Israel: May 2018
Sweltering in the heat to see the ancient ruins of Masada, Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, and the Dead Sea. Masada simultaneously was the most and least impressive sight of the day-- ancient ruins occupying the high ground, knowing they hauled everything up steep paths-- and then the Romans built a massive ramp to seize the fortress. Excavation of the ruins on top was through in some areas, not much more than pits in the others, plus the fact that the Romans may not have left much standing after they breached the fortress...
Back up the road, Ein Gedi Nature Reserve was jammed with locals seeking to escape the heat. The most-accessible hike (1.2 miles or so, round trip) to David Waterfall lead up the stream, through some reed tunnels, and capped things off with a a good-sized waterfall in the middle of the desert. Quite beautiful, especially the last two waterfalls/pools!
The Dead Sea at Ein Bokek is a juxtaposition of nature and tourism. Rather modest resorts still manage to dominate the beach, and the water is both appealing and not. The insane salinity is apparent the moment you step in, nevermind trying to float! Laying on your back starts to feel normal... then a few minutes later your skin begins to feel the burn from the hypersalinity. Truly a unique experience. Too bad the whole area is so tourist-trap-feeling, complete with a $16 burger at the local McDonald's.
Rush-hour traffic back to Jerusalem precluded any stops at other Dead Sea beaches (boooooo), although we were able to snap a few pictures at much prettier areas of the Dead Sea than Ein Bokek. We found a pretty tasty dinner of grilled chicken at Hatzot, and some excellent ice cream at Mousseline.