03.17.00 It was going to be a long trip, so we got a bigger car P3170001 and packed it to the gills P3170002

We picked up the kids at school and headed to the Ein Gedi Youth Hostel where we had a room with 7 beds. Jane did calesthenics P3170003 Benjamin climbed into the top bunk P3170004 Sarah P3170005 Jan P3170006 and Suzanne P3170007 sat on their beds and I P3170008 gave a gentle pose.

After dinner, Jan took a family portrait P3170009 and we went to sleep.

03.18.00 The next morning, we took the obligatory phone booth pictures P3180010 P3180011 a picture at the kibbutz/youth hostel P3180012 pictures of the mounatains P3180014 and the Dead Sea P3180013 P3180016 from our room.

Next we went for a walk in the local nature reserve where we saw caves P3180017 P3180018 where we think people lived. Then we studied the map P3180019 and found the first waterfall P3180020 P3180021 which inspired us to walk further P3180022 P3180023 until some of us could sit P3180024 alongside the next waterfall while others P3180025 P3180026 got closer to the water. A nearby tour guide was exhorting his charges in energetic Hebrew P3180027

We continued on to the next and final wartefall P3180028 P3180029 P3180030 which was amazing to look at P3180031 P3180032 P3180033 especially on the side where droplets of rain P3180034 fell from the cliff. We used the occasion to take a number of group pictures P3180035 P3180036 P3180037 P3180038 P3180039 On the way out, we recorded the event P3180040 and headed on to the Dead Sea.

Once at the Dead Sea, we did some science P3180041 experienced the mineral baths P3180042 and turned to the mud experience as well as having a photo orgy of our group (with Suzanne as photographer) P3180043 P3180044 Sarah P3180045 P3180046 David P3180047 P3180048 Jane P3180049 P3180050 and Jan P3180051 P3180052 A friendly passerby took a lot of pictures of us P3180053 P3180054 P3180055 P3180056 P3180057 because he didn't know how the camera worked.

Next it was time to take the tram P3180058 P3180060 to the sea P3180061 follwing the rules P3180062 about swimming P3180059 The women went into the water first P3180063 and started floating P3180064 P3180065 Other people were at the beach P3180066 P3180067 P3180068 P3180069 P3180070 P3180071

Next we drove to Masada P3180087 and started walking along the endless winding road P3180072 P3180073 P3180074 P3180075 P3180076 P3180077 P3180078 P3180079 P3180080 P3180081 P3180082 P3180083 P3180084 P3180085 P3180086 to the top P3180089 where we first found P3180088 bags of archaeological cement.

We went to a few building ruins P3180090 P3180091 P3180092 P3180093 P3180094 P3180095 and looked at a view P3180096 .

Then we looked down at where we had climbed and where the Romans had camped P3180099 P3180113 P3180114 P3180115 P3180112 P3180111 at some views of the whole place P3180110 P3180097 P3180098 and at some views in individual buildings P3180100 P3180105 P3180106 P3180107 P3180108 P3180109 We also saw a wonderful P3180102 on two floors P3180101 P3180103 P3180104 and the synagogue P3180116 P3180117

We concluded the day with even more pictures before leaving Masada, first some views P3180118 P3180119 P3180120 then the storerooms P3180121 P3180122 P3180123 P3180124 P3180125 P3180126 with some interesting lighting effects.

We ended the day by driving to Ein Boqeq where we crossed this road P3180127 to take a final obligatory P3180128 phone booth picture (the talented viewer will see Sarah hiding in this picture).