Nightmare bus journeys and religious experiences

---

Getting from Luxor to Dahab is a serious trek. There’s nowhere really worth stopping along the way so I decided to do it in one on the overnight bus. I’d heard some serious horror stories about the bus taking up to 20 hours. Someone even told me to get my hands on some Valium. To add to things my iPod died just last night. There was a large red X on the screen saying to contact Apple support. Not particularly useful in Egypt.

So I set forth with a bag of food and the acceptance I wouldn’t be getting any sleep. I ended up sitting beside a young Egyptian kid with no English. The conversation prospects weren’t looking too good! But the kid had a bag full of chicken fillet rolls which he insisted on sharing! Just when you reach the point you can’t even make eye contact with an Egyptian you meant someone like that.

I’m not gonna lie the journey was pretty Dire. Loads of passport checks along the way and an incredibly loud radio. But I made it to Dahab! I did get some sleep though and it was better than wasting a night in some town in the middle of nowhere.

Dahab is known as the Koh Samui of the middle east. It’s so chilled out, a million miles away from the atmosphere in the rest of Egypt. There’s no beach really and the resorts are all built right up to sea. The town's about developed enough so you can get what you want without there being English breakfasts and copies of the Sun for sale every 5 meters.

Since my sleep cycle was totally messed up anyway I figured I’d do the Mount Sinai sunrise hike that night. That meant leaving at 11pm! Legend has it Mount Sinai is the location where Moses got the 10 commandments so there are loads of people who do the hike as a pilgrimage. At the top there were a few dozen people in tears having “religious experiences”. Me saying “I don’t know why everyone is so upset, it’s not like anything actually happened here” did not go down well.

Anyway it’s a great hike, a fantastic view and there’s a really interesting monastery at the base. Well worth the trip even if you don’t feel the power of Jesus.

Dahab is best known for its snorkelling and diving. You can rent a snorkel for less than a €1 and swim around the reefs right off the promenade. Some of the reefs are pretty badly damaged but further down certain parts are still fantastic.

This is the first place in Egypt I can say with absolute certainty I will come back to!

---

Photos

Mount Sinai
Moonlight on the way up

The Power of Jesus
Televangelist making a video at the top of Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai
Scenery on hike down

Comments

[Ger]

Moses would be proud of you
Moses would be proud of you doing that pilgrimage, the hike looks fantastic. I presume there is an easier way to get there rather than a long luxurious bus ride. I will put that on my list of places to visit if I can get there without the bus ride. Hope you get your Ipod sorted. Mind yourself

[mom]

Hi Aidan, looks like you wont be the priest in the family so! Keep safe and come home to us in one piece,love mom xxxx