MOUNT SANAI
EGYPT
One of the best and scariest adventures of my life. Going to Egypt and experiencing the heavy security, guns, military and police was eye opening for sure. We had a great guides and driver who hand carried us across the border check and all through the Sanai region and multiple security checks. We were stopped every 30 minutes or so it seemed. Car was checked, Guide and Driver interviewed, passports checked and eye contact with all of us. Our guide had a hand written paper that he showed at every checkpoint. Don't know what it said but everyone read it first. We were escorted the first few miles by police coming and going to Mount Sanai. Our guide said this was protection against ISIS. We were told that they try to keep the tourists traveling in convoys so they can protect them better and that if we did not leave Mount Sanai at a certain convoy time we would have to wait hours for the next one. Bottom line is we made it to Mount Sanai and found it heavily fortified with military, machine guns and artillery. We drove to a base camp where we parked the car and walked up a road to St. Katherine Monastery. There we visited the chapel where photographs were not allowed. We viewed the Well of Moses where he met his Wife. Also the Burning Bush where God spoke to Moses. Amazing. Another walk up the road to where we met Bedouin Guides who matched us with camels and took us up the Mountain. At what I thought was the top we left the camels and all the guides except one. We began walking and then came to the 750 steps. Oh my these fricken steps killed me. I stopped 4-5 times to rest and pray that God would give me the strength to make it to the top. Meanwhile our guide, my Wife and Daughter were moving fast and not feeling like me. Made it to the top and WOW!!!! Worth the trip!!!! Yahoo!
MOUNT SANAI
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| PICKED UP AT 5:45 AM IN ELAIT FOR TRIP TO MOUNT SANAI IN EGYPT |
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| 3 HOUR DRIVE FROM BORDER TO MOUNT SANAI |
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| CROSSING BORDER INTO EGYPT |
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| WE ARE NOW IN EGYPT |
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| WELCOME TO EGYPT! |
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| MY SECOND TIME IN EGYPT |
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| WAITED OVER AN HOUR FOR SECURITY CLEARANCE AND ESCORT |
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| ON OUR WAY TO MOUNT SANAI |
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| ANCIENT FORT ON ISLAND |
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| SMALL SHOPS AND HOMES ALONG THE WAY |
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| MILITARY AND POLICE ROAD BLOCKS CHECKING EVERY VEHICLE THROUGHOUT OR DRIVE |
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| LOTS OF MILITARY CHECK POINTS HEAVILY FORTIFIED |
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| BEDOUIN TRIBES LIVING IN THE DESERT |
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| CAMELS |
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| MORE SECURITY AND VEHICLE PLUS I.D. CHECKS |
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| HOUSING IN SANAI |
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| ANOTHER SECURITY CHECKPOINT |
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| ST. KATHERINE IS NEAR |
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| ENTRANCE TO ST. KATHERINE AND MOUNT SAINAI |
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| WE MADE IT TO MOUNT SAINAI KINDA.....LONG WAY TO GO. |
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| ENTRANCE TO MOUNT SANAI SURROUNDED WITH SECURITY |
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| ARTILLERY AND GUARDS WATCHING OVER ENTRANCE |
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| MORE ARTILLERY |
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| MOUNT SANAI!!! |
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| ROAD TO ST. KATHERINE MONASTERY |
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| BEGIN THE WALK UP TO THE MONASTERY |
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| SHOULD OF TOOK THE VAN BUT WE WALKED |
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| ST. KATHERINE MONASTERY |
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| LETS GO INSIDE! |
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| THE WELL WHERE MOSES MET HIS WIFE |
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| MOSES WELL |
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| THE TREE WHERE GOD SPOKE TO MOSES |
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| THE ROCKS IN THE AREA HAVE WHAT LOOKS LIKE THE TREE BRANCHES IN THEM |
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| OUR GUIDE SET UP LUNCH PRIOR TO HIKING THE MOUNTAIN |
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| SPAGHETTI WITH CHICKEN NUGGETS... THINK THEY ORDERED WESTERN LUNCH FOR US |
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| LET THE WALK TO THE CAMELS BEGIN |
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| BEDOUIN CAMP WHERE THE CAMEL GUIDES STAY |
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| OUR BEDOUIN GUIDES MATCH US WITH CAMELS |
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| READY TO GO UP MOUNT SANAI |
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| GUIDES STAY WITH YOU AND YOUR CAMEL THE ENTIRE WAY |
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| I GO THIS CAMEL RIDING DOWN! |
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| UP THE WINDING ROAD |
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| ROAD GETS ROUGHER AND SMALLER AS YOU GO UP |
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| SEEMS LIKE FOREVER AND MY BUTT HURTS |
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| HANG ON NOW! |
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| LOOKING BACK AT ST. KATHERINE |
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| SEVERAL REST STOPS ALONG THE WAY FOR WATER, TEA AND SNACKS |
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| CLOSE TO THE TOP AND WE LEAVE OUR CAMELS AND ALL GUIDES EXCEPT ONE |
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| CAMELS GET A WELL DESERVED REST BUT WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO |
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| NOW COMES THE HARD PART ....WALKING. |
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| THE 750 STEPS TO THE TOP OF MOUNT SANAI KILLED ME |
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| THESE STEPS HAD ME PRAYING FOR STRENGTH TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP |
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| AFTER SEVERAL REST STOPS WE MADE IT TO THE TOP OF MOUNT SANAI |
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| SMALL CHURCH ON TOP |
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| WOW...IT WAS WORTH THE TRIP, CAMELS AND HIKE! |
WOW Drew! Great pictures of St.Katherine's monastery and Mt.Sinai. I have seen documentaries of this place, and the holy scriptures that they keep there. But your blog really brings the surrounding landscape to life. Such beauty from a barren desert. I also liked your write-up of your journey from Taba to Mt.Sinai. I didn't know that it was so close to a popular resort, although it seems obvious with hindsight. Thanks for this post.
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