Day 10: Dead Sea

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October 5, 2009

Everyone was up and ready to go from breakfast at the appointed time. Breakfast can be a little strange in foreign lands and Israel did not disappoint. They offered some strange breads with packaged spreads with Hebrew labels that we had no idea what they were. They had some strange fruits as well and when we asked were told told they were melons. Not much help there. Anyway, we filled up on anything familiar and loaded up in the van for our trip into the desert.

It only took us about 5 to 10 minutes to leave the relatively green countryside of Jerusalem, where it snows in the winter, to pass through a mountain tunnel to pop out on the other side in a brown desert. Quite a change in a climate in such a short distance. The drive to the Dead Sea is all down hill dropping to the lowest point on Earth some 1200 feet below sea level. Israel is not a big country and getting from place to place doesn't take too much time if traffic permits. We probably reached the sea in 20 to 25 minutes.

Our first stop was Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a goat in a cave on the side of a hill there. We were able to see the actual cave from across a ravine, now empty of scrolls as they were moved to the National Museum, and learn how the people of this dry climate collected and stored rainwater in huge cisterns. Not too much farther down the road we stopped at the Ein Gedi Spa. This place would turn out to be a highlight of our entire tour in Israel.

First we changed into our swim suits and then walked out behind the spa to find these big boxes of mud to spread on our bodies. It was quite fun caking our bodies in the mud. Most folks will then just wash it off immediately but one is supposed to let it dry completely before removing it. Our guide convinced us to leave it on and walk down to the water, which takes about 20 minutes allowing enough time for the mud to dry. The water is 20 minutes walk away these days because the sea is dropping an average of three feet a year. After 20 years or so it has really retreated from when the spa was first constructed. It sounded like a good idea to leave the mud on so off we went. We thought Gill was pulling our leg as we didn't see anyone else walking down with the mud on but we did and by the time we reached the sea it had dried.

The water in the Dead Sea is very salty and full of minerals, which makes it undrinkable. Your body, however, floats much easier on the water than in a normal pool or saltwater. So much so, that it can be difficult to stand in. One feels like a bottle bobbing in the water. It is quite a relaxing experience to float and wash the mud off your body. The calm was only broken twice as Israeli F15 jet fighters streaked overhead at a low altitude exercising their right to the airspace over the Dead Sea as just across the sea is Jordan. We couldn't make out any towns and villages but at one point in the sea there is a land bridge between the two countries. I am sure the military is carefully watching it.

After about an hour in the sea, we rode the tram back up hill, got cleaned up, had a nice filling lunch and continued driving south. Our final stop for the day was Masada. A fortified city built high atop a bluff overlooking the Dead Sea some 1500 feet up. To reach the ruins, one has to take a cable car or can choose to climb on the path that probably takes half a day to reach the top. We chose the former and enjoyed checking out all the ruins and the fantastic views from up there. Masada, built by King Herod, was under siege from the Romans for 18 months before finally falling.Rather than being enslaved, the locals committed suicide. I believe it was also the site of the first synagogue.

It was now late in the day and we had a ship to catch. Gill drove like a madman back up the hill passing the slower cars and buses. Once on the main highway, Gill was pedal to the metal, flashing his headlights to get cars out of our way. He managed to not get in an accident and got us back to the ship 30 minutes early. Gill was quite an entertaining guide and person and we enjoyed our tour with him immensely.

Tomorrow we sail to Egypt.

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Photos

Dead Sea
Relaxing on the water