Dahab and Sinai

I have just returned from a trip to Dahab and Sinai.  It was a trip of a lifetime and a welcome break from the constant hustle and bustle of Cairo.  I went with several friends and we got there by public bus.  We left Cairo at midnight and arrived in the morning.  I heard somewhere that 97% of Egypt is desert or uninhabitable, and now I have an idea of what that looks like.  

Above: Rachel and Catherine with our pre-departure meal of tea and cookies.

Above: our taxi from the bus station to our hotel was a pick up truck.  We liked it a lot and paid less that $1.50 USD.

The first day we went snorkeling Blue Hole, which is apparently the world's most dangerous dive site.  Dahab's ambiance is laid back and during the winter tourist months, very popular with Europeans and divers.  Our car broke down on the way back, which attracted the attention of some Bedouin children who climbed onto the back, ostensibly to help push.  

The next day we left the hotel early to hike two canyons, Coloured Canyon and White Canyon.  We hiked for several hours before heading to an oasis, where we tucked in some lunch run by Bedouins.  We then walked to White Canyon and hiked from one side to the other.  As it is now Ramadan, our guide did not eat or drink the whole day, which is difficult to imagine, because it was well over 100 degrees F.  

Rachel and me on a mountain peak overlooking the city of Dahab.

Above: Coloured Canyon.

Above: A Bedouin woman herding goats near Coloured Canyon.

Her dog followed us for awhile.  I think he's Taffy's Egyptian cousin.

The truck broke down again, this time near the shade of a date tree.

Our lunch at the oasis in Sinai.

Later that evening we went on a camel trek into the foothills.  The boys who owned the camels were wonderful.  Here are a few pictures.  The little boy's name was "Friday" in Arabic.  His brother put a glass teacup on his forehead and Friday laid on the ground and had to rise to his feet without disturbing the glass on his forehead.  

Yesterday we went south into Sinai by bus and arrived at Mount Sinai and the Monastery of Saint Katherine at 2 am.  We began our hike up the mountain, scrambling up the steep camel path for several hours until we finally arrived at the summit just before 5 am.  Shortly thereafter, the sun began to rise.  The sunrise was one of the most spectacular sights I have ever witnessed.  We could finally see the foothills where we began our trek and appreciate the incredible topography.  

 

At first light, looking out from Mount Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments.  

After seeing the sunrise, we climbed down to Saint Catherine's monastery.  Below: A bush that is supposedly a descendant of the Burning Bush.  We also saw what is believed to be a relic of St. Catherine.

Now I'm back to the Cairo and I'm already missing the blue skies and Red Sea, but excited about the prospect of classes starting and continuing to explore the city!