Über den Jordan gehen

Today we had a beautiful and relaxing morning with a view of the Dead Sea. After coffee - which we enjoyed on the Hollywood swing with a wonderful view - we went to the beach. First, we had to put on the mud-glow body mask, then we went into the pleasant water. It's fascinating how you automatically float upright without doing anything. After ten minutes, both men and women should get out. You can really feel the salt on your skin and should definitely not shave beforehand!! It's good to have a shower at the beach to rinse off!

After the second breakfast, we headed north on the N90. In between, we had to turn towards the Jordan River because I wanted to see it. But at the military checkpoint, we didn't dare to go forward and turned around. However, a tourist bus came towards us shortly afterwards. So we followed it!! We drove to the barrier and it opened! So just have more courage. :) We drove through a military restricted area and then to Qasr El Yahud, where you can swim in the Jordan River. We skipped crossing the Jordan River, which the military probably wouldn't have found amusing, as the border with Jordan runs right in the middle. Jordan is only 3 meters away as the crow flies.

After that, we continued north to Beit She'an, which is again on the Israeli side. There are impressive ruins there, but they are impressively poorly signposted. You have to follow the signs for the Beit She'an National Park and keep going straight - even through roundabouts - until a new sign appears. After some confusion, we finally found it. The amphitheater is truly impressive, as are the ruins around it. And you can still enter everything, including the original floor mosaics. You can have lunch at the nearby 'shopping center'. At the city limits heading north, there is a 'Greg' café with delicious coffee.

On the way to Tiberias, we made a spontaneous stop at the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee (Yardenit). This is where the Jordan River flows out and where John the Baptist is said to have worked. You can swim in the Jordan River there, get baptized, and buy all kinds of trinkets from the 'Holy Land'! Worth seeing for believers and non-believers!

When we arrived in Tiberias, we had a nice hostel - Tiberias Hostel: very creative. We found the promenade disappointing, so we went to Hamat Gader, the hot springs, to relax. It was different from what we had imagined with our Western ideas. Instead of relaxation and tranquility in the spa with hot springs, there was a huge commotion, children jumping into the water, picnics by the poolside, ... But the water is nice and warm and it was still relaxing!