A Foggy Desert, Masada, and The Dead Sea!

Whats up!

As the title suggests, I went to Masada and the Dead Sea this morning with school.  It was awesome! I was FINALLY able to hike up and down Masada, an ancient fortress/palace built by the Roman ruler Herod (who built a lot of stuff...like the Western Wall and the ancient port city of Caesarea).  Although I have still never been at Masada for sun rise, it is on my list of things that I hope I can do while I am here.  The drive from Jerusalem to Masada's Roman Path (the path I hiked up) was about an hour and a half.  We drove through the desert, which, shockingly, was extremely foggy.  I, for one, didn't know that the desert got foggy at all! Luckily it cleared away so we could all appreciate the breathtaking views of the desert.  A few things about the desert around Masada and the Dead Sea: it is in fact very mountainous, rocky, and there is not a cactus in sight, nor is there mass amounts of sand and high sand dunes!  Shocking, I know!  Nevertheless, it is very beautiful (in a sort of dry, rocky sort of way).  Seriously, some of the landscapes look like they are totally fake!

After a hike down the Snake Path at Masada (its name can be understood once one walks the path - it's all winding!) we went for a dip/float in the Dead Sea.  It was a REALLY nice way to relax after hiking for a bit!  Unfortunately there wasn't enough time for me to put on the famous Dead Sea mud. Ah well, next time!  On the way back to Jerusalem, we again drove through the desert and was fortunate to see a few donkeys, lots of sheep, and of course, a few camels parked on the side of the road by a market! For those of you who don't know me too well, my favourite animal is the camel (no I do not know why, so don't ask =P).  Because we were driving in the bus when I saw all the animals (who I can only assume belong to Bedouins), I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of them. Again, I'll just have to go back! 

That's all for now!

Dale

Fogginess. Not clouds. Fog. In the desert!

Oasis in the Desert

Masada!

The Roman Path

The Top of the Roman Paty

Me, at the top of Masada

Ancient Roman Siege Camp

Ancient Roman Bath

Synagogue atop Masada

Walking down the Snake Path

The Snake Path

The Dead Sea ("Look mom! No hands or feet!")

Mountains around Dead Sea