TRAVEL :: Driving in Jordan

TRAVEL :: Driving in Jordan

Before I traveled to Jordan in May, I'd done very little research on the country. However, some of my students are Jordanian and like most people, they're proud of their country and their heritage and they encouraged me to visit.

So with my ounce of research, and some ambitious colleagues, we ventured to Jordan for six days. We'd all done about the same amount of research, some in slightly different areas. And though it all came together in the end, we were constantly on the Internet (when we could get access) trying to retrieve invaluable tourist tips and we didn't dare leave our trusty "Lonely Planet Jordan" too far behind.

Some of the road signs in Jordan. Taken May, 2012.

Although we rented a nice car to drive around Jordan, I must say that our deficit in research was most noticeable when it came to actually driving in Jordan. Though, at least, the driver's side is on the left, which is the same as in the U.S. (that's unlike some country's, like Cyprus, where the driver's side is on the right AND you drive on the right side of the road).

We didn't really get lost, but there were numerous times when we were uncertain about the direction that we were traveling. Seems finding a detailed map in Jordan's hard to come by. The Lonely Planet book had some maps, however, they just didn't provide us with a sense of clarity about navigating around the holy land. We didn't have a GPS, but I don't think it would have been much more useful.

The best map of Jordan (via Pat, the bike guy) that we found while searching online.

The biggest oversight was the signage. To our relief, there were signs in both Arabic and English, however, in many instances there were just images or symbols. We'd probably driven about 3 hours before we discovered the speed bump sign. We'd been hitting countless speed bumps, but we'd ignored the signs warning motorists about upcoming speed bumps; the signs were there. Needless to say, figuring that out made the rest of the road trip much 'smoother.'

The infamous 'speed bump' sign. Taken May 2012.

The roads were paved and we found the King's Highway to be exceptionally picturesque; greenery and valleys and lots of olive trees.

My advice for you if you're planning a trip to Jordan, get the rental car and hit the road. It's so much  more fun to piddle around and discover things on your own and at your own pace.

FAQ About My Relocation to Cairo, Egypt

Here are my responses to some of the questions that I have been asked about relocating to Cairo, Egypt:

Where will I be teaching?
The American University in Cairo (AUC)

Is the school affiliated w/American University in Washington, DC?
No

Is it an English speaking school?
Yes

What will you be teaching?
Radio Journalism

How'd I find out about the job?
Job posting on The Chronicle of Higher Education website

How long is my teaching contract?
At least one academic year (nine months), with the option to extend

Is the job a part of a larger program?
No

Where will I live?
The university provides housing for faculty.

Will I have to wear a berka?
No

What will I do w/my Jeep?
Leaving it at my grandmother's house.


That's all for now ... my departure date is nearing - Saturday, August 1. I will arrive in Cairo sometime on August 3.

New Window for my Jeep

I love my Jeep Wrangler and that's part of the story here. How far will I go to please my Jeep? Read on.

The driver side window in my Jeep was beginning to show signs of wear and tear, but cosmetics don't bother me much. A Jeep w/character is what I call it. What finally got me to get some new windows, or as they're called in the world of all things Jeep - skins (just the plastic and not the frame) was that the window would no longer zip up. Yes, the zipper was stripped in multiple places (the passenger side window zipper is busted too). Miraculously, rain has not seeped in via the unzipped portions. But I did not want to test my luck and so I broke down and got the new skins. 2 for $219.

But there's a trick to dealing w/the plastic windows on Jeeps ... they need to be pliable. WTF. I know this, but I live in Ohio and I don't have a garage. So I'm waiting for a sun shiny day to pop along when I can change out the windows. Keep in mind, when I bought the windows the guys says "you should be able to put them on yourself, just be patient". WTF. When you get that type of advice after a big purchase, watch out.

Patience did eventually work, but not before I nearly broke down and cried. Here's what happened:

It was supposed to be 74 degrees on Saturday ... I had been reading the weather all morning on the radio and I was confident that this was the day to put in my new skins. But time got away from me and before I knew it, it was 4 p.m. I had dinner plans for 6 p.m. but I can do this, right? Apparently not. By 5 o'clock, I was searching for a shoe horn. Yep, that's the tool of choice for this job. You see, the skins were not very pliable, read: soft enough, to get around the corners of the wire frame so I needed something to pull it over the top and not rip the fabric.

Long story longer ... I went to dinner w/out the window on the driver's side. Not a big deal, but it was getting cooler and I knew that I'd have to make it through dinner quicker to get back to my task because of course, there was rain in the forecast. I got home a little after 8 and headed straight for the bathroom and the next tool of choice, a hair dryer. Need this to make that window pliable since Mother Nature did not work in my favor.

I bought the window in the house and I wrestled w/that frame for about 20 minutes. Patience. Patience. The shoe horn was of no help since it was plastic and began to bend. I finally ended up using a screwdriver. I was a bit fearful that I would puncture the plastic and be back at square one w/a busted window. But the screwdriver worked like a charm as I used it to guide the pliable plastic window over the frame. The screwdriver seemed to be saying "why didn't you ask me for help sooner?" Silly me, but I love my Jeep and I can see clearly now - at least out of the driver's side window...

It's a Mileage Milestone :: Jeep Wrangler Hits 200,000 Miles

I've blogged about my Jeep Wrangler before ... I love my Jeep. I've had it since February of 1997. Bought it at a now closed dealership on the westside of Cleveland.

Well, recently I hit a mileage milestone: 200,000

Of course, I was driving and I determined that, oh, I am going to exceed 200,000 on this road trip. Some of you might not think that that's a big deal, but that is huge. Because it's all mine. I've driven nearly all 200,000 miles. The only other person to really drive my Jeep at all is my sis (love that my sis can drive a stick shift).

It's been fun w/my Jeep too. I remember one time when I first got it and I had taken the top off, but I did not look at the weather forecast. I was on the highway driving from Cleveland to Akron and it started to rain. As in rain, rain. Lucky me there is a rest stop that wasn't too far away. So I pull into the rest stop and start to work on getting the top up (this is when the 'no frills' thing is not a selling point). Anyway, I don't know if I appeared to be struggling or not, but a couple of guys walked over and offered to help. The one guy noted that he used to own a Jeep Wrangler. Just a nice gesture.

Which brings me to my next point about the Jeep Wrangler: there is a Jeep Wrangler wave! As in a greeting. When one Jeep Wrangler driver sees another, we always throw up a wave or a peace sign. That is so cool. I remember when I first moved to Pittsburgh and another Jeep Wrangler spotted me and gave the wave. Just made me feel welcome. Again, it's a nice gesture. It's also funny when the Jeep Wrangler wave takes place and someone is with me. They will say, do you know them? And I have to explain the Jeep Wrangler wave, which is sort of corny, but is really kinda cool.

What's to love about the Jeep Wrangler?

• No frills
• decent gas mileage
• very 'cool' factor when the top is down
• American made

Someone recently asked me if I've ever taken it off-road? The answer is yes. I used to drive on the trails at Salt Fork State Park in Ohio. Love that park (btw, the largest state park in Ohio).

But just as much as I love it, it does have its shortcomings. My Jeep has been broken into several times (via let's cut through the plastic windows). The loss has varied from my Public Enemy "Fear of a Black Planet" cd to an expensive audio recorder. Also, the plastic windows can be a bit complicated at times - like at toll booths.

Well, I think that's plenty on me and my Jeep Wrangler ... at least for now. I'm going to celebrate the mileage milestone by getting some new 'skins' for my windows. that just means I'm replacing the plastic windows - taking off the old skins and getting new ones ; $219 for a pair. Yay me.