Nomads life and The journey’s obstruction

by Rahma AbdelNaeim (Egypt)

I didn't expect to find Egypt

In our life, we always have to choose between two choices or sometimes more, but for me, the choices make life more exciting. Our choices’ journey started at the bus heading from Cairo to SouthSinai -Saint Catherine-, with meeting Sadon’s colleague from University with his hiking group who advise us to climb Mousa mountain which is an elevation of 2.285m instead of Mount Saint Catherine which is an elevation of 2.629m as a beginners but we have decided to accept the challenge to climb the mount Catherine till we arrived the camp where something happened and had our nomads' dinner. With the moonlight, the delicious chicken and rice which was melting in our tongues, at the same way that our body needed to lie under the cypress and to cancel the climbing, we Meet “sheik Naser” the beduine man who was changed our mind, Mohamed will be your guide “Sheikh Naser” said, and asked Which Mount did you decided to climb? Saint Catherine “Ayman” the third member of this journey answered. We were four friends Ayman, Sadoun, Lamees and my self, for all of us it was the first time in our twenty-five years of life in saint Catherin, we had come on March only to challenge our self with climbing the mount then stay in Dahab in huts with very primitively life, faring away from the noisy, city’s lighting, crowded, work pressure and back to the nature, moon, and breathing the purest air. Sheik Naser said; to climb the mount Catherin it will cost one thousand Egyptian pounds for the person and two hundred Egyptian pounds to climb mount Mousa; some decision must change when it comes to money, as people said “Money is talk” especially if we have limited money depends on our long plan. we decided to climb mount Mousa, therefore, saving money and 0.344m distance, which will save our leg’s muscles later. Between the cypress trees and the narrows passages, living a dream in a shape of a woman, she sells handmade work, Olive oil, spices, and energy bar’s products to help visitors in their journey to the top of the mount. The seller woman who has left Cairo; the capital city before one year, to stay in the city of nature, expands her project and clearing her soul. In Egypt, the women who depend on themselves and left their family’s homes are very different and Superheroes. Did you make all of this by yourself? I asked, and she said yes I made this energy bar from the nuts, dates, and oats then she added I was doing the same at my home, then one day I came here as a guest and negotiated with “sheik Naser” to stay here and open a store for my handmade products, at first, he refused as I was the only woman surrounded with men, also, habits may refuse, but after a long discussion, I convinced him. Enjoy your journey and stay stick with the guide as the road is bumpy and needs an expert person like Mohamed “The woman said”. Between the darkness and the sharp features of the nomads' men whom above thirty years old. The guide boy with only twelve years old, thin body, and confident features came to guide us to the top, carrying light for the darkness, and glasses hanged on the T-shirt. You should follow my steps, our plan will start at midnight, we supposed to arrive before 05:00 am to watch the fascinating sunrise, and go down on 9:00 am “The small guide man said” then continued; we are going to walk 7 kilometers till arriving in the rock ladder which consists from 750 stairs, we will find five stops, most of them will be closed today but we will find places to break a while, and with the strict way he asked; anybody, has a problem with breathing, has diseases or wants to change his mind? Also, there is no returning. Without thinking, we have worn all clothes as the weather was cold, we have carried our backpacks, we checked our bottles of water, switched our lights on and let's go “we said together”.