After visiting Ramallah,capital of Palestine, we decide to visit another Palestinian city – Bethlehem. Famous of course for being the place where Jesus was born. In Israel, we are within a small group of three campers. Two campers decide to enter in Bethlehem by north gate. The gate, as around almost all of Palestine, Israelis build an ugly beton wall. Like Berlin wall.
We decide to visit first Sorec cave and to enter Bethlehem from east.
At the entrance in the cave, we are the only visitors. So we make use of a private guide. We liked both, the story of the guide and cave itself.
We are directing to Bethlehem. Of course we get into a Israelian check point. Next to small wooden houses, three girls are standing. Girls of 18-19, dressed in military, with a big tommy gun over shoulders. Their faces are still with teenage pimples. Anywhere an officer or something like that to see. The girls look lost when they see our camper.
-Where you are going?
-To Bethlehem, to see Jesus’s city.
-What kind of car is this?
-It’s an camper. House on the wheels.
One “frontier” wants to see the car from inside. I go down from the cabin, to open the door of living department. The girl orders me to stay outside. I am used to this. Isralian military accept nobody in the same small room. Afraid to be attached, I suppose. I stay outside and wait. Another girl is “distracting” me, by asking few times two questions – where you are coming from and where you are going. I am repeating the same answers- from Jerusalem and to Bethlehem.
The girl comes down from the camper. She is making a call. I suppose she needs an advise. After the call she informs us we are not allowed to go further. We are in a small shock.
-How come? We are just tourist. Bethlehem is living on tourism.
-No, you have no right to go in Bethlehem with such kind of cars.
-It’s silly. Our friends, with the same kind of autos, are already in Bethlehem. Only thing, they entered via north gate.
-No, it’s not possible.
The girls are again lost. They make one more call. After receiving the instructions (I suppose) she comes to us:
-Give me your passports.
We are suspicious at this request. We know the trick – they confiscate your passport and you have to do what they tell you. We hesitate. But, now anyway we have nothing to lose, so we give her our passports.
Yes, our fear has confirmed. She takes our passports and immediately departure some distance, and from there tell us, we get our passports when we turn back.
With some new words, we enrich vocabulary of these girls, who are guarding the strong and fair state of Israel. We turn back and get our passport while driving.
P.S.
Common people we met in Israel were friendly and welcoming. But authority people with a gun, were always behaving paranoid towards us.
Nevertheless, we appreciated natural and historical beauty of Israel.
It’s evening and we a re looking for a place to overnight. In Israel it’s not so easy to find such a place. Here there are 4 kinds of places – cities, kibuts (which are fenced and guarded), natural parks and military zones. Nowhere is allowed to overnight in your own vehicle. Except for natural parks, where there are campings. But now, it is late and even if we are driving through a natural park, we see no sign of camping. We stop at a parking in park. Because it’s late, there is nobody on parking, so we decide to overnight here.
We follow our standard procedure – saving GPS data of the day, taking out steps to get into camper, opening windows for ventilation, putting chairs and table outside, opening a bottle of wine and enjoing quietness around us. It’s quiet not for long. Somewhere, quite close a mosque is calling its followers. Then an auto with two men in is passing by. They make a round in the parking, looking at us, but say nothing and go away. We suspect it’s Israelian security. Then one more visitor - a fox. It’s not red, but a kind of sandy. Desert color. She’s approaching at three meters to us. I think, she smells the cheese we serve with wine. The fox makes few circles around us. I feel peaty for her and give her some bread with milk.
It’s totally dark, but we do not want to put the lights because of mosquitoes and moths. We hear a swish. It’s like somebody walking on the steps to get into camper. Hmmm. It’s the fox- she is trying to get into the auto, it’s smells nice there. She is a very confident fox and not afraid of people at all.
We go to bed. Next morning I cannot find my sandals, which I left outside. Neither swimming suite is there, which was hanging to dry. Where the hell they disappeared? I look around the parking and find the swimming suite with a big hole in it. And I find one sandal. Also damaged. The fox! She is guilty. She tried to taste from my leather sandals. But the suit was from synthetic material! Ah. It’s such a pity. But what we can do? One – zero in fox favor.
- people check, which is performed by police and/or border militaries.
- Goods and auto check, performed by custom, which also prepare documents for temporary import of auto into specific country.
Turkey – Georgia, Batumi border crossing
We are crossing Turkish side without problems.
On Georgian side, very, very many people, majority Georgian. Passengers of all means of transport mandatory have to get out and pass through passport control. Non-drivers from campers also get out and go to passport control. As passport police saw we are foreigners we are passing passport control without staying in long line. Young passport lady is smiling: “Welcome to Georgia”. Our drivers, meanwhile, also passed the control, with some pushing and pressing from Georgian drivers There were any documents f or auto needed.
As a conclusion Georgian border was not difficult to pass, just crossing capacity is very small comparative to number of people who want to go through it.
Going out from Georgia was no problem. On the Armenian side, we had to wait 3 hours in order to get documents for temporary import of auto. Also, we had officially to pay something for it (depending on engine and autos characteristic). Armenian side, seemed a little more chaotic than Georgian side, both on entrance and exit of the country.
Armenia – Georgia, Bavra crossing point.
