Holy land Tour:- Day-3(Monday 27-10-2008) Road travel to St Catherine Monastery(Sinai Mts)..

Got up as usual at 0500hrs, had a quick shower and quietly put on my "Track suit" without disturbing room-mate Stephen and strolled out of the hotel on my normal morning walks , a habit since youth either in India or any part of the globe! In Mumbai i normally jogged at the race-course early in the morning or otherwise swam at M.G.M.O pool(Shivaji Park) or simply cycled around my locality,a physical fitness freak since childhood.The Maadi area of Cairo was extremely plush reminding me of the plushest Mumbai localities with the beautiful Nile river flowing alongside akin to Mumbai's sea-face localities.As it was early morning, i was one of the few "Joggers"or "Walkers" alongside the river roadway.The weather was extremely pleasant,cool but not chill, and after about half an hours walk returned back to the hotel and reported for a hearty breakfast, a real food feast compared to my normal "Solo Backpackers food budget" . After breakfast we packed our luggage and boarded our "Home - on - Wheels", the luxury "Tour Bus" on our way to St Catherine Monastery in the Sinai Mountains. We were accompanied by Egyptian tour guide Mr Mehud , the overall- in-charge of the local tour guides on the Egyptian leg of the tour.Lunch was had on the bus itself from "Lunch Hampers" served by hotel Carvary near Giza as the total journey was approximately 6 hrs, the longest road tour of our entire 12 day "Holy Land Tour" through three different country's of the "Middle-East".The road journey to Sinai was long and arduous through desert sand dunes and on arrival at "Port Suez" we crossed the tunnel below the "Suez Canal" reviving me of my nostalgic shipping days when we transited this canal up-teen times on to and fro voyages between Europe and India and vice-versa.On entering the Sinai desert we stopped at a religious well where Prophet Moses was supposed to have struck water while leading his people out of the Egyptian Pharaohs bondage into the Sinai mountains.Religious tourism has created employment amongst the nomadic Bedouin tribes and some Bedouin curios and religious handicrafts were on sale at this religious location and i purchased a "Faberge egg" replica as a souvenir, adding to my world-wide curio collection.I have a huge collection of "Egyptian Curio's" since most of my overseas voyages consisted of "Suez-Canal transits". The "Suez-Canal transit" was infamous for the "Dukaans(Slang for shops) set up by Egyptian hawkers on the ships alleyway for the ships staff during the long passageway between Port Suez and Port Said or vice-versa. Shipping Industry and ships have changed drastically since 1995, the last time i had a transit voyage in the Suez Canal hence i use the word "Dukaans" in the past tense, wondering if they are still allowed on ships in 2009, post 9/11 and International terrorism hysteria.These "Dukaans" were a unique part of "Shipping folklore" for generations of sailors with these local Egyptian hawkers being literate in "Hindi language" in order to transact business as most of the crew barring "Officers" spoke Hindi on Indian ships and were not as literate as the present generation of shipping crew.A negative aspect of these Egyptian "Dukaan Hawkers" was their habit of pilfering any object that lay "UNCLAIMED" on the ship, hence during the "Suez Canal Transit" every machinery space and personal cabins were kept either under a "Watch- keeper " or locked.Honestly, these "Suez-canal Transits" by ship were a unique experience,although hectic and tense for "Shipboard engineers" and crew, a part of our job as "International seafarers".

Entering the "SUEZ CANAL UNDERSEA TUNNEL".Ocean ships sail above this tunnel.

The reader can excuse me for being nostalgic and sentimental about the Suez-canal while traveling by land on a "Tour Bus" as memories are difficult to erase,good or bad, profit or a loss.
Egyptian tour guide Mehud educated us on a bit of "Egypt-Israel politics "as the entire "Sinai Desert" was occupied by Israel and later handed over to the Egyptians as a "Peace deal", explaining the "Egyptian side" of history of the "Arab-Israeli wars". Honestly, politics interests me only as a student of history, hence i was totally neutral about the local politics of the "Middle-East" as it didn't concern me although do have a thorough knowledge of the subject, being self-taught on world history. I have associated Egypt with actor Omar Sharif and Prince Tutankhamen, Israel with Uri Geller and its financial dominance of "world wealth", and Jordan with being the most  liberal "Middle-eastern country" besides their religious significance towards Christianity.
Reached Mount Catherine at approx 1830 hrs and checked into the "New Morgan Hotel", a classic hotel resort with one of the longest swimming pools i have seen , surrounded by the hotel single storied tourist lodges.There was a classic "Bedouin Tent" complete with "Hookah and Kaava(local black coffee)" next to the main tourist dining hall building, straight out of a "Filmi Set",but, this was real and not artificial. Sincerely wanted to take a dip in the crystal clear pool but the near freezing temperatures of +5*C to +10*C deterred me, hence just tried the "Hookah and Kaava" at the Bedouin tent in majestic "Arabian Nights Style" which cost only a dollar(Rs 50approx), something terribly cheap considering the classic ambiance.Ironically "Internet usage" was terribly expensive with charges being US$'s 5/hour(Rs 250/hr!) whereas in Mumbai it wouldn't exceed Rs 60/ hr at the plushest "Internet Cafe".Moral of the price comparisons,"Have Seesha(Hookah) in Egypt and browse the "Internet" in Mumbai", and this is the definition of profiting from "Economic Globalization".After a sumptuous dinner Tour Conductor Nicola inquired as to the number of pilgrims intending to trek "Mt Sinai", the biblical journey undergone by prophet Moses, a very tedious trek in the cold Sinai mountains and also famed for its classic sunrise view at dawn from its peak.Ultimately only four of us agreed to climb the torturous Mt Sinai, they included Mr Domingo Agostino Pereira, a bakery proprietor from "New Mumbai", room mate Stephen Lewis,Tour conductor Nicola Phillips and myself. As for Stephen, this was his first hectic trek and hence very nervous. As for me, i was worried about completing the entire ascent and descent of Mt Sinai for the simple reason that prior departure Mumbai i had developed an excruciating pain in my knee cap akin to arthritis, the reason being constant ascent and descent of "Engine-room staircases" during a shore job that i had undertaken on a repair ship in Mumbai.The pain had eased prior departure Mumbai after quitting my shipping job but it could relapse while climbing the Sinai mountain as it was a steep torturous climb akin to constant steep staircase climbs and descents on ships.I took the gamble and decided to trek the Sinai ,for in hindsight, i wouldn't want to regret the fact that having traveled all the way to Egypt i avoided trekking "Mt Sinai".Trekking and touring are my main back-bone of natural entertainment and leisure.
Stephen and myself checked into Room N0 507, a small cozy room set in a single story building having numerous "tourist rooms", surrounded by the majestic beautiful swimming pool.Stephen purchased a thermal jacket for the climb from the adjoining "Tourist store" as we were told that it would get colder as we climbed towards the peak and in peak winter this entire locality receives snowfall.
The "Great Mt Sinai trek" was planned for 0130 hrs on Tuesday and hence we could only sleep a few winks since this trekking was done only during the cool night as it was easier and less strenuous.Crashed off for a quick nap ever eager to ascend the World famous Mt Sinai.

Classic "NEW MORGAN HOTEL" with its swimming pool  in St Catherine in Sinai. Notice the Sinai mountains.