1 stop - on the edge of Damascus, switch to the shared taxi (which will leave when full). It takes about 20 minutes to pick up 2 more passengers. Got impatient and paid extra to make up for one more so the driver would go (Yella)
2 stop - rest stop (why?) at the edge of Damascus (maybe a water stop). Then straight towards the border for a good 45 minutes
3 stop - in Daraa to switch drivers to go over the border (the new driver was Venezuelan, I imagine his passport made it easier to cross into Jordan but I don't really know)
4 stop - the Syrians (but not me) had to get their passports checked before the border
5 stop - entering the border area, checkpoint
6 stop - pay the exit tax and get the Syrian stamp
7 stop - the Syrians and the driver go to the 'duty free' shop. Driver comes back and stuffs every available space with cartons of cigarettes (sort of hiding them, at least they were not in plain view).
8 stop - at the edge of the border area, driver pays baksheesh to a guard (exactly what for, I am not sure)
9 stop - Entering the Jordanian area, checkpoint
10 stop - car is 'checked' by the Jordanians. One can't imagine how they can't find the cigarettes.
11 stop - I get my Jordanian stamp and visa
12 stop - checkpoint at the exit of the Jordanian border area
(the distance traveled from stop 4 to stop 12 is less than 1 km but it took hours)
13 stop - just outside Amman, driver stops to deliver the cartons of smuggled cigarettes
14 stop - finally in Amman, around 2 PM. 5 hours to travel 150 km (but not the worst border crossing I have experienced)
Then the Amman taxi driver cheats me and I then find the hotel and relax
Somehow, the Bylers find me and I go out to dinner with them (long story) and the other Rempels
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