Road blocks and kids with guns, a staple part of your Israel experience, especially within spitting distance of Jericho (Palestine territory).
From left: Eyal, Tamar and Michele, the perfect stillness of the Dead Sea behind.
It seriously looked like beyond the edge of the earth was just sky, especially at points where you couldn't see Jordan or any mountains on the horizon. Very surreal.
Around 30-35% salt, you float without effort and are suspended without ripples in the greasy solution. Although clear, you can see oily, salty streams when you disturb the water. It burns open sores, eyes and lips - I got a tiny splash in the corner of one eye and it stung! It will also destroy anything metallic and it burns your crotch after a while (or your 'crunch' as Eyal used to call it).
After a short scavenge we found a good mud supply and caked ourselves just as the sun was going down, supposed to be healthy, more like a good laugh. Slimy golems.
Arty still-a-bit-muddy shot (read: broken autofocus). Note the lack of ripples.
After the sun went down the water temperature did something weird: It felt so cold right at the point where water met air, but the air and water still felt warm.
We avoided the developed spots, since Eyal knew a good natural spring to wash off in. Felt like a sand jacuzzi, you could actually immerse yourself in moving sand up to the waist as it churned around you.
The Dead Sea, over 400m below sea level (making it the lowest point of land in the world folks!) and probably the strangest place I have ever been...
A place of hushed murmuring, candles and cold stone; site of Christ's sepulchre.
Ohad told a tale of one sect barricading itself in and changing all the locks overnight. The police were summoned, but were powerless as they couldn't damage a protected building! Drawn-out negotiations led to a resolution, but it's an apt illustration of the constant sectarian tensions at work.
Depicted: The slab where Jesus was laid out prior to burial; The sepulchre; The roof.
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