Lots of Sinai

We all think Mt. Sinai is a single mountain but that assumption is incorrect.  Sinai is a range of mountains and within the range is the Mountain of Moses, as it is called here.  And what a mountaiin it is.  We had to battle customs at the Egyptian border for well over an hour to finally clear, get on our Egyptian buses and proceed along the Gulf of Aqaba until we turned into the \mountains and ultimately up to Sinai.  Along the way it was pointed out that the Israelites wandered thru the plains for all those years.  We saw what appeared to be free range camels everywhere with no owner or responsible person in sight for miles and miles.  Herd of goats who apparently herd themselves.  And of course, a lot, alot and even more mountains.

We had an Egyptian bus, driver, guide and securty agent assigned to each bus and the latter had a big gun. Maybe to ward off thiefs of the big rocks which were everywhere.  Certainly, the herd of over weight, mostly maturing (hmmmm!!!) white americans posed no particular risk..

anyway, St. Catherines Cathedrial sets at the base of the Mountian of Moses. Pretty impressive in it's own right.  and then we get ready to head up the mountain of some 8000 feet.  There were camel jockey, seriously, with their animal and it seems every single one assumed this flacid faces/bodied American need to be on the back of their camel.  The animal didnt showany particular interest in me or anything else for that matter other than his food, his cud, and the occassional dropping of little camel balls which we all did our best to avoid during our mile or more up the mountain. 

I can say Moses' mountain does look differenct from any of the other.  1/2 up the mountain the color changes completely from the standard red rock to this dark blue/black color.  Of course, we all know, don't we in Exodus 24:1 + Moses, Aaron, his sons and the 70 elders met God up the mountain a distance and then Moses went on up.   Well we know God was in the mountain and that is a fact,  I don't know for sure but surely i beleive the change in color came in play there somewhere.

So, enough from me for tonight.  I will attach some photos and try to catch up some tomorrow.  We have our first day off in anticipation of leaving Eliat at 5 p.m. and Tel Aviv for JFK 1 a.m. Friday local time

I am pretty sure this camel is saying a short prayer thinking his boss might talk me into getting on.. he wins, i dont.

not it but close

more tomorrow

good night pilgrim

ral

for some reason i am missing photos of my camels.. one was named joe for no better reason, i must go back over my pictures of the day to see what i did.  I cant even find Moses moutain and i took several of those

always promoting MSU

pretty stark mountains, not Moses'

ral