The Sinai (part 1)

Just before daybreak of our first morning in Eilat, a tour bus picked us up at our hotel and transported us to the Taba Border Crossing between Israel and Egypt. Our Israelis escort briefed us on border protocol and procedures, commencing his spiel with, “Any weapons? Any ammunition?” With our stunned silence as his only response, he added, “Anyone want to buy?” May I just clarify here: the attitudes and antics associated with crossing the border can be over-the-top, particularly on the Israelis side, and there are guns in evidence everywhere, carried by official-looking types and not-so-official-looking types. But no one merely crossing the border from one side to the other better be carrying a weapon of any kind!

Finally, after successfully navigating first the Israelis portion of buildings, lines, and counters pertaining to border crossing followed by the Egyptian portion of the same, we connected with our tour van, driver and guide—all Egyptian now. In our tour van there were six tourists—the four of us and a Japanese couple. At all the checkpoints in the Sinai, our driver would report that he was carrying a “muli-national” group; it saved time, money, and hassle because, apparently, American, British, and Israelis tour groups require an armed guard on the van as well. (Interesting, huh!)

Our tour began. Raphael, our Egyptian guide, would talk anything with us—history, culture, religion, politics, whatever; he was knowledgeable and respectful and not afraid to discuss controversial topics. I loved his candor and admired his grace—an enviable consummation of honesty, kindness, and humor. The four of us became his “four wives” for the day, and he took excellent care of us.

This is Raphael at St. Catherine's Monastery.

As Raphael talked, Sinai unfurled before us.

A sector of the planet stripped of feathers, fur, and pancake makeup, Sinai bares Earth’s casing: Sand dunes in wrinkled folds give way to glimpses of skeletal structure beneath an expanse of a skin now tautly stretched. Sinai is a landscape of nakedness.

Sunset at St. Catherine's Monastery as we complete our descent from Mt. Sinai.