Feeling alive after a dip in the Dead Sea

The youths on pilgrimage yesterday took a small break from the religious part of their trip to indulge in a mud treatment in the Dead Sea.

The sea, which was recently eliminated from an internet contest choosing the seven natural wonders of the world, because of a Palestinian boycott over the participation of an Israeli settler council, is actually a salt lake between Israel and the West Bank to the west and Jordan to the east. It is 422 metres below sea level and the shores are the lowest part on the surface of the earth. It is also one of the saltiest bodies of water, with 33.7 per cent salinity (the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea is about four per cent).

Therefore, it's difficult to drown here because of the unusual buoyancy caused by the high salinity but it's also dangerous if you swallow the seawater. In fact, on the way down to the shore, you will find billboards with dos and don'ts in the Dead Sea. For example, one should not jump or dive into the water or even splash it!

The sea is called "dead" because its salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms such as fish or aquatic plants from living in it - which is actually good news for those who hate seaweed or jellyfish! And the sea temperature is quite high.

Despite its "negative" name, the properties of the Dead Sea have been used for centuries for medicinal and beauty purposes. In fact, it was one of the world's first health centres (for Herod the Great) and a number of companies use its salt, minerals and mud to make cosmetics - from anti-wrinkle creams to scrubs to shampoo and aftershaves. You'll find products of the Dead Sea all over Israel. There is an outlet in Valletta which sells these products.

Many tourists - like the Maltese pilgrims - usually stop there for short while. After a quick dip, it's off to the showers to cleanse oneself off the mud and the salt which makes the skin itchy, and back to the coach to move on to the next stop.