Brined

The Dead Sea falls 3 feet every year.  It is bordered by the West Bank and Jordan.  I don’t know what you’re picturing when you hear someone talk about this place.  I kind of pictured an entire area of no life (before taking this trip). I guess that much is true for the sea, but where I was mistaken was thinking that with that came a drab and ugly body of water.  It is beautiful.  Surrounded by the hills of the Wilderness, it is really something to behold. 

The shores and the floor of the sea are white because they are salt.  If you ever come here, bring shoes for this.  You will have sliced up toes and heels without them.  Also, plan on throwing that bathing suit and those shoes away.  Not only will they be brined by the Dead Sea buoy experience, but you will want to follow that up with the mud treatment.  I will return to this subject later.

So where am I?  It’s very interesting you should ask, and out of respect I will not say exactly.  But, to satisfy the cravings of my soul I will tell you that it is called a resort and spa.

We are here for several nights.

Sound nice?

When I hear the words “resort and spa”, a certain expectation comes to mind.  Here are some words 
that I think of:  healthy food, cleanliness, comfort, posh.
".The rest of this blog will be devoted to poking fun at the words "resort and spa
Keep in mind, I am not making fun of this place, just it's title.

It’s more of a retreat really.  Not a cold and sterile environment...no, no.  I wouldn’t want you to think that.  It’s certainly not sterile.  But it is cold.  The food is fatty and fried, but there is a salad bar.

Today started with a van ride to the spa from the resort.  The spa feels like a space that is being renovated except that it’s not.  All of the temporary separators are permanent.  The café is a like the check out at a gas station.  Grab a candy bar, pay, and move on.

We started by walking to the Dead Sea.  This is a hike.

Then we got in.  This is very cool.  By that I mean it’s cool like hip and it’s cool like freezing. In this moment we became like those people who travel from Canada and Michigan to get in the Carolina ocean at Christmas every year.

We soaked in this salt water for 45 minutes.  It’s very interesting.  White shores that are sharp and bumpy.  Floating no matter all of your efforts.  And there is no splashing in the Dead Sea.  A tablespoon of this stuff in your mouth and you’re dead!

Then we got out and waited for a trolley like thing to come pick us up because the walk was so long.  (Picture the truck apparatus at Christmas tree farms that hauls the tree.)  About halfway up the path is the mud bath.

)Keep in mind it’s cold the entire time.  (It is winter here….

A mud bath sounds luxurious doesn’t it?

I rather liked the mud, but at this “spa”, it’s in a trough like you would feed pigs.

Didn’t stop us! We layered it on and basked in the sun, I mean freezing wind until it was baked on. 

 Ashley wanted a second round of mud.  I was satisfied with my first round at this point and "purified" by the whole process..

Next we showered in the sulfur springs.  Sounds fabulous doesn’t it?

It was! And that is because it was HOT! 

But the smell, as you can imagine, was like we were being steamed in rotten eggs.

This also was lacking in presentation. It was like somewhat rickety showers installed outside in the middle of nowhere with stinky water coming out.

BUT, it was hot, so I enjoyed it.

Next we went indoors to the mineral bath, where one can and did continue the buoyancy.  These are warm large community hot tubs, (but the environment is like that of a YMCA.) 

There are showers (after all of this) available, but only with cold water.

As I was showering back at the retreat I mean resort with hot water, I couldn’t help but laugh at my bottle of sulfate-free shampoo.

I feel so much better now that all of that is off of me. Hopefully, I don’t get athlete’s foot from this shower floor.

Nevertheless, it was therapeutic for my skin, and I did get to experience the Dead Sea.

I would totally do it again!

Love to you all!

PS Complete sentences are overrated.

PPS  I Googled this place on Trip Advisor and found one comment that compared this place to a pit stop on a Russian highway.