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I wake up to the usual morning rituals at the farm in Shobak
and after a big breakfast,
it's time for laundry.
We are washing Carmine's t-shirts
and using this very weird washing machine.
Yeah.
We have to clean it first.
We have to wash it before using it.
I've never seen a washing machine like this.
But even if it looks like some sort of toy,
apparently it does the job.
And so loaded with water and detergent,
we're ready to start the washing cycle.
And while the washing machine works,
we get ready for today's new adventure.
We are going to the Dead sea now with Carmine.
It's very hot and I hope we'll be back safe.
Let's go !
Quais, Feras's nephew, kindly offered to take us there in his truck
and once again, the soundtrack to our trip is the ever-present Arabic music.
And our drive proceeds pleasantly thanks to the truck's A/C,
while it seems that outside it's hot as hell.
We're getting closer to the Dead sea now
and we're driving under the sea level.
And we can feel that from the pressure in our ears.
The pressure is getting stronger and stronger.
And we'll be there maybe in 15 minutes... right ?
Yeah, right... yeah.
Correct ?
Correct.
But since we're getting hungry,
we stop to buy some snacks, before reaching our destination.
We bought some cake, pepsi and something to eat.
We are very hungry and the temperature is very hot.
So let's go back to the car's A/C.
And so, a few minutes later,
we finally spot the Dead sea, in its incredible beauty.
We find ourselves in the deepest depression on earth,
where the Dead sea, which is really a lake,
receives the waters of the river Jordan and the river Arnon.
The salt concentration in this sea is very high
and there are really white saline deposits all along the shore.
Ok, we just arrived at the Dead sea.
This place is called Al-zara.
We're going to do mud treatments and lie in hot water,
then swim a little bit and then we'll go home.
Let's take some pictures.
And so we start walking down to the beach
as the sun is setting on the horizon.
We've decided to come here so late for a reason,
because during the day the temperatures are very high,
reaching a maximum of 40°C (104 F).
But even now, people are still hanging out on the beach
and there's a group of bedouins in the water that sing traditional songs at the top of their lungs.
But we prefer to stay away from all this noise,
and so we start looking for a quiet spot.
Apart from swimming, people come here also for the healthy effects
of its hot water and for mud treatments.
Ok, let's step into the hot water... it's very hot.
Feras undegoes the mud treatment first
with the help of his nephew Quais.
First, you need to find the darkest chunks of mud
and then, you smear them all over your body.
We found some mud in this hot water puddle
but we're looking for the darkest chunks.
And now that Feras is completely dark, it's my turn.
Is the water hot ?
Yes.
Also on your face.
Oh yeah ?
Yeah, all over your body.
Not on my face, I have my contact lenses on.
Careful ! if it goes into your eyes, it's not good.
And after carefully smearing the mud all over my body,
I become unrecognizable too.
I'm totally covered in mud,
as you can see.
There's not one spot that's not covered in mud... maybe here.
And it feels weird.
Feras is taking pictures of me like that.
After our beauty treatment, it's time to swim
and thanks to the highly saline water,
even someone like me who can't swim will stay afloat.
It's deep here, but I'm still swimming.
But high salinity can also have some side effects.
Feras, do you have normal water ?
I can't open my eyes,
because the salt is in my eyes.
And I have contact lenses on.
Get some water.
A prompt intervention with a bottle of fresh water
allows me to go swim again,
even though, shortly after, Feras finds himself in the same situation.
It's very salty.
Ok, I can go swim now.
The sun has now hidden behind the horizon
and the night is starting to fall.
But we linger on, enjoying the sense of peace and calm
that this sea gives us,
while on the opposite side, across the sea,
the lights of the Israeli cities are starting to appear.