Waking up in an Arab country, usually means the call to prayer at 5 AM… I love the melodious, haunting chant that wafts over roof tops and through open windows five times a day.
In Amman, the call to prayer was distant but just enough to wake us for another day of exploring. This time: the Dead Sea.
Amman, Jordan is at 700 meters and can be chilly in November. But the one hour drive to the Jordan River valley took us to the lowest point on earth: about - 400 meters. The temperature differences can be impressive. You can go from cold, even snow, to warm enough to sit on the beach and swim!
Along the main road south we saw many vendors selling inflatable beach and floating water toys. However, you don’t need a flotation device to float here… Because the water contains more than 35% salt, its density allows you to float. It also makes it impossible for anything to live in this salty water, hence its name.
As we drove to the lowest point on earth, we suddenly noticed that our water bottles went completely flat as the air pressure changed.
On a previous visit to the Holy Land, we had driven down the west side of the Dead Sea through Israel, but not stopped for a swim. Now we drove along the Jordan River Valley and the east side of the lake in Jordan. Hotels are sprouting up everywhere, vying for a view and access to the lake. The high mineral contents of the water makes for a popular touristy spa resort.
We walked down many steep stairs to reach the water. What looked like sand turned out to be mostly salt crystals. And the ‘frost’ build-up along the edges of the ‘sea’ were salt formations. This water came from the Meditteranean Sea about 3 million years ago. A million years ago the access was cut off but the salt water remains inland, although it dries up and gets reduced in size each year.
We had fun discovering what it was like to float. The water felt normal but its density allowed us to put our feet up and waves with two hands without sinking. Getting up was harder… I had to force my legs down before I could stand up.
Nico was excited to get a full Black Sea mud bath. For $3.- US he was rubbed down in black mud until it looked like he was wearing a dive suit. After letting it dry in the sun, he floated until it rubbed off. While most people hope this makes them look younger, a 12 year old was not so interested in that perk…
There are many shops with Dead Sea products in the area where you can buy mud but also mud soap and minerals to take home. The best thing, of course, is coming here and soaking in the real thing.
On the way back to Amman, suddenly there were loud popping sounds throughout the bus as our water bottles expanded again! An interesting side effect that we had not expected.
A coffee stand along the road.
How I Booked This Trip:
I’m not sure I ever booked with a tour company before. Normally, we book all of our own travels and explore on our own. This time, however, I was traveling with my 12 year old grandson and had specific sites we wanted to visit. I found the exact itinerary I was looking for on Exottica’s travel site.
Not only did their tour include visits to Petra, the Dead Sea, Jordan’s castles and everything we wanted to see in Egypt, it also included airfare, hotels, admissions and most meals at a reasonable price.
Booking it was easy. Getting answers to questions after I booked was more difficult. Would I use Exottica again or recommend it? I’m not sure… It was convenient to have all transportation and a guide included. But the guides were not perfect and the hotel pick-ups had to stop by 3 hotels, causing us to sit on the bus for an extra hour each way. I was not able to book my own flights and they gave us terrible connections on the way down. Also, our itinerary changed as soon as we landed. It still included everything that was promised, but all the days were in a different order, making it very confusing. They have a great app, which I used all the time. But our itinerary on the app did not update so I was never sure what was happening each day… But… the price can be right so do check out the packages they offer, then be prepared for change and patience.
RESOURCES:
https://deadsea.com/articles-tips/interesting-facts/why-is-the-dead-sea-called-the-dead-sea/
Exoticca: https://www.exoticca.com/ca