It's been awhile I know. And I promise to come back and update on my final days in Benin and my travels across the Middle East but for now I thought I would simply focus on where I am now. After months of planning and arranging and years of wanting I now find myself sitting in an apartment in the West Bank city of Nablus.
For all those interested Nablus is located in the West Bank roughly 40 miles north of Jerusalem.With a population of 134,000 it is the largest city in the area.So I left Jerusalem yesterday morning, I think, by nine. I had planned to leave earlier like 8 or so, but I had been sick most of the night before and I wanted grabbed on to any sleep I could. Thankfully with the help of Patrick I had managed to pack all my stuff up the night before so yesterday morning all I had to do was get in the shower and then pack up the bits and pieces I had been using that night/morning. With the help of the man who works/maybe runs the hostel Patrick and I were staying at I found that the bus I needed to take was just around the corner. So with bags in hand we made our way to the station. People were helpful and it really was easy to find so before I knew it and before I was ready I was saying goodbye to Patrick and finding a seat on the bus.
This bus would only be taking me part of the way there. I would be getting off in the city of Ramallah, which though smaller than Nablus seems to be a place of much activity. I was on the bus for roughly 40 minutes when we came to a stop and everyone seemed to be getting off. Someone at this point mentioned to me that this was the end of the line. I couldn't help but think to myself, "end of the line? did we even leave Jerusalem?" The cities are close enough and I guess with enough urban sprawl or perhaps smaller towns in between that it seemed like I had never left Jerusalem. And now here I was trying to figure out where to go next.
Now Project Hope had given me some instructions on how to get to them. I didn't really follow them. The bus didn't let me off at the bus station but instead by the side of the road at their last stop. This threw me off. So instead of finding a taxi to continue on with my journey I instead found another bus. Mind you this wasn't the simplest of processes. I asked the bus driver where I go next and he pointed vaguely in front of him, which considering in front of him was a busy street filled with tons of buildings, people and cars was not exactly helpful. So I asked a taxi driver. He very nicely offered to take me to Nablus after sharing with me the fact that he has two daughters living in America. Of course the common bond or interest didn't get me a lower fare because when I asked for the price of our journey he wanted something like 100+ sheckles which is over 30$ which is just crazy. A man standing behind me heard the exchanged and pointed to another bus that could take me, thankfully I made my way to it. This driver was much more helpful. Yes, he was going to Nablus but not til 2pm that afternoon. He did bring me to the cross road I needed to take to find the bus garage so I could find a bus that would take me.
People were helpful and I found and bordered my bus. I was expecting to have get off at various border crossing, show my passport and answer endless questions. But none of that happned. For those trying to leave Nablus it was a completely different story. Our bus passed a massive line of cars/people waiting to get out.
The problem with taking a bus and not a taxi into town was that I couldn't tell them where to drop me off. I had the name of a hotel I should go to but no idea where it was or how to get there. After I had been on the bus for some time and it looked like we were in a city/town area I worked up the nerve to start asking the people around me if they knew where I got off. It took a minute for me to find someone who spoke English. When I did they said to hold on and that they would help me. Finally my stop came, I didn't know it was my stop at the time till the people I had been speaking with told me to get off.
I don't think I mentioned that by this time the dark clouds that I had seen since leaving Jerusalem had become darker and darker and had started dropping tons of rain on us. I proceeded to follow this man and his son through the streets of Nablus in the rain as they brought me to the hotel I was suppose to go to. As a native they were use to the streets, rain, traffic but for me I was just struggling to try and keep up and not to fall on the slippery streets with my big huge backpack on me.
I arrive at the hotel a little wetter and colder than when I started my journey but over all no worse for wear. At the hotel I was able to call Project Hope and inform them that I was there and then the receptionist at the hotel called a taxi to come and pick me up. The taxi delivered me safe and sound outside of Project Hope where it seems I hit the ground running. Paper work was filled out, I met with several different people and I was given a tour of the city. It was all very overwhelming. I am suppose to start teaching on Sunday I believe and I'm scared. I don't know what I'm doing. The people I am living with are very friendly but they all seem to know so much more than I. More often than not in conversations I just sit there listening trying to figure out what they are talking about. I know I will learn in time. I just wish that time would come quickly. This is the part of new adventures that I hate most, the fear and uncertainty that always follows doing something new.
So now you know, I am here, I am safe and I am well. Today I am going to go into town and buy some groceries. I need to set a buget for myself so that I can last the 3 months I am planning on staying. More to come later I'm sure.
Until next time.....
