~Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine's~

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EGYPT, MASTER OF THE CAMELS ON MT. SINAI

~ THE ENERGIES	~ CAIRO	~ MEMPHIS, SAQQARA AND GIZA
~ ABU SIMBEL, ASWAN AND THE NILE		~ PHILAE, KOM OMBO AND EDFU
~ VALLEY OF THE KINGS, LUXOR AND KARNAK		~ ABYDOS AND DENDERA
~ MOUNT SINAI AND SAINT CATHERINE'S		~ BLACK, WHITE AND CRYSTAL DESERTS

~ MOUNT SINAI AND SAINT CATHERINE'S MONASTERY~

The Bedouins immediately signaled it to lie down again.  It hit the ground with a loud grunt that seemed to echo its appreciation.  No saddles were changed this time, but our guide and I did exchange mounts.  The smaller camel carried me quite comfortably, and its saddle was so much wider and better suited to my body that I was quite pleased with the switch.  I could only sympathize with our large guide who was now squeezed into a saddle so small and hard that it had actually begun to pinch and hurt me. The high sides of the saddle serve as aprons that hug the rider to prevent one from being thrown off the camel as it makes its uneven and abrupt motions of rising and lying down, as the front and back of the animal move as separate units and angle the rider precariously. 

I am not sure if he actually fit within the saddle or was simply somehow perched upon its rather sharp wooden spines.  Either way, it must have hurt dearly.  I prayed that no parts of his circulation would be so restricted that he would suffer ill effects from this trek for the remainder of his life.  This is a very delicate way to express that I feared that he might lose the ability to have children in a very real way before the journey was even completed.  He remained quite stoic and seemed resigned to carry out his mission of protecting us, even in the face of pain and then more raucous camel eruptions, which resumed as soon as we continued our ascent.  He was a brave young man.

After the last of our very steep ascent, our camels were halted on a level area below the start of an even steeper set of stairs.  A small store of sorts offered hot drinks and snacks, and I have read that we were lucky to have changed our itinerary to a later time that day, as the mountain is often swarmed with tourists who opt for the normally timed ascent.  Who could blame a few enterprising Bedouins for making a few dollars from cold, weary and hungry climbers? 

We sipped our hot chocolate gratefully.  The air was thin and even with our thick coats we felt chilled.  About half way up the trail we were amazed to see that it had snowed the night before, and the day’s temperatures had not yet managed to melt the frozen precipitation.  It made the scenery even more beautiful and surreal.  We again knew that avoiding the climb during the freezing night had been a very wise choice.

We were not left with time to continue up the last portion of Mount Sinai, and the stairs did not appear at all inviting.  We looked to remount our trusty camels for the climb down.  We were quickly informed that the mounts were only for the ascent, and in fact the handlers led their beasts back down the mountain.  They did not ride at all during the whole excursion.  They were very fit men, who clearly valued their animals even above their own convenience.

Before beginning our descent, we were called to add some of the snow on Mt. Sinai to our bottle of sacred water. At this point it held water from many of the sites we had been honored to visit on our journey, and its vibration was clear and strong. We began our water ritual by pouring a small amount of the water onto the Mount's soil, and then added the snowflakes with prayers and gratitude.

Our guide let us know that time was tight and that we had to move quite rapidly as we descended to stay on our schedule.  My calves started to burn within a few minutes on the rocky and extremely steep trail, and by the time we reached the bottom of the mountain I could barely walk.  Our poor guide had his own set of troubles, as we found when he barely made it to the bathroom near the monastery.  He had severe diarrhea, and his problems were augmented by the design of the toilet, which consisted of only a place to squat over a hole in the tiled floor.  He emerged shaken and pale, saying that he had greatly struggled to stand up during his travail.  His fear of camels may have been the main cause of his body’s clearing.  We said a few prayers for his speedy recovery, and rejoined the rest of our entourage for the journey back to Cairo.

I remember dozing on the ride back, dreaming of craggy peaks and sacred prayers and Bible stories from my youth.  The next day we were to depart on the last and most vigorous leg of our Egyptian journey; trekking in a Land Rover into the remote deserts to spend two nights. The richness and wonders we were to experience were beyond even my wildest imaginings...