Brendan Doms

The Dead Sea is one of the most unique natural phenomenons I've ever experienced. First, it's at the lowest elevation you can get to on land on the entire planet. And at 34% salinity, it is ten times saltier than normal ocean water. This makes the water feel like oil. It slides right off your skin. And you're so buoyant that it's hard to submerge any part of your body. But any exposure to it internally burns like fire. Any scratch or razor burn that was hardly noticeable before becomes a source of pure agony. When I accidentally got some in my mouth it tasted like burnt acid. The sea also smells slightly of sulfur. If any gets in your eyes the natural inclination is to rub them or splash water in them, but either is obviously a horrible idea. So imagine trying to swim around without making any splashes so the water doesn't touch your face. It's difficult. But it was incredibly fun because you can float in all sorts of crazy positions that you never could in normal water.

The Dead Sea is called that because there is no plant or animal life that can survive its intense combination of chemicals. Except tourists.

After we came out, even after a shower, my skin was incredibly smooth. Legend has it that Cleopatra used the Dead Sea as her personal salon for its cosmetic affects. After my own experience that's one legend I can believe.

Ahava is the only factory that is allowed to make products from the Dead Sea, and the amount of material that they can remove from it is regulated. And it needs to be. Because of the combination of both natural evaporation and human use, this unique body of water is in danger of disappearing. It's a great example of why we should do everything we can to preserve the environment, because there's a very real chance that the Dead Sea will stop being there within our lifetimes. I'd love for it to be there for future generations to enjoy.

After the Dead Sea, we went to Masada. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip for me. It's a massive mountain fortress that has an incredible story behind it. There's even a mini-series starring Peter O'Toole. To properly tell the story would take too long, so I'll just tell you the setting: Jewish rebels under siege on top of the mountain, surrounded by a Roman army below. The amazing thing for me was that the remnants of this siege were so well preserved. The Roman camps and siege ramp they built up over months with Jewish slaves are still perfectly visible (along with great views of the Dead Sea). It made me feel like I could see history unfolding before me. That must be what archaeologists feel like when they make a new discovery. Even considering all the ruins I've seen before, it was a powerful feeling.

The switchback trail that leads up one side of Masada. It's intimidating.

The square formation in the center is one of the several clearly visible remnants of a Roman army camp. And although the sense of scale is somewhat lost, you can see that Masada is a lot higher, towering over everything in the area.

The Romans smartly built their siege ramp on the approach to Masada with the smallest elevation change. You can see it here near the center climbing up towards the fortress.

We then ventured into a nearby nature reserve, the Oasis of Ein Gedi. It mostly consisted of a rocky hike through small streams and narrow cliffs, while some friendly mountain goats called ibex watched over us from impossibly vertical positions. It ended at a large waterfall in the middle of an open semi-circular cavern. It was peaceful, and quiet, except for the large number of other tourists that happened to be there that day.

This is one of the only pictures of me taken with my own camera. This is at the waterfall in the middle of Ein Gedi, which means "Spring of the goat-kid." It's an apt title.

After that it was on to Qumran, the site of an ancient Jewish village, and most known for being where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Thanks to our guide and some helpful signs in English it was a really insightful look at what life was like for the villagers. Perhaps the most interesting thing to me was the prevalence of the mikveh, a ceremonial bath that people would have to submerge themselves in, sometimes several times a day.

The caves just left of center are where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

We arrived at a sort of interactive show for tourists called "Abraham's Feast" where we could ride camels and eat a traditional meal. The camels were amusing, if not terribly cooperative. But the meal was amazing. We sat on the ground around circular tables and the food was brought out to us. Hyssop was everywhere. The main course was chicken in date honey and beef kebab with cardamom. Dried fruit including dates, apricots, and raisins were the dessert. And there were three choices for an after dinner drink: coffee with cardamom, mint tea boiled with sugar then poured off, and olive tea served with a cinnamon stick. Between the Dead Sea, Masada, and this meal, it was probably my favorite day of the trip.

This tent was our eating establishment for the evening.