We picked up Savta and Roy and then headed out of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea area (we passed Morah Dina on the way walking with her kids -how funny?!). It is always so striking how the landscape immediately changes as you come out of the tunnels into the Judean Desert. The views are breathtaking and the kids couldn't get enough. They especially enjoyed seeing all of the camels and Bedouin Camps along the way.
Our fist stop was to get gas and to find me water shoes, which I forgot at home in NJ. Somehow I let the guy in the market convince me to buy rubber shoes that were two sizes too small because "they will stretch"...duh, no they won't! (Sidebar--my feet KILLED the entire day)!
Our first real stop was Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. It was pretty cool (and very hot) to learn about the sect that lived there and their interesting practices.
Next we drove just a few minutes down the road to Ein Zukim, a series of fresh water springs along the Dead Sea. The kids had a blast cooling off in the springs, splashing around, and trying to catch the fish swimming around. What was especially interesting (and sad) was that they had signs showing where the steps down to the sea were in 1968 and in 1985...and today you cannot even see the water from those places. The Dead Sea has been drying up year after year.
Our next stop was Ein Gedi, one of our personal favorites. We first ate our lunches at the covered picnic area at the bottom, then drenched ourselves and began the hot trek to the first waterfall. It was 42 degrees Celsius (about 107 degrees Fahrenheit)! The kids had a blast cooling off in the falls and when we got to the second waterfall (our favorite spot) the boys remembered making boats out of bamboo from last time so...the boat making began. When it was time to climb down, Joshua decided that he was going to prove to everyone that he could climb down the whole mountain with no shoes. Absolutely nuts, but he did it!!!
After a delicious ice cream treat we headed out to the Ein Gedi Spa. What a treat! Benjamin, Roy and I went swimming in the pool while Savta, Yehuda and Joshua went down to the Dead Sea (by tram) for a quick float. When they came back we all went to the mud to cover ourselves with the famous mineral mud of the Dead Sea, something we had never done before. It felt awesome (although Benjamin didn't really care for it) as did the sulfur showers, until we got it in our mouths and eyes. Then we went inside to the hot sulfur baths and then took nice refreshing showers. It was really such an incredible experience that we will all remember for a very long time.
On the way back we stopped at a restaurant called Last Chance and also had an experience. We got to sit and eat our meal on pillows on the floor.
What a delicious way to end a marvelous day!!
We also loved leaving the desert at 8:30 PM and the temperature was still at 95 degrees. When we returned to Jerusalem, just a 15 minute drive later, it was a cool 77 degrees. How cool...literally!
On the way home, Leora called to let us know that she is happy and having fun and that Zachary is too. What a relief!
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