One of the pilgrimages in Middle East is Mount Sinai. This mountain climb of 2285 meter is a multinational experience. I will get there in a while, but before that allow me to tell you about our lazy days on the beach in unholy Dahab.
Dahab is not yet spoiled by mass tourism, its a compact place and can be counted as Egypt’s backpackers heaven: cheap diving and cheap accommodation and even wild parties – and some of the local attraction are the casual riots between Egyptians and Bedouins.
Every night the circle of horny dogs at Seven Heaven Hotel would meet and start their evening with wild wet dreams making bets if this would be the right night. The wild party at Tota or Rush, where beer and alcohol exists, and where foreigners hang out in the evening. The question you might ask is why would they think that there is hope of having anything like that in the middle of a conservative country like Egypt, but then again, what is banned is so wanted – a very well known proverb in the chaotic Arab world.
The sure thing is that Stella beer will be there to warm them and start feeding their horny brain cells with the hope, dreams of shagging a few girls or meeting other single female travellers from western countries. Yup, those were the boys of Dahab. Oh no, I don’t mean the locals but my new friends of lazy lifestyle, Australians, Brazilians, British, French etc…
The boys are not bad boys and they all are harmless, but they had hope that they could turn their idling into a wild party in this beach heaven. It was simply funny to see 10 guys trying their luck with one girl in one of the parties, sounded like wolves camping around their prey.
Now that was most of how Dahab sounded at night and it is no danger nor annoyance, Dahab is, in few words, drunken foreigners and diving freaks and awesome sea, clear clear water as you cannot imagine and hot warm sun.
But away from this little devilish land, you can see a holy mountain, huge as its peak rise all over south Sinai mountain chain, there Ali Baba every night at 11 welcome a bus stuffed of climber ants and tourists from different nationalities.
Ali Baba waits you after you bypass 4 different check-points and show your passport at many occasions to different type of uniformed personnel but you have no worry – after all this is Egypt, safe and tourist friendly aka as land of hassle.
Anyhow, you arrive at midnight to The Monastery of St. Catherine and park your little minivan next to tens of other tourist buses and start hearing the tips and tricks of your beloved guide. Our guide “Ali Baba” was a 19 years old Bedouin that lived his life climbing Mt. Sinai, he was so full of energy since the early morning arrival till to the peak before sunrise which was after all the target of our trip.
Climbing was not hard since we were a team of 14 well fit backpackers, but the number of the crowds, specially Russians, were elderly. The pilgrimage to Mt Sinai seems a very popular for older generations, and I was impressed to see 60-70 years old ladies climbing in that cold height in darkness. Yes! It was cold, I didn’t expect it but was warned ahead.
This is a pilgrimage for religious people because in the past Moses, while he was guiding his people to the promised land, went one night climbing Mt. Sinai where there was this burning bush and he received the famous Ten Commandments from God.
At 4.45 we reached that peak after a long climb and after the last 800 steps. It was just before sunrise. The sunrise was as beautiful as any other place, but I wouldn’t be mistaken if I said that the big number of crowd made a bit of difference. Luckily Ali Baba had his perfect hideout for us, a rock just for us away from the rest of the world to watch the sun rising from the land of the living to the land of the death.
Sasi writing this on the road again!
