My trip to Egypt in 2010 – part 3
For my last two days in the Sinai, I was going to be trekking in the Sinai Mountains. My plan was to climb Mount Sinai overnight so that I was on the summit for the sunrise.
Mount Sinai is a 2,285-metre (7,497 ft) high mountain in the Sinai Peninsula.
According to Jewish and Christian teaching, Mount Sinai was the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
Dressed in traditional Bedouin robes, I was ready for the ascent.
I was ready for my trek.
For the ascent of the mountain, I took the Siket El Bashait path. This path takes about 2.5 hours on foot. However this path is very popular with tourists and many tourists climb the path though camels. One have to becareful on this path as it is very easy to get run over by a camel with a fat tourist riding it. As I said, this path is VERY popular and is at times, ridiculous with the number of camels and trekkers.
The usual ascent is overnight, thus getting to the summit for the sunrise.
It was great!
The mountains of the Sinai Peninsula glows red under the sunrise.
The mountains glowed red under the sunrise.
I was glad I made it up to the summit in time for the sunrise.
The views were great.
I was able to see all across the Sinai Peninsula.
The views were great!
A Greek Orthodox Chapel is at the top of Mount Sinai. This chapel was built in 1934 and is not open to the public.
The little chapel at the top of Mount Sinai.
The descent was done by the steeper, more direct route Siket Sayidna Musa path.
The descent was by carved out steps in the rock.
This path is made up of the 3,750 “Steps of Penitence” in the ravine that leads to the monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai.
The monastery as seen from Mount Sinai.
The monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, is St. Catherine’s Monastery. The Greek Orthodox monastery is a World Heritage Site as listed with UNESCO.
I went inside the compound.
It is claimed that this is oldest working Christian monastery in the world.
When I got back to Dahab, I went sunbathing for the last time before flying back to the barracks for work.
Soaking up the rays.
It was good flying to Egypt during the UK winter. Flights are cheap and direct while sunshine is granted.
For more information on Mount Sinai please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Sinai
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Catherine%27s_Monastery,_Mount_Sinai
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