Insurance. Escape from the Jordanian airport, or a night that did not promise anything good (Jordan) Shawshank Redemption Jordanian style

The Aktobe woman, having arrived in Jordan, found herself locked up with other foreigners in the airport police. They were confused with escort girls and were not allowed into the country. In a conversation with a reporter, the girl spoke about the horrors she experienced at the airports of Amman and Sharjah.

Photo from personal archive

24-year-old Akmaral Imasheva from the Kargaly district of the Aktobe region, having bought tickets, was going to work in Jordan. But it didn’t even get to work - the visa was not approved. And then the adventures began.

“When we arrived at Amman airport, they took me into a room where the atmosphere resembled a homeless shelter, and demanded to hand over my phone and passport. I didn't understand what was going on. I cried and screamed, but no one gave an explanation,” recalls Akmaral.

No one explained to her why she was not allowed into the country. The guest from Kazakhstan found out about this only two hours later at the airport police station.

“In this room I saw girls from Ukraine and Russia and even from Almaty, I I calmed down a little that people with me are not from foreign places. There were 16 girls in one room, also from America and Pakistan.”

Photo from personal archive

The girl says that in Jordan they are not very friendly towards foreigners.

Many do not speak English, and the staff at the airport seemed incompetent to the Kazakh woman. She also remembers with horror how she was kept in a police station.

“Nobody answered anything, they just commanded “stop”, “go”, “sit here”, “hand over the phone”. Imagine a room of 20 square meters with 16 people in it. There are no windows in the room. The air conditioning is constantly on, if it’s cold, you cover yourself with dirty and smelly blankets. By evening, a policewoman throws torn mattresses in your direction and shouts: “Sleep now!” But after 15 minutes he returns and begins to walk through the girls, stepping on the mattresses.

Photo from personal archive

So she goes into another room, talking loudly on the phone and laughing. She kept turning on the light in our room to check if we were sleeping! Of course, we don’t sleep when they talk so loudly. A the lights were constantly on until the morning. In the morning, when everyone has fallen asleep, another policewoman comes in and starts rummaging through the bags of the girl who went to the restroom,” says a girl from Aktobe with a question.

Only when ambassadors from the Kazakhstan Consulate arrived, Akmaral explained why foreign girls are not allowed here.

“Jordan is a very small country, and it turns out that girls there engage in prostitution very often. Visiting girls may not be allowed in indiscriminately. Even foreign women who live there. Moreover, they will never tell you the reason. I was shocked, because according to Sharia law in Jordan there are strict laws. But even if someone is doing this, this does not mean that everyone should be treated this way,” notes our compatriot.

Photo from personal archive

The Kazakh woman also recalls that in that stuffy room in captivity she had to be a psychologist for other girls and endure a cold.

“I reassured everyone, we will remember all this, not everyone can have such a cool adventure, although at that moment it seemed to me that I would remain in this hole for the rest of my life. But the main thing for me was that they wouldn’t shoot me, and I'm alive and well. Although I soon caught a cold due to the powerful air conditioner, which worked continuously.

But even when she caught a cold, she disdained to cover herself with dirty blankets. We emerged from this swamp after the intervention of our ambassadors. I want to thank them for responding and helping in any way they could.", thanks Akmaral.

Akmaral Imasheva accepted that she was not allowed in. And the next day, March 12, in the morning, she flew to the capital of Kazakhstan in transit through Sharjah, where she was told to wait 6 hours for a flight to Astana. And then new adventures began, although not as emotional.

“When I arrived in Sharjah, they led me through the airport like a prisoner. The flight attendants handed my passport to the airport workers. It turned out that the next flight to Astana is in three days, and not in 6 hours, as they said in Amman, this is what unprofessionalism of employees means. I was completely bewildered, and I remembered how Tom Hanks in the movie “The Terminal” pushed carts back and forth, making money from it,” says Akmaral.

Photo from personal archive

The Kazakh woman did not return her passport, and she languished at the airport in Sharjah for about 8 hours in search of WI-FI and a power outlet.

“To get WI-FI at Sharjah airport, you need to buy something in a cafe for 30 dirhams (2,700 tenge). But WI-FI was enough for two hours, then the password was updated and again you pay 2,700, and so on - every two hours. Here the battery on the phone was running low, to charge it, you had to run to the other end of the airport and ask someone to put it on for at least five minutes, and also ask for an “adapter”! – Akmaral shares his surprise.

While she was running to the other end of the airport, I was looking for an adapter and charging my phone, the WI-FI time was running out. By the end of the day, airport staff would recognize her and say, “Oh, she’s a girl from Kazakhstan who can’t get her passport.”

“Finally, I contacted the consul in the Emirates, and he sent me a document confirming that Kazakhstanis can stay in the UAE without a visa for 30 days from March 10, 2018. It seemed that everything had been resolved, but not as quickly as we wanted. IN The airport still didn't give me my passport. Only after the consul, at my request, contacted the airport police chief, did the officers move. They helped me carry my suitcases, call the local phone, and so on,” says the Kazakh woman.

