After 24 hours of travelling from Sydney, via Bangkok, Dubai and eventually Amman we arrived at our first destination, the Northern Bank of the Dead Sea. Prior to reaching our motel we stopped at Mt Nebo about 30 mins bus drive from Amman.

Along the way the scenery was somewhat unexpected. Due to heavy rain in the past few days there was a tinge of green to the fields. There were local Shepards tending sheep, goats and camels. People camped in the Bedouin tents and temporary dwellings and well as dusty towns.

Mt Nebo is the place that during the Exodus from Egypt, God took Moses to show him the Promised Lands. The Franciscans run a Museum and Chapel on the site. They are currently building a large facility and church on the site. Our Chaplain said our first Mass in the small Chapel on the site. As the Old Testament story goes, Moses didn't get to the Promised Lands but died at Mt Nebo.

Got to our accommodation at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Dead Sea around 3 pm. Lovely new hotel opened 3 months ago. We spent the later part of the afternoon at the Resort Beach floating in the water. The Dead Sea is the lowest land point on earth, approximately 400 m below sea level. It has a salt concentration of 33% but is loosing water due to damming of the Jordan river.

Quite an eerie feeling floating in the Sea feeling as someone is lifting you up in the water. There is a tendency to topple over and it is difficult to stand up once floating in the water.

Day ended with dinner in the motel with the other 39 pilgrims and early to bed reading for a 6 am wake up call and an early morning trip to the Jordan River and the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Then into Israel and Bethlehem.