Mt. Sinia - Oct 13, 2006 - Ra's al Junaynah, Egypt

What can you say about this little experience. We left dahab for this little day trip excursion at around 11 pm the night before. We pull up to the base of the mountain around 1 am. We are there to see the sunrise. Just as Moses did as he received the ten commandments...like the original law, that fateful day 2 millennia ago. Wow, this is some big history eh.

We met up with a Saudi guy who hiked to the top with us (this is a huge pilgrimage for Jew, Christians, and Muslims since Moses was # 1, #2, #2 in all 3 religions respectively). We got up there around 3:30 and it was friggen FREEZING. Damn I hate being cold. Anyhow we waited for about 2 hours and alas, just as it always seems to do everyday, the sun comes up. Sadly in a land with literally no vegetation or humidity we happen to show up on one of maybe two days of the year where it actually rains! WE GOT RAINED ON IN THE DESERT. Shit. Anyhow, we watched this cloud covered sunrise and made do with what we got. It was still a cool experience.

Then hiked down to the monastery at the bottom of the hill. Its on this site where the newly escaped Hebrew people had gathered at the base of the mountain while Moses made his sojourn. Its also literally on the site of the burning bush, which is still growing in the middle of the monastery. Masses of pilgrims, especially orthodox christians flock here, praying to the tree and tying message to it.

The burning bush was the "Tree that burned but was not consumed" (something to do with one of the Arch Angels did) while the voice of god himself spoke to moses and told him what to do.

Which is again significant as Moses was the only prophet to ever speak to god "face to face" instead of through the Arch Angel Gabriel who was gods traditional messenger.

So that was cool and righteous n stuff. Strange to see sites where myth apparently became far more real then fiction.

B