Mount Sinai (or Moses Mountain as the Egyptians call it) is
mentioned 41 times in the Bible!! When I
was researching our trip to Egypt I came across the whole “you must hike up Mt
Sinai” thing a gazillion times. But I was not convinced.
Firstly, I am asthmatic.
Secondly, I am so unfit it is ridiculous. But, with all the reading and
research I kept on hearing phrases like “it’s an easy walk”, “it’s only a
couple of hours”, “it’s not a big deal”.
So Lisa in her infinite wisdom booked for us to climb Mount Sinai.
It’s important to note at this point that Megan is a karate
champ as well as a life guard so she is super fit and oh she is 16 years old!!
I am a couch potato and 30 something!!! With this challenge included in our
trip I started walking daily in an effort to build up my stamina as well as my
fitness level…then I got sick and that was that.
I should have known this was probably not the wisest thing
to do when just days before a man was kidnapped in Sinai and held to
ransom. Now he was well treated and in
fact stated that he enjoyed his time with the Bedouin but well it was
dangerous. My second clue was when we
were given a guide who spoke only Arabic and ……wait for it….Russian. Lastly, when all the others making the trip
with us was Russian I should have known things were going to get interesting.
The three hour drive to Sinai felt forever as the
temperatures started to drop. Megan and I had packed one backpack and had
jackets with us to ward of the chill but it was still cold and slightly
unpleasant being stuck in a minivan with so many other people for so long.
We eventually made it to the foot of the mountain in the
early hours of the morning. There was
one bathroom which was ummmm interesting but necessary. Our guide gave a rundown of what was
happening….in Russian. Meg and I had no
clue what was going on but we followed the crowd. Which were really walking fast to the point
that we lost them. But Meg being the champ ran to catch up to them and
explained to our Bedouin guide (who spoke English) that we needed to set a
slower pace if I was going to keep up.
Shame he was really sweet and concerned with he found out I was
asthmatic.
And so the climb began…
Mt Sinai is a 7 497 foot high mountain. I made it to
the first stop past St Katharine’s Monastery when my lungs gave out on me. I was suffering one asthma attack after
another and I was battling to regain my breath in between because the air was
becoming so thin. Our Bedouin guide was
concerned for my safety reminding me that if I was to fall or pass out or die
there was no way to get me down of the mountain. He insisted that I return with another group
making their way down the mountain to base camp.
I could not deny Meg the opportunity to summit but leaving
her was the most difficult decision I have ever had to make. Two of the younger Russian women spoke
English and assured me they would look out for her and our guide (after I
threatened him with everything from decapitation to castration) promised to
make sure she was ok. I was torn, I felt like I was deserting the most precious
thing (which she is) but I had no choice. In the end I trusted my gut, the
guide and the Russian ladies.
As Meg made her way up the mountain I made my way down. Things
kinda got interesting because I was really battling to breath but the guide
bring his group down from the summit was wonderful and really tried to help
me. When we made it to the base camp our
non English speaking guide and driver told me that there was no place for me to
stay. I looked around and true enough
everything was closed….everything (remember that for a little later)!!! They were sleeping in the mini van so I joined
them. I did not sleep much between being
incredibly worried about Meg and praying for her every minute and the snoring
men but what really kept me awake was the sudden cold.
It was at this point that I realised that I had taken
nothing from the backpack. Megan had my
warm jacket, she had all our cash, our food, the cameras as well as all the
water and wait for it…..wet wipes and toilet paper!! Of course the moment I
realised this I was thirsty, hungry and desperate for the bathroom.
Depending on how well you want to know me…you may want to
stop reading at this point...
So, it is now about 3 in the morning. I am really really frantic for the bathroom. I decided to see if the
bathroom we had used earlier is open…in fact up until this point I had no reason
to think it would not be. But
alas!!!! It was locked up. WHO locks a public bathroom in the MIDDLE of
the night!!! Apparently the Bedouin. I did not know what to do because in all
honesty I was about to have a major accident in my pants. There were a couple
of guys in a tent type thing who were drinking tea so I asked them if they
could open the bathroom but NONE of them had a key.
Well friends, a women has to do what a women has to do!! A
tour bus was parked a little to the side of the parking lot and there was no
other cars or busses around it. The bus
was dark so I figured there was no one inside.
I walked (well it was more of a waddle because my need had become so great)
to the far side of the bus, checked that no one was around at the little shop
where the guys were having tea was not in sight. It was at this point that I
realised that I was about to drop my pants in an open space and squat. Oh the
thoughts that went through my mind…let’s just say it was a dark dark time. I
looked around one more time and started to unbuckle my pants. It then occurred to me that as it is I have
trouble squatting. I am not sure what it
is…perhaps it’s because I am short or just stupid but if travelling in the Far
East taught me anything it is that I am not a good squatter!! As if my
situation could not be more dire I faced the cruel reality that not only was I
going to have to squat but I was gonna have to remove my pants to do so.
Contemplating this another thought raised its ugly little head…what was I gonna
wipe with. Remember my earlier statement
that Meg had the backpack with EVERYTHING it, yip that!!!
So to recap….I am desperate to pee, the bathrooms are
locked, I have no toilet paper and I now need to remove my pants and squat!!
Let me tell you its kinda in a moment like this that you pray for the earth to
swallow you up!! It was time to take care of business. I checked that no one was around, I dropped
my pants and maneuvered one pants leg off so that I could move the pants out of
“danger zone”, checked around once more and dropped to my knees. As relief set it, I was overcome by a fit of
giggles. Oh my word was there ever a
better candid camera moment!!! I had a good laugh as I drip dried, then
realised I was actually half naked, backed away from “the spot” and quickly
sorted out my pants. The only problem is
that my pants leg would not go over my sneaker.
There I was butt in the air hopping around trying to get my pants over
my shoe!!
Finally, I made my way back to the car, got settled in and
as I slowly drifted off to sleep it occurred to me that I would be in a similar
position in the desert. UMMMMMMM
As the sun started to rise I woke up and went to sit
outside. It was kinda chilly but oh-my
the sun rise was amazing. I may not have
made it to the summit but I sure did have a mountain top experience. I felt
such peace settle around me and I experienced such serenity as I watched the
light touch the mountain tops. I prayed
and I know that right there and then I have never felt closer to our Heavenly
Father. My heart cried out for the earthly father I had lost and all the sin
and ugliness I had been carrying around with me felt lighter…..a burden lifted.
But as morning dawned I became worried about Meg and
wondered how her mountain top experience was going. I wanted to hike up to the monastery so that
we could at least see the “burning bush” or at least what they think was the
burning bush but was told that the monastery was closed due to all the unrest
in the area.
It was about nine o clock and my nerves were on end as the
young Russian ladies appeared. I must
admit that I was a little panicked when I saw that Meg was not with them but
they said that she was fine but had taken the longer route back. That’s my Meg…always up for an adventure. She
arrived about 15 minutes later and I am not sure who I was happier to see…her
or the backpack…
I will share some of Meg’s mountain top experience soon…
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