Friday 06-06 - Part 1, Masada

I woke up in our tiny, charming Israeli Swedish hostel feeling nauseous. I put it down to the heat of the night in my sleeping liner and dehydration. So I drank some water and tried to ignore it. We packed up and checked out, then went to find our next hostel to check in. The Swedish was just for the night, the next 5 nights would be at the Jaffa gate hostel. The two were separated by 50m and an alley. There was no one at reception so we left our back behind the desk with a note. We couldn't stay because we had to meet the bus at 8-30am to start our tour of Masada and the dead sea.

The Tel-Aviv hostel lady had told us to meet at 9 David st. She meant to say King David st, 10 minutes away. We stood around David st for a while. Well Josh stood, I felt awful still and sat on a step. We checked the LP map book and started walking briskly up the King David Hotel where the bus was. They were still waiting for other people so I sat against a pillar and tried to compose myself.

We got on the bus and sat at the back. I was pale and nauseous, so Josh gave me a small plastic bag which I clutched as I lay on the back seat. I sat up was sick into said bag. Just the water really, I hadn't eaten in almost 2 days. I have no clue what it was that me feel so awful. It might have a been a bug or something in the water. What ever it was, it was quick. After I was sick I started to feel much better. We picked up some lemonade at a pit stop and I sipped it through the bus ride. Luckily for me, we were taking the cable car to the top of the mountain and no the winding snake path. It was a 40 degree day in blazing heat. I was worried about dehydration from vomiting and heat, considering I might continue to be ill (med student, or maybe common sense). I asked the tour guide how long the tour was and if there was much shade. He very rudely informed me that I was a big girl, and that I should go up top and then take the cable car down if I needed. That put me in a bad mood, but I tried not to think about it.

We crammed into the cable car and glided through the air to the top of the mountain. The view was incredible.



(Masada is a mountain fortress built by King Herod. Years later it was used by the Jews running from the Romans. They locked themselves up in the fortress and were besieged by the Romans. The siege lasted 6 years before the Romans destroyed one of the walls. When they broke through the Jews all took their own lives and the lives of their families. They preferred death to what the Romans would have done to them. Apparently they drew lots to see who would kill who and who was left at the end to suicide.)



The buildings themselves were decently impressive. I wasn´t in awe or anything. I think the ideas and history behind Masada are the most powerful thing about it. Their were some nice touches, like mosaics and the remains if Herods palace.





I kept drinking and didn't feel nauseous again that day. Tired, but not nauseous. I had a falafel pita of the Masada cafeteria, my first food in two days.

I got my first sunburn of the trip. A red patch on my left shoulder. I was rushed off the bus at our destination and was feeling crappy and didn't cover myself is sun cream. It probably wasn´t the best idea.