The Dead Sea Eels

Everything changed once I boarded my flight for Amman.  There were about a dozen men around me all in traditional Jordanian dress, Qurans in hand and praying most of the way.  The man next to me tried teaching me some verses and some other sayings in Arabic as we flew.  By the end of the flight he was inviting me to his home!  I wish I could have gone.  I had a driver waiting to wisk me away to the Dead Sea Spa, my hotel for the night. 

Jordan has a very familiar feel to it.  The topography and landscape are very Southern Californian with rolling mountains, which are green now because it's spring, and mustard flowers and other familiar looking plants.  It's a nice change from Egypt and all that sand.  I cannot see the West Bank across the Dead Sea.  It looks like smog - it's blowing sand - once again very Southern California. (I just too a break from writing to Instant Message with Allan Roske in California ... isn't the Internet amazing?)

Another nice difference is no more weapon packing soldiers.  My guide said there is surveillance, but it's for the pot smugglers who grow their product up in the hills.  How very Californian.  Once at the hotel, I started over to their X Ray machine and found the door locked.  There are metal detectors at the hotel entrance too, but everyone walks around them.

The hotel looks like it belongs on Miami Beach.  In addition to the spa, there's a lap pool, two little kiddie pools and a larger play pool with two story slide.  Everything is laid back here. The Jordanians are at peace with both Arabs and Israelis.  Dress is decidedly less modest than Egypt too.  Swim suits and shorts are the norm and not the exception. 

Besides the spa here the big thing is to, of course, float on the Dead Sea. Many folks came down for their photo ops while I was there, and I got more than one person to watch out for the dreaded Dead Sea Eels.  "Really?" They'd ask. "Yes, I'd say.  They look like sticks." "Reeealllly?" They'd ask again and start looking around on top of the water.  There were sticks everywhere.  It was too much fun to stop!