Back where we came from but onto Gaza we go!

11pm, December 28th, Aqaba. The day began with many rumors spreading about the progress or lack thereof, in the negotiations with the Egyptians. We all assembled at the Union to hear what Galloway had to say. It was the first time in a while that all the convoy members had arrived on-time. Galloway was on the platform, in his grey suite and smoking a Cuban. His eyes had bags below them and he seemed exhausted. It didn’t look good at all from Galloway’s body language. Finally after some delays, he spoke and broke it down for us:

• The Egyptians will not at any point allow the convoy to dock in Nuweiba, via Aqaba.
• The only permissible route would be for the convoy to enter through the port in El-Arish.
• The Raffah crossing would be open for 3 days, between January 3rd and January 6th.

That was the Egyptian position which was not guaranteed and could change at any point. Especially since they had notified us of the restriction on our ferry route, once we got to Aqaba!!! So what does this mean for the convoy?

1. We got delayed for 3 days in Aqaba
2. Besides taking a 4 hour ferry from Aqaba to Nuweiba, we have to travel from the most southern port city in Jordan to the northern port of Latakia in Syria! That is a 16 hour straight drive, excluding border time, stops and other delays. Then at Latakia we have to board ferry to El-Arish, which is a 16 hour ride, with an additional 4 hours of disembarking time!! This whole re-route would cost us 3 days and hundreds of additional driving miles, gas costs and affecting the moral of the convoy. The ferry costs are enormous, however the Turkish government has been kind enough to provide us with the ferry and pay for a portion of the costs.
3. These time estimations and routes are at the moment the only possible way for us to get to Egypt and then to Gaza. However everything can change if the Egyptians decide to provide additional obstacles to us again. There is a possibility that once we on the sea, they won’t let us dock in El-Arish. Then what can we do? Where can we go? Worst the Israeli navy could cause problems for us as the route takes us down the coast of Israel.

Kevin (One of the main organizers of the convoy) gave us the logistical details to get to Latakia in Syria. We would all have the day to rest and enjoy our last hours in Aqaba, and at 4am we would all meet to pack the vans and trucks, pray morning salah and head out. Once the meeting was over, I headed back to the hotel, changed into shorts, got a towel and walked straight to the beach! I had to swim in the beautiful waters of the red sea and feel the rocks and sands on my feet.

It was the most perfect weather since we had arrived and the water was incredible. I had found a small area by the beach, far from everyone. It was the red sea, the view of eilat, random boats, mountains and me, it was perfect. After the beach, I met up with the group for a meeting at our favorite restaurant. We got food, shisha and deserts, began our planning. The result was to gather all pics, videos and spread the word to the world. 15 of us headed to the Internet cafe and began uploading, emailing and face booking everybody. I had the chance to update my facebook (http://bit.ly/89b62C) and pictures too. One by one, people left to get some rest, I stayed until the last minute (4:15am) and headed back to help with packing and to make our last prayers in Aqaba. We were delayed but we were finally on the bus and met with all the other convoy members about 15km outside of Aqaba at a compound. Here we re-grouped and got organized. It was a chilly morning and everyone was excited to head out! People were making eggs on portable gas stoves, playing soccer and one old Iranian man from the UK was playing the guitar and singing old Iranian songs! What a great way to start the morning and our journey onto Latakia, Syria!!