The Dead Sea!  Known as the lowest place on Earth, 1,380 feet below sea level.  It has the highest mineral content of any body of water in the world and 10 times more salt than the ocean. The minerals and heavy oxygen concentration make the Dead Sea one of the top health retreats in the world.   The high salt content makes it impossible to sink, allowing you to lie flat on your back in the water and float effortlessly. 

The water feels heavy and silky, as if you were bathing in warm oil and the sea bottom is solid crystallized salt, similar to uneven concrete.  One must wear shoes in the sea, as some of the salt is quite sharp and rugged.  The entire shoreline is one massive salt rock, unlike the soft sands we are accustomed to on typical beaches.  The sensation of being in the Dead Sea is incredible...everyone is smiling, giggling, unsure of what to do, as it is a new experience for all. 

When we visited the Dead Sea, we stopped at Ein Gedi, a kibbutz (http://www.ein-gedi.co.il/activities/en_spa.html). The definition for kibbutz is as follows: "The kibbutz (Hebrew word for “communal settlement”) is a unique rural community; a society dedicated to mutual aid and social justice; a socioeconomic system based on the principle of joint ownership of property, equality and cooperation of production, consumption and education; the fulfillment of the idea “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”; a home for those who have chosen it." - taken from www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org.  Ein Gedi offers access to the Dead Sea, sulpher baths, mineral baths and buckets of Dead Sea mud.  The mud was heavenly!! It was soft and smooth, felt silky when you rub it onto your skin. It is so filled with minerals, it is suggested you only wear it 10 minutes and then wash off in the outdoor showers.  My skin never felt so soft....a real treat!  Christer even enjoyed it. 

 

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