It’s still gray in New Jersey. I heard great news: it’s raining in Israel! As you will be able to see from my photos, Israel is a pretty dry country. It doesn’t rain all summer. Last June we drove down to the sea to go for a hike in Ein Gedi, a beautiful oasis near the Dead Sea. The above photo, taken from the car, shows the mountains on the right of the Dead Sea and some of the shrubbery by the sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on Earth.
In this photo you can see the sea. We stopped the car for a bit, and I took this photo.
Here is Ein Gedi. It’s a great place for hiking, nature viewing, taking a dip. There’s a short and a long hike; we took the short one, but to my daughter it felt like the longest hike of her life.
Please click on the photos to really get a good feel for the area.
Some of the waterfall areas were crowded with people enjoying the water, but this little area we had to ourselves.
On the way back my husband and boys took a quick dip in the Dead Sea. My daughter fell fast asleep in the car, so I waited with her. Even though this is my 5th trip to Israel, I still have yet to take a dip in that salty sea!
Meet some of the delightful critters we saw at Ein Gedi (hyrax, ibex and tristam grackle):
For more watery photos, visit Watery Wednesday.
Wonderful presentation. Have I already told you how enticing your Israel photos are?
No, I’m glad I’m enticing you! This was definitely the best vacation of my life. I so enjoy hanging out in Israel.
The Oasis looks like a place I would return to over and over again. Thanks for taking me on a journey.
Leora, yet another reason for you to come back soon (besides us finally getting together). The sensation of floating on the dead sea is so unusual. I loved it. Come back and experience it!
This is such a great post! I really enoyed the pictures. They gave me such a desire to be there. I’m with Natural Moments. It looks like an oasis.
Baila, do they have birthright trips for forty-five year olds? I’m afraid I’ll need some rich benefactor to pay for another trip.
Oh thanks for these! Ein Gedi is a magical place.
Me go to Uman? Uhh, no. Your friend was brave. I read they started a women’s pilgrimage every Purim.
Yes, we got some light rain today. It smelled so good.
The dead sea has always been a part of my memory regarding the bible…it is so nice seeing it here from you! Thanks so much. The oasis looks like a little paradise in the middle of somewhere hot—beautiful!
What a wonderful experience that must have been, Leora!
I’m happy to hear that Israel has had some rain.
What a great post.
Oh, a waterfall! I always wanted to frolic and play in a waterfall 🙂 Sounds like Florida is the exact opposite of Israel. Here, it rains every day, all summer long. Our dry season is now.
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My Mobile Adventures *~*~*
I had never thought it would be so rocky! Nor had I expected waterfalls!
Thanks for sharing!
Great post and photos! I’ve been there as well, it’s quite amazing.
What a beautiful watery location that is. I always love waterfalls. I remember studying of the Dead Sea in school and was always fascinated by it. Lovely photos.
Watery Wednesday will be a good theme for tomorrow for we have rain forecast all day long. Not so great in this case as it can easily turn to freezing rain.
This is really wonderful….beautiful photos
Dina said it was magical. It certainly looks that way.
Wonderful photos Leora! I like vacationing vicariously through
your images.
Would be a once in a lifetime, and you have been there 5 times.
That’s one place I don’t know much about, but as a hydrologist it intrigues me. Another body of water that I have to study up on.
It’s beautiful, and so are your photographs. It’s always interesting to see a place you have read so much about. Somehow your mental picture of what it probably looks like never quite matches up with reality. Thank you for sharing.
These are nice pictures. Love the critters.
Such an interesting destination. Love the idea of a waterfall in a desert area.
I enjoyed your tour very much. Years ago I was in the area and it was so good to see it again. Water is so precious in a dry climate.
Such a lovely place to visit, and I enjoyed my tour through your excellent photos and narration. Thank you 🙂
The rain’s stopped again, at least until early next week. Personally I’m hoping the big rains hold off another few weeks, as my parents will be here visiting and touring is a real drag in the rain.
Ein Gedi is such a wonderful spot – swimming in those pools are one of my children’s very favorite things to do.
Beautiful photo’s, Leora! <3
A place I’ve always wanted to visit! Beautiful images!
Really nice to see this – people use the expression “oasis in the desert” metaphorically so many times, so it’s great to see where it actually came from!
Thank you for visiting my blog. If you can you should really try to go to Venice one day. It’s hold a bit of magic and romance :o)
I really enjoyed this series Leora!! Wonderful pictures!
The Dead Sea’s the lowest point on earth? I did not know that. I knew it had the highest salt concentration of any body of water on earth, but I would have guessed Death Valley was lower… maybe that’s just the lowest point in the US or something.
Hard to believe something with a name so sinister can be so beautiful.
I am happy to hear they are getting some rain. The waterfall looks beautiful..