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St. Katherine's and NuweibaDec 22, 2007
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| Dec 22. This morning, we visited the monastery of St. Katherine's. There were still orthodox monks there and they operate a small hotel. We took a quick look into a chapel that housed the skulls and bones of many (long deceased) monks. The church was enclosed in two thick walls and was originally built under orders from the Emperor Justinian. (Allegedly, some angels had deposited the body of St. Katherine at the top of the mountain one night a hundred years after she was killed, causing the Mountain to be named after her). The monastery was enclosed within two thick walls. Inside the first was a well - allegedly the well of Jethro (where Moses met his wife). The church had many lovely old icons although it was dark and difficult to see them. There were many silver lanterns, chandeliers, and incense burners suspended from the ceiling. Once outside the church (but still within the walls), we saw the Burning Bush (where God revealed himself to Moses). It was green and lush and is probably one of the most photographed plants on the continent. Then we began the two hour drive east. We drove downhill to the eastern coast of Egypt along the Red Sea. We were to spend the day in Nuweiba, but unfortunately, it was too windy for snorkeling. So we spent the day sitting in the sun (on the beach, behind wind breaks). It was too cold to go swimming and the pools were not heated. It felt strange to be doing nothing after the hectic pace we had been following. The resort was fairly far outside the city and there was little entertainment. We sat on the beach at night, looking at the stars, and woke up before 6 to see the sunrise over the Red Sea. |
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