Day 15 and 16

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Created on Tuesday, 22 September 2015 12:30

09/19/2015-09/20/2015 Bandar Abbas (Iran) - Sharjah (United Arab Emirates UAE)

We had read several reports on the Internet about the chaotic exit and shipment procedures in Bandar Abbas in advance; an odyssey to individual offices, counters and authorities has to be completed. Therefore with mixed feelings we started early on Saturday morning, going into an anticipated and stressful day. The first path led to the Shipping Agency halfway to the harbor where we paid the passage for our Deloreans in hard US$ and we got the first forms. There we met Rainer from Hanover; he is on a world tour with his Mercedes G and he has also visited Iran. He also booked a ticket to Sharjah.

Ten minutes later we drove to the harbor area and parked the cars in front of the customs building.

A facilitator named Siroos spoke to us and promised to help. As it turned out in retrospect this was a godsend, because we had nothing to do with the feared legwork and the authorities’ chaos. Siroos got us a seat in the air-conditioned office and customs and he got started... He knew very well of needed copies, he paid all fees in advance, only now and then we had to change the building to sign some forms personally. During our external appointments the hot and humid sweltering heat of almost +40°C / 104° Fahrenheit got on us and heated up our DeLoreans like an oven.

But after about five hours everything was done, the cars were allowed to board and were placed on the first deck via elevator. Apart from us there was only an SUV from the Emirates later.

Siroos invited us for lunch and supervised our boarding and check in at 7:00pm , so he really had earned his money!

Our ferry was scheduled to depart at 9:00pm in the evening, but the loading of trucks delayed this, because the trucks booked their ferry ride, but they simply arrived too late at the harbor. Finally, it was 1:45am Cast off!

Because the ferry was not fully booked, every passenger had a row of three seats for themselves, so we could spend the night with more or less sleep.

At 10:00am we saw the first fishing boats and trawlers at sea and it was about 11:00am as land was in sight for the first time.

It took about an hour until the ferry docked at the port of Sharjah and unloading began.

At first we had to wait another hour for the first two trucks to leave the ferry. After that our Deloreans should be lifted to the lower deck again, but suddenly there was the 'supreme commander' of customs officers: "First go to Immigration, then get car!“ OK, then we got on the bus with the other passengers to the Immigration Office, there was all haywire with only one immigration counter (for approximately 100 passengers!). Everyone tried to hand over his papers as first to the official until a police officer showed up and ordered in loud Arabic language all back to the chairs in the waiting area. But we made clear to him that we still had to pick up our cars from the ferry and at once we were the first in the queue - lucky. Again our patience was pushed hard to the limit, because just as we waited for the visa stamp, the computer of the visa officer struck. After several minutes, frantic mouse clicks and some excited phone calls the computer worked suddenly again and we got the coveted stamp in the passport. But this should be only the beginning...

Back on the ship, we were finally able to drive the Deloreans off board and thus we were immediately at the cabin of the Shipping Agent. He made the first felt 100 copies of any document, we paid 420 dirhams charges and received a docket with 5 positions and we had to work them off. First we went to harbor authority for stamp 1, then to customs authority for checking the serial numbers of the cars and to get a document in duplicate. Then to the harbor authority again, counter in the left corridor for submission of all documents obtained to fill in the Carnet for the Deloreans (around 20 copies per vehicle ...) and pay 80 dirhams fee. Then to the counter in the right hallway, again to submit all documents and we are waiting approximately 20 minutes for a final certificate in triplicate. So finally back to the ferry port, cabin 'Yard 6', there finally after 15 copies and signatures we got the main gate pass. With this we finally were able to leave the port and were allowed to travel to the UAE.

We reached our booked hotel 'Alhamra Sharjah' after another 15 minutes through the rush hour.
Finally we have achieved to "leave Iran and entry UAE".

Translation by DWT-Translation-Team