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Published: September 26th 2008
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Taking a dip
In one of the waterfalls in Wadi David in Ein Gedi National Park It was a swimming day today.
I woke up this morning to the gruntings of Ernest doing his exercises on the balcony, knowing Ernest this wasn't Tai Chi or Yoga he was doing rather some obscure pelvic thrusts and leg raises - I didn't dare ask.
After Breakfast, walked down to Ein Gedi public beach, which was a 10 min walk from the hostel. The public beach is free and has showers to boot. It seemed to me to be better than the Jordanian side of the dead sea where you had to pay 12jd for the pleasure on the Amman beach.
The Sea is amazing, you can't really swim in it due to the buoyancy, you just have to lounge around in it - the beach was empty as well as it was first thing in the morning. The water is clear but is thicker than normal water - it was like bathing in milk - not that I've ever done that, I'm not Cleopatra you know. For all you chemists out there it has 20 times more bromine, 15 times more magnesium and 10 times more Iodine than ordinary sea water. You can't put our head
under the water though, it stings your eyes like there was acid in it and if you swallowed a small about you'd be retching for half an hour and if you have any cuts on your skin it burns like crazy - it is great for your skin though!!!
After that I headed off to Masada, which was an old Jewish stronghold perched on top of a mountain, the Jews held out against the Romans who were attacking but as the walls were breached they all commitedd mass suicide - 960 of them rather than being turned into slaves for the Romans - Slavery or death not much of a choice really.
To get to the top of Masada you can either get a cable car which is 61 sheckels return or walk up and down for 19. Guess which way I chose.
At the start of the climb I bumped into my new chum Saskia from Berlin and her family and walked up with her. I could have chosen a better companion as she was only about 20 and was currently training to run the Berlin marathon needless to say she was slightly:-) fitter than myself
and yet to save my male ego I had to keep up. The 350 metre climb in 30 odd degrees nearly killed me, you may be able to tell from the photo at the top that my face was rather red (and it wasn't due to sunburn).
After that I went to the Ein Gedi nature reserve which is right next to the youth hostel, it was strange to be surrounded by trees rather than desert for a change there was loads of Orix (a small deer) and some kind of prairie dog. Walked up Wadi David which had the added benefit of numerous waterfalls with pools that you can swim in - after the days exertions I couldn't resist taking a dip in the cool water - very refreshing.
After a very busy day headed back to see Ernest who hadn't left his room - he was trying to lean Hebrew!!
He then told me about the little containers he had made out of empty water bottles. He had one that he used to store the eggs he nicked at breakfast - don't ask. He also had another one for storing bread.
An early quiet night
again - but at least I had a few beers.
Onto Jerusalem tomorrow.
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