2 August 2008: One of the places we really liked in Jordan was the Dead Sea! Where else could you float automatically but there? You must experience this place at least once in your life.

The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest places on earth. Its surface and shores are 422 m below sea level - the lowest point on the Earth’s surface on dry land. The Dead Sea is 378 m deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world.

We hired the same taxi driver who drove us to Jerash to take us to the Dead Sea for 40 Jordanian dinars (~US$57). We set off very early in the morning around 7am so that we would be back before the sun became unbearable. To use the beach, we had to pay admission fees, which were around 7JD per person. The “changing rooms” were filthy and disgusting; there was pee and shit on the floor in both the male and female toilets.

 Early morning in the Dead Sea. Across it is Israel.

The Jordan River is the only major water source flowing into the Dead Sea, although there are small perennial springs under and around the Dead Sea, creating pools and quicksand pits along the edges. There are no outlet streams.

Due to the high salinity of the water, you can’t sink. You automatically float!

See the Dead Sea before it disappears. In recent decades, the Dead Sea has been rapidly shrinking because of diversion of incoming water from the Jordan River to the north, and the scarce rainfall doesn’t help matters.

 A salt crystal stone

 We had a fun time floating around!

The water was very warm, and felt oily.

Any small cuts will hurt a lot in this sea due to its high salt content. Also make sure you don’t get any water in your eyes.

We saw some Arabic females dipping their feet into the water but because of their traditional dress attire, they couldn’t enjoy the Dead Sea to the full.

We lathered the luxuriant mud all over our bodies and faces. 

The mud in the Dead Sea was supposedly used by ancient famous people thousands of years ago, such as Cleopatra, Herod the Great, and Roman emperors etc. People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets.

Salt crystal deposits are found on the rocks and boulders.

The Dead Sea is 8.6 times as salty as the ocean.

We hope to go back there again.

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