiets gekies het nie.

Today was a day that caused me an upset stomach and that let me consider options B, C and D.

Plan A was to ride from Taba (Egypt) to the border to Israel and then cross there into Israel. Two days ago I read in Lonely Planet that only pedestrians were allowed to cross the border here. The only other border post to Israel, the one at Gaza, was closed due to the unrest there. (Thanks Johannes for the information!)

Anja in Germany did some research and let me know that vehicles may cross at Taba. So Nic, Sib and myself got on the road yesterday and crossed the Sinai desert to Taba.

Last night in Taba at our hotel (what a joy after weeks of camping) the hotel management told us that vehicles were NOT allowed to cross into Israel. Perhaps that was the reason for the upset stomachs all three of us had had…

This morning the hotel called Head of Tourism and he confirmed the bad news. No vehicles were allowed across the border. Nic and Sib decided to go to Jordan and from there to Siria. Especially to me that was bad news. That would mean I had to try and get across to Jordan and hope that from there vehicles would be allowed into Israel, or back across the desert to Alexandria and to start looking there for a ship going to Europe.

This morning after breakfast (I couldn’t eat) I left for the border to try my luck. After a couple of roadblocks (and the police knew we were three traveling to Taba!) I got to the border. One thing we learnt was that no one in Egypt lied more often to us than those wearing uniforms.

Then some uniform wearing Egyptian custom official saw me and decided that he would have his day. I had to unpack EVERYTHING. As he saw my GPS, satellite phone and satellite modem he couldn’t believe his luck. He had discovered a spy in disguise! He handed me to a policeman that took me from one office to the next. Each time I had to tell my story, and as no one understood English I was taken to next high ranking officer and to the next and to the next.

In the mean time Nic and Sib arrived at the same border. They decided against traveling directly to Jordan. Poor Nic. He had to unpack the whole Prado. Our officer wanted to check every little thing in the car. Perhaps another spy … And all this effort for people who want to leave the country!

After what felt like an eternity I had all my stuff back and could I proceed to Immigration. And then crossing the 100 m of nothing to Israel …

At the Israel border I was met by a James Bond character with sunglasses and a beautiful lady of security. James Bond greeted me by hand, and as he saw I was from South Africa he saluted and told me his best friend was also from South Africa.

From that second I was treated by the Israeli’s with the greatest respect and could I proceed through all the pedestrians to Customs and Immigrations.

I am glad to be in Israel. After 8 weeks of dirt and broken things and excuses and filth lying everywhere it is great to be in a clean country where the shower works and where I could have a good and decent cup of coffee.

After seeing only the eyes of women for quite a while what a joy to see bikini ladies on the beach!! J

Anita thanks for motivating me to come and see Israel! Anja, thank you so much for finding that cargo ship from Haifa, with which I am going to leave next Saturday. (Your information about vehicles was correct – the problem lies with the officials that behave like small gods) Rina, your information about Jordan would have made Plan B possible. Thanks! And then, the KLR: What a beauty! The bike came this far without missing a beat, carrying me over stones and through sand and deserts, even surviving the collision with the taxi in Nairobi. It was the best choice!