Mt. Sinai Part II

It's hard to walk after riding a camel for almost two hours believe me. And the "saddles" they have at the pyramids are roomy unlike the ones at Mr. Sinai which have horns that are snug up against you in front and back. My lower back still has a tender spot where the horn in back rubbed. Don't you hate when that happens?

Anyway - we were on our own from the time we got off the camel. We knew the rest of the group was a ways behind so we decide to head up the rest of the way on our own - myself -T. and M.. I know there are a lot of people on this mountain but it does not feel crowded. We see some folks ahead and behind and can hear the voices of people speaking around us. Camels are along the path still waiting to go back down later. Even though it is still very dark we can see how far we have come by looking below and seeing the lights from flashlights marching along in little lines.

We walk quietly along the path. Now we have to concentrate and use our flashlights to make our way over the rocks in the path and around the turns. The time for star gazing is over except for little rests. We go inside one of the huts and sit for a cup of coffee and some warmth. It feels goooood! The chill of the night is starting to get to us an I am wondering how I am going to do for the rest of the evening. People come in to the hut speaking all sorts of languages but all of us feeling pretty excited about nearing the top now. We all forget that it is 3in the morning and we should be sleeping.

We head out of the hut and begin the direct ascent up a path/stairway made of rocks stacked on top of one another. I am glad it is dark and that I cannot see how truly frightening this is (I see it on the way down in a few hours). We are very very out of breath and need to stop every 10 steps or so. As we go up we pass our fellow climbers resting on the sides - a kind of hiking leap frog. I am astounded that there is more and more to climb every time we take a turn. More little huts and more path to climb! We notice animal droppings on the steps. No camel could come here so we surmise that little donkeys must bring the supplies up the stairs. Finally, we get to what they promise us is the very last group of huts. I look up and see the flashlights of those ahead of us snaking up very high in a single file. We continue.

Finally - we make it to the top - there is a small structure there - I was not expecting it to be built on! A cement balcony type structure. Everyone looks for places to sit or stand. And of course there are Bedouin selling things and renting blankets and small pads for sitting on. They are relentless in their hawking! I imagine a good joke - to wait until we are heading down and going up to one of them saying, "You had blankets for rent?!! Why didn't you TELL us??" But it is just a thought and everyone tolerates their noise quite well.

Russell and the rest of the group arrive just as the sky turns from pitch black to dark gray lined with dusty rose.It is quiet. Singing begins and I recognize one of the songs - "How Great Thou Art" but the words are different. Then I realize it is in English and French and the little nuns are singing in their language and maybe even another one or two languages. All simultaneously. Beautiful! Everyone claps and cheers at the end! Amazing Grace is sung and a few others.

  The sky turns red, orange, blue and the shadows of the mountain stretch out in back of us.

I am looking forward to the warmth! There are about 300 of us all facing East and waiting for the marvelous gift of a new day. Something we all take for granted every day. A cheer goes up when the first ray reaches out from around the corner of a peak in the distance. The day has begun and we all start it together on top of Mt. Sinai.

Mt Sinai. We arrive in the late afternoon and are pleasantly surprised that the “hotel” is very ski lodge-esque without the snow of course. It is toasty around the large pool so we all relax and soak up some sun and marvel at the clean air! All around us are the mountains that make up the interior of the Sinai peninsula; ghosts of those in exile sit on the ridges and contemplate our presence.

We want to see the ‘town” so the 12 of us pile into the small bus and take the 5 minute drive down the road to the tiny town – think Sconset for size (after Armageddon as far as the look of the place goes). Of course we see some boys playing a soccer game as we do almost everywhere we go in Egypt. We are told to buy flashlights if we want to have them on the mountain later on. Some of the group wonder if we could have been told to bring these from our homes (I did bring mine) but I am well past wondering anything about the lack of organization or logic here in Egypt. I have my own hypothesis of the effects of sleep depravation, stress, and malnourishment on intelligence. After a few futile complaints people purchase the flashlights. We walk the one and only block to a café in a tent.

There is a couple hours before dinner. It is not too cold in the tent and there are a couple pool tables and a shisha area so we stay. Some order dinner Russell and I play pool with Brianna and Steve. Rasha joins us and plays pool for the first time. Now she can say, “I learned how to play pool on Mt. Sinai” which is pretty damn cool if I don’t say. The manager comes to play with us and I get worried when he calls to a boy standing by and some special pool playing gloves are fetched for him. Luckily we are not playing for money and it is all friendly!! I have to tell you about the tables. They have seen better days. We are about 6 hours from any form of civilization of course. If the tables could tell their stories they would probably be best sellers! They have the name Riley in leather on each mesh pocket. And little brass plates with the Arabic name of the pool table supplier on one end. They must have come from some hotel is all I can come up with. And how did they make it to this little town on Mt. Sinai?? One table has such a list that it is impossible to set the balls up and take the triangle off! I can’t imagine playing on it. The other has a serious list but we decide it is the same for everyone and have fun playing. The green is stapled to the table and some of the wooden edges are stapled too. A Frankenstein table! It is good to us though and we all have fun.

After a couple of us eat some dinner a pretty cake appears complete with pineapple slices arranged on top. We are all served a piece and it is delicious. It is free we think but we are not sure. Unwisely no one asks. And the whole story about how the cake came to be is contemplated out loud by some of us. But this is such a typical confusion of translation that I have to describe it. We are told that our group leader ordered it for a guy who works there and is having a birthday. This is in English – sort of. When we ask Karim – the group leader – he knows nothing. We all sing to the man whose birthday it is and then belly dancing music is put on. The men dance together for a bit which is the custom here. Then they invite the girls to dance and it occurs to me that the whole scene is a ruse! I ask to leave ASAP. Our Egyptian guides say it is fine to leave and we do. People are cold and those of us who have not eaten anything yet want to go to the lodge for our included meal. As per Egypt there was not a time or plan for this stop so we just say what we want when we want it. I am still not sure exactly what was going on there at the café at the end and no one attempted to clarify the whole scene etc.. Very typical. I am tired of not knowing the language. I try to rely on my instincts and then think I am paranoid . . . but what else can I do?

