The Dead Sea

I came all the way here; I couldn’t chicken out. No matter what, I had to get in that buoyant water. Winter be damned, I was going to go float on the lowest place on earth—the Dead Sea. One of the great things about the Conversation Corps program I was participating in, is that it gives you plenty of free time to see the sites in the area. It was spectacular to come down the switchbacks and see the glistening sea. There are plenty of beach resorts along the Dead Sea, however, being a budget traveller, I passed up the Movenpick and settled on the cheapest option for tourists—the Amman Beach club—where they provide you with locker room facilities, a few nice looking swimming pools, towel rental, and beach access to the sea for a fee. I decided to wear my modest culture-appropriate option of running shorts, jog bra, and a running shirt. After all, the thought of getting into a bikini seemed painful in so many ways. The Dead Sea is 1240 ft deep, and the deepest salt lake in the world with 33.7 percent salinity. This salinity makes for a harsh environment where animals cannot flourish, hence its name. I personally wondered if I would flourish there, but I grabbed my camera and headed to the beach anyway. It was a windy day, but it was quite a bit warmer below sea level than it was in Amman. However, it wasn’t the kind of weather that made you want to jump in the water; I was going to have to force myself. I decided to ease into the experience and take pictures first. The water along the shore was a beautiful turquoise shade, with a white outline of crusted salt at the shore, creating some stunning colours. Personally, the people on the beach were just as interesting as the water. It was mainly tourists from European countries and a few from the Middle East. I actually felt over dressed as the Europeans walked around in bikinis and Speedos.