So today was a pretty awesome day. We had off today, so I decided to do some exploring with my teammate and her mom. My teammates Mom leaves on Tuesday, so she was wanting to see a few places before heading back home to the States. I haven't obviously traveled around Israel before, but I figured hey lets give it a try and see if we can make it! I actually have an app on my phone that helped us get there which was so nice!
We decided to leave this morning around 8 a.m. and make our way to the Dead Sea! It took us about 2 1/2 hours to drive but it wasn't too bad. The scenery was awesome! The picture above is from the Dead Sea as well as the ones below. It was amazing to me as I got in the water and sat down, that I literally just popped right up and floated...what an amazing experience!! By the time we got home it was around 4:30 p.m. so we all took showers and then took naps.
When I was doing some research on the Dead Sea, I found out a few things from my research:
The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It’s a hypersaline lake that is truly one of Earth’s unique places (taken from 10 Things You Didn't Know About the Dead Sea).
1. The surface and shores of the Dead Sea are 423 metres (1,388 ft) below sea level, making it Earth’s lowest elevation on land.
2. The Dead Sea is 377 m (1,237 ft) deep, making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride or other mineral salts, with saline levels surpassing that of ocean water.
3. With 33.7% salinity, the Dead Sea is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. Although Lake Assal (Djibouti), Garabogazköl and some hypersaline lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond) have reported higher salinities.We almost ran out of gas on the way home, but we made it safely to the gas station which was a total answer to prayer!! The gas light was on for a long time, but praise be to the Lord for his provision!
4. The Dead Sea’s unusually high salt concentration means that people can easily float in the Dead Sea due to natural buoyancy. In this respect the Dead Sea is similar to the Great Salt Lake in Utah in the United States.
5. The Dead Sea is roughly 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which animals cannot flourish (hence its name). The high salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic plants from living in it, though minuscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present.
6. The Dead Sea is 67 kilometres (42 mi) long and 18 kilometres (11 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley and its main tributary is the Jordan River.
7. The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment for several reasons. The mineral content of the water, the very low content of pollens and other allergens in the atmosphere, the reduced ultraviolet component of solar radiation, and the higher atmospheric pressure at this great depth each have specific health effects.
8. Biblically, the Dead Sea was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world’s first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers.
9. An unusual feature of the Dead Sea is its discharge of asphalt. From deep seeps, the Dead Sea constantly spits up small pebbles and blocks of the black substance. Asphalt coated figurines and bitumen coated Neolithic skulls from archaeological sites have been found. Egyptian mummification processes used asphalt imported from the Dead Sea region.
10. The world’s lowest road, Highway 90, runs along the Israeli and West Bank shores of the Dead Sea at 393 m (1,289 ft) below sea level.
*In case you didn't know, I posted the schedule under the appropriate link, so you can check that out if you want to as well!
Here is a picture of the x-ray before my finger was put back in place:
When I was doing my reading last night after I got home from the hospital I came across this verse:
"The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?" Proverbs 20:24
Thankful that in the highs and lows of life I serve a God who is DIRECTING me every step of the way! I would appreciate your prayers for a speedy recovery! My finger looks great after getting popped back in, now I just need to get the swelling and bruising down.
God bless,
Megan