Very quiet border. At the begging we were the only one at Armenian side. It’s good, as to close auto documents officials needed about one hour. Also officially we have to pay something.
We have to wait, because the border is closed. Opens at (Georgian time, Turkish time). It’s a pity there is no exchange offices (on both sides), so we are left with relatively many Georgian lari.Georgian custom is curious to look inside of the camper. Then a long check for passports, but everybody passed of course.
On Turkish side is not really clear which officers are doing what and where to go for procedures. At the end, our passports are checked and documents for temporary import of auto are arranged.
This border crossing is still a small point, but I would recommend it for crossing from Georgia to Turkey, comparative to Batumi, the main Turkey – Georgia border crossing, which is full with busses.
Few kilometers long row with Turkish trucks, full with cement sacs. But real business is diesel. Trucks are filling with Syrian diesel for 0,2 euro/lit, and sell it in Turkey, where diesel is 1,6 Euro/lt!. We are passing the trucks and out-checking auto on Turkish side. There is a small problem with my passport. I am not allowed to get out of Turkey through this specific border crossing. What a non-sense!It’s allowed to get into a country, but it’s not allowed to get out! But as on every border, officer are also people. So after a convincing talk we can go out of the country.
Because in Moldavia there is no Syrian embassy I am getting the visa without a problem at the border. Syria is recognizing Carnet de passage, so we are getting the right stamp on it, and leave the border.
A lot of touristic buses, so getting an exit stamp is taking a while. An exit fee has to be paid. We get a small paper for us to collect different border stamps. To get all stamps took us one and a half hour. Going out of Syria. Jordanian post check is about 3 km further. On Jordanian side it was no problems with border procedures.
We are the only autos at the border. We pay exit fee at Jordanian side. It’s always a problem how much local money to leave for the last day, as you never know how muck you have to pay at the exit. Stamps in the passports and we are ready on Jordanian side.
Israel side – the most unpleasant entrance in the country.
On Israelian side a young man with dark glasses and with big gun over his shoulders sign us to stop. Other boy sign us to go further. We stop and go and ask what actually we have to do – stop or go further? We can come. We are coming till a electronic barrier.A young girl looks with a mirror under campers. Barrier is opening. Few girls of 19-20, tell us that we have to take everything out of the camper. How so, everything? If you want to checkeverything, please go into the camper and open everything and check. But to take everything out, what for? No, for girls it’s no good. Everything has to be out. We fill 40 plastic sacs full with our staff – from spoons and toilet paper till cloth and shoes. Everything goesthrough the scanner. Of course, they found nothing. Suspicious ball of chess is taking away for a deeper check. The girl is bringing it back – no, it is not a bomb.
Our passports were laying in the cabin. One of the girl just took them without saying anything. It’s mean she stole them, isn’t it?
The auto is also taking away. What they are doing with it? Maybe they are mounting bugs in it? We are told it’s a security check.
Yea, a security check. What kind of security check it is, with a suspicious box on the camper’s roof nobody wants to check? Girls are asking what is there. We say – the BBG. Do you want to check girls, here are the steps. No, we don’t go on the roof, they say.
The plastic carpet, which is hanging at the reserves wheels is also not checked.
It’s not a security check – the girls just are playing in “security check”. After four hours of a bad and useless check we can enter Israel.
Israel – Egypt, Taba – Eilat border crossing.
On the Israelian side, a big poster is hanging with the information that Egypt is not allowing autos:
- 4x4 autos
- the autos which has on board navigation systems (GPS)
- autos which are using diesel
Sooo, we can’t cross because of all these points. We are making a visit to Egyptian counsulat in Eilat, and asking if we can enter Egypt. Consulate says we can enter Egypt with no problem.
But first we have to pass Israelian side. Paying and exit fee. Stamp the passport. At the custom officer , we are closing the documents for temporary import of auto in Israel. Good buy Israel.
On Egyptian side border control. Young officer politely is informing us he has to check auto. Methodically he opens every door in the campers andpolitely asks what is what. He see, of course the navigation system, but says nothing. Inside check is finished. Outside he asks what is in the box? We say – BBQ. He wants to see it. OK. Here are the steps. He goes up, on the roof and looks in the box – indeed a BBQ. Respect for him. At any borders so far, nobody went on the roof yet. We are done with border check.
Further is immigration check. Stamp in the passport. Further custom procedures. To get a stamp in Carnet de passage and to get mandatory Egyptians number plate for auto takes about one and a half auto. We pay, two euros for them not to bother with looking for engine number. We can enter Egypt.
Egypt – Italy, ferry Alexandria – Venece.
Alexandria port is one of the most ineffective border check. Maybe, it’s because the ferry from Alex to Venece is new and Egyptian officers do not have enough experience doing quicker.
In the port there are few groups of jeeps. Mostly French. All the passports are collected. About 40 all together. Also, officers are collecting all Carnet de passage-s. All the papers are moving back and forth from one office to the other. The procedures are taking so long, that we witness border officers for their prayers two times. Also, engine numbers are checked. At the auto, where drivers can not show where engine number is, an Egyptian mechanic is imprinting with a hammer some numbers. For a fee of course. After five hours of waiting and border procedure, we can go on ferry.
In Venice is raining and 4C, so we are checked only the passport. Custom and border control do not want to come out of their warm offices. We have no problem with that.
