Mt Sinai is a mountain in a range in the Sinai desert, about two hours drive north of Dahab. It is not the biggest mountain in the area, but it has the biggest reputation - it is where Moses is reputed to have received the Ten Commandments. It is a site of importance for both Christian and Muslim faiths and many people make the short "pilgrimage" to the summit. In fact, a thoughtful monk has enhanced the religious side of the experience by carving almost 4,000 steps into the rock which pilgrims can use as a penitential alternative to the gentler camel trail to the top.
We decided to do the climb to the summit - though not via the steps - and, like most people, wanted to be there to catch the sunrise. This meant setting out by van from Dahab around 11 pm. The ride was uneventful except for the rainstorm we encountered. Rain and lightning was not something we had anticipated and it was quite a surprise to see rain pounding on the windscreen in the middle of the desert. It didn't last for long. We reached the foot of the mountain a little after 1 am and, with a local Bedouin guide, began the trek up the mountain. It was an easy trail, but congested with many other people doing the same thing as well as camels and camel drivers offering their "taxi" service. The stars illuminated the trail as we ascended and there was a long line of flickering lights behind and in front of us from the flashlights of other trekkers. The Bedouins have strategically placed shops and resting places at intervals along the trail, so we were never far from refreshments if we had needed them.
We reached the summit around 4 am. You can't miss the summit - in a mark of ecumenism, there is both a small Christian Orthodox church and a small mosque perched side-by-side there. Still two hours to sunrise. After getting warm on the ascent, we quickly got cold in the winds which buffeted the peak. Again, there were thoughtful Bedouins all around offering blankets and hot drinks! We were able to sleep for an hour or so and then the sky began to lighten. We watched as various groups of pilgrims prayed and sang religious songs. Slowly the orange globe of the sun appeared over the clouds. It was a strangely eerie sight. The sun cast an almost surreal glow over the surrounding mountains which were already partly obscured by low-hanging misty cloud.
After spending some time enjoying the atmosphere, we joined the queue of people descending. It was slow progress. We could have taken the steps down but chose the camel trail again to save our knees. We were passed by a few camels carrying tourists - and, seeing their anatomical pain, vowed never to ride on a camel downhill.
We arrived back at the foot of the mountain. St Catherine's monastery, a religious edifice with a very long lineage, is located there and we stopped by to visit. It continues to serve as an Orthodox monastery, just as it has done for millennia. And it houses a large collection of religious icons and manuscripts. The manuscripts in particular were impressive. Beautifully preserved on paper or parchment and in all sorts of exotic languages. The sense of history here was overwhelming.
We returned to Dahab, where we spent another day relaxing and windsurfing (not so relaxing!) before taking a bus to Cairo and boarding a flight for Istanbul. And so ended our travels on the African continent.
Simon
We decided to do the climb to the summit - though not via the steps - and, like most people, wanted to be there to catch the sunrise. This meant setting out by van from Dahab around 11 pm. The ride was uneventful except for the rainstorm we encountered. Rain and lightning was not something we had anticipated and it was quite a surprise to see rain pounding on the windscreen in the middle of the desert. It didn't last for long. We reached the foot of the mountain a little after 1 am and, with a local Bedouin guide, began the trek up the mountain. It was an easy trail, but congested with many other people doing the same thing as well as camels and camel drivers offering their "taxi" service. The stars illuminated the trail as we ascended and there was a long line of flickering lights behind and in front of us from the flashlights of other trekkers. The Bedouins have strategically placed shops and resting places at intervals along the trail, so we were never far from refreshments if we had needed them.
We reached the summit around 4 am. You can't miss the summit - in a mark of ecumenism, there is both a small Christian Orthodox church and a small mosque perched side-by-side there. Still two hours to sunrise. After getting warm on the ascent, we quickly got cold in the winds which buffeted the peak. Again, there were thoughtful Bedouins all around offering blankets and hot drinks! We were able to sleep for an hour or so and then the sky began to lighten. We watched as various groups of pilgrims prayed and sang religious songs. Slowly the orange globe of the sun appeared over the clouds. It was a strangely eerie sight. The sun cast an almost surreal glow over the surrounding mountains which were already partly obscured by low-hanging misty cloud.
After spending some time enjoying the atmosphere, we joined the queue of people descending. It was slow progress. We could have taken the steps down but chose the camel trail again to save our knees. We were passed by a few camels carrying tourists - and, seeing their anatomical pain, vowed never to ride on a camel downhill.
We arrived back at the foot of the mountain. St Catherine's monastery, a religious edifice with a very long lineage, is located there and we stopped by to visit. It continues to serve as an Orthodox monastery, just as it has done for millennia. And it houses a large collection of religious icons and manuscripts. The manuscripts in particular were impressive. Beautifully preserved on paper or parchment and in all sorts of exotic languages. The sense of history here was overwhelming.
We returned to Dahab, where we spent another day relaxing and windsurfing (not so relaxing!) before taking a bus to Cairo and boarding a flight for Istanbul. And so ended our travels on the African continent.
Simon
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