Just when we thought our sleep deprivation couldn’t get any worse, we rose to a record 1:00 am wakeup call, to prepare for our hike up Mt. Sinai. We were out of the dock by 1:30 am, anxiously hoping to beat the Japanese to Mt. Sinai. We were one of the first groups to arrive at St. Katherine’s Protectorate to begin our trek, which meant that everyone who wanted to take the easy way to the top by camel would get one. Each camel was lead by a Bedouin boy, most likely named Mohammad. However, there was a small contingency of trekkers, who wanted to huff and puff their way to the top and relished being among the first to arrive and check out the mosque and small Christian church standing side by side.
Rising to the top of the mountain, some witnessed amazing glimpses of shooting stars and the feeling that they were so close to the constellations they could almost reach out and touch them. Others were more excited by the opportunity to buy Mars bars from at least six different locations along the way. After reaching the top, many huddled under blankets gazing up in awe at the star-studded heavens. One can certainly understand why Moses came to such a place to talk to God.
Bedouins walked about shouting out offers for blankets and mattresses with which to enjoy watching the sunrise. But, if you managed to side step these shout-outs, you could have heard the story of Moses being read and the singing of a faint rendition of “Nearer my God to Thee.” In contemplating the beauty that surrounded us, and the miraculous events that took place in that area where Moses spoke with God face-to-face, the spirit became overwhelming—almost tangible.
When the sun finally peaked above the horizon, there was a collective moment of silence, then all the cameras went off in unison to capture the splendor.
The trek down didn’t go quite as smoothly, with a sprained ankle, some new targets of the GI virus moving through the group, and other aches and pains.
After coming down the mountain, we headed back to the Morganland Hotel for a quick breakfast and then we were on the road again where much of the bus did a fabulous impersonation of the bobble head dolls.
It wouldn’t do us justice to say that we crossed the Israeli border uneventfully. We woefully watched Israeli nationals and other foreigners pass through without problem, while we were singled out to have our luggage searched, be questioned unnecessarily, and be frustrated at the two-hour long border crossing.
Once in Eliat, the group enjoyed the Red Sea at Coral Beach through snorkeling, scuba, and sunbathing. A number of crazy creatures were reportedly seen such as sea horses, eels, and sea snakes.
Once in Eliat, the group enjoyed the Red Sea at Coral Beach through snorkeling, scuba, and sunbathing. A number of crazy creatures were reportedly seen such as sea horses, eels, and sea snakes.
The little things on the road really make a difference, like the collective appreciation of our Israeli coach bus, which was devoid of many of the smells and discomforts of our Egyptian coach complete with bigger overhead compartment, and a rumored two inches more leg room.
The rest of the evening was spent with a great buffet at the Rimonim Neptune Hotel which exceeded all of our expectations.
The rest of the evening was spent with a great buffet at the Rimonim Neptune Hotel which exceeded all of our expectations.
Many delicious plates of food were eaten and savored, as we enjoyed a far superior buffet to anything we partook of in Egypt. After dinner, many went out for a walk on the beach or a little shopping. To sum it all up, we went from the top of Mount Sinai to the bottom of the Red Sea in less than 24 hours.
No comments:
Post a Comment