PRACTICALITIES WHEN GOING TO SINAI

 

1. You are responsible for your own safety, well being and organisation of your journey. We will do everything possible to make the ceremony as safe and pleasant as possible, but we are not liable for any unforeseen circumstances, accidents, illness or other events.
    

2. You can book a tourist hotel on the Red Sea, at Dahab, Sharm el Sheich or Nuweiba. Every hotel can organize your tour to the mountain. From the Red Sea to the Mountain takes between 30 minutes/ 1 hour.
    

3. There are police and military controls on the way to the Catherine Monastery/ mount Sinai. Remember Egypt is a military government with a strict regime. 
    

4. Before you go, think about your condition and your physical well being. It is not an easy climb. Climbing up takes 2,5 / 3 hours. Going down as well. 
    

5. The idea is to stay on the top of the mountain for the night vigil (between sunset at 5 pm and sunrise at 6 am local time), but you might also want to stay halfway or down in the valley to meditate during the night.
    

6. Thousands of tourists climb the mountain every night, so the officials are prepared for large groups. 
    

7. At the foot of mount Sinai you have to buy a ticket to go up. You will also get a bedouin guide that is responsible for your well being. He will stay with you till you are back down. We will get in contact with the officials and with the bedouins about the night vigil.
    

8. You can rent a camel for the journey up the mountain. They bring you up till the last part going up. From there it is a staircase to reach the top. 
    

9. Make sure you have a health and travel insurance, and a valid passport and visum. You can get a tourist visum for Egypt at the airport of Sharm el Sheich.
    

10. The night on the mountain can be cold: take a good sweater, jacket and sleepingmat with you. The bedouins also offer sleeping places, mattresses and cushions on top, but there won’t be enough for large groups.
     

11. Take care of the natural environment so we don’t leave a footprint. Nature is fragile and we need to protect it. Don’t leave rubbish along the way.
     

12. Toilets are scarse on the mountain. Take some toiletpaper with you and plastic bags to take the paper back with you.
     

13. Be conscious with the use of water in the desert. There is a shortage.
     

14. There are bedouin stands with coffee, tea and food along the way up to the mountaintop. But just to be sure: take a waterbottle. 
     

15. Bring good walking/hiking shoes. The path of the mountain is broad and well kept, but still it is mountain terrain. 
     

16. Be careful with plants, animals. There might be scorpions and snakes in the desert. 
     

17. Be respectful to the local, muslim and bedouin tradition. They have different opinions for instance about the relationship between men and women and religion.
     

18. There might be other groups on the mountain as well. Please respect their way of prayer and ceremony.
     

19. Take a first aid kit with you with basic material: medicines against diarree, bandage for wounds etc. 
     

20. Take a hat and suncream to protect against the sun, and a shawl against the wind. 
     

21. There is a possibility to visit Saint Catherine monastery. There is a museum, church and the burning bush of Moses.
     

22. Remember that things might go different than you expect them to go. Be flexible, respectful and open to the learning curve involved ;-) 
     

23. There will be a men’s gathering in camp Moussa in Saint Catherine’s village. They will have their own process to go inwards from november 2 - 7, but during the night vigil they will hold space and be available for any questions, needs etc.

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ABOUT THE HOURS ON NOVEMBER 8

- We will start to climb from 2 or 3 pm and be on the mountain from sunset (5 pm) to sunrise (6 am), local time. Until October 31st Egypt and European time are the same (UTC+2), but at the end of this month the clock will be reset in Europe (UTC+1), and not in Egypt. So Egypt time in November will be one hour ahead of European time. 
 

- If you want to join in spirit from your own home place, know that most probably the meditation on Mt. Sinai will be most active between 8 and 11 pm Egyptian time. And after that the night vigil sets in.
 

- Note that the moon eclips on november 8th will start earlier that day, starting at about 10 am and ending at 4 pm Egypt time, with the full eclips at 1 pm. The eclips will not be visible in Sinai, though. 

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For time convertion, check: https://www.worldtimebuddy.com

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