Our Last Days in Egypt

After sleeping on the train, we woke to a nice sunrise.  Much to our consternation, we managed to get the conductor out of bed in order to get our beds put away. Finally, we arrive in Cairo.

We made our way to our bus which then took us to the Citadel.  We toured the Citadel to see the Mosque of Mohammed Ali.  It is very large, and beautifully decorated.  The Islamic religion  requires that Muslims pray five times a day.  Call for prayers start at 5:00 a.m. which is broadcast from every minaret in the city. These calls are broadcast five times a day every day.  They bring to life a religion in a way few other religions do.

Dome roof of the mosque

Cairo

After the Citadel, we went to the Khan al-Kalili souq again.  Our guide took us to a favorite restaurant of his so that  people could try pigeon if they wished.  Only the pigeon breast is used, and it is rolled around rice.

Diane trying pigeon

Traffic in Cairo

We left the next morning for the Sinai Peninsula and the the Gulf of Aqaba which is part of the Red Sea.  Our driver was a bit late picking us up.  He was at the gas station picking up diesel for the bus at 4:00 a.m.; and he had to wait in the line up for 3 hours. We traveled through wide open desert until we reached a check point.  There was no diesel at any of the gas stations on the Sinai. This was the start of a discussion between Mohammed and the bus driver that lasted for hours as we made our way across the Sinai. Mohammed believes the new government should have these problems solved by now while the bus driver feels they need more time to organize things. 

At the checkpoint, we became part of a military/police escort until we  reached Taba--a border town with Israel and Jordan and Egypt.  Once we left Taba, we were in mountainous country that ran along the Aqaba
Gulf.  We finally arrive at our hotel in Nuweiba. Nuweiba will be our final stay in Egypt before we leave for Jordan

                                         Armoured car with machine gun at check stop

Four of us decided to climb Mount Sinai to follow in the footsteps of Moses. This is believed to be the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments  We were up at 12:00 midnight for a two-hour taxi ride to the mountain.  We arrived at around 2 a.m. in the morning. Using head lamps we started to climb in the dark. passing camel parking spots.  Camels available to hire for the climb. Three hours later, at 5 a.m., we were near the top.  We waited inside a stone hut before climbing the final 100 steps to the summit. At 6 a.m.,  we left the shelter as the eastern sky started to lighten up. There was snow on the ground, and it was very chilly. There were many people on the mountain for the same reason--to see the sunrise.

Sleeping through the sunrise

Snow and ice

Laura's hiking boots

At the start of the climb is the St. Katherine's Monastery. The chapel in this monastery is one of early Christianity's only surviving churches. Apparently, a descendant of the original burning bush was transferred here in the 10th century.

Elevators

Early Risers with Guide

Several hours after seeing snow on the Sinai, several members of our group were snorkeling in the Gulf of Aqaba.  Diane was very impressed with what she saw when she went scuba diving--beautiful fish and corals.
The remainder of the day was spent working on our blog, catching up on emails, and sleeping.

We are saying goodbye to Mohammed, our tour leader, and Egypt.  Tomorrow, we will be in Jordan, and have a new tour leader for Jordan.  Mohammed has a real passion for Egypt, its history and its politics.  He looked after us very well and kept us informed.

                                                            Sultan David with Julie

At no time during our stay in Egypt did we feel in jeopardy. We were annoyed by the touts, but they are just trying to make a living.  We felt safe and comfortable during our visit when walking around the sites and streets.