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Published: October 26th 2008
More sunset photos...
This time over the Sinai MountainsOn the 20th of October and our second last day we put our selves to bed early. Our big overnight trip to St Catherine's and Moses Mountain was planned for that night. We were to be picked up at 10.30pm for a 3 hour coach trip to St Catherine's, when we were to climb the mountain (another 3 hours) and watch the sunrise from the peak, and then climb back down to enjoy breakfast before exploring St. Catherine's Monastery.
As you may be able to gather from the expectant tone of my first paragraph this was the plan but not the reality. I got a call about 7pm to tell me the trip had been cancelled. I don't think I can express to you here just how that made me feel. The Sinai Mountains, Moses's Mountain and St Catherine's were - to me - the culmination of our entire adventure...
Frantic, half asleep and in shock I tried to call our local representative (super reliable and helpful to this point and the organiser of all of my activities) - his phone was switched off. It occured to me about then that he hadn't called me to tell that the
trip had been cancelled. Why? Could it be that when I booked with him on our first day the week before that I made it very clear that this particular trip was VERY important to me and the main reason for my coming to Sharm El Sheikh (and maybe even Egypt)? Was I overthinking this?
I tried to call Ahmed for the rest of the evening and waited expectantly by the phone - surely someone was going to ring me and tell me that there had been a terrible mistake but that it was all going to be okay?
The next morning I awoke feeling a little ill ( and not from room service the night before). It was our last day and I did NOT want to be feeling this way after such a great trip. Right, time to get a little positive thinking happening. I tried very hard to think about pleasant things and that maybe there was a good reason I wasn't meant to go. I also needed some answers and so I rang Ahmed again - his phone was switched off. Mmmm. I looked around in the local directory (fortunately an English version) for
my tour operator's office number. I rang the number I found and worked my way through several pre-recordings to discover that nobody was available to take my call. Bloody Egyptians and their 10am start to the day!
Right - still trying to be positive - off to breakfast then. I could call when we got back. Ahmed's phone still switched off. Mmmm.
On our return to our room I rang the office again and eventually got through to a english speaking human. Yay! After several explanations of my plight and several transfers between departments I spoke with the Account Manager and this is what I said; "...I am leaving Sharm El Sheikh tomorrow and I need to confirm my flights, I also need to organise a refund for a cancelled trip as I have not been able to contact my local representative." The woman seemed more suprised by this last point that anything else and confirmed that I had the right number. Yes, I had the right number. I became a little upset at this point about the cancelled trip and my inability to contact the person looking after me while in Sharm El Sheikh and the woman
A little camp for overnight stays...
around 1/2 way up (or down) the mountain. said she would make some calls and ring me right back.
I'm not sure if it was the word "refund" or whether it was because I was notably upset that I got a call back within 5 minutes with this... "Ms Luke, the Director of the company will be at the hotel reception in 10 minutes, will you meet him? He will explain everything."
I won't go into any more detail about my conversation with the director - suffice it to say that he said that if I was prepared to leave within the next 20 minutes he would organise a private car, tour guide and all expenses to get me to the mountain for sunset that evening. Unfortunately St. Catherine's was not open, nor would there be time to visit the monastery. Nothing to be done about it now - we're off to Moses's Mountain at last!
Anyway, a bit about the Mountain... Approximately 2.3 kms up and around 4000 steps, the climb takes around 3 hours. Anyone who knows me might wonder how the hell I managed this?! Well the answer is simple, by camel of course! Fortunately for me a camel can take you
almost all of the way excepting the last 700 steps which were arduous enough thank you very much. I would be lying if I didn't say I struggled, but the view and my photographic attempts were adequate to provide the distraction I needed to make it to the top.
The major significance of this area is the suggestion that it is Moses's mountain and where he saw the burning bush and found the 10 commandments. There are apparently no archeological facts to support these claims, however, for 1700 years people from all over the world have made a pligrimage to the area and there are a plethora of relics of faith to support this!
There is plenty to know about this area and if you are interested I suggest you do some googling - my interest is not so much religious but geographical and historical.
Anyone who has read my itinerary knows that in actual fact we are home by now (it's the 27/10) and I am simply catching up on our last adventures while they are still fresh in my mind.
I hope that those of you who exerted the necessary pressure to make this blog a reality are satisfied? You know who you are! This trip has been everything I expected and plenty I didn't. I have met some lovely people and missed my family and friends in the best way you can. All in all a very worthwhile experience.
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Paul K
non-member comment
Push it to the limit!
Wow Jo, what a tale of sweat + tears + triumph! Hope there was no blood... Welcome home :-)