Egypt, Jordan, and the Red Sea Cruise Log - Silver Whisper Red Sea Cruise Tour

By Linda Garrison, About.com Guide

St. Catherine's Monastery is the celebrated site of where God spoke to Moses from a burning bush. The monastery has been operating since the days of early Christianity and has been a pilgrim destination for centuries. St. Catherine's is tucked into a narrow mountain valley at the foot of Mt. Sinai, and the trail pilgrims use for their pre-dawn trek to the top of Mt. Sinai starts at the monastery. The monastery complex is surrounded by a high wall, reminding us of how difficult it must have been for the ancient monks in this remote desert oasis--Greek Orthodox Christians surviving in a Muslim country. Our guide told us that the location and security has not kept visitors away, with about 200 people per day touring the monastery during the winter months.

Tourists and pilgrims are not the only visitors to St. Catherine's Monastery. Scholars come to use the world's second largest (after the Vatican) collection of religious manuscripts. We all marveled at the ancient pieces of artwork and icons in the ornate chapel of St. Catherine's. Tour groups are also allowed to see a small portion of the ancient collection of codices and manuscripts.

The burning bush was much larger than I expected. Of course, it's not the original, but the monks have reputedly grown this bush from the same stock. We stayed at St. Catherine's for a couple of hours, admiring the bell tower and the adjacent mosque, which was built to appease the Muslim community. The simpleness and serenity of the monastery touched us all.

We ate lunch at a small resort before boarding the coaches for the return trip to Sharm el-Sheikh and and Silver Whisper. We stopped for a photo op and handicraft shopping at a bedouin village. The family lived in a cave, and were anxious to sell their wares or have their pictures taken (for $1).

Next, the Silver Whisper sailed for Aqaba, Jordan.