November 6: š¢Jerusalem (Haifa), Israel
Shore Excursion: Masada & the Dead Sea
The Long and winding road
A start with military precision and timing again for what
was a marathon day. But it was a bewdy.
Fell into the clothes, dashed for breakfast, packed the
snack bag and then a reported on time for a 6.30 am face to face immigration
check – a compulsory check for everyone on board. Multiple passport checks, the
issuing of a stamped entry visa and then onto the coach to spend a day under
the guidance of @Gidion with a total of 20 travellers. We were lucky, got to
stretch out across not only the back seat but also a double and we had our own
strategically placed exit doors which enabled first dibs at the restroom stops.
As we meet each guide it does take a little time to tune in
to the commentary - there's the challenge of the accent, the different cadence
and rhythm of pronunciation, the choice and connotation of selected words and
phrases , the timbre of the voice and of course this is all magnified by the
crackle of the microphone and the distortion of the speakers. I mention all of
this in the hope that it may explain how we misunderstood the reference to
"2 hours." We could have sworn that @Gidion had said it was 2 hours
to our destination - but that 2 hours was just a way point for a rest stop in what
approached a 5-hour journey south to reach our first destination goal.
We spent the first two hours in crawling peak hour traffic on Highway 2 travelling south from our port of Haifa. It was at a snail’s pace, but it did give us more of a chance to pick up on the detail and nuance of the landscape as @Gidion shared an excellent 101 introduction to the history of, and the life in this tiny country.
But the trip is not for the faint-hearted - the extremely
long drive was punctuated with two rest stops both with their own toilet
stories. The first was at a petrol station with a clogged ladies loo and I did
my best interpretation of a “Kenny” solution until a fellow passenger begged me
to stop as the bowl threatened to overflow.
The second was at what I have termed the “bizarre bazaar”
and we are still chuckling over it. Was a nursery of sorts, very run down and
very makeshift, but, it must have had something going for it, because 4 tour
buses turned up at the same time and passengers converged on the 5 wooden doors
of the unisex toilets which were interestingly butted up (no joke intended)
against an outdoor setting for dining. One of the door handles was tried by
giving it a rattle and this started a long and almost hysterical wail from the
other side of the door. An obviously fearful lady was locked inside and her
wails suggested she was dreading that a man might be entering. This screaming
continued for about 5 minutes. Certainly cleared the lines with people backing
away. Mind you, the people set up eating their morning tea at the outdoor
setting were viewing all the toilet coming and goings as their own private little
reality show.
We were not tempted by the tea, coffee, birds, Guinea pigs, plants or towels on offer here- really just wanted to jump on board and keep going.
@Gideon kept the commentary flowing as we passed through towns, villages, co-ops and Kibbutz
all the while with views of the Mediterranean coast.
It was a bit of an
eye opener to see so many soldiers casually assembled at the train stations. The
platforms were crowded with passengers with back packs, handbags and
briefcases, shoulder to shoulder with soldiers returning to base complete with
a duffel bag and a loaded rifle over their shoulders! Definitely got our
attention.
Travelling further south and east, we left the congestion of
the towns and transitioned to the desert landscape now frequently spotting the Bedouin
homes. But even they disappeared as we continued further into the stark almost
white of the Negev. So white and so flat, the phone camera was barely able to
capture the details of the journey.
And then finally, we were making the descent into into the
rift to reach the lowest point on planet Earth, the Dead Sea. The view of the
water and its distinctive patches of white crusted salt ringed by the hint of a
distant shoreline on the horizon that was Jordan, popped up as we rounded a
corner. And, yes, it was impressive,
even as its grandeur was shrouded in a hovering haze of what must have been
dust and salt.
Two out of three jewels in the desert
It was then time for the “real” business of the day – it is summarised here in
very brief notes as a future memory jogger.
a. a. Masada the Winter Temple of King David via a
cable car ride (there were many visitors scaling this 900-metre-high fortress
on foot in the heat of the day.) This was a tour of the ruins of this mighty
palace which was really an impressive fortress perched high on a hilltop. @Gideon
juggled our route through the ruins, recreating scenes of the use of each of
the spaces and giving insights into how life could possibly be maintained in
this remote and harsh location. There were so many ingenious solutions to the
challenges of survival. On a frivolous note, did envy the view King David had
from his bathroom. And more seriously, was very moved by the story of the
defence of Masada by the rebels and the ultimate price they paid for freedom.
We even gathered in the room where the tors were drawn for the order of the
final act of defiance.
b. b. The Dead Sea. So much harder than you think.
Easy access from the beautiful resort that hosted our luncheon and lots of
support to make your way into the water – comfortable beach side set up, rubber
coated walkways, hand railings into the water, support umbrellas for shade and
even lots of handrails. The water was “tepid” so not really a refreshing take-your-breath-away dip. It was amusing watching everyone step slowly making their
tentative entry to the water trying to cope with the anxiety, excitement and
sharp salt crystals under foot. Was an unusual “feeling.” Once you were in and committed to having a
float, the sea just took over - your feet popped to the surface and you were transformed
into a cork! Floating was easy – forcing your legs back into the water to stand
up again was a whole other challenge. @ Mac had to save the day for me
(my hysterical laughter at the enormity of the challenge didn’t help). by man
handling my feet back to the bottom. Poor dear somehow managed to cut his hands
and legs on the golf ball sized conglomerate salt crystals and then had trouble
stopping the bleeding on these little lacerations. Very big piece of
advice here – wear water sandals if you have them - the salt is sharp!
c.
c. Cosmetic presentation as the finale and
definitely not our favourite part of any excursion. We had enjoyed such highs
at Masada and the Dead Sea, unfortunately, the shopping stop was a bit of a
downer. Each to their own I guess – because some fellow passengers were keen. I
hope I recognise them tomorrow after they have applied their new age defying solutions.
And then, three hours home. Not sure what the highlights
were – I rolled up a towel for a pillow, stretched out and snoozed.
Gratefully back on board
Were grateful to be greeted at the door on our 8 pm arrival by
the Regent team who advised the dress code for dinner had been relaxed because
of our late arrival. Not because we mind having a shower and getting changed but
because @LoRi had been waiting
for us since 5 pm.
Did a quick swing by the room to be reunited with our
neighbours and then straight up to La Veranda for dinner in our day
clothes! Felt very naughty to be so casual and really did enjoy the special
Mediterranean fare on offer.
We all spoke with animated enthusiasm about the adventures
of the last 24 hours and swapped stories and photos. @LoRi had travelled
slightly closer to home and were back on board by 5. They reported “We
visited the Sea of Galilee and visited Nazareth the home of Jesus. St Peter’s
house was also on the itinerary. He lived in this area after the death of
Jesus. The final visit of the day was to the Jordan River where to this day
many people from all over the world were being baptised.”
And that’s a wrap for week 1
Back to the cabin for a serious shower and hair wash to try
and conquer the oily feel that the salty water had left.
And a final comment: this day was about being in the moment. The landscape was so starkly beautiful and on reviewing our pics– we just haven’t come close to capturing it. And despite it being a lloooooonnnnnnng day with lots of travel time, it scores a definite 10 out of 10 from us and we would do it again in a heartbeat.
Weather: 28 and very pleasant
Steps: 6323 - most of the day spent on the bus in transit
#RegentSevenSeasExplorer #RegentSevenSeas #RegentCruise
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