Dead Sea and The Promised Land

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Swimming in The Dead Sea is one of those remarkable experiences never to forget. You walk into the sea as normal but then try to sit or lie down and bounce straight to the surface, like on a spring, feeling bouyant. The stories about being able to read a paper or drink while swimming really are true. The other amazing thing about swimming there is that we were just a few miles from the Hebron Hills of the West Bank and Jerusalem was only 10km away! A few of us decided to try the Dead Sea mud and caked ourselves with the stuff, much like sump oil. We were covered head to foot in black, gooey stuff, which had to set for 20 minutes before we washed it off. Needless to say we were all boiling by the time we got back in the water. We have some very funny photos where all you can see is silhouettes and big, white teeth.
After The Dead Sea we went to Mt Nebo where God showed Moses The Promised Land. The mountain isn't much to behold and has become a pilgrimage site with various religious memorials, but seeing the view out over Jordan and across to The River Jordan and Jericho was very powerful. Our guide pointed out a sliver of silver road in the distance and said that's the main road between Jericho and Jerusalem from ancient and biblical times. The places of such biblical significance are so close together and seeing the geography really brought home many bible stories. The land is very barren and desolate and were it not for the holy attachment, one would wonder why the land has been so contentious.
That same day we also saw Kerak Castle, built by the crusaders. Dan had wanted to see the famous crusader castle in Syria, Krak De Chevalier, and this was a close second on his list. The castle is imposing and large, built from uneven stone, set on a rocky ridge, with the aim of quelling the local Muslim population in the 11th century. It was taken by the great Arabic warrior, Saladin, after an 18 month siege. Three levels of dark tunnels, passageways and secret entrances remain, and much to Dan's delight we were able to explore them.

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