When we arrive back at the lodge we are surprised to see MANY people. It was positively sleepy in the afternoon when we got there. Now there are very large groups milling about and heading to the large dining hall. The food is ok – a big buffet and too much Egyptian glop for my taste but plenty of starchy rolls and pasta so we eat. Then off to bed setting our alarms for 12:45 so that we can be in the lobby by 1AM! For all of us the alarms come MUCH too soon and we all remark that it was pretty hard to understand where we were when they woke us up! We all bundle ourselves up as best we can and meet in the hallway ready or not!!

There is an assortment of improvised cold weather gear. I am worried about my feet in my sneaker/water shoes. Not sure if they were made for 6 hours of hiking on rocky terrain. I have yoga pants on under my jeans and I am grateful that Russell brought a polypropylene shirt and a wool sweater. I have my black winter cap and a skinny scarf accessory. One of the guys is wearing a business type wool car coat! All he needs is his briefcase! A couple of the girls have just piled on t-shirts and sweatshirts and are well padded. A woman my age has pants and a skirt on but she has a head lamp. Off we go!

Outside there are busses loading with many people. So much for a peaceful commune with nature! We can’t help but feel like sheep. When we get to the base of the mountain we are anxious to get started – we are one of the last groups to head up and it feels as though we have been left behind. After only 15 minutes of walking my plan to ride a camel up most of the mountain is confirmed with shortness of breath and pain in my lungs. I feel as though I have developed instant pneumonia. I had been hoping to walk the whole way with Russell, and save money,  . . . and not experience the fright of getting on a camel again but it is not to be. Our group and Egyptian guide melds into a group of Bedouin men who appear out of the darkness. There is a lot of harsh Arabic and I surmise that the men are haggling over who will guide our group. I am glad that I am not negotiating with them! Our Egyptian guide is a tiny young woman who shows some tenacity and finally we are introduced to Mahmoud who will guide us. I, and two others, are introduced to another man and instantly led off into the dark – in search of camels. All of a sudden I feel sad that I did not say good-bye to Russell and my friends!!

I am feeling better about my choice of taking a camel since a young 23-year old guy (wearing the wool business coat) has also taken this option as well as a woman almost as old as I am. Wherever I go there are no age mates for me!! We saw plenty of folks at the lodge who were in the 40s and up including an entire gaggle of Korean nuns in their sensible gray wool habits and their sturdy black shoes.

So, in the dim half-moon light we make our way on the path lined with boulders. I can hear the deep gurgly rumbling of the camels a short ways away, truly an unusual and otherworldly sound especially as a chorus!!! The boulders got quite large and then one moved!! My eyes and brain instantly adjusted and I realized they were CAMELS! Yikes ! Lots of camels! Finally I am led to mine and climb on. He complains mightily but is finally brought to his feet and we are off.

The stars are out!! Our joy at the fresh air of the afternoon turns to wonder at the deep velvet night sky and all the stars. I have not seen them since our last trip to the Sinai in October and this display is far more fantastic. The rugged slopes of the mountains reach down to our path and I can see an occasional fire lit up above us. Positively biblical.

The sounds are quiet ones. Scrabbling rocks under the camels’ feet. They can skid a bit as they try to make their way – a nerve wracking sound when it’s your camel skidding but I got used to it . . . sort of. Our guide walked along side and talked to himself in a hoarse whispery voice. I was not sure what exactly he was saying – it had a prayer like quality to it whatever it was and oddly comforting. Every once in a while he would call to the camels each a different name or three different commands. And my camel was pretty reluctant! Once he tried to turn around and a couple times the guide had to pull on his leash a bit. Each time we went by other camels the guide also led him by his harness – seems that my camel liked hanging out with other camels – a sociable fellow!! We also had to stop to adjust the saddle which I take had come loose and was in danger of slipping around the camel’s waist – with me in it! We stopped on the side of the mountain and a wide point in the trail although noone passed us. Just me, the camel, and two cigarette smoking guides chatting away in Arabic. Seemed just like a couple guys changing a tire! It was sooo quiet.

At the higher hairpin turns there were little huts selling stuff of course! Water, coffee, tea. And every time we turned I would look up and there would still be sooo much more mountain left to go! I was so grateful for the camel! People had told me about taking the camel when I mentioned going and I am glad I was psyched on taking it from the get-go. So, if you ever go to Mt. Sinai – take the camel!!

Finally we had to get off – we were at the end of the civilized part of the journey. Now for the 700 steps. Next blog entry!!

Time to think about the great time I had with Russell!

Spending the day today, Friday Jan 15, inside writing and hanging out. My travels with Russell were amazing and I want a chance to reflect on them for a bit. Will do my heart good.

As for the birds and the water dish (see below) it was a no go. They are too timid and never came to it. Plus it fills with dirt very quickly! I am sooooo worried for my lungs here!! I rearranged my posters this week and all around the edges are dark grey outlines. This is inside my house in just a month with the windows shut! Ughhhh! I am so curious to know if the lung cancer rate here is high (it HAS to be!) but of course there is a lot of smoking too. We see that the kids become out of breath quite quickly for the most part. I have always thought it was because they sit inside with all their video games all the time since Egypt is NOT really the kind of place where you encourage your child to go outside! Now I am thinking they may all be slightly asthmatic!!

OK, update coming! Off to write!