St Catherines

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After a chaotic departure, I arrived at St Catherine's monastery and was dropped off amongst many tour busses and told my driver would be back to pick me up around 7pm. I wasn't totally prepared for the day, so wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to see and do here at the monastary! I made my way along with other tourists, and wandered around the outside of the monastary. I wasn't sure what the official protocol was as to entering and since I only had american dollars, I bypassed the monastary and started my climb up Mt. Sinai. (I had about 8 hours to kill before my driver would be back!)
So I began my climb, about half a dozen bedouin men and boys asked me if I needed a camel to help with my climb. I declined and kept walking. I got about a third of the way up, when yet another guy asked me if I needed a camel. I said no, he said it was a long way and that it was steep. Since I had eaten very little that day, and wasn't quite sure what I was doing... I decided maybe this was a sign from god, saying I gave you a camel and you didn't take it so don't bother complaining! SO, i caved in and took a camel. It was quite the experience to ride up a mountain on a camel! The camels zig zag up the trail avoiding rocks and too steep of a climb, which is quite the adventure. After riding the next third the bedouin guide told me it was about as far as the camel goes, because after that point the climb is a long stretch of stairs. I thanked him and went on my way. He wasn't kidding, to get to the summit you must ascend about 750 man made stairs (more like boulders and large rocks put together in a long meandering staircase.) Aparently a monk years ago, believed it was his personal mission to create this pathway. It's not a task I would like to have!
I made it to the summit and stood there, where supposedly Moses recieved the 10 commandments! WOW! What history! I sat at the top awhile and then decended back down to the monastary, on my own two feet this time!
Arriving at the bottom at about 4pm, I wondered what i was going to do to kill the three hours I had left before my minivan came back! I sat there and read the brochure I had purchased on my way in, I tried to ignore the stares of the tourist policemen sitting there, and then tried to keep warm. This place sure does get cold once the sun sets!!! After about an hour I was really starting to feel the cold. I started praying to god to not let me feel cold anymore. It had been a VERY long day, and I had climbed a holy mountain, the least he could do was take away my cold right? Well about 5 minutes after I had these thoughts, this man came up to me and offered me tea, coffee or fanta. (there was a little shop that I had missed while I was sitting there waiting!) I immediately jumped on his offer and said I would take some tea. He brought me into his little shop, sat me down, offered me a blanket to keep warm, and even shared his dinner. It was a unique experience, one you wouldn't necessaraly get in the states! It made my day, and made it a day I will not soon forget!
I got back to Dahab and had some dinner. Made some new friends, and went to bed! It was a good day, a bit frustrating and trying at times but well worth it!

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Photos

View from a Camel!
My perspective of the trail up Mt Sinai from a camel!

Church atop Mt Sinai
The chapel on top of the mt.

Dahab at night
The main drag of Dahab at night