Masada and the Dead Sea

"Don't worry, he's not gonna die.""It's not that. It's my camera I'm worried about!"

  Masada is an absolutely awe-inspiring mountaintop fortress with a sad history. We hiked up (Elliot narrowly missing a rockfall perpetrated by a bunch of a**hole teenagers), checked out the ruins up top, and then Elliot and Jill took the funicular back down (see photo in this post) while Kate, Spencer and I ran down the trail to see if we could beat them back to the visitor center. We didn't, but it was exhilarating. That's one of my favorite moments from this trip.  Later that day Kate had penciled in our one chance to experience the Dead Sea (jam-packed itinerary, as usual!), and we were really bummed when we saw that the beach was cordoned off for off-season construction work.But did we let all those DO NOT ENTER signs stop us?NOPE. Super salty, lovely and floaty. Totally worth clambering down a crumbling embankment, and scrambling back up again.  The next morning we visited Beit Guvrin National Park. It's an extensive site dating back to Old Testament times, with much of what there is to see being underground (although the caves are relatively new).    I got a little obsessed with doorways on this trip, and light shining into darkened spaces. This is the entrance to the Sidonian Tomb of the Musicians (above and below).  See? Beautiful. Next post: Jerusalem!