Mother of the World, part 6
As we descended Mt Sinai I couldnt help but notice the strange site of snow and camel piss lining the walking track. I wonder how many of us have experienced this amazing and thought provoking site (and smell). This is what experiencing the world is all about. right...?
So Bob and i basically gave up trying to stop our exhausted legs from inevitably gaining pace down the mountain and instead concentrated on not running into people or spraining the old ankles. we made it down in about 1/4 of the time it took to clamber up with only minimal, potentially athritic, damage to our ankles and knees. by that time it was almost 9am and we were wet, hot, and tired. nevertheless, we were quickly invigorated by the Christian pilgrims gleefully singing to the walls of the monastery and found enuogh energy to dash inside away from all the infectious and annoying joyfulness and take a glimpse of the holy Burning Bush.
after that, we spent another couple of days in Dahab, catching up on sleep and snorkling in the 120 metre deep Blue Hole. we relaxed at some of the bars and cafes. a snippet of the bbc world news in our hotel alluded to a big lunar eclipse. but i didnt catch the date, nor did i pay much attention. however, when i did happen to look up that night, there it was. and oh how excited i got.
then to nuweiba, where bob and i were planning a trip across the gulf to Aqaba, Jordan. But it was not to be for Bob. Foolishly branding his Egyptian passport to the Jordanian authorities without one of a number of documents permitting his release from Egypt, he was escorted off the boat for a lack of bureaucratic prescience. Alas, i had enjoyed his company but really, in Jordan he probably wouldnt come in all that handy. so i left him crying at the port in the arms of a hefty Yemeni sailor, and looked out towards the immenent and exciting adventures i would have in Asia.
and they were few. so few, in fact that i will say that it is always a great experience to travel by yourself and stay in youth hostels, stake out one city after another, looking for things to do, people to see and cheap places to stay. but im not writing a novel so ill tell you i met an amazing muslim/rastafarian women and her partner in aqaba who had travelled through just about every country in Africa for seven years, eating and writing a book. in petra i met about 18 people in 2 days, who i averaged about 24 minutes speaking to each and recieved many email addresses. other than that petra was an amazing ancient city and i recommend people spend a good 2 or more days there drifting around, exploring, meeting the local bedu, etc.
but it was expensive, i didnt have much time, and i missed the fun times with bob, so i returned to bob in egypt who should have been waiting for me at the port waiving his little white tissue in the air but wasn't. *before that though, i did want to go to Palestine. I did want to see first hand some of what is really going on there. i regret not making it in there but i won't forget why i wanted to go there. i have something to say so that might be the next chapter.* anyways, bob had stayed in Taba, literally 10 kilometres from Aqaba but with Israel's Eilat in between. So from Aqaba i had ferried to Nuweiba (about 70+ kms away) and then got a taxi back up to Taba, all in about 5 or 6 hours. i shuolda just swam across. he had stayed there for a certain russian lady and her gfs. He had 'spoiled himself' and stayed at the Hilton Hotel and so there i was too. ofcourse, why not put the rooms on his mum's credit card. so we did that too.
but thats ok i came to understand. cos egyptian culture really is family oriented and i have been overwhelmed by my family in egypt and here in dubai. i couldnt pay for anything anywhere, not even when i went shopping for maybe one shirt and some shoes at the most yesterday with my aunt. She bought me those, then proceeded to throw me into every shop in the mall and buy me whatever i wanted. At the beginning i felt hessitant and unsure. but as humans we adjust, and i thought honouring arab culture by recieving their hospitality would be the greatest gift i could give back to them ;) i just hope they dont come to australia anytime soon (unless you give me a good job, yes you)... but ofcourse i am just joking.
So Bob and i basically gave up trying to stop our exhausted legs from inevitably gaining pace down the mountain and instead concentrated on not running into people or spraining the old ankles. we made it down in about 1/4 of the time it took to clamber up with only minimal, potentially athritic, damage to our ankles and knees. by that time it was almost 9am and we were wet, hot, and tired. nevertheless, we were quickly invigorated by the Christian pilgrims gleefully singing to the walls of the monastery and found enuogh energy to dash inside away from all the infectious and annoying joyfulness and take a glimpse of the holy Burning Bush.
after that, we spent another couple of days in Dahab, catching up on sleep and snorkling in the 120 metre deep Blue Hole. we relaxed at some of the bars and cafes. a snippet of the bbc world news in our hotel alluded to a big lunar eclipse. but i didnt catch the date, nor did i pay much attention. however, when i did happen to look up that night, there it was. and oh how excited i got.
then to nuweiba, where bob and i were planning a trip across the gulf to Aqaba, Jordan. But it was not to be for Bob. Foolishly branding his Egyptian passport to the Jordanian authorities without one of a number of documents permitting his release from Egypt, he was escorted off the boat for a lack of bureaucratic prescience. Alas, i had enjoyed his company but really, in Jordan he probably wouldnt come in all that handy. so i left him crying at the port in the arms of a hefty Yemeni sailor, and looked out towards the immenent and exciting adventures i would have in Asia.
and they were few. so few, in fact that i will say that it is always a great experience to travel by yourself and stay in youth hostels, stake out one city after another, looking for things to do, people to see and cheap places to stay. but im not writing a novel so ill tell you i met an amazing muslim/rastafarian women and her partner in aqaba who had travelled through just about every country in Africa for seven years, eating and writing a book. in petra i met about 18 people in 2 days, who i averaged about 24 minutes speaking to each and recieved many email addresses. other than that petra was an amazing ancient city and i recommend people spend a good 2 or more days there drifting around, exploring, meeting the local bedu, etc.
but it was expensive, i didnt have much time, and i missed the fun times with bob, so i returned to bob in egypt who should have been waiting for me at the port waiving his little white tissue in the air but wasn't. *before that though, i did want to go to Palestine. I did want to see first hand some of what is really going on there. i regret not making it in there but i won't forget why i wanted to go there. i have something to say so that might be the next chapter.* anyways, bob had stayed in Taba, literally 10 kilometres from Aqaba but with Israel's Eilat in between. So from Aqaba i had ferried to Nuweiba (about 70+ kms away) and then got a taxi back up to Taba, all in about 5 or 6 hours. i shuolda just swam across. he had stayed there for a certain russian lady and her gfs. He had 'spoiled himself' and stayed at the Hilton Hotel and so there i was too. ofcourse, why not put the rooms on his mum's credit card. so we did that too.
but thats ok i came to understand. cos egyptian culture really is family oriented and i have been overwhelmed by my family in egypt and here in dubai. i couldnt pay for anything anywhere, not even when i went shopping for maybe one shirt and some shoes at the most yesterday with my aunt. She bought me those, then proceeded to throw me into every shop in the mall and buy me whatever i wanted. At the beginning i felt hessitant and unsure. but as humans we adjust, and i thought honouring arab culture by recieving their hospitality would be the greatest gift i could give back to them ;) i just hope they dont come to australia anytime soon (unless you give me a good job, yes you)... but ofcourse i am just joking.
posted by Handsome Hish at 1:20 AM
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