Day 9: The 'Road trip' to Eilat

This morning we got up early again, we left the accommodation in Jerusalem around 8:15 am and walked with our luggage to a place just outside the city center, where we got into our rental cars. We could catch a last glimpse of the Dome of the Rock and the rooftops of Jerusalem before all we could see on the roadside was dust and rocks. When we reached the Dead Sea, we immediately noticed the countless sinkholes that we had been told about, which are a result of the receding of the Dead Sea. Due to these sinkholes, many beach areas have been closed off, so our first stop was not a swim in the Dead Sea but a visit to the Ein Gedi Oasis, which means 'Spring of the Kid' in English. As we were having breakfast on a park bench in the parking lot, where we ate the remains of our Sabbath meal, we also came across two young kids.

Shortly after entering the oasis, we also saw a rock hyrax resting in a tree, which are found in large numbers in the nature reserve. Our team leader told us that the oasis also plays an important role in the Bible, David (of David and Goliath) is said to have hidden there after defeating Goliath in order to escape his stepfather, who was the king and felt threatened by him. But we didn't play hide and seek in the oasis, instead we bathed under the magnificent waterfall and enjoyed the sun. Unfortunately, our stay was short as we had to continue to the ancient fortress of Masada, as the cable car only went up the mountain until 3 pm. From the fortress, we had a breathtaking view down to the Dead Sea and across the desert, which increased our desire to finally take a 'bath' in the legendary body of water. So, we drove a few more kilometers along the Dead Sea from Masada until we finally reached a accessible beach, which was located in an artificially created 'city' where many people were walking around in bathrobes, but it had showers that made the next two hours in the car much more comfortable and easier. For most of us, it was the first time in the Dead Sea. We slowly waded in, the stories had already warned us - no open wounds, no farting in the water, and definitely no water near the eyes, as it would make you blind. We let ourselves float on our backs and were delighted like little children by the sensation of floating on the water. Due to the hotel complexes, we were able to catch a glimpse of the first goal of the soccer game between Werder and Augsburg before continuing by car through the desert.

As the sun slowly set around us, the mountains turned red, creating a beautiful contrast. We drove past kibbutzim, palm plantations, and desert McDonald's. Unfortunately, we didn't see any camels roaming freely this time, but we were able to witness via SMS how Werder scored three more points to secure their place in the top league against Augsburg, while the Hamburg SV lost after being in the lead. Wonderful. The starry sky was also very beautiful, but the closer we got to Eilat, the fewer stars we could see. A strange city appeared in front of us - Eilat, a strange parallel to Disneyland as our team leader described it, with hotels that looked like castles. The Ballermann of Israel. However, we were able to drive past these complexes and arrived at our accommodation, our holiday home, our villa. The photos from Booking.com had not promised too much, it was really beautiful! In addition to our pool and some sun loungers, there were seating areas all around the house and a barbecue area. The living and dining room was huge. I particularly liked the fridge with the French doors. One room had a huge terrace, from which we had a fantastic view over Eilat down to the Red Sea and could even see parts of Saudi Arabia. This time for dinner, we had a not-so-traditional Israeli dish: noodles with tomato sauce. To be honest, I really enjoyed not eating hummus for once, although I seemed to be almost alone with this opinion in our group. After a few rounds of card games, I fell exhausted and happy into my bed after the exhausting day and the finally hot temperatures.