ISRAEL DAY TWO

THIS WAS A DAY SPENT IN THE SOUTH OF ISRAEL. FIRST WE NT TO MASADA WHERE KING HEROD BUILT A PALACE AND WHERE THE INHABITANTS KILLED THEMSELVES RATHER THAN BE ENSLAVED BY THE ROMANS. IT WAS VERY HOT AND WE WERE UP THERE FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE OUR GUIDE FELT THAT WE HAD TO KNOW EVERYTHING. SHE WAS WONDERFUL AND WE LEARNED SO MUCH THAT WE DID NOT MIND THE SCORCHING HEAT. AFTER OUR HISTORY LESSON WE PROCEEDED DOWN TO THE DEAD SEA AT ABOUT 1500 FEET BELOW SEA LEVEL. YOU CANNOT SINK BECAUSE OF ALL THE MINERALS IN THE WATER. WE THEN HEADED TO A PORTION OF THE BEACH WHERE THE MUD WAS AND GAVE OURSELVES MUD TREATMENTS WHICH MADE OUR SKIN FEEL SOFT AND WONDERFUL. IF WE HAD GONE DOWN TO THE SPA WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY HUNDREDS FOR THE SAME MUD. THIS WAS FREE. WE THEN HEADED OVER TO EN GEDI, AN OASIS NEAR THE DEAD SEA WITH BEAUTIFUL GARDENS AND WATERFALLS. WE HAD AN OUTDOOR LUNCH IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. AFTER EXPLORING THE DEAD SEA AREA WHICH IS THE BORDER BETWEEN ISRAEL AND JORDAN, WE HEADED BACK TO THE PORT OF ASHDOD WHERE THE SHIP WAS DOCKED. WE SAW JERICHO AND LOTS OF BEDOUINS IN THEIR BLACK TENTS. JERRY WANTED TO SELL ME TO THE SHEIK FOR THIRTY CAMELS BUT I REFUSED. WE MADE IT BACK TO THE SHIP JUST IN TIME TO SAIL TO OUR NEXT PORT WHICH IS PORT SAID, EGYPT.