Dahab and Sharm el Sheikh

I chose my hostel in Dahab because it is known to be solo-traveler friendly, and I wasn't disappointed.  Over the course of the first night's trip to Sinai, I made immediate friendships with two Egyptian guys my age vacationing from Alexandria, a girl traveling from Amsterdam, and a girl from Arizona who had just finished a teaching contract in Cairo.

The five of us spent the rest of our time there together, eating and swimming and snorkeling.

Which way?

On the second day, the guys wanted to go to Sharm el Sheikh so we went on a road trip (another stroke of luck for me!).  I was so excited to go there.  It was also really fun driving through the Egyptian desert.

We waved to Mubarak in Salam Hospital, and snorkeled along the coral reefs.

I had only snorkeled once before this, in Key West, Florida.  The Red Sea is supposed to have some of the most amazing snorkeling and diving on the planet.  It was so cool to follow along the shelf of the reef, the schools of fish would swim so close you could touch them, and one large red fish, maybe a snapper, stared me down for several seconds before venturing closer to check me out by "biting" my finger!  I took a roll of underwater photos there, but have yet to go old school style and get them developed :)  I can't wait to see how they turn out!

The night before, the guys were telling us what they wanted to do in Sharm-- EAT.  They were so excited to drive down there and eat all this fabulously delicious food.  When it came time to go to dinner, we started walking, checking out all the seafood restaurants...  and then the guys stopped and I learned what this amazing food was they spoke of-- Pizza Hut!  Apparently it is all the rage in the Middle East.

So, we girls went to one of the other restaurants while they ate pizza and joined us later.  This was one of the most fun nights I've had.  

We would order shrimp, or fish, and the waiter would bring out a bunch of different sizes of the dead animal for us to choose from. We were laughing hysterically (and taking pictures), even though we knew the restaurant staff probably thought we were insane!

Also what must also be mentioned about Egypt are the CATS!  I have never seen so many cats in my life.  I guess because cats are revered in Egypt?  It is pretty unnerving... you may not see any for a moment, but when dinner arrives in front of you there are cats in your lap and on the table... along with salt and ketchup, tables are traditionally equipped with spray bottles of water to fend off the cats.

I personally found this a struggle-- between my allergies/not wanting to touch the cats/finding them disgusting all up in my food, versus feeling bad about spraying them (which usually didn't even work!), or alternatively, shoving them off the table.  And of course, the occasional adorable little mewing kitten that was impossible not to feed....

Cat for dinner?

Back in Dahab the next day, the girls were getting SCUBA certified and the guys and I went to snorkel the infamous Blue Hole.  This site has actually claimed the lives of many scuba divers, but snorkeling doesn't pose the same dangers.  The reefs and fish there were absolutely incredible. 

I am fascinated by the fact that coral is a living animal. At one point while I was surfaced, fiddling with my mask, my thigh barely brushed some coral. I felt nothing and forgot about it, but later that day I had a rash. I found out that some coral, in self-defense, will spray you with poison if you get too close!

Divers' Memorial at the Blue Hole, Dahab

Of course I also loved how inexpensive everything is in Egypt- on my last night we rode horseback on the Red Sea for an hour for about $5!

The next morning it was time to head towards Jordan for the start of my second program, taking a bus to Nuweiba then a ferry across the Sea.  I wasn't ready to leave.

Mt. Sinai, Egypt, and getting a little sappy :)

with Professors Morris, Rubenstein, Kaufman, and Feinstein

Our Israel program wrapped up with a stressful and sleepless few days as we all worked furiously on our exams.  After a group farewell dinner it was time to say what felt like an abrupt goodbye.


I had  six days to get from Jerusalem to Amman, so I decided to travel overland into the Sinai peninsula.

Up until this point I had never traveled completely alone so I was a bit nervous, but it was a great decision.  I went online, looked up the bus schedule to get from Jerusalem to the Israeli border in Eilat, and found a hostel I liked in Dahab.

Then I was off!  I crossed the border into Taba, Egypt on foot.  It's incredible how quickly you go from nervousness and uncertainty to feeling comfortable, capable, and independent once you just go out there and do it.  Most or all of your preconceived notions about people or places turn out to be untrue.  I think everyone who possibly has the means should embark on at least one solo adventure!

When I arrived at Bishbishi in the late afternoon, looking forward to nothing but sleeping, the owner Jimmy informed me that the tour for Mt. Sinai was that evening.  For those who don't know, this involves leaving at 10 pm to spend hours climbing the 7,500 foot mountain in pitch blackness, in order to be situated on top of the summit in time for sunrise.  Since of course this sounded like a fabulous idea, I took a quick nap in preparation for yet another sleepless night.

The climb really was not terrible.  The only issue for me was that, per usual, I was suffering from some bronchitis or other similar lung disease for people with stupid immune systems, which had progressed so that I felt quite breathless.  (Fortunately Tommy's mom supplied me with a Z pack before I left Michigan which cleared things up a few days later!)  Other than that, the climb itself was not as strenuous as I had been led to expect, especially in the cool night.

The sky was absolutely amazing, there were more stars than I imagined existed, so many that they were in 3d and I could see the depth between them.

Also, for the first time I saw the Milky Way, an unmistakable huge white streak across the entire sky.  It was mesmerizing.  I so wish that I could have taken a photograph of the night sky!

Out of nowhere an old Incubus song I haven't heard since high school popped into my head and remained for the entire climb.

I dig my toes into the sand
The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds
strewn across a blue blanket
I lean against the wind, 
pretend I am weightless
And in this moment I am happy

I wish you were here

I lay my head onto the sand
The sky resembles a backlit canopy

with holes punched in it
I'm counting UFO's,

I signal them with my lighter
And in this moment I am happy

I wish you were here

The world's a roller coaster and I am not strapped in
Maybe I should hold with care,

my hands are busy in the air
Saying I wish you were here.



On this night I experienced one of those surreal moments that always hit me at spontaneous points while I'm traveling.  I became completely overwhelmed by emotions, the sight of the mountains and the night sky, how hard I worked to get here, how long I waited, and the truth that I am actually here now, in this moment, in Egypt, climbing Mt. Sinai.  It always moves me to tears and to me that is the epitome of feeling alive.

the climb

the Burning Bush

Mt. Sinai is another site of important religious significance; it was here that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.  At the foot of the mountain lies St. Catherine's Monastery, the oldest working Christian monastery in the world and the home of the burning bush.

I finally arrived back to Dahab in the early afternoon, and slept for the rest of the day and night. :)