A Trip to Jerusalem
From Amman, I hired a taxi to take me to Allenby Bridge, also called King Hussein Bridge, in Jordan. This is the closest land border between Amman and Jerusalem, a crossing point from Jordan to Israel and Palestine. This is the main inland route that I knew of to enter Israel. Another entry point is via Eilat, which is ideal for those who are travelling to and from Egypt. Needless to say, the easiest way to travel is by plane through Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, which is the largest international airport in Israel where most internationally known commercial flights operate.
It was a rainy morning when I left the hotel and was advised to leave early to take into consideration the weather conditions plus the fact that it was holiday session. It was Christmastime! It’s highly recommended to arrive early at the border in time for its opening at 8 a.m., before the massive influx of passengers arrived.
When you’re travelling through Allenby Bridge, it is very important to always check the border opening and closing schedule as, in some cases, it operates shorter hours than usual especially during Islamic and Jewish holidays.
It was an arduous journey as the cars were moving inch by inch the more we got closer to the border due to the massive volume of vehicles. Rigid security checks were strictly imposed with numerous barriers and Israeli security force checkpoints in place. It was imposed vigorously to each and every vehicle and passenger alike. Indeed, we moved so slowly that it took us four hours to reach the border rather than the usual maximum two hours’ journey, which the driver had previously reckoned.
After waiting for hours of mandatory security checks, formalities, paperwork, lengthy process of carefully scrutinizing each passenger, their bags, and luggage (on both the Jordanian and Israeli sides of the borders), and having passed through a tense experience at the passport control, finally I made it to Jerusalem. I am grateful to God for giving me the courage to push through to visit one of my childhood dreams, the origin of my faith – Christianity.
I remember when I applied for my annual leave and I told my former boss about my plan to visit Jerusalem, he asked me, ‘Is there no other places on earth that interest you anymore other than Israel?’ He further said, ‘It’s a disorderly place with war and suicide bombings everywhere.’ Indeed. But that’s not surprising since this place has been fought over for centuries, probably making it one of the most chaotic lands in history.
With all my heart, I was extremely excited to see Jerusalem for myself. Turbulent as it may sound; it is an old world that continues to capture the hearts of the adventurous in spirit; even to a solo traveler like me.
It’s a place that is as old as time but is always new to new people.
