The Dead Sea a Place of Healing There and Here
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If you go to the Dead sea, this article will provide you with some good information. If that is not in your budget, just visit your local spa and enjoy a dead sea mud treatment.
The Dead Sea: Place of healing
The lowest place on Earth is tops in health tourism
EIN GEDI, Israel – Southeast of Jerusalem, past fields of date palms, majestic Judean Desert mesas, a couple of security checkpoints and, if you’re lucky, some goat-herding Bedouins sits one of the must-see destinations for any tourist in Israel. Glistening beneath a sun that shines about 330 days a year is the Dead Sea, the lowest place on Earth, which happens to also be one of the highest when it comes to restorative value.
The healing and therapeutic powers of its miracle mineral-rich water - estimated to be as much as 10 times saltier than the ocean – combined with the dry and highly oxygenated air, heat, lack of pollution and low atmospheric pressure make this place tops in health tourism. People from across the globe take trips (sometimes on health-insurance dimes) to treat skin conditions, such as psoriasis, and other maladies including arthritis or bronchial ailments. Plenty of Israelis make regular visits as part of their wellness plans.
Given its salinity, there’s a famous buoyancy to this sea. The most popular photos taken by tourists include the ones of people comfortably kicking back while reading a newspaper, floating effortlessly. Even the nonswimmer can enjoy this oddest of sensations.
Though it does the body good, there are dangers in these waters. You don’t know sting until you’ve gotten the Dead Sea in your eyes or a cut. Watch out for the visitor who races from the water for a frantic freshwater
It’s not just about the seawater, though. The thermal sulfur pools from mineral springs may stink and the vats of mud – meant to be slathered on and baked in the sun – might cause the squeamish to cringe, but step right in for a soak and play like a kid.
There are plenty of stopping points along the shoreline, from simple beaches to places like the Ein Gedi Spa, where visitors can treat themselves to services such as massages and facials, or lounge around a freshwater pool if the salt becomes too much. And while all of this is tripworthy on its own, there’s plenty else going on in the region: first-class hikes and historical and religious treasures.
Bordered by Israel and the West Bank on one side and Jordan on the other, the Dead Sea, which is fed by the Jordan River, is about 40 miles long. But the shores are receding each year, at a rate of about three feet annually, as incoming water – in a part of the world where water is gold – is now largely being diverted elsewhere by Israel, Syria and Jordan.
Efforts have been taken to find ways to save the Dead Sea, among them a proposed “Two Seas Canal,” which would pump water from the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba in Jordan – and at the southern tip of Israel – into the Dead Sea. This idea was born out of an exploratory agreement signed in May 2005 by Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.
But concerns – environmental, political and archaeological – are keeping this at bay. As is the case with so much in the Middle East, solutions don’t come easy.
Some tips for Dead Sea dips
Drink lots of water and be prepared for the sun and heat.
Though it’s harder to get sunburned at 1,370 feet below sea level, it’s not impossible: Wear sunscreen.
If you have any cuts, know that the water will make them sting. The bigger the wound, the bigger the pain. For this reason, hold off on shaving till after your float.
Wear water shoes, if you have them, as the salt deposits on the sea floor and shores can be jagged.
Don’t splash or attempt to full-on swim. This is not water you want in your mouth or eyes.
Float on your back, read a paper if you like and simply relax.
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