Below Sea Level
Trip Start
Dec 12, 2007
1
4
13
Trip End
Dec 24, 2007
Ein Gedi,
Israel
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Ein Gedi is an amazing Oasis in the middle of the Judean Desert. We wandered through part of this nature reserve where we saw mountain goats, rock rabbits (related to the Elephant! Known as Dassie's to South Africans) and a waterfall in the middle of all this desert. We were told about the danger of flash floods in the desert, when it rains in Jerusalem they can come out of nowhere and had recently killed two hikers!
Ahava are creams, lotions and potions made out of Dead Sea minerals or mud and are really very good
Sea Level and Going Down
. Suffice is to say that Annie managed to buy a few more products to add to here already respectable pile purchased in Tel Aviv :-)The last time I visited Masada was 15 years ago and, even though there was a small rickety cable car, we had walked up at about 4:00 in the morning to be able to see the sunrise from the top. What a difference, today there is a big, modern visitor's centre, a huge cable car that can carry 80 people and an underground car park!
All of this pales into insignificance when considering the sad history of Masada. Originally King Herrod's desert palace and place of ultimate luxury, it later became an amazing mountain-top fortress with facilities and supplies to keep the small group of heroic Jewish people alive despite the Roman siege. Sadly the Roman Empire had an entire Legion of soldiers to pit against a small group of around 800. The tragic suicide end, completely against the Jewish religion, was the only alternate to rape, pillage, slavery, torture and whatever else the Romans could inflict on these heroes who dared stand up to them. As our fantastic guide, Emanuel (see www.normantour.com), told us, this is neither a proud time nor one that is taught as a way to follow but, at the time, there was no other way out.
Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
Today the Dead Sea really is critical. It is falling by one metre PER YEAR and could disappear completely in as short a time as 30 years from now! The scientists and boffins are working away at finding a way to rescue it and hopefully they will succeed. It really is an amazing experience to float around without any effort. The minerals and treatments really do help people and this cannot be replicated anywhere else on the planet, I really hope this treasure can be saved for future generations to have the pleasure and benefit of experiencing!
Wow, what a day and this was only the first excursion day!
We ended the day with another amazing supper at Yael and time to put the faces to names I knew about. A great way to end a great day.
