Dahab and Mount Sinai

Nubian, Bedouin, use which ever Arabian word you like to describe Dahab as they are both felicitous to this relaxed resort.

Set on the east coast of the Sinai peninsula on the Red Sea over looking the rocky hills of Saudi Arabia, across the waters Moses supposedly parted, it is an indubitable paradise. Along the water front promenade there are chilled, cushioin adorned, lounge bars welcoming you to enjoy the sea view, the sun or the starry night sky, tuck into some fresh red snapper prepared on a barbeque grill or smoke the famous Sheesha pipe so symbolic of the Arabian nations.

Arriving from Cairo this small town was a breathe of fresh air, quite literally as the smoggy air of the Egyptian capital was left far behind and replaced with that familiar salty sea breeze. My home for the next week would be the Penguin Hotel and Dive School. Situated on the front the Penguin restaurant is one of the lounge bars with an upper deck built from wood and palm trees graced by the sun all day long. Along the coast and in the bays around Dahab city there are numerous spots where kitesurfers and windsurfers take advantage of the strong winds that are prevailent here. Without the wind the town would melt in the scorching heat which, even in late October, is simply fierce.

Having not dived before I had hoped to do my PADI here. Unfortunately being a traveller on a budget sometimes means that you can't always do everything (I didn't say that in New Zealand though) and having spent a large portion of my Egypt budget on a luxurious Nile cruise this was the activity that had to fall by the wayside. It's something that will have to wait for the South East Asian beaches another time.

As a large portion of people come to Dahab for the diving this meant that the town during the day was relatively empty and I took advantage of having the pick of locations to relax in the sun. In the later afternoons as the sun was setting over the hills behind Dahab, to the west, I continued to train for the now looming hikes of Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro. Running in the desert heat with the dry, dusty, air is no easy accomplishment but I fought the climate and nature (the strong winds being a real pain) and continued to run day after day.

Another of the main attractions around Dahab is Mountain Sinai and St Katherines. Famed as the location where Moses climbed to the peak of a hill and received the Ten Commandments it is a tourist attraction that really can't be missed. The Sinai peninsula has been the subject of controversy throughout the ages. Egypt and Israel have long debated it's true ownership.

From Dahab you have the option of doing either a sunset or a sunrise expedition. I chose the sunrise one meaning I was picked up from the hotel at 11 pm. Crammed into a tiny minibus, with my legs almost piercing the back of the seat in front, my plan of stealing a few hours sleep on the ride there was soon scuppered. We arrived at Mount Sinai early in the morning, circa 2 am, and after our aggressive sounding guide was assigned to us and we had queued and passed through the metal detector (I know, on a mountain right?!) we began the hike to the peak. In the dead of night the full moon was all the light we needed as we stumbled along the camel path.

The top of Mount Sinai can be reached by one of two routes. The camel path which winds it's way gradually through the hills till it reaches the bottom of the final stairs or the Steps of Repentance. The Steps of Repentance are said to have been laid by a monk. The 3700 roughly hewn stone notches climb steadily through the rocky mountain to the top of Jebel Musa (Mountian of Moses in Arabic). After 3000 steps the camel path meets the staircase where everyone must ascend the final 700 steps to summit the 2300 metre high peak.

It's not a taxing hike compared to many I have surmounted and our guide made sure there was no hurry in reaching the top as we paused frequently for breaks in little huts that sold everything from water to Mars Bars. The occasional "We sell Starbucks Coffee" sign was a humerous reminder of the world we live in.

Reaching the summit at around 5.30 am the distant eastern sky was just starting to lighten with the ensuing sun. Nestled on the peak I had had to rent a blanket to cower under as the cold night and dawn reminded me that at elevated levels a t-shirt and shorts was not my most sensible decision. The sun broke the horizon around 6 am. A magnificent sight as the orange light glided across the surrounding valley and the peaks of other mountains around. It was a spectacular view.

The Steps of Repentence are not the best way to scale Mount Sinai during the night but in day light they were the best route down. Far quicker and direct they do take their toll on the legs after a while but the views of St Katherines Monastery on the way down are not to be missed. The monastery itself is home to the burning bush of Moses and also houses one of the finest collection of manuscripts in the world (second only to the Vatican). German scholar Friedrich von Tischendorf, in 1844, discovered one of the oldest and original copies of the bible here, called Codex Sinaiticus.

Reaching the bottom at around 7 am it would be sometime before the 9 am burning bush section of the monastery would open so I relaxed outside the walled entrance...and fell asleep...I awoke and rushed back to the minibus for the departure back to Dahab.

Back in Dahab and I spent the rest of my time lazing around in the sun. I treated myself to a whole red snapper with vegetables and rice. Eating the delicious, fresh caught, fish I was soon joined by the familiar company of the hungry stray cats all staring bog eyed at the fish on my plate. It is very easy to loose track of time in this Bedouin resort. Soon enough my week was almost over and I began to cast my thoughts over the impending departure from the land of the ancient Pharoahs. Within a matter of days I will be boarding my plane and leaving the northern coast of Africa to head to the sub-saharan regions of Kenya and Tanzania. A place completely new to me. An area of the world I have never ventured to and with the Masai Mara to kick start the next leg of my Africa adventure I am excited with anticpation.