The Dead Sea, Jordan Mar 2--3, 2012

leaving Petra to cross the Nemala Mts.

It's freezing and there's snow on the ground as we set off from Petra for the Dead Sea. All the main roads are closed, but our driver Yusef knows a back road that he thinks will be fine. It's just a one lane gravel road that twists and turns as it crawls through the Nemala Mountains, and we see only 3 cars in the 3 hours it takes us to make the trek, stopping along the way a couple of times to view the grand and majestic Wadi Araba (valley) below. There are huge boulders, wide washes, and a few wind-swept trees urging us downward toward the wadi four thousand feet beneath us. The gravel road turns into a paved one, we cross the wadi, and turn north on the Dead Sea Highway, missing the snow entirely!



camels grazing along the road

 The brown rocks and sand gradually morph into shades of green as we reach the agricultural area that employs whole campsites of Bedouins in their big, square tents. Cucumbers, eggplants, and lots and lots of tomatoes are grown here, and we pass a plethora of produce stands, large and small. We stop at Mujib Biosphere Reserve, a migration point for thousands of birds and a part of the Great Rift Valley that runs from South Africa all the way north to Turkey.

coming down into Wadi Araba

There are glimpses of the Dead Sea through the trees and hills, and finally we get a full view of that beautiful body of water. It's very large and majestic, and the sun, which is mostly hidden by clouds

makes it sparkle when it is unobstructed. It must be absolutely blinding on a bright day, but today we don't get the full effect because the storm coming down from the north has stalled, bringing us more wind and cold temperatures, and the water is an angry blue.

the Dead Sea with Palestine across on other side

We arrive at our destination, the Movenpick Resort Hotel, at the edge of the sea. It seems unlikely that we'll be able to swim because of the white caps. Maybe tomorrow will be calmer.

getting splashed by waves

Alas, it's not calmer, but it's the only chance I'll have to experience the highest salt content in the world at 31%. I want to feel the buoyancy of that special place, so I decide to put on my suit and get in. The water is surprisingly warm although not very warm, and even though I can't get out in the open, I do get to float in a small area behind a breakwater. The waves come in and splash me, and I can taste the salt on my lips, even though they haven't gotten wet. The rocks around me sprout salt crystals where they meet the salt spray. They are white and pointed like quartz crystals, and we collect a little sample to bring with us.

But now we must turn our thoughts still northward toward our next stop, Jerash. We just hope we won't run into more snow and that this storm will soon abate.