Israel – Part II: The Dead Sea

{Israeli desert and Jordanian mountains north of Eilat}

Going to the Dead Sea was high on my Israel bucket list.

So we rented a car in Eilat and drove just over two hours on Route 90 along the border with Jordan to get there. We stayed less than a mile from the border for most of the journey.

{Landscape turned white as snow}

Driving in the desert was incredible. The landscape was so unique to me. There were high mountains, then low plateaus. The earth changed from a rich orange to a pale grey-white and back to a yellowish-orange again. For miles, all one could see were only roads and a few cars.

I was thrilled to see that the street signs guiding our way towards the Dead Sea, but also in the direction of Jerusalem, were written in Hebrew, English and Arabic.

Stands of palm trees stood between us and the distant mountains of Jordan. It was truly incredible to me.

We approached the Dead Sea at Ein Bokek (which is where we would be spending the next two nights) from above. The view was spectacular.

{Isrotel Hotel in Ein Bokek where we would spend the next two nights}

We checked into our room and immediately headed to the sea because we were so excited.

{Heading down to the Sea shortly after arriving}

{We all dipped our fingers in and tasted the insanely intense salt water}

It started getting dark around 5:00, so we stuck around a little longer while the boys played in the sand and then headed up to the hotel for dinner.

{Playing in the sand with a Hanukkah celebration in the background}

The next morning, I was feeling quite sick. So after breakfast, I went to a clinic which was a five minute walk down the beach that the hotel had recommended. I showed up to the clinic complex and found a pretty shady looking office there. {Clinic I visit while sick at the Dead Sea}

I had my doubts, but had few options. So I met with the doctor, who was more comedian than medical expert, and walked out 300 shekels cash poorer with two 400 mg ibuprofens, cough drops, advice to eat chicken soup and “salad sauce” as well as the diagnosis of having a viral infection. So I went back to the room and rested and read all day while the boys explored.

Being that the weather and water were chilly, combined with the fact that I had a cold, caused me to simply look at and dip my toes in the water while at the Dead Sea. Isaac, too, was starting to feel sick and instinctively knew to stay out of the chilly sea.

That didn’t stop Ben and Dave, though. And I am thrilled that they got to experience the Dead Sea.

Ben was amazed at all of the salt at the bottom that he could easily scoop up by the handful.

And Isaac was thrilled to run along the waters edge and to play in the sand.

{Outdoor Hotel pool overlooking the Dead Sea}

But all was not lost, as our hotel had indoor heated pools containing the Dead Sea water, which was a nice alternative for me given my illness. So I slipped away and spent some time in the pools and sauna.

The trouble was, the spa area was only for those sixteen and above. We wanted Isaac to experience the Dead Sea even though he was feeling run down.

So later at night when the spa was quieter, Dave and I casually strolled into the spa with the boys and snuck them in the pools for a few minutes before anyone could complain or kick us out. The boys were thrilled. We explained to them the difference between a rule and a law and that sometimes parents help their kids break rules, but only rarely. They felt like James Bond completing an impossible Mission.

After two nights, it was time to leave and head to Tel Aviv. We loaded the car and headed on our two hour journey west, at times driving just south of the border along the West Bank.

On the outskirts of Ein Bokek, Dave pulled off to a scenic viewing area, which proved to be a great call.

{One more view of the Dead Sea before heading to Tel Aviv – photo credit Benedict Lubell}

We headed to the Tel Aviv airport to drop off the car and catch a cab to ourAirBnB in the historic section of Tel Aviv just two blocks from the Mediterranean Sea.

{Transferring from rental car to cab at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv}

I’m really glad we were able to spend so much time at the Dead Sea even though Isaac and I missed swimming in the actual sea. However, I have a feeling we will return someday.