Egypt should be on any traveler’s map. We felt safe when we visited Egypt in 2008, even if a few weeks prior, a group of (mainly) German tourists had been kidnapped.
Yahoo news:
“The five Germans, five Italians and one Romanian were seized Friday along with their Egyptian guides and drivers while camping near the Sudanese border, Egyptian Tourism Minister Zoheir Garana said. Government spokesman Magdi Rady said it was feared the kidnappers had taken the captives into Sudan.”
The tourists were released 10 days later, and the authorities insisted the six million ransom was not paid.
Yahoo news:
“The five Germans, five Italians and one Romanian were seized Friday along with their Egyptian guides and drivers while camping near the Sudanese border, Egyptian Tourism Minister Zoheir Garana said. Government spokesman Magdi Rady said it was feared the kidnappers had taken the captives into Sudan.”
The tourists were released 10 days later, and the authorities insisted the six million ransom was not paid.
We crossed from Israel (Eilat) to Egypt at Taba. We had to cross the desert overnight, all the way to Cairo – about 600 km. In that minivan, only my wife and I were tourists, and the authorities added an officer to guard us. Every two hours or so, there were control outposts, and the officers there knew about us, and checked us in the car, looking through the windows.
The moon over the desert was like from another world. Beautiful. We reached Cairo in the morning.
The moon over the desert was like from another world. Beautiful. We reached Cairo in the morning.
Streets were crowded, and markets were like in the movies.
We did not know the most impressive pyramids and the Sphynx were across the street from Cairo. Our guide told us that he did not like the Russian tourists who used sharp objects to scratch pyramids to take home souvenirs. He said it with a kind of relief when he heard we are not Russians.
Our guide said a prayer in a loud voice in a mosque (without a microphone), and the sound was impressive. Some tourists there jerked when he started but calmed down when they realized it was just a demo for the sound.
We started climbing the Moses mountain at 2 AM to see the sunrise from above.
The rule is that any tourist group, big or small, should be accompanied by a member of the local tribe. It was very chilly, I did not expect it. Our guide, Mohammad, offered me his coat.
After sunrise, it became hot, so I took it off.
Saint Catherine’s Monastery was built between 548 and 565, and is the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery.
From Wikipadia: “The site also holds the world's oldest continually operating library, with unique or extremely rare works, such as the Codex Sinaiticus and the Syriac Sinaiticus as well as possibly the largest collection of early Christian icons, including the earliest known depiction of Jesus as Christ Pantocrator [ruler of all-Almighty].”
From Wikipadia: “The site also holds the world's oldest continually operating library, with unique or extremely rare works, such as the Codex Sinaiticus and the Syriac Sinaiticus as well as possibly the largest collection of early Christian icons, including the earliest known depiction of Jesus as Christ Pantocrator [ruler of all-Almighty].”
The Bible says that God spoke to Moses near the burning bush. That bush is still alive and inside the St Catherine Monastery. In 2008, you could touch it. Not these days, because a fence surrounds it.
Eliade Moldovan
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In THESE LIVES, daily Cold War existence under the despotic dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu, is vividly documented. Drawn against a chaotic background of hardships, horrors, and hilarity, story after story depicts every imaginable aspect of that era: from cold, brutal murders and betrayal, to the abiding love between a husband and wife.
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