Traveling with MS: Jordan Conclusion, Jerash

Our final day in Jordan was spent in and around the capital city of Amman. Amman is also known as “the White City” due to the white stone the buildings are constructed of. Amman has a population of over four million people and is considered one of the most liberal cities in the Arab world. Our day would consist of a visit to Jerash which I had been very much looking forward to.

Jerash is a city located just north of Amman. It is home to some of the largest and most well preserved Roman structures outside of Italy. The history of Jerash goes back more than six thousand years. Under the rule of Alexander the Great, Jerash flourished from a small village to a thriving city during the fourth century BC. Jerash was conquered by General Pompey and came under Roman rule in sixty three BC. It was considered a great Roman city with a population of twenty thousand. However, the city started to decline in the third century after a series of invasions and earthquakes. It was eventually abandoned and then rediscovered in 1806. Excavations started in 1925 and continue today.

Walking up to Jerash, the first structure you encounter is Hadrian’s Arch, one of the largest known arches of the Roman Empire. The walk getting to the arch is not significant. It is a slight incline from the visitor’s center with a few steps. I was grateful to see hand rails so I would not have to rely on Misty for support as much. However, I soon discovered the handrails were useless. They were dark metal and exposed to the sun. Shortly after grabbing one for support and quickly jerking my hand away, I heard a warning from our guide up ahead to not use the rails because they were too hot to touch. It seemed Misty was not going to get a break today.

The ruins are completely exposed to the sun. Our small group would search out a shade tree or duck into the shade of a structure to talk. The humidity was near zero, so once you were out of the direct sun the temperature was quite tolerable. In the sun was a different story.

I was scoping out the terrain around me. Everything seemed to lead uphill on very uneven ground. As we made our way down the remains of an old road I had to mind my footing. The stones were uneven and every step was a hazard. I knew I was exhausting myself with the larger steps I was needing to take to keep my balance on the uneven path.

Our guide gave us free time to explore the ruins on our own. We tackled the small hill up to the Sanctuary of Zeus and enjoyed the views of everything we had just walked through. As we meandered through the ruins an odd thing began to happen. People in our tour group began to take more of an interest in my disability. Whenever steps appeared, so did a new friend with an outstretched arm to help. I did not always need assistance, but I never turned it down since it was offered with genuine kindness. I joked with Misty and asked if everyone had gotten together and had a meeting about me. Regardless of why my travel mates had taken an interest, it was a sweet gesture and much appreciated. I especially liked giving Misty a break from leading me up and down steps.

We climbed up and down taking in the sites of the ruins below us from different angles. Jerash was fascinating to behold and I was happy to have minimal issues navigating the site. I stayed out of the sun as much as possible and drank plenty of water, yet the midday sun still drained me. However, looking around at my tour group, I could say the same for them. I think it had less to do with my MS and more to do with the climate and the general mounting fatigue of being on the move every day.

Jordan was not my first trip since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis but it was the most extensive and physically demanding. It started with only two hours of sleep in a forty eight hour span and ended the same way. I expected the lack of rest alone to be enough to send my symptoms into a tailspin but that never happened. I was also worried about the climate and the heat sending me into a pseudo exacerbation but, once again, it was never an issue. I have been dealing with MS long enough to know that may not always be the case. What is true one day is not necessarily true the next, and my good fortune on this trip may not be there next time.

What I do hope for next time is another understanding travel companion. I never would have seen the Monastery in Petra if not for Misty. I would not have attempted the hike or even entertained the idea of it. It is not as simple as having someone with you to help lift and guide you, but having someone who sincerely cares and wants you to see the top of the mountain as much as they do. It is also equally important to have someone who understands when it is okay to leave you at the bottom while they climb those extra flights. It would have broken my heart if anyone I was with missed out on seeing something because of me. If I cannot see the top, I want you to go and take pictures of it for me so I can see it too!

Jordan was not an easy venture for me. Nevertheless, I went. I wish I could have seen it before MS. I wish I could have made it to the top of every step. But, I didn’t and that is okay. I still saw amazing things and every single step was worth it.