Dead Sea Dreams Died and Rose Again

Well, I'm back from my journey to Jerusalem, Palestine, Cairo and Alexandria... and there are so many things to write about I scarcely know where to begin!  Posts on the Israel/Palestine conflict, religious tensions, muddling through al-3amiya al-miSriya (the dialect of Arabic spoken in Egypt), haggling over cab rides (and even getting assaulted in one!) to follow.

This story had to come first. 

Anne-Marie and I enjoyed our days in Jerusalem visiting with Terry and seeing all of the sites.  We checked everything off my list, in spite of sandstorms, wind, my persistent cough, and site closings due to Shabbat.  All that remained was the Dead Sea!  We planned to head out early in the morning and stop off in Ein Gedi for two hours before continuing on our epic journey across the border into Egypt.  We arrived in Ein Gedi, and it seemed the plan was going to come off without a hitch.

However--the beach was empty.  Not a soul in sight, except for the brave folks on staff at the Ein Gedi canteen.  AMA and I took it all in and discussed our plan of attack.  "Well, no one else is here to go in the water today, but WE are!"  Enter mean-spirited, cowboy hat-sporting ranger fellow.  "Oh no, you're not either!", he sneered.  "See that black flag up there?  It means you can't go in.  Ouch.  Have a nice day."  Ouch?  Followed by "Have a nice day"?  My dead sea dreams were dashed.  I had not noticed the black flag.  So what if the Dead Sea wasn't placid and flat as usual, the wind stirring up the sand and the surf?  My shoulders slumped.  I was so close to completing the Dead Sea float I could taste it... but it was not to be.

AMA could tell I was visibly disappointed, and we trudged down to the water with our luggage in tow, at least to get a closer look.  AMA even took a faux "floating" pic, a great camera trick involving my leaning back on a rock.  Almost as good as the real thing.  We stared at that ominous black flag and shook our heads, our hair whipping around wildly.

But wait!  A sort of lifeguard hut loomed above next to the black flag, and there seemed to be signs of life inside it.  When you're on the verge of achieving your dream, sometimes obstacles arise... and you have to overcome them.  We got the guards' attention, and I approached the window and asked sweetly... "Any chance that black flag will be coming down in the next hour or so?"  And they replied, "Oh you can swim.  Just be careful.  And it's very cold."

I leaped for joy.  Take that cowboy/ranger dude! The lifeguards from above had resurrected my Dead Sea dreams.  Appropriate, given our location.  I was so excited I started shedding my clothes on the beach (I had worn my bikini bottoms, but I needed to figure out a way to strategically put the top on underneath my shirt.).  The lifeguards called out to us and kindly offered their hut as a changing room.  Oh right, modesty.  They had beer and some kind of PlayStation or Nintendo system in the front room and some American eagle knicknacks in the back room (and heat!).  I rolled out of the hut and went on to complete my float, as you can see here:  Dead Sea Float 

AMAZING! 

The moral of the story?   Matthew 7:7-12
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Winter Wonderland Train Ride and RAKs

I've been meaning to write this post for a while now, and it's only today that I'm getting around to it, as the second winter wonderland train ride has already occurred (and then subsequent rides have NOT occurred due to weather). 

The first winter wonderland ride occurred about a week ago...  No snow in Geneva to speak of really, just a few flurries, but on the way to Bern, a field of white dotted with deer, snow-crested evergreens, just beautiful.  On the return trip, I was seated across from a young girl, a student.  We arrived in Lausanne, and I saw a few gentlemen pick up an abandoned scarf to return it to its rightful owner.  I smiled at their kindness, then noticed that across from me, the young girl had dropped her "Abonnement Général" (a fare card for which you pay a large sum up front that allows you to take any train, tram, or bus in Switzerland, with only a few rare exceptions--I have one, and it is AMAZING!).  I paused, not sure what to do, the girl had left minutes ago, but those gentlemen had done a kind service, so what was I waiting for?  I glanced out the window, and the young girl was standing on the platform waiting for someone.  Without thinking, I grabbed the card, dashed down the stairs, ran over to her a bit frantic for fear that the train would leave with all my belongings still aboard, screeching "I think you left this!" in French and handing her the card before dashing back onto the train.  She was a bit stunned (by my screeching?  by the fact that she had left the card?  by the fact that I ran off the train to give it to her? I'll never know).  But as I regained my seat, she gave me a grateful wave and a big smile through the window.  And I was glad I had paid it forward...