Some Details of a trip to the Middle East in 1996: Jordan, Syria and Israel
A travelogue by Doug Burnett
$1.00 = 42 SP (Syrian pounds), 0.7 JD (Jordanian dinar) or 3.1 NS (New shekels)
http://www.traveldoug.com
Resources
While information about Israel was easy to get in the U.S., I found less available about Jordan and Syria. Ultimately only three books were of any use. The Cadogan Guide, Syria & Lebanon offered the most detail about Syria. The Lonely Planet, Jordan & Syria, while somewhat dated, was very useful and had the best maps. The Let's Go, Israel & Egypt, which also covered Jordan and Syria, had lots of the necessary nitty-gritty travel detail but sadly has stopped listing the ground transportation travel time.
The Condé Nast Traveler had a couple of useful articles: Jordan in the October 1994 issue and Syria in July 1993. I also drew inspiration from Paul Theroux's marvelous book, The Pillars of Hercules in which he chronicles his trip around the Mediterranean. And, of course, T. E. Lawrence's tome Seven Pillars of Wisdom - which I read on the eve of my trip - set the mood for Middle Eastern hospitality and the beauty of the desert.
The Internet
Two Internet sources were very helpful: rec travel archive and Yahoo travelogues. There I found many interesting and informative travel reports. Particularly useful was Troels Arvin's report of his trip to Lebanon, Syria and Jordan in November 1995. (A special thanks to him for patiently answering all my questions.) Also useful were the timely travel tips found at the Lonely Planet web site.
When I became concerned about safety during the shelling between Israel and Hezbollah, I was reassured by readers of both soc.culture.syria and soc.culture.jordan usenet groups. Thanks to them I was able to answer my friends (and my own) doubts. For hotel information I used Hotel Guide - the mother-load of world-wide hotel listings and the best source of Syrian hotel information I've found.
Visas
I purchased my Syrian visa before I left - I was told I couldn't getting one at the border. I started by calling the Syrian embassy in Washington and they sent me an application a few days later. I filled out both copies and sent it back with a money order for $35, two photos and my passport. In less than two weeks, I had the visa back. It was good for three months from the date of issue.
The Jordanian visas I purchased when I arrived at the airport in Amman and at the border crossing for 15 JD per entry. The cost varies by nationality. The list is painted on the wall at the Jordan/Syrian border and it seems completely arbitrary who pays what. Jordan also charges a 10 JD exit tax. (They get you coming and going.) In my case, since I entered Jordan three times, I would have been smarter to get a multi-entry visa, but they are available only from the embassy. Live and learn.
Israel doesn't require a visa of Americans, but does charge a 48.7 NS exit tax.
I figure I spent close to $150 on visas and exit permits on this trip!
The phone
I called the U.S. from Amman, Damascus and Jerusalem. Although I was told I couldn't, I used the phone in my hotel room to call the MCI WorldPhone local number - they then connected me to the U.S. It was no problem, but then I haven't received my bill yet.
Changing money
In Jordan and Israel changing money is easy. You can do it at change booths or banks . But in Syria it means going to the bank, filling out forms and waiting in lines - and then you get the low government-controlled rate. I changed some money in Amman before I went to Syria and got a somewhat better rate: 49SP per $1.00.
How I travel
I think the key is to travel light: I take only what is absolutely necessary. I carry a few changes of clothes which I wash in my room every few nights, some toiletries, a book to read and a six ounce point-and-shoot camera. Instead of carrying heavy travel guides, I copy just the relevant sections - which I toss when I'm finished with them. I put it all in a rucksack which doesn't weigh over 15 pounds and fits easily in the overhead bin on buses and planes.
I flew from Detroit through Chicago to London on American Airlines. From there I flew Royal Jordanian to Amman. The ticket cost about $1400 and (luckily) allowed me to make changes to the return.
Ann Arbor, MI
June 1996
Part one: Syria
Part two: Israel and Jordan
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