Mud, mud, glorious mud

One of the benefits of living in Arad is that we're only a 20-minute drive away from the lowest point on Earth (on land, that is). Yes, I'm talking about the Dead Sea. 418 metres below sea level, home to Masada, Ein Gedi, and dozens of luxury "Spa" Hotels.
For those who haven't been here before, here's what to do at the Dead Sea: Have a bit of a dip (marvel at the sensation of floating so buoyantly in the water, take some pics of yourself or someone else floating on their back while reading a newspaper, etc.). Then, rinse off, exfoliate with big sea crystals so you're ready to shmear yourself with Dead Sea Mud, all over, lie in the sun for a bit, then rinse off again in the super-mineralized Dead Sea waters.

After doing this, your skin feels sooo slippery smooth and silky that it would make a baby's bottom feel like sandpaper by comparison. So smooth that one has to remind oneself not to spend too much time rubbing one's own newly smooth skin and cooing with pleasure, lest one attract the wrong kind of attention.

However, things aren't all sunshine and lollipops for the Dead Sea itself. The water levels are dropping, due to diversions of water from the Jordan River further north, and evaporation ponds associated with the Dead Sea mineral works. It's been proposed that a canal be built to transport water from the Red Sea or the Mediterranean. See, the 400m drop in height from sea level means it could be possible to create hydro-electric power and a desalinisation plant. Since the Dead Sea lies on the border, this would be a cooperative project between Jordan and Israel. You can read more about the proposed idea here. (NB. I just fixed this link, thanks Ben!)