Bedouin Experience: The Bedouins are the last remaining nomads in Israel and they live and wander in the desert. They are typically Muslim, though a variant because of their absence from mosques. We visited a Bedouin museum to learn about their culture and then visited a Bedouin tent to have tea. We sat on cushions cross legged and learned the communication of coffee. For example, a guest is given three small servings of coffee, which add up to one cup. If a guest puts the cup down in front of him without drinking the first serving it means he has come to talk business, not for a social call. If the host serves a fourth serving, it means he or she is asking you to leave. Rather fascinating. Tea follows the bitter coffee, and it was hot and sweet and delicious.
The Dead Sea- a true highlight! The buoyancy is like nothing I have ever experienced! It is the dead sea because it is fed water but has no outlet and the evaporation leaves mineral and salt residue. Due to this, all you do is wade out and sit down as if you were sitting in a chair, and POP up go your legs and you can rest your arms on the water next to you. Swimming on your stomach feels like you are paddling on top of a surfboard. However, it does stink of sulfur and is lethal to swallow. It slightly burns any orifice or cut on your body, and quite misfortunate if your mouth or eyes get any of the water in them. The sea floor is covered in balls of salt- much like a sugar cube, but round and not sweet. Such fun though, and something I had been wanting to do.
Masada- desert Fortress, the site I was assigned to research and brief the group. It is fraught with hoppin' history: a selfish Judean King, then the elaborate and petty Herod the Great, and then a band of 960 Jewish rebels who collectively committed suicide when the Romans laid siege upon the fortification. There are great views of the Dead Sea from the site, there is a three story palace (one of two) that drops down the Northern Face of 1,000 foot cliffs, and mosaics that still remain from the time of Herod.
Last night we were at the Inbar Hotel, and I hated it- everything in our room was sticky, the food was terrible, and the carpets all dirty. However to pass the time Diana gave me a short hair cut and we went to a pub to watch the Russia-Sweden Euro Cup soccer game, so the time in Arad (city of the hotel) was all together well good (as the British would say).
Today we went to En-Gedi, an oasis in the desert. We had been driving through brown dryness for 4 days, and even the Dead Sea hadn't been especially refreshing because it is so warm and salty, so we drive into this wonderful site where we hiked up to numerous waterfalls and swam in all the pools. That was truly a gift, to have such a reprieve.
Off to dinner!
Shalom, Corinna
1 comment:
Aren't you afraid of drinking the water from the Dead Sea by accident as you are swimming?
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