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December 17th, 2010 | Asia

Mixed Fortunes in Amman…

I left the New Park Hotel at 8.30am, knowing that I had a long day ahead of me… Three embassies to visit, and a freight agent or two to make contact with…

My hotel is across the road from the Public Prosecutors office... And judging by the constant stream of people entering the building, a lot of people have been naughty in recent times...!!

Security at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Amman is tight…!!

They do not allow cell-phones or cameras onto the premises, and will not allow you to check them in at the door either… You have to go out on the street and pay a few Dinars for a stallholder to look after them for you…!!

The narrow street in front of the Embassy is patrolled by scowling guys in dark suits and Ray-Bans… If all this is designed to make you feel uncomfortable, then their efforts are a success…!!

At the doorway, the security guard who was frisking every person who entered the maze of passages, was engaged in a heated conversation with a guy who was carrying an armful of passports…

They shouted at each other, at the tops of their voices, while I stood waiting my turn to be patted down… Eventually the guard grabbed the guy by the arm and literally threw him out onto the pavement…!!

Inside the large waiting room, I looked around me in some confusion… Not a single sign in English, and nobody bothering to assist an infidel…!! I eventually walked up to an open window and began my spiel… I respectfully requested if I could apply for a three day transit visa to ride the 1600km through Saudi Arabia to the Gulf State of Bahrain…

The guy behind the bullet proof window gave me a sour look, took my passport and rifled through it, checking every page carefully… No doubt looking for a certain stamp that he would not find…!!

I was told that I had to obtain a letter from their Embassy in my country of residence, then return to Amman and get a full medical report from the hospital in Amman… On receipt of these documents, they would write to Riyadh and enquire whether or not a visa could be granted…!!

Street Veggie Stall, somewhere in Amman...!!

“How do the documents get to Saudi Arabia…??” I asked…

“By post…” came the surly answer…

“I see… And how long do you think it will take to get an answer…?”

“Maybe six weeks…” he replied, a little smirk on his face…

There was no chance of me going through all that hassle and expense and still not being ensured of the visa, so my planned ride through Saudi Arabia, was over before it had begun…

I left the embassy in disgust at their inflexibility… I had been told that the Saudis are an arrogant lot, and this had now been confirmed…

My next stop was the Pakistan Embassy…

I explained about my trip and showed them that I already had my Indian visa, and needed a transit visa of about a week, so that I could fly into Lahore, and ride north towards Islamabad, before returning to cross into India at Lahore again…

After only a few minutes of deliberation, my request was flatly refused… The only comment I received from the gruff and ill tempered official, was that I “would have to return to the Pakistan Embassy in South Africa to get my visa there”…

I tried to explain that it was impossible for me to obtain a visa at the beginning of a three year trip as I was uncertain of the exact day or month that I would arrive at any given border, but my explanation fell on deaf ears… He wasn’t in the least bit interested in my problems, and waved me away with a dismissive gesture…

My day was going down the toilet fast…!!

The Flat Strawberry...!! Never seen anything like it...!!

I walked outside the embassy gates and sat down on a low concrete wall to consider my options…

Another two countries off the “100 list”…!! I was running out of alternatives now, but my “never give up on a dream” attitude was still strong, (or perhaps it was just a bad case of “bloody-mindedness…!!) and I knew that come what may, by the time I got back to South Africa, I WOULD have 100 flags on my panniers…!!

My next stop was the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, where I was greeted with a friendliness that blew away the blues I had accumulated at the two previous embassies…!!

I was given (free of charge…!!) a DVD and a thick guide book of the Emirates and the official seemed genuinely interested in what I was doing, and wished me a happy stay in their country…

He told me I would be issued with a 30 day visa on arrival, and I should go ahead and book my bike on the next available flight…!! This was almost too good to be true, after the treatment I had received at the other embassies I had visited earlier that morning… I began to wonder if I had missed something…

Perhaps a small sign saying, “All nutcases riding a motorcycle around the world, and passing through The United Arab Emirates, will be charged and unspecified sum of money on arrival, for the privilege of being allowed to do so…”

The King Hussein Mosque, Amman...

I then went looking for freight agents, to get quotes to send the Big Fella away on his first flight of our journey… (I will break the news that he will be traveling in a large dark box, later…!!)

I discovered that I could truck the bike across Saudi Arabia, but that would take about a week… I rejected this option out of hand… If they wouldn’t let me ride through their country, then there was no way I would spend money transporting my bike through it either…!!

I have also been told that I could put the Big Fella on a feeder vessel out of Aqaba on the Red Sea coast, and that would take four days to reach Dubai… I would have to then make my way back to Amman, using either “Tom Thumb’s Taxi” or a bus, all the while fretting about my bike… Rejected that idea too…!!

After much deliberation, I decided to stick to my original plan to fly him to Dubai, store the crate there, ride the four countries on my “list” then return to fly to Delhi…

Then I made my plans to go walkabout for a few days…!!

And the results of that will only be posted in a few weeks time…!!

©GBWT 2010

7 comments to Mixed Fortunes in Amman…

  • Charmz

    Pity about the visa problems, but you know what it will be their loss. United Arab Emirates here you come!!!! Did you taste the strawberries? Hmmmmm perhaps you had better stay away from fruit!

  • Vince Ricci

    It’s something I never really grasped, these smug officials who’s only purpose or reward in life is to tell someone else “No. You can not.” for what ever reason. Believe me when I tell you you ain’t missin’ much giving Saudi a skip. Have a safe flight!

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  • Anette

    If you need a bed in Abu Dhabi, give me a shout, we have some British friends that could not get a flight to UK for Christmas, so they are stuck there. Stunning people that have spent time in SA as well…
    Those flat strawberries are yummy!!! Just wash them properly in salt and vinegar and you will be fine.

  • We also have those flat ones, next time around i will get some for us.
    Plenty of routes and alternatives my friend, destination is only one 😉

  • Romos… When I tell you how expensive the alternative is, you’ll want to ride your bike over a cliff again…!! I might just do the same…!! Ha-ha…!!

  • If its a short way and unknown … go for it ha ha ha

    Merry Christmas!!!!!

  • Mark Behr

    People of the world – neighbours but totally different. Glad you found friendliness in UAE.

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