This morning we went to Masada. It was about a 45 minute ride and was quite hot. We took a cable car up to the top. You can climb, but it's difficult and we didn't have time. At the top, they show you a video of the story. The Romans held the Jews under siege. When it was clear that the Romans would win, the Jews drew lots and killed each other rather than be taken as slaves. (Archeologists have found the lots). There was quite a bit to see, there- not just the top of a big rock. There are cisterns that collected water, ritual baths, and remnants of tile floors. It was definitely quite hot up there. I wore my capris jeans. I regretted not wearing a cotton skirt. Carol wasn't feeling well because of the heat. She said she'd had several cups of coffee and the croissants this morning. We all had water, but no food. I realized that I packed dehydration salts and protein bars, but they were all in my room. How dumb! I think I've.been too comfortable here and not thinking about always being prepared. 
The six of us did a warrior pose (yoga) on the top oh Masada. My camera ran out of memory, so Jon took the photo with his camera. I don't have it yet.
We were all extremely tired after Masada and were falling asleep on the bus. We remembered Rodney telling us what time to meet after lunch, but no one remembered the time. I think we were just too tired. After eating, we started to have more energy. We ate lunch in a cafeteria style place. The lunch was okay. I guess we've been spoiled with delicious food staying here. When people finished eating, they would leave their trays and birds would come and start eating the food.
The next place was Qumran. It's where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. A shepherd found them and then they started looking for more. They found some in several caves.
Last, for the day was the Dead Sea. It was much more fun than we had realized it would be. We bought towels for 49 shekels. Then we went to the changing area and put our bathing suits on. . Rodney had told us not to wear any jewelry. The Dead Sea will make metal turn color. Carol sat at a table by the bar and watched everyone's bags. We took my phone down to the beach to take photos. It just meant that someone had to stay out to hold the phone and take photos. We took turns. On the way to the beach, there's a bar called "The World's Lowest Bar" then we got in the water. Some people put mud on themselves. I tried that, too. I don't think it matters. The water is very salty. You have to be careful not to get it in your eyes. But it's amazing how you float. You squat down and then lie back. Your feet just come right up. It was incredibly fun. We took a shower on the beach before changing, but also took another shower and I washed my hair when we got back to the college. 
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