On Friday we set out for our last adventure at the Dead Sea. What was supposed to be a two hour drive turned into a longer one as our bus driver drove far below the speed limit and the bus sounded like it wouldn't make it several times. But we managed to make it up every hill every time, and it gave me longer to admire the natural beauty of the many rolling hills of Jordan.
I sat in my single seat on the bus with only my backpack and camera bag, for once having not over packed. We didn't head straight to the Dead Sea, however. Our first stop was at Madaba. Madaba is a Christian city in Jordan and they have this trail throughout the city that is similar to the Freedom Trail in Boston. We walked around the city to observe artifacts and buildings, mostly of Christian origin, if not all, from the past. The first stop was at a building that housed mosaics that have been discovered throughout the area and many of them were kept in remarkable condition. You could still see the colors and designs and letters and they were from various centuries a few hundred years after the birth of Christianity.
After, we went to another church which is the site of the beheading of John the Baptist. I had no idea that it was religious site in Jordan, but the ancient Jordan was far larger I suppose in the times of Christ. There was a stone room where there was a carved head of what I assumed was John the Baptist and paintings on various walls. Down another hallway was a set of stone stairs that led to an ancient Roman well that still worked! I wouldn't drink the water but the water was cool and it was still awesome to again touch a piece of history. Further into the building we were in (I actually have no idea where we were) we reached tunnels that led under the ground and it was so neat! I had never been in a tunnel but it wasn't too bad what with my height and the fact that I enjoyed it. I wish there were more tunnels I could have explored.
And then we went to the pools. It was a hard decision, seeing there were four large pools, two of which were infinity pools. We hung out outside all afternoon and evening, watching the sun set over the Dead Sea from the pool. I felt spoiled but i we have been working so hard and so also felt like it was a reward that we deserved.
On the way we (they, as in the rest of the group) munched on meat pies and cheese pies. I had a potato pie. A little spicy, but good nonetheless. Meat pies in the morning did not sound appealing to my stomach (and to be honest reminded me a bit of Sweeney Todd) and no cheese for me due to this lactose intolerance issue I hoped would disappear by now. I am having serious ice cream withdrawals.
I sat in my single seat on the bus with only my backpack and camera bag, for once having not over packed. We didn't head straight to the Dead Sea, however. Our first stop was at Madaba. Madaba is a Christian city in Jordan and they have this trail throughout the city that is similar to the Freedom Trail in Boston. We walked around the city to observe artifacts and buildings, mostly of Christian origin, if not all, from the past. The first stop was at a building that housed mosaics that have been discovered throughout the area and many of them were kept in remarkable condition. You could still see the colors and designs and letters and they were from various centuries a few hundred years after the birth of Christianity. 
We then sat inside a beautiful Church and it was very peaceful. They had monks chanting in the background (on audio, not actually) and I couldn't help but sit there and be comforted by the four walls around me. After growing up in church, being in this one brought me so much peace. It has been a while now since I have been, due to school and being in a Muslim country. So I enjoyed being able to spend even twenty minutes inside just sitting with my thoughts.
After, we went to another church which is the site of the beheading of John the Baptist. I had no idea that it was religious site in Jordan, but the ancient Jordan was far larger I suppose in the times of Christ. There was a stone room where there was a carved head of what I assumed was John the Baptist and paintings on various walls. Down another hallway was a set of stone stairs that led to an ancient Roman well that still worked! I wouldn't drink the water but the water was cool and it was still awesome to again touch a piece of history. Further into the building we were in (I actually have no idea where we were) we reached tunnels that led under the ground and it was so neat! I had never been in a tunnel but it wasn't too bad what with my height and the fact that I enjoyed it. I wish there were more tunnels I could have explored. 
And then we walked up the stone stairs that were so skinny I could barely fit through the exit. But we entered the actual church at this point and we discovered we were able to climb the bell tower! It was slightly terrifying and it was a lot of stairs and ladders and small areas with severa people but all one had to do was watch their step and make sure they didn't accidentally grab the rope from the bells! At the top we were able to see over the entire city and beyond.
I'm very glad we stopped in Madaba. It was once part of the Holy Land and holds religious significance for many people. In my opinion, Jordan still feels holy, almost at points. Everything is so natural and the land is still the same and so much is preserved from the past. And the people and the culture and everything for some reason still feels so connected to a previous time.
After hitting up yet another gift shop (we have to be tourists at some points, not just students), we visited one last place: Mount Nebo. Mount Nebo is where Moses looked out over the Promised Land of Israel for the first time. When we looked out over the side of the mount, we were able to see the tree where he planted his staff and water sprung forth from it. There wasn't much to see. It was just the thought that we were standing where Moses once stood and that was enough.
Finally, finally, we set sail for our real destination: the lowest point on the earth, the Dead Sea.
My less-than-24-hour-stay in the Dead Sea was wonderful. Firstly, we were at the Dead Sea which is cool on its own. And second, we stayed at the Kempinski. Kempinskis are found all around the world in every major city (and even some non-major ones) and are 5-star luxury resorts.
Let me describe my first impression: we get off the bus and we walk through the front door and we are greeted with a cold, damp towel to cool off because of the temperature outside (it gets extremely hot in the Dead Sea, more so than other places) and then a woman proceeded to carry a tray full of a complete array of juices that we could choose from. If that's not service, I don't know what is. Unfortunately, now I have extremely high expectations from every hotel I stay in. Yikes.
When we got up to our rooms, the surprises just kept coming. Our bathroom was a palace in and of itself. There was a separate part of the room for a desk and mirror. And there was free baklava and and mini bar. Oh, and the view was amazing.
I decided to wait a bit before venturing outside, following a warning given to us by our guide, saying that the sun is very hot until about 5 pm. So i ate a light dinner (more like snack) and had the best margarita ever I think. They don't skip out on the salt there and it was fantastic. Then, I jumped into my bathing suit and headed down the the Sea to experience the floating sensation. The high concentration of salt in the Dead Sea disallows people from swimming or going under the water. So as soon as you sit in the water, you just float, with absolutely no effort. I wish I could do it all the time. Except the salt burns any cut or open pore or anything practically. But it was worth it, definitely. Then we went to the vase of mud awaiting the guests and put it all over our bodies. It has these magical properties that make your skin incredibly soft and it was a lot of fun.
And then we went to the pools. It was a hard decision, seeing there were four large pools, two of which were infinity pools. We hung out outside all afternoon and evening, watching the sun set over the Dead Sea from the pool. I felt spoiled but i we have been working so hard and so also felt like it was a reward that we deserved.
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