Day 145: Dead Sea Floating.

For our last weekend in Israel, we rented a car and headed south towards the Negev Desert region.  The landscape of this tiny country has been so diverse and this area was no exception.

We headed east then south from Jerusalem, meeting up with the edge of the Dead Sea just 25 minutes or so out of the city.  As we drove along, there were signs that indicated our dropping elevation: -100 miles below Sea Level, -300 miles below Sea Level, etc.  After a while we found a good place to stop along the highway and take in the sights.  

Further along, we stopped at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve.  This place was a true oasis.  You are literally driving through the desert, only to suddenly appear in this area filled with waterfalls and lush flora everywhere you look.

After a picnic lunch (because this trip has been sponsored by grocery store ham and cheese sandwiches), we made it to a beach access on the Dead Sea, one of our new favorites!

The high concentration of salt has left what I can best describe as a crystallized floor of pebbles underneath the water.  You really could float with no effort and the salt initially left our skin feeling briny, then silky smooth.

The experience did not disappoint.  Besides the beautiful scenery with blue-green water and mountains in the distance, the salty sea really created a unique spectacle.