This episode's FAQ is: Do I need a local SIM card?
Today’s Destination is The Dead Sea and Masada, Israel
Today’s Misstep- Screenshot your MAP before you travel
Travel Advice: Wear a money belt.
FAQ: Do I need a local SIM card?
Response: When you travel abroad, you don’t need a local SIM card anymore. It’s found in nearly every airport and is expensive, but you get your own phone number. It does involve opening your phone up.
Read the show notes if you want to try an esim and need help. I’ve been using an esim called Airalo for a year, and I have a referral code for you to save $3.00. It is MARY2856.
https://www.airalo.com/blog/roaming-vs-international-sim-card-vs-local-sim-card-heres-what-to-know
Today’s destination: Israel (split into three parts, Jerusalem, Dead Sea/ Masada, and Tel Aviv. This episode is part 2 of three.
Because I was a solo female traveler, I booked a full-day tour of the Dead Sea and Masada. On my tour, I asked, “Where is the West Bank”?
I learned that it originally meant West of the Jordan River. Now, it is a shared space between Israelis and Palestinians. There are three settlement types here. Palestinian, Mixed, and total Israeli control has about 13 million people living there.
The land also has date trees, vineyards, and olive trees. With advances in agriculture, the soil has been cleansed from salt, so trees grow abundantly. There are many vegetables and greenhouses with drip irrigation, and I was told that cherry tomatoes were invented here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6UxvYeH_v0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bno1m1zhIWs
Masada is part of Rift Valley. Masada is the last Judean stronghold not taken by Romans. In 70 AD, the temple was destroyed and never rebuilt.
Nine hundred thirty-two people went to Masada to escape the Roman Empire and lost. How did the Romans win? They built a ramp, had a catapult, and knocked down the wall.
A gondola brings you to the top of the mountain now. You see storage rooms with places where date trees grew. There were plenty of touristy things to do here in Masada, but the history made it come alive today for me.
The lake is dried up, mostly, with remnants of where the water used to be. Jordan Valley is 450 meters below sea level. Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered here.
https://library.gordonconwell.edu/Old_Testament/Texts/DSS
Want to ride a camel? You may pay 20 shekels to ride and another 50 to get off.
West of the Jordan River, 13 million people, primarily Arab, Jews, and mixed.
Businesses are harvesting minerals and creams from the Dead Sea. For example, we stopped at a factory where Ahava is sold; sunscreen is $50. Mud is also sold here for $13.60. The mud comes directly from the Dead Sea in a bag. They say it is suitable for your skin. I did not purchase any.
https://www.ahava.com/pages/about-us
People from around the world travel to the Dead Sea to bathe in its water and to cover themselves with its mud to relieve symptoms of skin conditions, including psoriasis and eczema, as well as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiac disease, respiratory illnesses, and more.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293979-i8272-k5751280
The Dead Sea has no fish. That’s not a joke because it’s poison.
Spend 20 minutes maximum in the water—no splashing, drinking, or tasting. Don’t get in your eyes. Don’t wet your head. Dangerous. My genital area was burning, so I think I was more sensitive than others. I didn’t stay in very long as my private parts were uncomfortable. While getting in and out of the water, I got two minor scratches on my hand. The mud felt oily and slick.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1040/
Rick Steves two minutes on Masada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXQg-H4GsWA
Today’s Misstep- Screenshot your digital MAP before you travel
Today’s Travel Advice- Wear a money belt.
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