Masada and Qumran

 This morning we loaded the bus for our Dead Sea departure!  What a lovely few days - great weather, relaxing treatments and unique desert excursions! First stop of the day was Masada - one of King Herod's palaces and the site of the siege  in 73 CE.  Neil, once again,  took us through several centuries as he described the events of the times.  A bite of lunch before leaving for Qumran - another amazing site and where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.  On to Jerusalem for the week - hard to believe that this is the last week of CAARI 2013.  But, we are looking forward to Purim and the upcoming sites we will be visiting.

Hiking Ein Gedi

This morning some of began with a little exercise before breakfast and our  hike in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve.  This oasis in the desert, is located about a 20 minute drive from our Dead Sea hotel.  The panoramic views of the sea and mountains are amazing.  On the sand colored mountain side sits the green Ein Gedi Reserve with flowing springs, flora and fauna.  As we entered the park we were greeted by the sweet faces of the hyraxes who also listened to Neil as she read from the Bible, referencing David, Saul and Ein Gedi.  Then we began our climb up and down steps, over small water streams and of course, a few rocks of all sizes.  The view - outstanding!  Our morning journey continued to the ancient Ein Gedi Synagogue and the beautiful mosaic floor.  Back to the hotel for more rest and relaxation!  Life is good with CAARI! 

R&R at Spa and Arad Artists

Today was our first full day at the Spa Hotel.  However, there were some that began enjoying the spa treatments the evening before.  Some also took advantage of the relaxing salt water pools. Will we really look 10 years younger in 3 days?  We are all enjoying the beautiful weather and taking advantage of the Dead Sea waters and the very cold waters of the outdoor pool!
In the afternoon,  we headed up the mountain to the artists studios in the industrial area of Arad.  Neil did tell it would be about 10 - 15 degrees cooler and he wasn't kidding!  The scenery going up the mountain was spectacular!
Our first visit was a unique 'doll" museum, that is listed as one of Israel's top 5 museums.   The museum displays unique beautiful original dolls in several styles: papier-mache,porcelain and terracotta created by internationals known artists Miri Leibowitz and Eduard Shruster.  All we could say was "wow'!  Our second visit was with Ruth,  an international known painter.
We are all enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of the Dead Sea!