I had a fabulous deep sleep after our soak in the healing minerals of the Dead Sea, and I didn't wake up until almost 8 a.m. when I heard some weird rattling at our door. I went to see what was going on out there, and it turned out to be mother, in her swimsuit coming back from an early swim.
She had joined some overachievers from our group who decided to get up early and watch the sunrise while floating in the sea.
We packed, ate breakfast, and were loaded on the bus by 10:30. Goodbye fabulous Dead Sea!
Masada was our first stop, and everyone was excited for that. For one thing, its a place with great historical significance...but also, you ride a cable car to get up there! I love cable cars!
We watched an orientation video, and Mickey talked to us about the significance of the site and location, and guided us around the ruins. I like when he does that, because I'm not always sure exactly what I'm looking at when I wander around ruins by myself. It's helpful to have someone who really knows stuff say "this is the bathhouse, and here's how they would heat the water", etc.
We gathered in a shady spot and Dan read to us about what happened at Masada (long story short: Jewish stronghold, roman siege, Jews committed suicide rather than be enslaved by the Romans) and we stood at the place where the Romans broke through the wall with their battering ram.
We had lunch at the cafeteria there, and browsed around the gift shop a little before getting back in the bus and going to the oasis of En Gedi. This is where David hid from Saul, and it's a cool spot - there are waterfalls and lush trees and plants, all in the middle of the desert! We all walked to the first waterfall, and some people hiked further up to the top of the falls. I was with the other, smarter group (according to Mickey) who chose to stay back and dip our feet in the water and rest a bit.
After that it was on to Jeresulem, where we'll be for the remainder of our trip. It was an amazing moment to see a view of the city as we approached it - I spotted the golden Dome of the Rock.
Once we got checked into our hotel, I crashed for a quick nap before mother and I headed to dinner. There are many groups from different countries staying here, and we all converged on the dining room at the same time, so things were chaotic. Dinner was good though, and now I'm definitely ready for bed! We have an early morning tomorrow as Mickey would like to get us out and about before everyone else to avoid the tourist rush.
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