Red Sea Oasis

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Mt Sinai has absolutley scratched my Mountain high itch!

After leaving Cairo we endured a very bumpy 7 hour journey East to the Asian part of Egypt - Sinai. An incredibly dry lanscape with high granite peaks flowed past our first glimpse of the azure Red Sea. Named the Red Sea because apparently at night the granite cliffs reflect and turn the sea a reddish colour. So here I am on the coastline of that sea looking across to Saudi Arabia so clearly on the horizon. A tranquil little town called Dahab is to be my home for the next few days. 😊

But yesterday remains to be told. I was excited about hiking atop the mountain that apparently Moses recieved the 10 commandments - but not at all for that reason. We started late afternoon post bus ride. As we left the wide brown valley behind, the arid granite scape rose up like towering apostles. I reminisced about primary school classes spent watching religious films of old - shown by our strict priest. I could imagine Moses in this scene, the shaky dramatic music and the task at hand. Smiling as my childhood imaginings returned fast! 😊

As we quickly met the sharp mountain incline the sauntering camels greeted us with the only colour in the pink and sand palette. A steady few hours hiking lay ahead ending at the 2,200 metre summit. We reached the top nearing sun set as the soft light illuminated the quaint church on top. In every direction mountains enclosed our high!

The new inspiration for me that day was the local Bedouin who walked effortlessly with us. A spritely 55 year old man called Haj Shaleh - I liked him instantly. Named Haj becuase he has visited his holy place of Mecca like Christians that pilgrimage to Jerusalum. He walks up the Mountain twice a day without a hitch and beams encourgement right through you. His smiling eyes warmed our cold hands at the peak.

As the orange glow of the sun set I stood up from my chosen rock and cast something far down below. A piece of my recent past that needed to be severed. Sinai seemed to be the perfect place to cast any negativity off. I don't believe in the story of Moses but I definitely felt the spirituality and beauty of the landscape. Mountain tops will always have that appeal for me and if it's the place that Christians, Jews and Muslims believe to be chosen then all the better.

After sunset the super cold came quickly. The sky turned pitch as we decended but the almost moonless sky rewarded us with an incredible carpet of stars. We all felt elated and buzzed. Mt Sinai has been the highlight of this trip for me so far. I'm energised by the starkness of the treeless mountains and now soaking up the contrast of being water side once more. Dahab has diving, snorkelling, quad biking and so much more. I just arrived so heading out to explore this sleepy looking oasis now.

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