Travel | Destinations
Jordanian blue
- By Louisa Wilkins
- Published: 00:00 October 1, 2009
- Reader comments (0)
- Evason Ma'in Hot Springs is a family-friendly hotel offering five-star luxury and six-star natural splendour with three majestic waterfalls and gushing hot mineral springs.
- Image Credit: Supplied Picture
Standing on the cappuccino-coloured shore of the Dead Sea, the 9am silence was clear, crisp and pure. Right here, where the Jordanian Rift Valley mountains meet the Judean Hills, time stands still and this flat, oval of blue bears witness to history, past and present. I am face-to-face with this eerily named body of water, which enjoys almost mythical status among people the world over. I kick off my flip-flops and step in, wading through knee-deep water until the seabed tapers away leaving water deep enough to dive into. I throw my body in with all my might, welcoming the sensation of submersion but, straight away, my eyes are stinging. No, my eyes are on fire! Quick as a flash, I am up out of the water, futilely trying to wipe the pain away from my flaming eyeballs. I can hear a whimpering, and am aware that it is coming from me. People start saying, "Yeah, you aren't supposed to open your eyes under water." "But I didn't," I respond, whining. "I went under the water, but my eyes were closed!" Blink, blink. Try not to draw attention to yourself, pretend you are fine. Blink harder. I flick water from my fingers and try to rub away the burning, stinging sensation again.
Nothing works and the pain isn't receding. If I could open my eyes just a peek, I would make a beeline for my bag with my bottle of water, but I simply can't see.
So, while everyone else flops and frolicks and floats to their hearts' content, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the stupendously beautiful view, I stand quietly, with my eyes closed behind my sunglasses, silently berating myself for ruining this perfect moment. Dead Sea rule number one: whatever you do, do not get the water anywhere near your eyes.
Ancient waters
The Dead Sea area is a geologist's playground as it lies along the rift between two tectonic plates (separate sections of the Earth's crust) — the African Plate and the Arabian Plate — which are slowly moving away from each other at a rate of four millimetres a year. Over time, this movement has created a big dip in the Earth's outer layers, leaving the Dead Sea 422 metres below sea level. Not only is the Dead Sea the lowest body of water on the face of the Earth, its shores are also the lowest areas of dry land.
A couple of million years ago, tectonic movements created mountains and subsequently lakes and rivers. This creation of water sources, and the lush plant and animal life that flourished as a result of it, enticed our early hominid ancestors out of Africa for the first time. Around this time, the Dead Sea area sank so far below sea level that it became cut off from the Mediterranean Sea. Since then, although water has flowed into it from rivers and streams, no water has flowed out of it. So, even though water evaporates away, none of the salt ever leaves. This has caused massive deposits of salt along the seabed and is the reason why the Dead Sea is approximately ten times saltier than other oceans and seas and contains high levels of other minerals too. In recent years, the River Jordan, which is the main tributary of the Dead Sea, has been tapped, leaving only a trickle to meander down to the Dead Sea.
As such, this ancient lake is now evaporating at an astonishing rate of approximately a metre a year. Jordan, Israel and Palestine are currently in talks to secure the Red-Dead Project, which will see water from the Red Sea piped across land to replenish the Dead Sea and provide water to the arid region.
Healing elements
Legend has it that kings and queens of old, such as King Herod and Cleopatra, believed the Dead Sea to be beautifying and healing. Now with modern knowledge of health and science, we know that the natural elements in the Dead Sea area — namely, the water, the earth and the air — are indeed healing. The water's concentrated solution of minerals, such as magnesium and potassium, is good for various ailments, including arthritis, psoriasis and some respiratory complaints. Additionally, the salty water is good for healing small cuts and wounds, albeit a bit stingy; so, it's a good idea to avoid hiking, diving or shaving before you visit the Dead Sea.
The dense, black, mineral-rich mud which can be harvested from the seabed, is also thought to be therapeutic, offering relief from various skin complaints and, thanks to the low altitude of the Dead Sea, the high atmospheric pressure means 13 per cent more oxygen in the air, high levels of soothing bromine, and virtually no UV risk.
The Mujib Chalets resort is part of Jordan's Royal Society for Conservation of Nature. In addition to their hillside resort, they have a Dead Sea beach complex, which comes complete with a swimming pool, a souvenir shop and a snack shop. The entrance fee of 12 Jordanian Dinars (Dh62) goes back into the charity's conservation projects. Down on the beach, instead of sunloungers, there are wooden office chairs, which look straight out of the '70s and not that welcoming. Look out for a man with a big bucket, selling handfuls of black mud for 3JD per person (Dh15.50).
The mud ritual is to cover yourself from forehead to toes with the squelchy goo and wait for it to dry in the sun, which takes at least 20 minutes — hence, the lack of soft, fabric sunloungers. Once it has dried, you can wash the mud off in the sea or under the showers at the end of the beach.
