The Super Salty Sea

Andrew is appalled by the mud

(Reis) When you step into the water, nothing feels different from regular sea water. Except the warmth. It is such a comfortable temperature. You lift your feet and they shoot to the surface. And you can sit there, relaxing, floating with ease. Moving positions, altering movements, changing the way you float. To you, the most alien part of the Dead Sea won’t be sitting at the lowest elevation on the planet. It will be floating. Lying there as if you were in midair, with no gravitational pull. When you lift your feet up you kind of flail for a moment, expecting yourself to have to tread water. But you don’t. Never have, never will (well except for when the Dead Sea dries up). And relaxation washes over you, like beaches swallowed by water. A small, sunlit sea of super salty substance. Try saying that 10 times fast! But you definitely DON’T, and that’s a big don’t, put your face in the water. If you get one drop on your tongue, your face will curl up in bitter disgust. If you get some into your eyes, it’s a whole different story. They will sting, what feels like, 100 times more then oceanic salt water. And, you’ll be scared to open your eyes again, frightened of remnants on your eyelashes.

Where we were, there was a bucket of Dead Sea Mud on the shore. You would smother it on yourself, head to toe (or just on your arm if you’re me), and go into the water. The theory is, it is supposed to relax you, and moisturize and exfoliate your skin. I guess I’ll have a relaxed and exfoliated arm! When it washed off, which was a jiff when you get in, you would get out, get another glop of it, and reapply. Then you would wade back in, bring your feet up, lie down, and just, RELAX.