Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea

Tour day 3 - 30th March

Another jam-packed day in Israel ahead of us as we said farewell to the lovely Sea of Galilee. Our first stop this morning was the Jordan River baptismal site, where a number of our group braved the cold waters of the river to renew their baptismal covenant with the Lord. It was a lovely time of celebration for the whole group, even those of us who stayed dry and took the photos.

After the baptisms were all done, and everyone was dry and clothed again, we set off for Beit She’an/Scythopolis, one of the 10 cities of the decapolis. This place is yet another amazing archeological experience, with mind-blowing ancient ruins, some dating to 3500 BCE, but I have to confess I’m reaching my threshold for ancient-ruin-overload, we are just SATURATED with history!!

Yakov tells us that this area has two massive tectonic plates, one running north-south, the other south-north, and they have shifted significantly over the years, in some places up to 107km. These tectonic plates were responsible for the collapse of many of the structures at Beit She’an, when there was a massive earthquake in 739AD.

We wandered through the site, and in particular aimed for the hill, which overlooks the entire ruins. The view from there didn’t disapppoint, and not only could we see the streets and the locations of the buildings, including the theatre and amphitheatre, but we could also see the beautiful, fertile Jordan Valley in the other direction.

A surprise inclusion today was a visit to Jericho, the oldest city in the world. Rather than just passing by on the highway and seeing Jericho from afar, our guide had arranged for us to have lunch there at an Arab restaurant. The thing is, Jericho is in the West Bank, and is under the Palestinian authority, so Israelis are not permitted entry, but tour guides such as Yakov are given a special dispensation. I’m sure the $$ have nothing whatsoever to do with it.

Honest assessment? Jericho is a bit yuk. I’m sure the old part of the city is interesting, but we didn’t get to see that except as we drove by. And Jericho is the first place we actually felt a bit ripped off, which didn’t add to the attraction. The lunch venue was chosen for us, the price was set at $17 USD per person, and the restaurant was above a tourist shop, through which we had to exit. I guess these are the things you just have to expect when you commit to an organised tour.

The buffet meal was actually quite nice, with lots of options, but when it came time to pay they expected USD. But hang on, we’re not ALL Americans. Shekels?? The staff had to scramble to find 80 NIS change for us. Ummm, okay, this IS Israel, isn’t it??

Jericho itself seemed dry, dusty and windy, complete with camels. Our tour guide called it an “oasis” but not according to my definition, although we did see the occasional bougainvillea, and the Sycamore Fig tree in the town - not necessarily the very one Zacchaeus climbed - seemed to be thriving.

Another surprise inclusion today was Masada, much to hubby’s joy and delight. He’s been waiting for this one, but according to the program it was meant to be tomorrow morning. The only shame was that the weather had brought dust storms to the area and the view was compromised. Nevertheless, I’m sure we got to see it as the zealots experienced it much of the time.

The first necessity was to get in the cable car with around 80 others and head up the side of the mountain. This is just one of those things where it’s best not to think about it!! Safely at the top, our guide explained the amazing complex built by Herod the Great, and then appropriated by a band of Jewish zealots who took their last stand against the Romans in this place, then committed mass murder / suicide to avoid being taken into captivity.

If my mind had any capacity left for being totally blown, it would have been, but I seemed to have reached saturation, and felt a little like a sheep (or “the sheeps and the goats” according to Yakov) just wandering with the crowd. It is actually amazing - how they built on top of a mountain, how they used the natural lie of the land to create aqueducts to capture the rainfall, how they managed to survive in such an isolated location - but I don’t have any more words for it!! It’s actually quite hard to keep being amazed at dates and ages and the extent of it all, I think because it’s just all so, so, so OLD that it stops computing after a while!! It really did feel like being totally waterlogged and there was just no room for any more! I think I just needed a soak in the Dead Sea to refresh my brain.

We had a range of weather today - starting with a lovely mild day in the Galilee, then after our visit to Beit She’an we had a little rain as we travelled south, but it soon cleared up and by the time we got to Jericho it was mild again. Then at Masada we nearly got blown off the mountain a few times with the wind whipping up through the ravines - you certainly had to hold onto your hat!!

The landscape also changed as we drove south, from lush green further north, then into the Jordan Valley with green to the east and dry, hilly and desolate to the west. By the time we got to Jericho, we were completely in the desert, with flat, brown, sandy and rocky vistas on both sides, but the occasional date palm plantation thanks to Israel’s irrigation system that is bringing the desert to life. And then it was amazing, soaring, rocky crags immediately to the west as we made our way towards Masada. It’s no wonder Herod chose this area to build his mountain-top palace fortress.

FINALLY, the part of the day I’d been waiting for, we arrived at our Dead Sea resort (and spa, thank you very much)!! There was an initial moment of panic that we might not actually get to go in the sea, as the wind had gotten up and it was after 5pm so there were no lifeguards on the beach. Noooo, surely not?? We’ve come ALL THIS WAY!! Our guide was pessimistic, but the hotel staff seemed unperturbed, just warning us to be careful because of the lack of supervision on the beach. Looking out our hotel room window though, we could see people happily enjoying the water, and that sealed it for us. We were NOT going to miss this opportunity because of a little breeze. Off we went!!

Floating in the Dead Sea is definitely a totally bizarre experience. Walking in from the shore is not a problem, it feels just like any other waveless beach. The water was a bit chilly and the sand felt soft and a bit slimy underfoot, but otherwise we could have been anywhere. The wind had dropped to a gentle mild breeze, and there was a small group of people in the water already. We walked out a bit further and it still didn’t feel much different, except our skin felt slightly soapy from the water. But once we lifted off the bottom, the floating experience was absolutely unique. And amazing. It’s just impossible NOT to float, and effortlessly. Feet and arms just rise to the surface of the water, and there you kind of bob, in a slight V-shape. You just need to try not to splash or get any of the water in your eyes or mouth - one drop tastes foul (trust me.....) the mineral content is just so extreme (34%) and it’s not just super-salty water.

We scooped mud from the bottom and smeared it over arms, hands, lower legs, feet - we were there for the WHOLE experience - left it on for a bit then washed it off in the water. More of our tour group came down and joined us in the water, and there was much hilarity as everyone got a feel for the experience.

After a while it started to get a bit cold, it’s impossible to stay submerged and out of the breeze, so we called it a day and headed up to the hotel to try out the spa. The hotel pumps water from the sea, then heats it and calls it a spa. So it’s just like floating in the sea but in a really warm swimming pool. A lovely way to warm up and a lovely way to end such a long and full-on day.