June 2018
[from FB post: June 22, 2016]
Hope
At the beach on the Dead Sea. Everyone is wearing what they want, doing what they like, and -- most importantly -- having a good time.
They are not Jews, Arabs, Christians or anything else. They are just people having a nice time.
— feeling hopeful.
The lowest point on earth. I heard about it for years and finally I was there. You could "swim" in the dark waters and simply float on the surface due to its salinity. I only tentatively put my feet in the water - it was gross. All that intensive agriculture in the Jordan Valley by both Israel and Jordan reduced the flow of that famous river to a trickle [see: pilgrimage] which meant that the Dead Sea was not only drying up, it had also become a cesspool of agricultural run off. I was happy I had been in Jordan the year before and saw the state of the river. Other tourists might have been happy to flail about in that stinking water (it really smelled awful), but I was happy just to dunk my feet and then wash them thoroughly afterward.
Israel and Jordan actually have a plan to pump water from the Red Sea through the mountains to accomplish three goals: refill the Dead Sea, produce electricity, and desalinate the sea water (with the electricity made). They need to get on that plan urgently because there soon will be no Dead Sea left. I was on a bus trip to Masada with a stop off at the Dead Sea. It was clear where the waters used to be and where they had receded to - it was shocking and showed no signs of stopping. In the original land of biblical calamities, the Dead Sea had its own - sink holes. As the waters receded the land nearby often gave way (sometimes under the road itself). The collapses were unpredictable and huge. I thought about that the whole ride along the coast road to and from Masada.
Since the tour allotted a chunk of time for the Dead Sea and I was NOT swimming, I did the next best thing - I had a beer. The still air was punishingly hot and humid. I bellied up to the bar and ordered myself a frosty mug of Maccabee and pondered. I was in the Holy Land drinking beer having been raised by teetotalers. Oh if my 18 year old self had known this was in the future.... More importantly, as I noted in my FB post of the day, that Dead Sea beach seemed to be a conflict free zone. I saw tourists, Israelis, and Palestinians all enjoying the place together. It gave me some hope that "yes, we actually CAN get along".
I must admit to being underwhelmed by the Dead Sea and saddened by its environmental degradation. Given how tense things are in the region, I don't see any solution forthcoming any time soon. If I return, no doubt the "Lowest Bar in the World" will have pulled up stakes and moved down toward the water just a little more. The beer was at least refreshing.