The Marriot Dead Sea Resort and Spa (spa! spa!)

Happily, we made it to the Dead Sea with enough daylight left to have a quick soak. Security is incredibly tight here, so much so that we had to prove that we had a reservation and then they checked under our car for explosives before we were allowed to pass the gate (just like the airport in Nairobi!). And, at the door to the hotel our bags were scanned and any beverages we were carrying were confiscated.
Once in the door we made a beeline for the sea. The Marriot has a private beach, so women are legally permitted (and culturally allowed) to swim. However, the hotel clientele are an interesting mix- expats and foreign tourists, Jordanian Christians and liberals, along with women in full chador. This same mix is represented on the beaches, where the conservative Muslim women go into the water fully dressed, including veils and gloves (thankfully, the buoyancy means they can’t drown). The Western women and liberal /Christian Jordanians swim in bikinis or regular swimming suits, albeit at another spot along the beach. The sons and husbands of the conservative Muslim women begin at the beach where the traditional Muslim women are, but eventually gravitate to the beach with the foreign women in swimsuits, usually on the pretence of taking a call on their mobile phone.
Next to the buoyancy, the best thing about swimming in the Dead Sea is that there are no critters or algae or any other slimy things, as nothing living can survive the high saline content. On the other hand, you have to be careful not to get any water in your eyes and mouth. Every five minutes along the beach you can hear someone screaming in pain after getting splashed in the eyes, and I was practically gagging on the water I inadvertently swallowed during my unsuccessful attempt to swim to Israel (it is farther than it looks).
We are planning on spending our last two nights in Jordan here, as the only thing the resort lacks is a Starbucks. Luckily, my Hindu friend is exhibiting commendable piety and insisting that we go to Mount Nebo and Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan, otherwise, after my sand-laden adventure in the desert, there is a good chance I would skip the holy sites in favor of spending tomorrow indulging in a day-long facial-massage-manicure-pedicure!
Gotta go. Apparently the markets are tanking and people will lose half their net worth if I don't get off the internet right now!

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Part of trip: Egypt and Jordan (and who knows what else?)

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