Helpful Hints

 

  •  Conserve Water.  Jordan is one of the driest countries in the world, as such all Jordanians have a very limited water supply.  Water for your apartment is provided by a 2 m3  tank that is filled once a week. When it runs out that's it.  If you are careful with water usage it should be enough for the week.  A brief admonishment though, the first week we all ran out of water and had to do without bathing, cooking as well as flushing our toilets for four days.  Needless to say it wasn't a pleasant experience.    My advice is to join the gym just down the street from the university and take showers there. They even have hot water.  Also don't drink water out of the tap.  It's not potable and you will get sick.  Only drink bottled water.

      

        Do Not under any circumstances attempt to urinate in the Dead Sea. The pain is indescribable. Maybe this advice should take precedence over conserving water.   This also goes for shaving the morning before you go to the Dead Sea. Don't do that either.  Bringing goggles is probably a good idea too.  The Dead Sea is five times saltier than the ocean, and if for whatever reason you fail to heed the aforementioned warnings, you will soon discover where the adage "to rub salt in a wound” comes from.  

     

    Bring warm clothing.  It may seem strange, but the desert gets cold at night.  The first couple of weeks you will definitely need something warm.  A couple of sweaters or a jacket would be a good idea.

     

    As you will probably discover, taxi drivers and Syrian customs officials are among the lowest of all life forms.  Undoubtedly sometime during your trip they will try to screw you over.  Learn your numbers and profanity that way you'll be prepared should an argument arise.  Ask help from a bystander or a policeman, odds are that they will take your side. They don't like taxi drivers either.

     

    When shopping for souvenirs be prepared to haggle.  Even in established stores it is customary to haggle.  If possible bring along a local to help you negotiate prices.  Once again learn your numbers and profanity.  On the whole most shopkeepers speak English and are friendly, but try to speak in Arabic or else you pay what we called the "translation tax".  It's not so much that they're trying to screw you, but that flexible pricing and haggling is are accepted in their culture.  A good rule of thumb is to offer to pay half of the original price and work your way up from there.  If you are patient you will almost always get a better deal.  While haggling is accepted in most places, don't be a dumbass and try to negotiate prices at McDonalds.

     

    Alcohol is extremely expensive in Jordan because of the government taxes.    I recall two pints at the Irish pub costing around $14.   Drinking is generally looked down upon as it is forbidden by Islamic law.  That's not to say people don't drink, in fact they love alcohol as much as we do, it's just that they're more furtive about it.   Nearly every hotel has some sort of nightclub or discoteca where you can drink until you're broke.  (This is normally after about two beers.)  In Abdoun a very affluent quarter of Amman, there are several nice pubs.    My advice is that If you want to drink, stock up on cheap duty-free booze before you go.   Nightclubs can be fun but they are generally frequented by over the hill billionaire Saudis who tend to dampen the atmosphere.  The discotecas are similar to what you might find in Europe.  The nicer they are the more expensive the cover charge. On Thursdays be sure to try karaoke night at Champions (located in the Amman Marriott).  It's a riot.  The true clubbing experience however, is found in Beirut.  Think Ibiza with a Middle Eastern flair.  Yeah it's that good.  Beirut well deserves its nickname as "the Paris of the Middle East."  The people are very cultured and there is no shortage of nightlife.  Not surprisingly French comes in very handy as a second language throughout Lebanon.     If in Lebanon be sure to try the local varieties of beer and wine.  They are reasonably priced and of a good quality.    

     

    Get lost.  In your afternoons off explore Amman.  If you get the chance try to do some traveling after the program has ended.  It beats studying and you'll have something interesting to tell the grandkids.  Don't worry about crime.  Jordan is a very safe country.  Pick pocketing and violent crime are almost non-existent.  Tourists on the whole are generally well received.  Women should not be afraid to travel alone.  While female tourists may invite some stares, it would be extremely rare for anything serious to happen. On the whole Jordanians are very friendly towards tourists.  On the other hand I'm not advocating going around the West Bank and trying to mix it up with Israeli Security Forces.  Common sense should apply.  If you aren't actively looking for trouble you should be fine.

     

    Make friends with the locals. Jordanians are very friendly and always eager to practice their English. Sometime during your trip you will be invited in for tea or coffee.  Jordanian hospitality is legendary.  Many Jordanians would gladly offer you the shirt off their back.  However, don't be the ugly American and take everything that is offered to you.   It is normal to politely decline at first, and then at the host's insistence finally accept whatever it is they're offering.  If the host offers you only once, then he is merely being polite, but if you are offered something repeatedly, then he really wants you to have it.  I didn’t know this and one day I unwittingly took Fadi’s lunch.

     

     Most importantly have fun and smoke the argila.  What's an argila? Don't worry you'll see

              

     

     

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