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The Sinai Peninsula
Stunningly desolate isolation, a delicate peninsular boundary
between 2 continents, holy land and war zone, the Sinai has always
been a special place. It’s only been in the last few years that
Sinai has shed its buffer zone image and opened its secrets to the
adventurous traveler. Now, as a mecca for camel-trekkers, scuba
enthusiasts and those in search of “something completely different,”
Sinai welcomes tourism. And, of course, once there it’s a short hop
on to Israel or a scenic ferry ride to Jordan.
“Take off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the ground on which thou
standest is holy ground,” said the Lord to Moses (Deuteronomy 3:13).
And on that spot Roman emperor Justinian built a fortress monastery
in 537 C.E. St. Catherine’s, named for an Alexandrian 4th Century
martyr, has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. The Chapel of
the Burning Bush, the incredible 6th Century mosaics, climbing to
see the sun rise on Mt. Sinai -- these are all part of the
experience you can share.
Traversing the ancient mountain ranges from St. Catherine’s east to
the Gulf of Aqaba is a journey through some of the most enthralling
landscapes on the planet. The Gulf, part of the long geological
fault running south through Africa’s Great Rift Valley, is only 10
miles wide but in places as much as 6,000 feet deep. The coral reefs
lining the shores teem with life and color and many say they offer
the world’s best and unspoiled diving. In a beautiful natural harbor
the town of Sharm El Sheikh is a center for southern peninsula
diving and offers boat dive and liveaboard access to this natural
paradise.
Further up the coast the small town of Dahab offers diving as well
as camel trekking into the interior. And if you’ve never had the
good fortune to sail a “ship of the desert,” go ahead and take the
plunge (sorry! very bad pun). Yes, you can even get to your dive
destination via camel…the camels tote tanks and all equipment and it
probably worth doing for the photo value alone! It’s practically
impossible to fall off a camel and once you get accustomed to the
rolling gate, you can focus on the view from sitting 7 feet high. It
gives the world a whole new perspective, decidedly laid-back and
“Bedouin.” And offers an insight as to what native life has been for
hundreds of years in Sinai’s 10,000 square miles of breath-taking
emptiness.
Yes, the Sinai has been, and always will be, a very special place.
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