Dawn on the Dead Sea and other magical times and places

Dead Sea, Israel

There's something to be said about sitting at 3:00 o'clock in the morning on a rocky beach 1385 feet below sea level, gazing up at the Milky Way as your mineral-slimed body smells of the Dead Sea, that famous body of water from which you've just pulled your own not-quite-so-famous body after a swim with a friend. You sit there smelling of salt and sulfur, looking over at the lights of small Jordanian towns on the hills across the way, and while thinking that 99.999% of the human population is at a higher elevation than you you're listening to the lapping of modest wave. You feel fortunate, like you've found a secret spot on the globe, at least secret in the middle of the night, and you're probably smiling at how great this is. The magic of the moment begins to fade only when the sun starts to rise, signaling the long day of work (for this photographer) that is about to begin.

Even for veteran travelers there are places on the map, particularly at certain moments in time (such as in the middle of the night), when the wonder of travel feels fresh. Many of you know what I'm talking about. And if you do, we'd love to hear the wheres and whens of your experiences in the comment section.