Going Up and Up!
Wow, what a long and successful day we had today! Sunrise was at 5:43 this morning, meaning that we were finished with our light breakfast by 4:30am. At 4:35 we began our journey up Masada taking the more challenging (and more fun) "Snake Path". It was dark in the morning when we started, but when we reached the top of the mountain we saw the most stunning sunrise that I had ever seen over the Dead Sea and Jordan. It was incredible. This hike was one of the most challenging and rewarding adventures for our trip so far. The delayed gratification came in two parts, giving us the most beautiful views and allowing us to upload some awesome Instagram pictures! :)
We then toured around the top of Masada to see the Jewish fortress built by King Harrod as we learned about the story of King Harrod, his palace, and Masada's place in Israel's history. After the tour, we descended down Masada on the "Snake Path" once again. It was much easier to complete downhill, in my opinion! Exhausted and hungry, we went back to the hotel to have some delicious breakfast and get ready for one of the most exciting activities, the Dead Sea!
After an hour drive, we arrived at our Dead Sea destination. We all ran off the bus in excitement to finally be a part of this classic birthright stop.
When we first stepped into the sea, many of us immediately sunk into the famous Dead Sea mud on the shore. It was way too fun to describe! We freed ourselves only to find that we could float without any effort at all in the water itself. It was an incredible feeling that we can never forget. After soaking in the water for a short time, we got out and lathered up in the mud, let it dry on our skin, took lots of pictures, and then got right back in the water to wash off all that famous mud. It was amazing how instantly our skin felt smooth and fresh from this mud! The Dead Sea was definitely another highlight of the trip so far!
