Dead Sea trip

An article by Elahn    2 Comments

Tuesday 29th April. Waking up in Be’er Sheva after a good sleep in I checked out of the Golden Tulip and walked up to the bus station to get a bus to Ein Gedi on the shores of the Dead Sea. Doing some research online I found a website telling me all about the area. I was especially interested in their overly confident marketing hype.

I’ve never seen so much sun!

The busride from Be’er Sheva to Ein Gedi was again a rollercoaster of a ride. Even the busdrivers keep their foot to the floor never slowing for corners, which makes the windy road down 400 meters below sea level a thrilling experience. Here is a rough route we took.

Once I repressurised my eardrums (been doing that a lot recently!) and we had the Dead Sea in sight, I was excited about the prospect of a float on the water. The Dead Sea is famous for its high level of salt therefore allowing people to float in the water. It’s a fantastic experience.

My first sighting of the Dead Sea with the mountains of Jordon in the background.

There really isn’t much in Ein Gedi besides a Kibbutz and a patrolled swimming area at the end of a pathway leading down from the road. The shoreline is rocky with no real beach to speak of. This doesn’t stop busloads of travelers and locals from coming and getting into the water.

The view from the water looking back up to the “beach”. See larger.

No, it’s not a whale, just some floaters. Jordan in the background.

The water has a rather souplike consistency and I braved touching my tongue to my hand. The very sharp salty taste was awful! I made very sure not to splash myself for fear of losing an eye! Every now and then you’d hear a cry go up from someone not as lucky, having splashed some water into their eye or mouth. Any cuts or rashes one might have are also a welcome to a burning sensation. Don’t try to urinate in the water either as…well, you know…you’re asking for trouble. And don’t shave the morning you are thinking of taking a swim there. Ouch!

There is nothing stopping you from just floating over to Jordan, besides the army, as nothing lives in the dead sea. Not a fish, nor shark, nor nuffin!

The famous Dead Sea mud (I hope it was!). You leave it on for about 5 minutes then wash it off leaving your skin feeling very smooth and exfoliated. They sell this stuff overseas at incredibly expensive prices. People were just bottling it up in bags and bottles to take home.

Looking down at the waterfront. See larger.