fifteen (crash) ten commandments

Devin and I have made it back from out early morning climb of Mt. Sinai. At 23:00, a man hurried us into one of the more uncomfortable minibuses I've yet experienced in Egypt (which is saying something) and after picking up some addition climbers and writing down our passport information for the security checks, we were speeding inland. Forget burning bushes and stone-etched commandments, the greatest miracle associated with Mt. Sinai is that I managed to fall asleep for two hours crammed into our overcrowded minibus. I woke up at the security checkpoint, where we were asked to present our passports. Reaching into my pocket, I experienced the bone-chilling sensation of realizing that my passport was not where I thought it was. It would take five semi-frantic minutes of searching, during which the guards were preoccupied with one of the British passengers who had actually left his passport behind, but I found that it had slipped out of my pocket and under the seat in front of me. When I went to present it to the guard however, I initiated a three stooges-esque exchange during which the guards, interpreting the passport as belonging to the British guy, started to ask all kinds of questions, gradually getting themselves more confused until they simply waved me off.

When we finally made it though the checkpoint, it was only another 15 minutes to Mt. Sinai, and we were soon offloaded into the darkened parking lot. I went through a bit more confusion with security personal who, while checking our bags, came across my UV-light water sterilizer. The guards initially interpreted it to be some manner of death ray, but failing to vaporize each other with it, they waved me by and I met up with our Bedouin guide for the midnight hike up the mountain. The stars were fantastic, and I saw more shooting stars in the four hours before dawn broke than I've seen in the last four years. The climb itself was uneventful. It was perhaps the easiest ascent I've ever undertaken, with frequent breaks along a lightly-sloping, albeit long, path. We were at the summit within three hours, and after hunkering down on a flat rock, isolated from the rest of the summit, we sat waiting for dawn.

The predawn hours.

Our group, waiting for sunrise.

The wait would last just over an hour, as the stars faded away and the sky gradually grew lighter. Finally, the sun crept up over the horizon, casting the crevices of the mountians into startling definition. Everything was so beautiful that I found myself taking photographs like mad. Devin and I traded off the camera, capturing some pretty impressive shots in the early morning light.

Sunrise on Mt. Sinai.

Mt. Saint Catherine, the largest mountain in Egypt.

My well-established victory pose upon the successful ascent of a mountain.

The landscape was breathtaking.

The victory pose, on a much grander scale.

After lingering on the summit for an hour or so, our group began the decent down the 3,750 cut stone steps of the Steps of Repentance. We passed by some more pretty remarkable scenery on our way down to the Monastery of St. Catherine, situated at the base of Mt. Sinai. For the first time in my life, I found that the decent was harder than the accent, simply because we were restricted in our speed and we were climbing down a staircase, rather than a mountain face. By the time I reached step 3,749 my legs were pretty wobbly and I truly felt quite repentant for the wrongs I had committed against my knees.

A chapel at the summit, which is a part of the monastic complex.

Making our way down the steps.

Few trees punctuated the landscape, but those that did stood out all the more for it.

The monastery at the base was constructed and fortified by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. Traces of this famous emperor, as well as his wife Theodra, can be found in the Greek inscriptions written into the door frame, still serving as an entry point to the main chapel. The chapel itself is one of the earliest surviving Christian churches still in existence and operation. Decorated by generations of iconodouls, the chapel is overflowing with golden icons, and ceremonial chandeliers. The monastery has two other highlights, both relating to Moses. The first is the well of Moses, which the prophet is said to have struck from the ground after his meeting with the Holy Spirit in the Burning Bush. The second is the descendant of this famous bush, transplanted in the fifteenth century and still thriving.

The bell tower of St. Catherine's.

Now a days, the Well of Moses is accessed by a crank pump, but it still seems miraculous that any amount of water could be pulled from this barren landscape.

The descendant of the Burning Bush, this 600 year-old shrubbery commands respect.

Overall, the experience of visiting Sinai was fantastic, despite its effects on my sleep schedule. I'm making an effort to keep from napping during the day today, that I might go to sleep slightly early and wake to a restored circadian cycle. This is especially important because my furtive plans for adventure, mentioned in my last update, seem to be developing nicely. I'm keeping this a surprise, but if everything goes well, it will be a good one.