Masada and The Dead Sea

Masada

Our day at Masada started with a 5am wake-up. After eating a couple snacks, we drove 30 minutes to get to the base. Although it was only 5:45am, the area was bustling with tourists ready for the 20-30 minute climb to the top. All of us were rushing to beat the sunrise.

For context, Masada is a very important part of Israel's history due to its association with the Jewish-Roman wars. It's a fortress overlooking the Judean Desert and The Dead Sea, offering beautiful panoramic views in all directions. When the Romans had occupied much of Israel, Jewish soldiers at Masada were one of the last pockets of resistance in the country. The fortress is where many (but not all) believe that the soldiers chose to commit suicide (along with murdering their families) instead of becoming slaves to the Romans. This idea of picking death over slavery has resulted in the site becoming a symbol of national heroism.

Our amazing tour guide explained this history to our group during the 2 hours we spent at the peak of the fortress. We saw the remains of old Roman bathhouses, King Herod's palace, and the parts of the rock where the siege ramp was built.

This was definitely one of my favorite experiences on the trip. I finally began to understand a lot of Israel's history and came to appreciate the deep religious and political ties that make the country what it is today.

The Dead Sea

After the camel rides back at Kfar Hanokdim, we went to The Dead Sea. Unfortunately, a lot of The Dead Sea has started to dry up, and this was evident from the dry patches we could see from atop Masada.

Despite my finger injury from scraping my hand on the bottom of the sea (which is covered in salt crystals), I had an amazing time experiencing floating in the water due to its high salinity. I also got a chance to try the famed Dead Sea mud on my skin, which truly added to the experience. Water shoes were definitely a must-have as well.