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7th February

Just six of us had chosen this particular tour so we teamed up with Carol and Alan and Ann and Alan for our next adventure. It did feel quite exciting, just the 6 of us setting off for shores unknown while the rest of the group stayed on in Aqaba. It was to be a fascinating week, full of fun and laughter. We were so fortunate in that we all got on so well, we certainly couldn't have wished for better travel companions. We were taken to the port where we were to travel to Nuweiba in Sinai, via the catamaran. our passports were taken from us, returned, taken again and so on. We were first onto the boat, which was very comfortable, but it took ages before we actually got moving and the same the other end, although we Brits were taken off first and reunited with our passports. Nuweiba was manic and we were grateful that our guide, Essam, was there on time to help us out. there were people everywhere, cases and trolleys all over the place and metal tables on which cases were being unpacked. We were lucky and got through quickly, but were rather disconcerted to find we would be given an armed escort all the way to our hotel, between Nuweiba and Taba. 

The Sonesta Beach Resort is gorgeous, even if it is in the middle of nowhere. But it was deserted, perhaps only10% full. Which meant we were given rooms with great views and the staff were incredibly solicitous of our needs, even going as far as offering to open the Italian Restaurant up for us, an offer we didn't take up. With its backdrop of mountains, beautiful pool and the Red Sea, it would have been nice to spend an extra day here, but alas, we only had a few hours and a night. We had a sandwich by the pool but it was getting a bit too cool to venture into the water. It would be a great place to go to do nothing but relax, or perhaps learn to dive. We were intrigued to find the bath water was a pretty pale lilac colour! We met up for pre-dinner drinks, a ritual we would undergo most nights of our holiday, and started to get to know our companions. Then we had a buffet dinner - the best yet. But it was strange to be in such an empty hotel. 

8th February

We left at 7.30am, off to the Sinai desert and St Catherine's Monastery, possibly the most famous in the world, accompanied by our very own personal armed guard, who slept virtually all the way, with his gun digging in his back!  The Sinai peninsula is so beautiful, I could, and did, spend hours just watching it go by I love mountains and there were mountains in abundance. The road was sometimes good but sometimes it just ran out and that wasn't so comfortable but our driver, Mohammed, was great. He would be with us for our entire time in Egypt and we were grateful for his care and endurance over many, many miles. St Catherine wasn't local to this area, but was said to have been carried here by angels after her murder for following the Christian faith, whilst still in her twenties. The Monastery dates from 552 and is a Greek Orthodox Community, still in use today. It's sited next to mount Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments, and houses a descendant of the original Burning Bush - allegedly, but its cuttings will not grow anywhere else. Remarkably intact, probably because it has a mosque within its walls, St Catherine's is full of riches as it has never been attacked. We saw the most magnificent icons and ancient books. It's possible to climb Mount Sinai but fortunately I had decided against going on a trip offering this. There are 3750 steps and you start at 2am in order to catch the sunrise. We met people who had climbed it the night before and it was -3 °C. And to be honest, it didn't feel much warmer than that when we were there, despite the blue skies. The wind was bitterly cold - again! We really hadn't expected to feel so cold all the time and hadn't brought enough warm clothes with us. 

We had a horrible buffet lunch at St Catherine's village and then drove on a short way to a newish nunnery. the Nunnery of the Seven nuns, built in the 1970s. It was a very peaceful place, simple and a contrast to the riches of its more famous neighbour. We set off across the Sinai with more magnificent scenery to our next destination, the Oasis of Firar, the richest part of the Sinai. Owned by Bedouins, the oasis provides water locally and also for the monastery. They are self sufficient in all food and water and the 'aaahhh' factor was provided by the cute baby animals. The gardens are full of healthy looking vegetables and we saw the water being pumped up from the well. Then we took tea on Bedouin mats and cushions whilst Essam told us of the local traditions. But we were disappointed to find that no-one actually lives in the oasis, the buildings and tents being for the benefit of tourists!

We had 400 km drive on to Cairo, very dull once we hit the coast road along the Gulf of Suez. we went under the Suez Canal but the tunnel starts and ends  1km from it so we couldn't actually see anything. It was getting on for 9pm by the time we arrived at the beautiful Mena House Oberoi Hotel in Cairo, the closest to the Pyramids and were settled in our garden rooms, so we all elected to stay in and have room service. We were all very happy to have made that choice, the food being excellent and the rooms spacious and comfortable.