Yes, much more so than in Merced even. I know that it seems hard to believe, but it is true. I looked of the statistics. I'm seven times more likely to be a victim of violence in Merced than in Jordan, even as an American Tourist. Let me give you an example:
Almost every night I sat at this wonderful Internet cafe until it closed at midnight. I talked to the people, wrote posts for my blog, and drank strong Arabic coffee or Fukfukeena. Then, at midnight, when the place closed, I walked four blocks back to my hotel. Four blocks! Alone, at midnight! I would never do that back home.
The only problem I ever had was the first night walking back. A guy saw me and came running over begging me to have coffee with him. I politely declined. He asked again. I declined again. I knew that in Jordan, most people ask something three times. It is considered rude to accept an offer before the third time it is presented, so I politely refused three times thinking that he would then know that I really didn't want to have coffee with him.
Ha! So much for the guide book. He asked a fourth time. This time I wasn't as nice, I shouted, "NO! I DO NOT want to have coffee with you! I am going back to my room. I have class tomorrow. " (I thought that maybe letting him know that I was not just a general tourist would raise his opinion of me, or at least deter another offer.)
Well, it didn't deter him. Instead he said, "Come sleep in my bed."
"THAT IS HARUM !!!" I screamed. (I've be told this means different things lately, from "misdeed" to "a great sin against the Koran". What ever it is, I've been told to scream it in case a man was inappropriate.)
The man ran away and people came from all over to help me. From that day on, no one, and I mean no one, bothered me. Guards at the hotels and cafes I passed even asked other seminar participants if I was OK if they didn't see me each night.
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