in the middle east

School starts for me in just a week, so Jessica and I decided to take one last trip before the semester begins. We headed down to the Sinai Peninsula for 5 days of adventure, not really sure what it would be like. It takes 5hrs (on a coach bus) to get to the Southern coastal town of Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba (for an interactive map click here). From there we crossed the border into Egypt, and bartered with aggressive taxi drivers to take us on the 2hr ride to Dahab, a coastal town about half-way down the Eastern coast of the Peninsula (click on the Eastern side of the peninsula on the map). We've known some people who went here and just loved it, and we were not disappointed. A quaint coastal town with an amazing coral-reef just off the shore. I've never been snorkeling before, and this was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had in the water. The reef was teeming with thousands of creatures of diverse size and color. Sorry we don't have an underwater camera; but take our word for it. We also took an overnight trip to Mt. Sinai (click on the middle of the peninsula on the map), set in the middle of the peninsula about 50 miles away. We left our hotel at 11pm, arrived at the foot of the Mt. about 2:00 am. We made it to the top (7,500ft) around 4:45am and waited for the sunrise. It was quite an experience, and the Sinai wilderness is quite a thing to behold. I don't think I've ever seen so much non-life: just rock, sand, dirt, scarce shrubs and small trees. It was a severe contrast from the teeming coral reef on the shores of the peninsula. And the best part was that everything was so cheap! Our hotel was $6 a night, our meals were usually about $4-$8 total, and when we wanted to eat like kings, $15. At these prices we tried to do everything we could. The Egyptian people we met were wonderful, very friendly and hospitable. All in all, it was a great way to end our extended Summer before school starts. Our pictures don't really do justice to the incredible sights here in Sinai, but here you are anyway. Click Here.