Into Egypt, Mount of Moses, St. Catherine's, Cairo

One of the interesting things about posting this blog in three countries is that the dashboard instructions all appear in that country's language. I had to figure out by trial and error in Hebrew and now Arabic (Jordan and Egypt).

Today was the hardest day yet. Wakeup call at 5:30. Long haul from Taba Heights (beautiful hotel overlooking the Red Sea - also called the Gulf of Aqaba. Three hours to St. Catherine's Monastery which is the Biblical site where it is believed that Moses encountered the burning bush and on which Mt. Sinai (Mount Moses) Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.

The monastery is considered one of Christianity's holiest places and includes the greatest collection of church icons after the Vatican. It was built in 500 and remains an active Eastern Orthodox church today.  The monastery also features a bush believed to be from a seed from the original burning bush. It sits at the foot of Mount Sinai.

Then on the bus for eight more hours to overnight in Cairo. Did I mention we've had an armed Egyptian policeman on our bus since we met it leaving Israel? Did I mention they use long mirrors on arms to look under our bus before we leave? Well, enough about security. You've already heard me describe the multiple passport checks and x-raying of luggage everywhere we go.

On the way, we went under the Suez Canal (via a tunnel). It was a rather harrowing ride. Let's say our bus is eight feet wide. Let's say the 18-wheelers are eight feet wide. So, the total width of the tunnel is 17 feet. Do you get the picture, dear reader? With vehicles on both sides going 60 mph or so, and with 12 inches or so of leeway, well, it was interesting.

Now, the biggest surprise of the pilgrimage. What picture does your mind conjure when I say "Moses led the Israelits across the desert for 40 years?" I mean, what do you think that desert looked like? Me, too. A desert. Flat, boring. Well, guess what? It's actually some of the most spectacular scenery you've ever seen. Think the Alps without the pretty. I mean huge, cragged mountains. Solid rock. All around you. Those Israelites  were tough people! The only flat is the narrow valleys between the peaks and hills. Solid rock. We encountered one area with three scraggly trees and promptly named it Sinai Forest.

The other surprising thing so far is the dirtiness of the countryside in both Jordan and Egypt. Israel was pristine. The roadsides in Jordan and Egypt is where they dump all their trash. We passed numerous arroyos (gullies) with bottles and trash dumped in them. Even in the towns and cities: trash everywhere. Litter.

The Sinai Peninsula makes up 20 percent of Egypt. It's got 200,000 inhabitants, almost all of them tribal and nomadic Bedouin. Our Egyptian tour guide described them as "primitive." No schools. No hospitals. All are Muslim.

Interesting camel fact: a camel can travel 25 miles in a day with 1,000 pounds of weight on its back.

This is St. Catherine's Monastery, built in year 500. It contains what is reported to be a direct descendant of the original Burning Bush. The monastery sits at the base of what is believed to be Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.

Intrepid group of Pilgrims. We were told men could enter the Monastery wearing shorts. Wrong. We were denied entrance. Our guide got upset, we re-entered but were allowed to cover our bare legs with appropriate scarving.