December 2002
I've been in Egypt for over three years and this was going to be my first trip to Mt. Sinai. I had put it off, worrying that it might be too touristy and that this would detract from any kind of real experience. But I shouldn't have worried. We chose the right day. Thanksgiving we arrived at St. Catherine's monastery just before the museum and church closed to the public. As the tour bus groups drifted out of the museum we were left alone with the icons. When we finally emerged from the museum the monastery grounds had been restored to their natural quiet. The tall cypress trees, the domes and the amazing rock cliffs were engulfed in a quiet harmony and the rest of the afternoon we had the place to ourselves. The monks living there gave no sign of their presence.
We had to go to bed early so we could get up at 2:30 am and be ready to start the climb up Mt. Sinai by 3:00 am! We had heard that on any given day there usually are up to 600 people climbing up the cliffs, but because the monastery is closed on Fridays the tour buses didn't arrive. We only saw one other group of four people pass us on the trail and after that it was just our group, our guide and the two camels that two of us decided to hire. The stars were bright and close and as I started the ascent I saw a shooting star zoom through the air. There was one very large bright one low in the east (it must have been a planet) and the moon was shaped like a cup. It slowly rose in sync with our climb. Occasionally we saw flashes of light, but since the sky was clear, we couldn't imagine that it could be lightening. Someone commented, "I hope the war didn't start". I guess even in this quiet place, we couldn't completely forget that threat.
For about half and hour the path is meandering and easy to follow. But the last half hour you find yourself climbing up steep rock steps. I had to stop every four or so, to catch my breath. As I neared the summit I could see part of the sky was beginning to lighten and this encouraged me. I didn't want to miss the sunrise! It is strange to climb up a hill in the dark, because one has no idea what the place looks like. As I sat at the top eating cookies I began to discern the peaks around and below me. It felt as if I had been transported to a new country.
There were low clouds in the distance and so the sun did not appear right away. Instead, we watched an amazing light show. The night before the sunset had made the sky look like a Hudson River painting. This morning it was even more unbelievable. Instead of a silver lining, we watch the crimson outline of the clouds turn to gold, then peek out in between and finally rays of light shot up from the billowy pillows. And then it burst forth. After almost an hour of waiting in the bitter cold, sitting on the unyielding rock, the sun bathed us in golden light and it felt like a baptism. I didn't know whether to watch the sun continue to rise from the clouds or to watch the changing color of the mountains behind me. Everywhere I looked it was beautiful. Despite the cold and the early morning climb the whole experience was invigorating. The walk down was equally wonderful.
One friend who had been saying the night before that she didn't believe much in spirituality, turned to me and said, "I can see why this is considered a spiritual place; one just feels it". I hope to go back and spend a week in that area. The desert surrounding the monastery would be interesting to draw and staying at the monastery's hotel is very peaceful. It was a little strange to not hear the call to prayer, especially during Ramadan. But the monks only eat once a day at sundown anyway, and they rise at dawn, so their schedule is in keeping with the Muslim holy month.
We got a surprise last week when after receiving e-mails and memos about Ramadan ending this Wednesday (which would be the start of the Eid), the university had to send out new notices saying that the Eid celebrating the end of Ramadan would start on Thursday instead. I guess it is hard to predict when they are going to see the moon! So tomorrow, a group of us are off to the white desert to enjoy the long weekend since now we have Sunday off.
I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. On the way home from Mt. Sinai we spent a day in Sharm El Sheik and were able to snorkel exploring that undersea world of fish and coral. All in all, it was quite a combination of experiences!