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Hiking to the Springs of En Gedi.  Ahhh, shade!  I see 11 of these guys running free outside our bus. Did I miss any?  The cables that will carry me to the top of Masada. This is a big step up from the San Diego Zoo Skyride!  View from the top of Masada. See the Dead Sea at the top left.  A path that donkeys used to carry water. Easy to defend against the Romans!  King Herod built his Masada residence out on a ledge. This is looking down at his "Hanging Palace"!  Is that umbrella authentic Masada? She planned ahead while the rest of us scurry from shade to shade!  Recognize the pillars that support a "raised floor"? Here is what the floor part of it actually looks like!  The Dead Sea: 1300 feet below level, it has no ocean to drain into. As the water evaporates, the minerals stay, which makes it nine times saltier than the ocean. You can't sink no matter how hard you try!   View from my hotel room! Lots of other hotels keep busy here because the water has proven healing effects that attract people from all over the world. The water entering the Dead Sea from the Jordan river has been reduced these last few years, so to keep this south shore of the Dead Sea "wet" and the tourists happy, they've cut canals to bring the water down from the deeper north end. By partitioning off sections, they can let the water completely evaporate and then harvest all those magical minerals! Yes, I bought some to bring home for the family!  Our Tour Leader and his son couldn't wait to try out their Dead Sea Mud Treatment!  Click here to go to Day 11! |