Today we went on another excursion to see Masada and the Dead Sea. The budget tours offered by the hotel started at $100 per person. We figured we could do it a little cheaper ourselves.
We started off with a taxi ride to the bus station. Our first taxi ride had been slightly expensive, but we were three now and had more of an idea of where we were going. We said bus station and he said 45 sheqels (a properly inflated price for the bus station). Erin said use the meter, buddy, and he agreed. Too readily.
He headed in the wrong direction. I noticed it a little while later, and pulled at the map to try to figure out where he was going. Finally I reconfirmed that we were going to the bus station. He said he was going to the train station, and asked if we wanted to go to the bus station. He acted like he had misunderstood and changed direction. If he hadn't tried to negotiate a price for the bus station I might have believed him. But the train station was almost twice as far as the bus station, and his price would have been much higher. A taxi driver was screwing us. Again.
Taxi drivers here have a bad reputation. Even the guidebook says to have them use the meter and have a map to make sure they drive the right way. They play on your innocence and your willingness to believe that you must have made the mistake, not them. When we got to the bus station the meter read 40 sheqels ($13). It was about 4km from the gate to the bus station. I gave him 30, which was still too much and he got out to grab Matthew's arm. Then he started bargaining for a little more money. That was the last time we took a taxi in Jerusalem.
So because of his antics we missed the bus and had to grab the next one an hour later. The bus dropped us off at the Masada turn-off along the Dead Sea road. We climbed up to the massive visitor's center, where they told us we couldn't climb up the hill after 11 (it was 12) and we would have to pay the $20 extra bucks to take the cable car. I silently cursed the taxi driver again.
Although the tourist sites in Israel are expensive, they have much more development then almost any other place we've been. You know, they have informative signs and stuff. We even saw an overly dramatic video about the history of Masada.
Masada is a masive, flat-top mountain rising out of the desert. It was originally developed by Herod, who built a spectacular palace perched on the cliffside. Later, it was the last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against the Romans. Over a thousand people had fled here when the Roman army came to crush the revolt once and for all. They beseiged the mountain, and began the construction of a massive earthern ramp which rose slowly towards the walls. On the ramp they hauled up a siege tower to break down the walls. The Jewish zealots constructed an inner wall of earth and wood. The Romans tried to burn through this. At first it seemed like the flames would blow back and destroy their own tower. But then the wind shifted and the wall crumbled.
That night the leader of the zealots gave a famous speech in which he persuaded the Jews to die free rather than live as slaves. 10 Jewish men were elected to slay the 950 other men, women, and children. They then drew lots, with the winner/loser killing the remaining 9 men and then himself committing suicide. When the Romans entered the fort the next day they found only a few survivors hidden in a water cistern.
It is a powerful story and became a center of Jewish pride. Military ceremonies are still held on the mountain.
We spent a couple hours wandering around the ruins. There are amazing views over the Dead Sea and the surrounding desert. You can see the storage containers used in the siege and the impressive remains of Herod's Palace. A Byzantine church has some nice mosaics. The most interesting part was that you could look down to see the impressions left by the beseiging Romans. The utilitarian squares of two Roman camps could still be made out, as well as the surrounding siege wall. On the far side you could see the huge siege ramp that led up to the walls. It was definitely worth the trip.
We walked down from the mountain via the Snake Path instead of the cable car. This proved to be lucky because we were walking beside the wadi when Matthew happened to spot a herd of ibex heading the opposite direction. We stopped to watch as 10-15 of these shy animals slipped by, including an impressive horned male. Very cool.
From here we caught another bus up the road to the public beach along the Dead Sea. Surprisingly free, you only had to pay to use the bathroom/shower. We changed and walked down to the rocky beach. Erin went in first, then I gave it a try. It feels just like normal water until you allow yourself to float, at which point you pop to the surface like a cork. You can float on your stomach with all of your limbs sticking in the air. You can even stand vertically with your shoulders sticking out of the water. Cuts and sores burn in the water and a drop of the water will burn your throat for a while. When you climb out your skin feels like it's covered in oil. A very strange experience.
We caught a bus back to Jerusalem in the evening and congratulated ourselves on a productive day.
~Travis
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