Tuesday, October 31, 2006
29/10 Wadi Feiran - Sinai Desert!
Desert mountains, range behind range of black, red, brown, sand coloured mountains up to 2600m. As we drive down the Wadi (dry river bed) on a duel lane bitumen road toward the oasis there is now an occassional tree, some stunted bushes and spinifex type grasses. This green only occurs in the Wadi not on the mountains. After 5 hours of sand desert without a blade of green, it feels green. the road travels upstream and as the wadi narrows, so the mountains close in. It feels like a gorge, bare mountains stretching to meet the blue sky. As we approach the township camels and goats appear, foraging in what looks like rock pasture.
Moses led the Isrealites through here. Bedouin live here. There are wells dotted along the wadi but no surface water. In the winter it can rain and this year the river ran and flooded the road. The trees are acacias - related to the ones oin Africa and Australia. The guide doesn't know the variety.
Like so many communities around the world, these people live very simply in tiny 2 room huts.But they have put pride into their mosque - it is well maintained and painted, etc. This building acts as church, town hall, community centre.
Amazing geology, maountain ridges with serrated bauxite coloured spines. This area is part of the rift valley that runs through Africa - it moves 1cm per year.
A desert, is not a desert, is not a desert...
On the way to the Wadi we crossed the Suez Canal in an undergroud tunnel and followed the Gulf of Suez south. There are miles of local beach resorts - very ugly. But the ocean is incredibly blue and green. Quite strange the desert on the left and the ocean on the right.
We arrived at St Katherine the town base for our climb of Mt Sinai - the biblical among us would remember Moses climbed Mt Sinai to receive the ten commandments from God. Lovely local stone built resort, just basic, blending into the background beautifully. Headed off for our climb about 2pm. Mt Sinai is 2280m high - the second highest peak in Egypt. At the base of the climb the camel men try and get you to take a camel instead of walk. They follow you for the first 4/5ths of the climb and every time you stop to enjoy the view or catch your breath they offer again. The views are tremendous, opening up across the mountain range as you get higher. There are stalls at ech stage break - the Egyptians never miss an opportunity to make money.
The camels set a fast pace as you push to get past them - otherwise you are climbing with their bums in your face or their manure fresh under your boots. When you stop for the view they catch up so you dont stop long. We made it to the tpo in equal record time -2hrs. The last 1/5th of the climb is 780 steps. You can do the whole climb via steps 3800 steps of redemption. The 780 I did were redeemin genough thank you!
We had about 45minutes before sunset and walked down by torch light in the dark. The stall holders onthe summit walk up every day before light to sell to the sunrise walkers and walk back down after us each evening. Keen!
It is very hard to get used to mountainous desert. The ranges are up to 4 mountains deep. It was impossible to capture the definition between the layers in photos. From grey/brown to brown to red/brown to red, shadowed ravines making dark slashes across the inclines washed of colour in the full sun.
Desert mountains, range behind range of black, red, brown, sand coloured mountains up to 2600m. As we drive down the Wadi (dry river bed) on a duel lane bitumen road toward the oasis there is now an occassional tree, some stunted bushes and spinifex type grasses. This green only occurs in the Wadi not on the mountains. After 5 hours of sand desert without a blade of green, it feels green. the road travels upstream and as the wadi narrows, so the mountains close in. It feels like a gorge, bare mountains stretching to meet the blue sky. As we approach the township camels and goats appear, foraging in what looks like rock pasture.
Moses led the Isrealites through here. Bedouin live here. There are wells dotted along the wadi but no surface water. In the winter it can rain and this year the river ran and flooded the road. The trees are acacias - related to the ones oin Africa and Australia. The guide doesn't know the variety.
Like so many communities around the world, these people live very simply in tiny 2 room huts.But they have put pride into their mosque - it is well maintained and painted, etc. This building acts as church, town hall, community centre.
Amazing geology, maountain ridges with serrated bauxite coloured spines. This area is part of the rift valley that runs through Africa - it moves 1cm per year.
A desert, is not a desert, is not a desert...
On the way to the Wadi we crossed the Suez Canal in an undergroud tunnel and followed the Gulf of Suez south. There are miles of local beach resorts - very ugly. But the ocean is incredibly blue and green. Quite strange the desert on the left and the ocean on the right.
We arrived at St Katherine the town base for our climb of Mt Sinai - the biblical among us would remember Moses climbed Mt Sinai to receive the ten commandments from God. Lovely local stone built resort, just basic, blending into the background beautifully. Headed off for our climb about 2pm. Mt Sinai is 2280m high - the second highest peak in Egypt. At the base of the climb the camel men try and get you to take a camel instead of walk. They follow you for the first 4/5ths of the climb and every time you stop to enjoy the view or catch your breath they offer again. The views are tremendous, opening up across the mountain range as you get higher. There are stalls at ech stage break - the Egyptians never miss an opportunity to make money.
The camels set a fast pace as you push to get past them - otherwise you are climbing with their bums in your face or their manure fresh under your boots. When you stop for the view they catch up so you dont stop long. We made it to the tpo in equal record time -2hrs. The last 1/5th of the climb is 780 steps. You can do the whole climb via steps 3800 steps of redemption. The 780 I did were redeemin genough thank you!
We had about 45minutes before sunset and walked down by torch light in the dark. The stall holders onthe summit walk up every day before light to sell to the sunrise walkers and walk back down after us each evening. Keen!
It is very hard to get used to mountainous desert. The ranges are up to 4 mountains deep. It was impossible to capture the definition between the layers in photos. From grey/brown to brown to red/brown to red, shadowed ravines making dark slashes across the inclines washed of colour in the full sun.
# posted by The Essence of Good Taste @ 12:04 PM 
