The Lowest Point on Earth

The road to the Dead Sea is winding and hilly; sometimes the road opens up onto sweeping vistas of dusty brown hills carved with folds and creases.  There was something very Biblical about that drive.

I ended up taking a taxi round-trip because organized transportation in Jordan, while existent, isn’t really that organized.  My cab driver was very nice to me – he bought me a Pepsi on the way there and a snack on the way back and talked with me almost the entire way there, even though my Arabic is only so-so. 

I’ll pass along the helpful tips one of my friends gave me for doing the Dead Sea right.

Nick’s Guide to البحر الميت (Al-Bahr Al-Mayyit) :

• Do not try to swim normally.  It will not work.  Keep your feet under you.
• Do not go underwater or get water in your eyes.
• Don’t try to swim to the other side.  You’d end up on the West Bank.
• Do cover yourself in mud.  It’s part of the experience.

The water is blue green in the shallows and turns turquoise once the bottom drops away.  The water is completely clear.  As you walk out, you will see pockets of white salt on the floor of the sea, following the ridges of the sand.

Between years of swim team practice in the pool and hours of reading in the bathtub, I’ve spent a lot of time in the water, and I know what it feels like.  That sounds silly, doesn’t it?  It’s not silly if you’ve been in the Dead Sea, though, because the water feels like nothing I’ve ever felt before. 

The salt in the water almost makes it feel slimy or alive, as though when you touch the water, it touches you back.  As I swam through the shallows, the sun hit the salt that was curling through the water and cast its shadow against my skin like swirling smoke.  As I swam further out, it was as though I was still standing on the seafloor, and I floated without any effort at all.  It was such a bizarre feeling that I couldn’t help laughing for my first four or so minutes in the water.  

I did happen to get a drop of water in my eye.  For a hot second, I thought I was probably going to need a patch or a monocle.  Fortunately, I blinked it out.  Out of curiosity, I also gave my finger a little lick to taste the salt. Horrible idea.

Pickled,

Maria