Jordan and Israel Trip- Part 10

The Dead Sea- 15/11/2019

I took an Uber to the Dead Sea Spa Resort. After paying for a day pass I made my way through the resort to the beach, which turned out to be a bit disappointing .

I knew the sea has been receding at a rapid rate, and it’s hard to impress an Australian with any beach, But I still felt it was hardly worth the effort and expense.

Nonetheless , I was there. I dodged Europeans, having suddenly been rendered invisible , stripped off my shirt, left my flip flops on the beach and slowly made my way into the water.

The first thing I noticed was sharp stings from various cuts, abrasions and rashes I had picked up in my travels. Luckily these subsided swiftly. Once the water was up to my nipples I lifted my legs from the mud. It felt very odd, I had to force my legs to stay submerged as they fought their way back up, being excessively buoyant compared to the rest of me in the supersaturated salt water. This became a problem as a man almost ran into me, and I instinctively tried to breaststroke out of the way, and I struggled to right myself- apparently trying to float on your front is how many people manage to drown in the Dead Sea.

Eventually, I managed to find a spot I could float unmolested, which was pleasant enough for half an hour, but then I got bored and headed back to the shore to shower in the open air. the Dead Sea water tends to leave your skin feeling very oily.

I had lunch and a cocktail overlooking one of the resort’s swimming pools, before doing a few laps in the pool before laying down on a deck chair to read for a few hours.

But it was clear I was a pilgrim in an unholy land. I had more in common with the Philippine staff than any of the guests, and apart from mild flirty looks from one older Spanish woman, I was entirely ignored. So I departed and left the obscene excess for those who are more comfortable with it.