“Come on, my Bedouin cousin!” Ibrahim alerted me that we were on the move again.

It had been a long morning with little relief from the sun and I had begun hiding in the tiniest patches of shade that I could find. I crouched in grassy corners, scaled fallen columns and shimmied along hidden nooks to give myself a moment of solace from the midday heat.

Our guide, Ibrahim, started calling me his Bedouin cousin because, like a true Bedouin, I always knew where to find the shade.

I listened to his stories and descriptions from the comfort of my shadowed temples and he would call me along when he was ready to move. The rest of the group started to catch on to my tricks, and soon I had a cluster of sun-flushed friends in my not-so-secret hiding spots.

We were touring the ancient city of Jerash, in the north of Jordan.

Jerash (also known as Jarash and Gerasa) is one of the world’s best preserved ancient Roman sites, made up of hilltop temples, cobbled streets, gaping theatres, wide public squares, fountains and city walls pierced by columns and towering gates.

Jerash is Jordan’s second most popular tourist site after Petra.

The ancient city deserves several hours of your time for proper exploration, but be sure to bring a hat, sunscreen and lots of drinking water.

And, prepare to walk. A lot.

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This trip was made possible by My Jordan Journey.
All thoughts & opinions are my own.