Leaving Egypt

I am currently (was at the time of writing) at the port city of Nuweiba which is an Egyptian port that services the Gulf of Aqaba. We are preparing to leave Egypt after 8 full and adventurous days. We are departing for the Jordanian port city of Aqaba which is our entry point for the six day adventure in Jordan ahead. By Egyptian timing, that should mean we leave at 4pm and arrive at 6pm (as I write this). The reality was that we left at 7pm and arrived at 10pm!!!!!!!!!!!! What the? Could it have something to do with this mystery Egyptian road sign?

My biggest disappointment with Egypt was the poor internet capability which meant I could not get my news out with pics (this version has been corrected with pics). The second disappointment was the filth and rubbish.

Enough of that though. Egypt was wonderful and I have completed many things on my wish list of life. When I last wrote I was in Luxor, way down south. We joined our cruise boat from there and sailed up to Aswan. Each day we spent in temples and bazaars, on the Nile and soaking up the Egyptian culture outside of Cairo. Cairo is a city of 20 plus million people and the mess and chaos has to be seen to be believed.

The historic sites speak for themselves I think, so I have spent a fair bit of time trying to capture the day to day life of Egypt. My pics show Bedouin families, country farmers and their livestock, the poor and the unsure, just trying to make a living. Each pic makes me value Australia so much.

My last day here was spent arising at 1.30am and hiking for three hours to the top of Mount Sinai to watch the sun rising (Mt Sinai & sunrise pics). I did it and I am so pleased I did. While dodging camels in the dark I was able to pray for all the people who have come into my life over the past 25 years My theme was ‘my birth’ (family and friends), ‘my baptism’(my Catholic faith), and ‘my ordination 25 years ago’ (my role in the Church and contribution to the world). Yes, I needed a long walk ascending 2300 meters to the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments. (Pic of the Bedouin lad wearing my cap, and yes, I bought a pyramid from him at the top of the Mount). I have now completed all major mountain walks connected to my faith – Sinai, Tabor, Mount of Beatitudes, Mount of Olives, Golgotha, and very soon Nebo in Jordan where Moses died. My life has not been wasted and I felt a great sense of peace as I said my Office this morning on top of Mt Sinai as the sun rose. I find it hard to believe I have achieved so much personally, and I have more to do. But what will that be?

Our guide in Egypt was Khayed but we called him “Charlie”. Here is a pic of him hard at work at he back of our bus. In fairness, he was just getting over the end of Ramadan. He was married with two young children. He was helpful in leading us into the insights of Egyptian politics, the Moslem culture, the social strata and his own hopes for his country of which he is enormously proud.

As I leave Egypt I dedicate this page to Khaled and his family hoping his plans and dreams come to fruition too.