Swimming in the Dead Sea

We got up before 4 AM this morning to climb Masada and see the Roman-era fortress and other ruins. The hike to the top was pretty intense, but the view and the exceedingly well-preserved ruins were worth it. There were public baths, tile mosaics, a giant water reservoir, and a dovecote, all in a little town on top of the mountain. Twice in its history, small groups of Jews held the mountain against Roman forces, then committed mass suicide rather than be captured. What a story! Our guide, Elaun, told us tons of stuff about the geology and history of the area, and showed us a canyon that gave an amazing echo when we shouted into it.

After Masada, we went to the Dead Sea, the shore of which is the lowest dry land on Earth at 300 feet below sea level. Swimming in the Dead Sea isn't like swimming anywhere else. The water is the perfect temperature and an amazing shade of blue. The bottom of the sea is a mix of sand and salt crystals, the water feels silky between your fingers, and the density of the water makes it easy to float and hard to go in above chest height. I found a pair of salt crystal clusters about half the size of golf balls, and kept them for souvenirs. :)

At our hotel in Tel Aviv, we listened to a talk on the geopolitics of the Middle East, ate dinner, then had a big group discussion of the Holocaust and our feelings about it in preparation for our trip to the Holocaust museum tomorrow.

Photo Credits: Header Image: @ronnncohen, Image 1-@weichifield, Image 2-@s_gibbor