Masada and the Dead Sea - entry 7


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Middle East » Israel
November 6th 2009
Published: November 14th 2009
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An era long goneAn era long goneAn era long gone

Standing by columns that once housed Herod's 3-story palace atop Masada.
Masada is an ancient fortress in Israel and well worth a sunrise or sunset. We combined it with a dip in the Dead Sea after getting our dose of history and gorgeous views at the top of Masada. Gai Elkin, husband of Itay's cousin Tirza, dropped us off early in the morning. Yaniv, Itay and I took the western ramp up while the sun was still gentle. We did a self guided tour with occasional stops to listen in on tour guides for big groups.

Masada is fascinating for its history (King Herod built it between 37 and 31 BC as a refuge away from civilization in case of a revolt). Apparently Herod was a little paranoid😊 Jewish rebels later (66 AD) used Masada a base for raiding Roman settlements but tragically committed suicide with their families when the realized their end was near. I highly recommend reading the history behind this legendary fortress Masada

We took the cable car down to beat the mid-day heat and we were ready for a fabulous lunch facing the Dead Sea. Gai and Tirza did the shopping while we toured Masada and Yaniv made our sandwiches to order - best cottage cheese in the world😊

The Dead Sea is truly unbelievable. The experience is hard to describe in words but something about this oily, salty and hot sea keeps people coming back for all its healing qualities. At 400m below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and is named for its uniquely salty water, which kills off virtually all marine life. Normal seawater is 3 or 4% salt, but this water measures over 30%. Due to geologic changes there is no outflow from the Dead Sea and the sun evaporates water off the surface at the rate of millions of litres a day, leading to salt and minerals crystallizing onto the beach.

The high salt content makes the water so buoyant that it's impossible to sink. This would make for a great day out for all my Indian friends who can't swim! People literally read newspapers in the sea and float without any effort. The salts and minerals are known for their healing qualities and lots of people come here annually to cure their illness, asthma being on top of that list. A mud mask is key to the experience and Tirza was a good sport and did it up with us! We enjoyed a cold beer as our mask dried and took a final dip in the sea.

After showers and organizing luggage, it was truly sad to say goodbye to Tirza, Gai and Yaaniv who not only showed us a great time but bonded with us like the way people used to....in the desert under the stars with a bonfire and tasty meals served in a common platter. A trip to remember for the rest of our lives!


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Masada break with Yaaniv....Masada break with Yaaniv....
Masada break with Yaaniv....

...in the oldest synagogue in the world.


14th November 2009

Thanks!
Yeah, if for nothing else, we will visit Israel just to read a newspaper in the Dead Sea :-) But seriously, great post once again!
14th November 2009

Salt Balls
This seriously reads like a wikipedia entry. Good work! The trip looks awesome but I think this is my favorite part. I actually licked one of the salt balls at Itay and Jaspreet's house . They tasted awful. Congratulations on another successful adventure.
17th November 2009

Salty balls
It reads like Wiki cuz it is, son! I didn't know how else to do it justice. Hope you made it to Espana ok and will keep us posted on your "you should've been there stories."

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