Safe and sound
Nothing can prepare you for the strange feeling of floating in the Dead Sea. Instinctively you want to flap your arms and legs to keep yourself buoyant, but you soon realise it is unnecessary. You cannot help but float. Lean backwards and your legs pop up in front of you as if you have no will over them. Lean forwards and they pop up behind you, and you are floating on your stomach without moving. When you try to swim, breaststroke flies out of the window, and instead you paddle your arms like a puppy with your legs floating behind you. It feels like you are swimming in a big bowl of custard, except the water looks no different from anyother seawater.
Your initial reaction is to just giggle at the wierdness of it all, but once past the awe-struck stage, the experience is one of spiritual calm. After all, this is probably the safest water on Earth — it would be pretty difficult to drown as you can't sink, and nothing lives in the water, so there is no risk of a shark attack! With these two fear factors far removed, you can float peacefully and effortlessly like a rubber duck in a bath.
While you are drifting about on an invisible lilo, take the opportunity to have a look around. Behind you, the majestic mountains of Jordan loom. Opposite, you can see the sandy-coloured hills of Israel, which look flat on top, and various cities such as Jericho and the Palestinian West Bank (called so because it is on the western bank of the Dead Sea). Everything is right here mapped out in front of you, like a history book brought to life.
These days, the Jordanian mountains overlooking the Dead Sea are sparsely populated, bar a few resorts and sporadically scattered bedouin camps of goatherders set high up on the plains. Your mind wanders back in time 2,000 years... Imagine being a shepherd, coming over the mountain top and seeing the sea, rushing down to the water only to find it strangely painful and empty of fish. How bizarre that must have been. You get the feeling that not much has changed in this area sincethose days, an experience which is not only spiritual and humbling, but makes you feel very much alive.
Where to stay
Evason Ma'in Hot Springs andSix Senses Spa
Twenty minutes from the Dead Sea and an hour from Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, this family-friendly hotel offers five-star luxury and six-star natural splendour with three majestic waterfalls and gushing hot mineral springs.
Wherever you are in the resort, you can hear the main waterfall which falls behind the swimming pool area, into a natural thermal spring of 45°C. Hop on a hotel bicycle and pedal two minutes up the road from the resort to the public waterfall Hammamat Ma'in, where the water reaches 63 degrees celsius and falls into a man-made bathing area. Brace yourself and stand underneath the pummelling, scalding hot water for a force of nature massage, which will leave you feeling refreshed and revived. The third waterfall is the smallest and feeds directly into the beautiful spa pool. The spa offers locally-inspired spa treatment, such as the Dead Sea Salt Body Polish and The Olive Grove Scrub.
If you are feeling adventurous, arrange for an early morning trek up to the source of the hotel's main waterfall followed by breakfast from a basket, which can be pulled along a wire from the hotel kitchen up to the top of the waterfall. The hotel also offers daily shuttle buses down to the Mujib Chalets' Dead Sea beach area free of charge - book a scrummy picnic hamper from the hotel and enjoy lunch on the beach.
Try out a few of the unique dining options at Evason Ma'in, such as al fresco dining on one of the many terraces, secluded away in the stylish wine cellar, or at the mountain-top Panoramic restaurant, where you can enjoy a meal in the company of mountains, valleys, the Dead Sea and beyond.
- Prices: Room rates start at Dh887 per night for a single and Dh1,160 for a double, with both prices including breakfast.
- Contact: For more information, visit www.sixsenses.com or call 00962-5-3245500.
Flying made easy
Dubai's first low cost airline flydubai has daily routes flying from Terminal Two at Dubai International Airport to Queen Alia International Airport, Amman. Prices start at Dh250 from Dubai to Amman, and Dh415 from Amman to Dubai, including taxes and allows you one piece of hand luggage weighing up to 10kg.
There are two main areas of dispute when it comes to low cost airlines: comfort and the fact that you normally equal your ticket price on in-flight food. In both of these areas, flydubai reigns supreme in the world of budget airlines.
- Comfort: The flydubai seats have been specially designed for maximum comfort. Not only are the actual seats soft and spacious, but the magazine pocket, which you normally bang your knees against, has been moved to the top of the chair behind the fold-down table. This simple detail boosts leg room by two inches.
- Food: The flydubai in-flight menu offers tasty affordable options, such as the delicious hot lamb wrap for Dh15, soft muffins for Dh10 and a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
If you are feeling a bit peckish, opt for the Dh25 sandwich combo, which includes your choice of hot or cold sandwich, a packet of Pringles or nuts and a soft drink. For a sweet treat, choose the Dh15 muffin combo — hot drink, a muffin and a chocolate bar.
Duty Free shopping is also available on board.
Flydubai currently offers regular routes to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Aleppo, Alexandria and Djibouti. For booking details, visit www.flydubai.com.
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