Dead Sea, Jordan

The countryside of Jordan
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The Dead Sea is very cool.  I was surprised how blue it was.  Somehow knowing there is nothing living in the sea makes me think that it would be very dirty.  But its actually quite clean.

There is nothing in the area except the resorts that serve the tourists who come to see the Sea.  No small local town, nada.  The resorts are quite beautiful and have all the amenities one needs, which is good - since you have no other option.  Howe.ver even with all these amenities I'd recommend no more than a few days on the Jordan side of the Dead Sea.

Swimming in the Dead Sea is a wild experience. You can swim, but you cannot sink.

My first view of the Dead Sea
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Swimming in the Dead Sea is a wild experience.  You can swim, but you cannot sink.  Impossible.  When you lay on your back you float whether you like it or not.  If you turn over - it's sort of like turning over on your bed, rather than on water.  I giggled for quite a while at the feeling.  You can stand in the water, and even if its ove your head, you can still stand.  The water holds you up so your head and shoulders are above it.  Even if you try (and believe me I tried!) to bob up and down to get your head below the water, you cannot do it.  Wild!

The Dead Sea as seen from our resort beach
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The waters taste is much worse than the ocean.  I couldnt get the taste out of my mouth all day.   And weirdly the water looks gelatinous.  I guess its the high salt content... its as though you can see the salt.