Anyhow on my way in I hit some mud and took a spill, I just managed to pick up the bike, getting weaker I guess and I could hardly catch a brethe afterwards. Anyhow I continued on past all the police checkpoints up the coast, as the track goes all the way to Dahab right alongside the Gulf of Aqaba. However I got to a point where it was way to rocky and had to turn around and head back. I stripped down and had a refreshing swim in the crystal clear water, but the coastline is just strewn with plastic and other crap, just disgusting in such a beautiful setting.
There was nobody around the entire time and the montains run into the blue sea and are spectacular in colour and ruggedness.
On the way up I ran into an Italian couple who are in a Fiat Panda and heading to Cape Town, he even had a shower in it and 4 spare tyres and had taken off the 4x4 sign otherwise they would not have let him into the Sinai. But now they are fooked cause Sudan just went to war yesterday and everything is closed now.
After three police stops , average wait is twenty minutes as they first tell me I can't proceed any further and have to take a bus , then they photgraph my passport and get on the phone while I wait, then they become more friendly and after a half an hour we are all laughing and then suddenly they say I can go. They are worried about my safety........
Found another dandy ,, Dahab Bay Hotel $20 a night, includes breakfast, you can't beat that and it's on the beach and out of town where all the tourists and free divers hang out. Ended up staying four nights.
Am still on my Ramadan diet and it works. I now have forgotten about drinking beer and the thought repulses me, so I guess i was never an alcoholic like some people insinuated, I even thought I was.
The next day I snorkeled at the southrn end of town and then went to the Blue Hole and couldn't tell any difference.
As I was parking my bike the tourist policemen demands to see my passport which I don't have and that pisses him off, cause apparently I need to take it even when I am snorkelling, and they are so arrogant and so I show him my Egyptian license and he snarled and walked away. All because I am on a bike.
DAY 124 15-4-23 RIP TERRY. MOUNT SINAI.
Went to ST. Katherine's Monastery which is about 125km from Dahab, almost in the middle of Sinai. Anyhow it's closed for the next five days and Mount Sinai trail starts at the Monastery, so walked up it, 4.85 km. You meant to have a guide but didn't see any around and kept on walking, was fairly easy path and then at the end you had to climb 750 steps to the summit, took two hours and didn't pass anyone else all the way up.
The mountains are stunning with the rich copper tonę colours and the African blue sky.
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