Dead Sea, Massada, Jerusalem - Day 6

The breakfast was so-so at best, but I managed to find something.

I saw people from our group out and about and asked if the water was nice. They said it was cold. So I decided to take my camera and just stick my toes in, at the very least. Which is exactly what I did. When I did this, I realized that the water is nice and I should go put on my swim suit and go for a swim. Which is what I did. It was amazing. My hands stung a bit, but stopped in a few minutes. the water felt silky. The floor of the sea is very rocky as is the beach, but when you get into the water a few feet, it’s all salt crystals. They’re all very sharp and one person from our trip hurt her foot.

When you get into the water, it doesn’t feel quite as buoyant as you think it should, but as you try to walk further and realize it’s getting harder. Then, in order to “swim”, you gotta sit down. When you get your feet under you, you start floating, bobbing really. It’s really hard to stand up again, so you gotta get as close to the shore as possible.
When you get out, they have some showers (poles with shower heads and a button) and you just rinse off. The skin feels really silky.
The Dead Sea treats several different conditions such as psoriasis, rheumatism, skin rashes, etc. There are clinics that cater specifically to these health-related trips. They say that about 30 days here would help with psoriasis for about 12-18 months.
The bromide in the air is also apparently good for insomnia.
I got a small handful of the salt crystals. Hope the airport security doesn’t mistake it for crack.

But after a quick shower and packing, it was time to leave the hotel. Not that any of us wanted to stay longer at this hotel, but most of us wanted a longer stay at the Dead Sea. We didn’t get a chance for a massage or anything like that.

Now, we were on our way to Masada. This ancient fortress of Herod was in mountains, but we’re taking the cable car up and down. The weather is nice, a nice breeze, warm sun; not too hot.
Masada is amazing. The desert landscape is mesmerizing and stunning. The panoramas were just incredible.
We had lunch here at the cafeteria and I liked the schnitzel better here than the other day. This one was warm and I could taste the chicken, not just the breading. The salad was decent too.

After Masada we went to the Ahava factory and show room. I stocked up. Hope the stuff is as good as they say, but the do have research to back up their claims (so they say).

Now, we’re on our way to Jerusalem. We’re again treated to magnificent views of the Dead Sea, mountains on the Jordan side, and the Judean Desert/Wilderness. We also passed a few Bedouin “villages”. These are slabs of corrugated tin tied together to make a shelter, sometimes right next to a busy highway (notice the road barrier in the lower right). That’s how they live. they also heard camels, goats, sheep. We stopped on the Mount Scopius for views of the city and heard the 4th call to prayer by imams. The city at first glance is such a mix of things. Old and new, clean and dirty, Jewish and not.

We’ll spend a few days in Jerusalem and I’m looking forward to exploring this eternal city.
Our hotel is quite nice. It’s a smaller hotel and rated 4 stars, but it’s rather quaint and lovely. Dinner was rather nice. The selection was excellent and everything tasted great. But now it’s after 11 and I got an early wake-up call tomorrow.

Shalom y’all (saw quite a few things with that).