And on the very first day in Dubai, Akmaral was offered a job - a Russian-speaking employee was required. And since then she has been working at a hotel as a guest relations agent and employing people in the Emirates.

In most cases, I fly abroad on regular flights. I prefer Aeroflot, I like their service, plus I am pleased with such a program as Aeroflot-plus. :)

But last winter, the only direct flight from Moscow to Jordan was a charter from Pegas Fly. I had to buy tickets. This was my first trip on an airplane of this class. The flight took about six and a half hours.

Did I like it? I was left with good impressions, despite some issues.

Two days before the planned trip, I received an email about rescheduling the flight. During these two days the clocks changed frequently. Even after the schedule was approved, the Moscow airport announced an hour delay. Well, we couldn’t fly out normally. :)

Regarding the condition of the plane, I often read on the Internet that the transport in Pegas Fly was simply falling apart. He didn't seem like that to me. Of course, the plane was not new; judging by the inscriptions in German, it was simply written off from some flights in European countries. Well, the plane was more than sixteen years old (I looked it up by its tail number on Wikipedia).

The rows are arranged according to the following pattern: 2-4-2. There was enough space between the seats, not cramped.

The pilots were very pleased. In addition to the fact that they flew the plane professionally and skillfully, they often got in touch with passengers, for example, telling them which countries we were flying through and reminding them that they should not drink alcohol.

Among the pleasant moments on the charter were:

• free sandwiches, tea and coffee;
• small gifts for the youngest passengers;
• blankets

To sum it up, I was satisfied. The flight was good, we got through the turbulence, and we picked up our luggage without any problems.

Hi all! We have just returned from Jordan and I would like to talk about the trip based on fresh impressions))

Tickets to Jordan, by the way, is not a cheap country at all, are expensive. Since there are no charters, and there are no direct flights due to the war in Syria, we flew in Turkish flights through Istanbul. The company pleased us with brand new planes, no flight delays and very decent food on board (Aeroflot-Airfrance-Lufhansa are on vacation)

By the way, if you speak English well, you can safely ask for a seat at the emergency exit, where you will fly with greater comfort

The first impression of Jordan was not clear. The morning at the airport in Amman, the capital of Jordan, greeted us with the same +17 as in Moscow, but little by little the air began to warm up to +34. But Amman itself did not at all resemble a capital city in the usual sense.

Since we didn’t take a tour, but booked everything ourselves, we rented a car, drove around the capital and stopped for breakfast.

Imagine my surprise when it turned out that the cafe does not have cutlery, and here it is customary to eat everything with your hands! But hunger is not a problem. Somehow, having gotten the table dirty, they tried to pick up food with flatbreads and had a snack. By the way, on the third day of our stay, we perfectly mastered the use of flatbread spoons and realized that eating with our hands tastes better. It’s actually cool to take a piece of meat and dip it in sauces!)))

The first point of our trip to Jordan was a trip to the place of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the sacred Jordan River.

Having chosen the road to the Dead Sea according to the sign, we moved towards the Land of Baptism

The path to the baptism site is very well organized. The canopy provides shelter from the scorching sun:

The water in the Jordan River is brown and very cloudy due to the fast current, which erodes clay and carries silt. But if you put water in a bottle and let it sit for a while, the impurities settle and the water becomes clear.

By the way, earlier the place of Christ’s baptism was considered to be Eizaria on the bank of the river on the Israeli side. The photo below clearly shows the Israeli bank of the Jordan River (the river is narrow). However, archaeological finds have confirmed that it was here that Jesus crossed the Jordan River, where he was baptized.
Writings written by pilgrims to the Holy Places during the heyday of the Byzantine Empire often mentioned a Greek column with a cross on its top, marking the place of baptism and erected during early Christianity. She can be seen in this photo

Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River. The border between Jordan and Israel runs along its modern bed; over two thousand years, the bed has shifted and the historical site of the baptism of Christ remains on the territory of Jordan.
Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims have different attitudes towards this place. Catholics are generally calm, but Orthodox Christians are especially zealous in their veneration.
The river itself is about ten meters wide. One bank is Jordan, the other is Israeli. In fact, this is a border zone, and all contacts with people on the other side are prohibited. It’s funny to watch this at a time when there are predominantly Russian tourists on both sides.
It is customary for Orthodox Christians to climb into the water and plunge three times, imitating biblical events.

While on the Israeli side only a small paddling pool surrounded by buoys is accessible, on the Jordanian side the entire river area is open for water treatments:

Greek Orthodox Church:

All hotels in the Dead Sea are five-star and quite expensive. At the beginning, we were given a tour of the territory, describing the already obvious advantages, and then they offered us to choose a room

This is the view from our balcony))

Sea, sun, strong tea and detective Dontsova - I'm on vacation!))

