For religious history buffs Mount Nebo is one of the most sacred places of pilgrimage since B.C. Most importantly it is the place where Moses looked out upon the forbidden promise land of Canaan and here he also died and is thought to be buried. Mount Nebo is an easy 10 km drive west from Mataba, the city of mosaics. The Sanctuary can be visited, including a memorial of Moses, remnants of mosaic floors of the old church as well as a small museum of artifacts. Restoration efforts were underway during our visit.

View from Mt. Nebo

The summit facing the dead sea overlooking the holy land is one of the most astonishing sights. It’s easy to imagine life during biblical times. The view excited us to spontaneously visit the Dead Sea from the Jordanian side. Next week, we will swim the Dead Sea from the Israeli side after visiting the controversial “capital city” of Jerusalem. The winding desert roads below Mt. Nebo took us through Bedouin villages, abandoned fortresses and villagers herding cattle. We stared and wondered how life can be so simple?

Upon reaching the Dead Sea, we found the remote O Beach Resort to stop for lunch. For 10 Dinar, the resort offers a glimpse of luxury, including an olympic size infinity pool overlooking the sea. And, a private slice of the Dead Sea beach experience. Who would have thought you could find such Las Vegas style luxury in Jordan?

Welcome to the Dead Sea

Dead Sea Salts

As we descended the stairs to the sea, we were amazed by the glistening blue water and glowing white crystal rocks along the shore. The salts from the sea are so fierce that they’ve created a hard casing over the rocks. Anxious to experience the water, Christie stepped out on the dock to soak her hands with the salt rich water. She was shocked by the oily slimy feel on her skin. She had never felt anything quite like this tingly sensation before. We could only imagine how it must feel to soak your entire body into this pool of floating sodium. Unfortunately we were unprepared for swimming, thus you’ll hear soon about our upcoming adventure when we take the plunge into the sea of salts from Israel.

See our Photo Album:
Mt. Nebo & The Dead Sea