Egypt Details
I plan to return to Egypt with my spouse and a few friends in a couple of years
Most of my friends expressed concern when I announced I was going to Egypt - is it safe?
You are being transferred to the updated version of this post at https://explorationvacation.net/
Most people staying at the monastery are there either as students or to climb Mount Sinai. I chose to skip the Mount Sinai excursion simply because it didn't particularly interest me (sunrise with a view to knock your socks off is apparently visible from Mt. Catherine, not from Sinai) and because I didn't bring appropriate clothing.
It was a good decision for me, not only because I felt blessed to have attended the prayer service, but also because I likely would have hated the cold and the chaos associated with the climb/ride up Sinai. With literally a thousand or more people and hundreds of camels converging in the dark hours of early morning, the scene is apparently one of utter chaos. Few members of our group were able to remain together and some ended up riding up without a guide (and on a RUNNING camel in one instance). I would have been cold, miserable, and freaked out. And I wouldn't have had the stamina to make it to the top of the mountain anyway. I would have hated every minute of it. On the other hand, those who did it, loved it.
Most of my friends expressed concern when I announced I was going to Egypt - is it safe?
You are being transferred to the updated version of this post at https://explorationvacation.net/
Most people staying at the monastery are there either as students or to climb Mount Sinai. I chose to skip the Mount Sinai excursion simply because it didn't particularly interest me (sunrise with a view to knock your socks off is apparently visible from Mt. Catherine, not from Sinai) and because I didn't bring appropriate clothing.
It was a good decision for me, not only because I felt blessed to have attended the prayer service, but also because I likely would have hated the cold and the chaos associated with the climb/ride up Sinai. With literally a thousand or more people and hundreds of camels converging in the dark hours of early morning, the scene is apparently one of utter chaos. Few members of our group were able to remain together and some ended up riding up without a guide (and on a RUNNING camel in one instance). I would have been cold, miserable, and freaked out. And I wouldn't have had the stamina to make it to the top of the mountain anyway. I would have hated every minute of it. On the other hand, those who did it, loved it.