The Promised Land

Another country, another border crossing...

There was a similar eruption of group joy as at the Syrian-Jordanian border, but this time it is after a few hours lying in the sun with ice-cream and water and pastries (bought from the one little kiosk giving atrocious exchange rates for our dollars and euros). The Turkish team have been held up for not having visas, despite having letters instead from the Israeli ambassador in Ankara saying they would have been granted a visa but needed their passports to be Israel-free to get to Lebanon and Syria. Conspiracy theories are rife, but it does seem as if this could be a legitimate reason to hold people up. The border guards seem young, and could just be following the rules rather than keeping back a pro-Palestinian peace group....but who knows...apparently there's something every year which means hours at the border.

In my version's favour: the behaviour of the guards when the Turks finally come through. We've formed a triumphal arch, singing and chanting peace messages (loudly), and they are taking photos and laughing at us. Even better, one girl (with a huge gun) is clapping along as well as smiling, and was she even chanting? It looked like it to some...

And more on my side. "These people aren't monsters" said one Turkish girl. "They were just doing their job".