Yes, on the very first evening we went for natural spa treatments - the Dead Sea and healing mud. They say that you can’t swim in the Dead Sea - this is not entirely true. I swam great)). But you cannot linger for more than 20 minutes in warm water, which feels like vegetable oil, otherwise you will get a salt burn. After the sea - a mud wrap for 15 minutes, in the sea you wash yourself - and the skin is like a baby's - I won't exaggerate.

By the way, the Dead Sea perfectly removes water from the body (which promotes weight loss). They say that here one German decided to swim to the other side and... died of dehydration.

More defamations to the Dead Sea: It is called dead because not a single microorganism or bacterium can survive in this highly concentrated water with salts and minerals. People with skin problems come here to kill all sorts of problems with water, people with bone problems, because the ability of this water to draw out everything unnecessary, relieves joint and other pain. And oncology is also treated for the same reason.

The next day we simply spent at the hotel - Sea, SPA, water park

Yes, for the first 2 days we were ALONE in the hotel!!! My husband and I were served like kings))

There were cutlery in the hotel restaurant, hooray!))

The next excursion was to the city of Nebo, located on the top of a rocky mountain. “And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho.”

When we drove along the edge of the cliff to the top of this mountain, I sat with my eyes closed, because I was sure that they would bury me here. The part-time driver and guide drove up, telling my husband the history of this mountain, desperately gesticulating and periodically letting go of the steering wheel. I remembered all the famous prayers so as not to fall into the abyss. Our ears were blocked, our arms and legs were frozen with horror, and in the end, oddly enough, we made it to the top alive!

A few words about the place where we arrived. Mount Sky. Height 833 meters above sea level. It was from here, according to the Bible, that God showed Moses the Promised Land, and this same place is supposedly the place of Moses’ death. Therefore, it is no coincidence that pilgrims from all over the world flock here.

Pope John Paul II was also no exception and visited Mount Nebo in 2000. The first monument that we saw in the complex was dedicated to this memorable event

To his right is the Franciscan Guardian of the Holy Land, on which is written “Mount Nebo. Moses Memorial, Christian Shrine."

Mount Nebo is a place of pilgrimage for representatives of various faiths. According to unconfirmed information, the monastery complex located on the mountain has existed for more than a thousand years. From the height of the mountain you can see the panorama of the Holy Land that was once revealed to Moses: the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, Jericho and Jerusalem.

Here, on the top of the mountain, a memorial to Moses has been restored, including a temple with mosaics from the 6th century built by the Franciscans on the site of an ancient sanctuary.

During the first decade of the 7th century, the western doors to the baptistery were walled up, three rooms of the cloister were destroyed, and the floor was leveled with that of the rest of the basilica. This provided the basis and foundation for the construction of the chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mother of God).
Moving further, we find ourselves at the observation deck. In its center is the so-called tablet of Moses, which shows the directions and distances to famous places in the Promised Land.

At the highest point of Mount Nebo, the Staff of Moses (Snake Cross) was erected. It symbolizes the copper serpent erected by Moses in the desert, and at the same time the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

There, on Mount Nebo, there is an archaeological museum that confirms the dates given during the excursion.

I’ll write a separate post about the trip to Petra and vacation on the Red Sea, otherwise this one turned out to be very long. Overall the impression of Jordan is excellent. Everyone reveres and sincerely loves their king, who manages to keep the local currency (dinar) above the dollar and euro, does not get involved in political games and is free from imports. And they are simply delighted with the queen - well, simply Miss Universe!

For many, the Muslim woman is seen as passive and oppressed. The fallacy of this view of the place of women in Islam is proven, for example, by Queen Rania of Jordan, who leads an active political and social life, and in 2003 Rania was recognized as the most elegant woman in the world according to the results of a survey conducted via the Internet by the British magazine “HELLO!” . In addition, Queen Rania is one of the most beautiful Arab women and the most beautiful queen of modern times.

Good, isn't it? By the way, they say that the king himself can easily be met on the street, in a cafe, at the bazaar - he specially goes out into people in order to know how his country lives!

Even in Jordan, we bought cosmetics based on Dead Sea water, creams, muds, etc., which were expensive compared to Israeli prices. For comparison: in Israeli shops on the shores of the Dead Sea you can buy creams for 5-10 dollars. In Jordan it is 25-40.

My husband says, let’s dial from here for free. I nodded rashly, forgetting my husband’s penchant for gigantomania. He took a package (a solid one, like Globusovsky), and went with a beach mud spreader to the place where this dirt is collected. I see a plastic bag of dirt rushing by. I say: why do we need so much happiness? They’ll take it away at the airport anyway! He says we’ll buy an extra bag and put it in our luggage. Then he grumbled dissatisfiedly, “at home you’ll regret that you didn’t take everything,” displeasedly watching me put the black, greasy property of the Dead Sea into a small bag. Well, they also grabbed a small bottle of sea water.

Nastya, I’m sorry we didn’t meet, we extended our stay at the Dead Sea, it was just too heavenly a vacation! We ended up in Aqaba only on the day of departure. Next time we'll definitely see you!!!