There it was - I marveled at the scenery. It was one of those unforgettable travel moments. A place I had read & heard so much about and finally, I was here at the Dead Sea! Stretching from below me to the distant horizon was its blue expanse, famous the world over for the ‘floating in the Dead Sea’ experience. It is also the lowest point on Earth (1,400ft below sea level) and has an extraordinarily high level of salinity (more than 8 times saltier than the average ocean). One half of its name is misleading: it is technically a lake and not a sea. The other half is spot on: with that much salt in the water, the lake is pretty dead!
It was a clear day and I had an amazing panorama of the lake. It was simply breathtaking! Standing on the eastern shore of the lake that is part of Jordan, I was enjoying the rather comical scenes in front of me. People were floating on their backs in the lake whilst on the shore, others were slapping hands-full of mud onto their bodies.
The water and mud of the Dead Sea have been recognised for their healing properties for centuries now. The lake enjoys a higher atmospheric pressure with more oxygen, as well as lower levels of harmful ultraviolet rays (you can stay in the sun for a prolonged period without sunscreen & not get burned). Because of the extremely high concentration of salts in the water, our bodies are more buoyant in the Dead Sea and we kinda bob like a cork. We can just kick back in the water and literally "hang out".
After stepping into the Dead Sea, I walked for a few minutes as my first couple of attempts to get into the floating position were awkward and unsuccessful. Realization dawned soon and I just leaned backwards while keeping my arms on the sides to keep myself afloat - one needs to literally "lay back". Initially, it was a strange feeling to be suspended like this but slowly, I got the hang of it while using my hands to navigate. I was having an awesome time and I did not want to come out of the water for a long time. This was an experience like no other.
In the distance, the shores of Israel are clearly visible. In fact, it is so close that one time, a tourist drifted off to Israel as he fell asleep while floating on his back side. Things got worse for him when he was woken up by armed guards, who were called to address the issue (it became a situation of "national security"). From then on, the resorts have clearly marked out the boundary beyond which we are not supposed to float. This incredible tale was narrated to me by my driver and I found it hard to believe. Nevertheless, I was not about to take any chances in a foreign land.
You need to be careful in case of any cuts or injuries that you may have. It is literally rubbing salt into one’s wounds, due to the saline nature of the waters. Also, do not dunk your face in the sea - remember, you are in the saltiest waters of the world. You don't want to get any of this stuff in your eyes, nose or mouth.
After an hour or so, it became very hot and I decided to take a shower & relax in the shade. The view from the resort was gorgeous & it was the perfect place to have lunch.
The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing (and sleeping) in the shade. Once the sun went down and lights came on in Israel, it was time to find a higher vantage point to observe my surroundings. I was lucky to find a spot where there was no one to disturb me. I spent a long time gazing at the beauty in front of me while quietly reflecting on the wonderful time I was having in Jordan.
Dead Sea was a bewildering experience, one that deserves a spot on anyone’s travel bucket list. For sure!
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