Last summer I had the chance to travel to Israel and Jordan. One place I was lucky enough to visit was the ancient fortress of Masada overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is an ancient fortress in southern Israel built on top of a plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. You can actually hike up here but if you're doing it in summer, you need to start early because temperatures soar about 40 degrees Celsius. When you're standing up here, it's clear why this spot was chosen as a fortress and stronghold because soldiers could see for miles in each direction for any potential invaders. And yes, that tiny strip of blue in the background is the Dead Sea where I went to float right after this photo!