The Dead Sea

I took a little drive down to the Dead Sea today (literally down - my ears actually popped during the ascent in elevation).

To avoid offending the sensibilities of the conservative patrons at the public beach, as I was planning on wearing (*gasp!*) a bathing suit to go into the water, instead of a long-sleeved shirt and leggings, I availed myself of a day pass to the private Movenpick Resort, where Western attire is acceptable.*

Although the delicious fresh-squeezed mint-lemonade was wonderful and the afternoon spent alternating between reading and napping in the sun a welcome respite after a long week, the real treat was lounging in the Dead Sea. The buoyancy is just incredible - I sat, reclined, stood upright, and stretched out flat on my back, all without the slightest bit of effort expended. Floating in the Dead Sea is as close as I will ever come to what I imagine zero gravity must feel like (damn my poor eyesight for ruining my astronautic aspirations).

I finished the visit off by ordering some delicious Swiss ice cream and watching the sun as it set over the Judaean desert and hills. Not bad for a first week.

*Funnily enough, I ended up winning the prize for "most modest" today - lots of old men in speedos and old ladies in bikinis - yikes!