After another morning of Arabic learning, our group boarded a tour bus headed towards the Dead Sea. The ride lasted for only half an hour - I was surprised by how close this famous location was relative to our living situations. The ride there was beautiful, we passed by buildings built on arid sands and a small expanse of greenery that housed a palm tree plantation (probably for use within the city). Finally, we reached our location.
Our program director informed us that we would be trekking through the river and embarking on a long hike. I had packed sunscreen, extra clothes, and (what I thought were) appropriate plastic sandals for the hike. I expected it to be tiring but straightforward and was surprised when we were handed lifejackets at the entrance. For the next two hours, we walked over stones and boulders and climbed rocks while braving a fierce stream that threatened to knock us down the river. Halfway across the hike, the water pressure forced off both of my sandals and washed them downstream. I walked the rest of the hike up barefoot, which was increasingly painful as I had to step on small pebbles and sharp rocks.
Parts of the hike also involved climbing on ropes and rocks as water streamed towards us. Luckily, we had guides who were agile and familiar with the area to help push us up. This process was made increasingly difficult by my lack of shoes, as I found myself slipping on edges with my bare feet. Thank God for those guides.
On the way back, one of the guides who had been continuously helping me gave me his shoes to wear and braved the trip back barefoot. The trip back was much faster, as we went with the flow of the river rather than against it. Exhausted, we piled on the bus to the Dead Sea.
The Sea was beautiful and glistening. After a late buffet lunch of middle eastern cuisine, we all went for a dip in the sea. It was smaller than I expected, and from our side within Jordan we could see over to the other side towards Israel. Despite my hesitation, I waded into the water and found that I could sit up and float without any effort. The water felt thick, due to the concentrated salinity. But I felt refreshed as well... apparently the natural minerals and salt from the Dead Sea are used for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes.
I was extremely grateful to SIT for having provided us with an opportunity to visit this beautiful area and experience that hike. The trip re-engaged me with my love of the ocean and I could not have asked for a more exciting day.
Our program director informed us that we would be trekking through the river and embarking on a long hike. I had packed sunscreen, extra clothes, and (what I thought were) appropriate plastic sandals for the hike. I expected it to be tiring but straightforward and was surprised when we were handed lifejackets at the entrance. For the next two hours, we walked over stones and boulders and climbed rocks while braving a fierce stream that threatened to knock us down the river. Halfway across the hike, the water pressure forced off both of my sandals and washed them downstream. I walked the rest of the hike up barefoot, which was increasingly painful as I had to step on small pebbles and sharp rocks.
Parts of the hike also involved climbing on ropes and rocks as water streamed towards us. Luckily, we had guides who were agile and familiar with the area to help push us up. This process was made increasingly difficult by my lack of shoes, as I found myself slipping on edges with my bare feet. Thank God for those guides.
On the way back, one of the guides who had been continuously helping me gave me his shoes to wear and braved the trip back barefoot. The trip back was much faster, as we went with the flow of the river rather than against it. Exhausted, we piled on the bus to the Dead Sea.
The Sea was beautiful and glistening. After a late buffet lunch of middle eastern cuisine, we all went for a dip in the sea. It was smaller than I expected, and from our side within Jordan we could see over to the other side towards Israel. Despite my hesitation, I waded into the water and found that I could sit up and float without any effort. The water felt thick, due to the concentrated salinity. But I felt refreshed as well... apparently the natural minerals and salt from the Dead Sea are used for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes.
I was extremely grateful to SIT for having provided us with an opportunity to visit this beautiful area and experience that hike. The trip re-engaged me with my love of the ocean and I could not have asked for a more exciting day.
No comments:
Post a Comment