Shouting from the Moutain Top

Known locally as Gebel Musa, but more widely known to Muslims, Jews, and Christians, for whom it holds an equally important significance, as Mt. Sinai. The location that the Bible states is where Moses produced the 10 commandments to his band of exiling Jews. At the base of the mountian also holds the 1,500 year-old St. Katherines Monastary.

The sunrise on the mountain top draws religious pilgrims from all around the world and their daily mass convergance to the summit in the early morning hours is reputed to be one amazing and bizzare sight to see. As you were too busy again, I took one for the team and showed up to bear witness to just what in the world people are doing on this mountaintop.

From below, the flashlit trail of ascending people zig-zaging to the top of the mountain looked like something out of a movie. It is a technically easy ascent with the greatest hazard being getting trampled by one of the many camels that are conveying the physically unable or lazy up. There was also a staggering amount of elderly climbers, I suppose feeling spiritually invigorated enough to make the hike, although I believe I saw a few Bedouin guides slipping amphetamines into their coffee to keep them on the move.

With me were an middle-aged couple from San Fransisco, a German girl, who was my busmate and snorkelling buddy in Dahab, and a young Bedouin guide who was more of a nuisance than a help. We were amazed at the amount of people traversing up the mountain (1,000+) as well as the flurry of different langauges being spoken around us (30+). Expectations of the experience were varied. As for me, I was anticipating two scenarios: either I would be struck down by lightening before reaching the summit by The Man or I would return from the top white-bearded and bearing the 11th Commandment of Keep Holy the Monday After a Crazy Weekend.

After about 2 hours of hiking up, we reached the summit about 15 minutes before sunrise. I found a rock ledge to sit and wait out whatever was to transpire. Not long later the sun began to poke over the desolate mountain range. A group began singing my favorite church hymn "How Great Thou Art" in a language I did not know, a group of ever-enthused Japanese pilgrims began clapping, and another Asian man stood howling at the sun from a rock ledge. Both absurd and spectacular, it truely was one of the more unique social gatherings I have ever seen.

Before leaving the rock ledge to descend the mountain, I planted the copy paper flag bearing the initials of Schloegel Design and Remodel into the ground, thus ensuring continued prosperous growth for the company, whose sponsorship of the Mt Sinai experience is greatly appreciated. Although I suspect the "flag" was probably swiped by a Beduoin not long later and made for toilet paper, its placement is sure to inspire a few hits on their website from pilgrims who were wondering just what in the hell I was doing.



This is probably one of a few Biblically inspired treks that I'll do while in this region of the world--all good chances for The Man to give me a piece of his mind.

Taking off today up the Red Sea coast to the town of Nuweiba for a couple day hang before departing via ferry to Jordan. If all goes well I will be in Petra before the weeks end.

Shalom,

Brother Brian

FYI-pic album updated