Floating in the Dead Sea

Let's be clear about one thing. Floating in the Dead Sea is a very strange experience. Everything you think you know about moving and surviving in the water is turned on its head. But I get ahead of myself. After we finished at the baptismal site we arrived at the Dead Sea and marveled at the view. There are many luxury hotels along the main road perched on the hillsides overlooking the water. We decided against booking a room in one because we are only an hour from Amman. One thing that surprised me is that both sides of the Dead Sea are mountainous, much like Lake Tahoe in California only with desert coloration. It's the lowest place on earth, quite a claim to fame. Because of the elevation, and the salt content of the water, the air has a kind of haze. Supposedly this filters out the UV rays from the sun making it a safer place to sunbathe; a claim I will not test. Since we were day trippers we sought out the nicest of the day spas, a resort called Oh Beach. It has all the amenities of a resort hotel minus the rooms. Upon entry we walked down many flights of stairs past the restaurants and infinity pools to the main attraction - The Dead Sea. It was exceedingly clear with a rocky bottom that quickly dropped off in depth. To enter we used the pontoon pier like everyone else. The bottom mud is renowned for its ability to beautify anyone. Many people at the pontoon pier side were smeared head to toe with this pitch black mud. Having no need for such beautification myself, I proceeded carefully over the side with Terry hovering, IPad at the ready, to record whatever might happen for posterity (posterity being our grand daughter, who in a few years will be ready for a few cheap laughs at Grandpa's expense). Remember at the beginning I said it was a strange experience? Well here's why. Whereas sea water is roughly three per cent salt, the Dead Sea is thirty per cent salt, ten times greater. The water is thick like syrup. You can't swim, you can only float. The water forces you to float. Floating is effortless. It's moving around that is difficult. My legs just would not help me move. After being duly recorded by my (chuckling) wife, I was ready to get out. I struggled to get turned around so that I could use my arms to swim (really float) backward to the pier. At times I wondered what would happen if in my struggle to move I flipped over on my face. A side note, any cuts, abrasions or openings to the skin really talk to you while in the water. Thrashing about that results in water in the eyes is a very bad idea. Maybe if I wanted to spend more time in the water I would have learned how to manuever around. It was a once in a lifetime experience in a beautiful setting - and it gave me something cool to write about.