The Lowest Point on Earth

Have you ever wondered what it's like to float without exerting any energy?  Or have you ever considered what it means to be at the lowest point on Earth?  Have you ever had skin so soft that it feels as though you just spent the last week at a spa? If so (or even if you're just curious), we have just the place for you!  

A close 1.5 hour drive from Jerusalem, tourists and locals alike visit the Dead Sea for some rest and relaxation (literally).  The Dead Sea is quite long -- it's full a 42 mile coastline and in 2010 alone, it hosted almost 1.8 million people.  Thanks to a recent PR campaign, the number of annual visitors will surely rise, however the water level of the Dead Sea continues to drop - at a rate of 3.3 feet per  year.  Additionally, the lake's surface area has been reduced by one third since the 1960s and in 2007, it measured just 246 sq miles compared to 366 sq miles some four decades earlier.

The Dead Sea is famous for being one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world - and therefore - an excellent natural medical treatment for the skin.  It also produces the famous Dead Sea MUD which is seen shmeared on people in photographs all around the world!

So on your next vacation to Israel, be sure to visit and float in the Dead Sea.  It's an experience that is not to be missed!!

Contact Point at The Israel Museum

Thousands of Jerusalem residents and guests came together at the Israel Museum on Thursday, July 14, 2011 for the Museum's annual Nekudat Maga (Contact Point) event.  A joint project of the Israel Museum and the Jerusalem Season of Culture (JSOC), this evening brings together artists, musicians, dancers and more in one of Jerusalem's best parties of the summer!

Filling every corner of the galleries throughout the museum as well as the sculpture garden and other spaces, guests were sure to find something meaningful and interesting ... and something to satiate their artistic palette.

Left: Routes Travel team enjoying dinner outside at Modern.

For the Routes team, the evening started at Modern, the Israel Museum's newest restaurant.  The outdoor setting was a perfect way to begin the festivities of the night.  Starters included green falafel (cumin, freshly crushed garlic and lemon juice), Jerusalem chummus, Baladi eggplant and more.  For the main course, the selection included Beef Sofrito (potatoes, parsley and beef), Fillet of Mullet (hummus, sauteed onion, pesto and pimento sauce), and Grilled Chicken Breast (mushroom ragu, garlic confit, bulgar and lentil mejadra).  And for dessert, there was chocolate fudge topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, pear and almond-filled cigars and fruit salad.

After dinner, we ventured into the museum where many artists were in residence, filling the open spaces with explanations of their artwork and exhibits.  There were also interactive exhibitions such as "Streams of Consciousness," where two writers explored what it means personally to them.  They expressed themselves by typing correspondence to each other on their laptops, in front of an audience.  Tour guides were also available for private tours throughout the galleries.

To finish the evening - and to abide by Jerusalem's noise laws - Contact Point once again hosted a "Silent Party." One thousand people wearing headphones, listening to the same music, and dancing on the outdoor promenade at the Israel Museum made this worldwide trend a phenomenon here in Israel as well.  The setting couldn't be more perfect:  the plaza overlooks Jerusalem and is next to Anish Kapoor's sculpture, Turning the World Upside Down.

If you missed this year's party -- there is always next year (and 364 days in between)!  The Israel Museum is truly a unique part of Jerusalem and has something for everyone - children and adults, artists and novices alike. 


Not to be missed:  The Israel Museum plays host to the famous Dead Sea Scrolls which can be found in the Shrine of the Book.  Discovered in eleven caves in the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1953, this is a must for a visit to the museum.  And finally, to see what Jerusalem looked like in the time of the Second Temple, be sure to visit the Second Temple Model at the Israel Museum.  This structure, built on nearly one acre, is detailed and sophisticated and depicts for the visitor ancient Jerusalem in 66CE.