We got up early today so we could
catch the 9:00am bus to go to Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. We made it to the bus
with plenty of time to spare! We had about 1 ½ hour bus ride and soon out of
Jerusalem we could notice a change in the landscape. It got more desert like
and dry within a few kilometers. We got dropped off in Ein Gedi and we went to
the Park to enjoy the waterfalls. We didn’t realize there was hiking, but
despite not being totally prepared, we enjoyed about a 3-4 hour hike! We went
up to David Waterfall where we think David hid in the caves from Saul. There were
many students on a field trip there. We took a more scenic hike where we hiked
around rocky dry terrain along the cliffs and hills. We had a good view of the
Dead Sea! We hiked to another place called the hidden Waterfall which took
about 1 hour. We hiked along the rocky clay cliffs and then got to the
waterfall, which was quite small, since we are in a desert! We followed the
“river” for a while, walking in the water to cool our selves down as it was
quite hot!
Thankfully
at the entrance/exit to this waterfall they had a place to fill up our bottles
so we kept drinking lots of water! I also enjoyed a delicious mango popsicle
that actually tasted like a piece of a mango on a stick- so good- especially
after being in the hot, dry sun for hours!
We
walked down the road to get to the Dead Sea Beach. We seen some Ibex, small
deer like animals which have curved horns. There was a group of about 30, some
had great horns, and some were just babies.
Finally
we got to the Dead Sea! It wasn’t a beach like we were anticipating with sand,
but it was all big rocks, and some salt covered! We changed into our swim gear
and then headed in! WOW! What a surprise. So salty, so buoyant! You actually
float, and it’s hard to stand up because the pressure of the water pulls you to
a lying position! It did sting a lot! I actually had to get out and shower off
(thankfully they had outside showers to rinse off!) The water makes your skin
feel slippery and soft. We got some fun pictures and then we walked over to
this area where we seen many people walking back covered in mud. We had heard
that the mud had lots of minerals, which is good for your skin. So we covered
parts of our selves in mud and went in the sea one last time! We scrubbed
ourselves and then hopped out to rinse off all the salt in the showers.
We
headed over to the bus stop and as we waited for our bus within minutes a huge
sand windstorm started. It was the
warmest wind I have ever felt! We could see it coming, and then it arrived! It
blew so strong and sand blew into our eyes. The bus came after a while and we
hopped on, seeking shelter from the storm.
We
were so tired from walking and hiking and our legs were so sore that when we
got off the bus we had numb legs! We came back to the apartment and had some
dinner/lunch. We didn’t pack much thinking we could get food at Ein Gedi, but
there really wasn’t much there! So we were quite hungry by the time we got
home! We went to use the wireless again at MacDonald’s, but we noticed on the
way that many shops and even MacDonald’s was closed. A man told us it was a
Holocaust Memorial, and so things closed early. It was quite cold out- the
temperate dropped from about 30+ degrees to about 20 or less. The wind still
blew, but we sat out side on a step and used the internet! I was craving
something on the way home, not sure if it was juice, or something sweet, but I
finally decided on some orange juice and once I started drinking I realized
this is what my body was craving. Within about ½ hour I drank almost the whole
1Litre! I saved a tiny bit for Spencer to have! I crawled into bed early as I
was so tired from the day!
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