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Sinai |
| Centuries
of European traders and Arab
merchants had to sail around
the ape of Good Hope the southern most tip
of Africa in order to travel
East from Europe and the Mediterranean Sea thereby avoiding dangerous
treks across the treacherous desert. Ancient
Egyptians recognized this problem and the records
of Herodotus, ancient Greek historian,
bare evidence of a canal that was built around 600 B.C.
connecting the Gulf of Suez with the Nile river.
After several starts and stops, the project was
finally completed about a century later. The
canal
was used during the time of Alexander the Great,
left to ruin, then restored and reopened during
the Arab domination around 645 A.D |
| It was
primarily used as a trading route connecting the
Nile Valley with the trade center in Mecca, on the
western coast of Saudi Arabia. No traces of
this canal remain today as the sands of time have
buried it forever. Finally, in 1859 upon French
insistence, the manual digging of the Suez Canal
began. It remained an independently run
entity under European authority
until Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized
the canal in 1956. Now crossing
into Sinai is made easy by ferry, the
A.H. Tunnel, or by plane. There are daily
flights from Cairo, Luxor, Aswan,
and several major European
cities that fly directly into the
domestic and international airport at Sharm el
Sheikh. |
| Geography |
| Sinai
is a triangular peninsula wedged in between the
waters of the Gulf of Suez to its west and the
Gulf of Aqaba to its east.
The origin of the name "Sinai"
can be attributed to two
hypotheses. The ancient inhabitants of this desert
adored and worshipped the Moon Goddess 'Sin',
therefore perhaps in her honor naming their land
"Sinai". "Sinai" is said to be
derived from the Semitic word "sin"
which means tooth. The peninsula does actually
look like a tooth. Regardless of these hypotheses,
how the peninsula was formed is certain. Forty
million years ago, the Sinai was part of
the
African/Asian landmass until seismic activity
began a process which split
the landmass into two separate plates. Think of
the Sinai as being
pulled simultaneously by both Africa
and Asia in
virtually opposite directions. Such plate motion
continued to influence the region thereby creating
a protected underwater ecology,
and vast uninhabited areas
of rugged mountain terrain and
arid desert: the Red Sea and Sinai. |
| People come
to Sinai not just for
its religious heritage, but to
marvel at its pure beauty. The Bible connects
Sinai with the exodus of the
Children of Israel
from Ancient Egypt. Modern Egyptian history
connects Sinai with a series of territorial
wars with neighboring Israel.
After exploring Sinai,
you will connect it with pristine nature and
unadulterated beauty, practically untouched by
time and preserved by its dry desert conditions.
Its majestic scenery of colors ranging from deep
purple to orange, yellow, and charcoal grey will
be imprinted in your mind's eye or on your camera
film forever. |
| The Sinai
is divided into three geologically
different
areas. The first area lies to the north and
consists mainly of shifting, pure
and soft sand
dunes. Herein lie ancient 'wadis'
or dried up riverbeds where fossilized organisms
from the Mediterranean can be found. The second area exists
in the central part of the peninsula. This
flat elevated plateau is broken up
occasionally by
limestone outcroppings. Towards the south of this
area, the landscape begins to change to a rocky
granite and volcanic rock region - the beginnings
of the third area. Here stand
the high mountain ranges of the Sinai creating a natural barrier
between the desert and the sea. The gradation of
colors flows from huge rock to steep cliff as the
narrow road winds through the valleys. It is
literally a breathtaking view when
driving south towards the tip of Sinai through these mountains.
You catch your first glimpse of the blue sea
peeking out between the cliffs juxtaposed against
an incredible foreground of desert rocks. |
| Bedwins |
Bedwins
are nomadic peoples that have traditionally occupied
Sinai. The word "bedwin" stems from the
Arabic word, "baadiya" meaning
desert. There are eight bedwin
tribes in southern Sinai,
the two most prominent and powerful being the
El
Muzeina nhabiting the southern Gulf of Aqaba
area
from Nuweiba to Sharm El Sheikh, and the
El Tarabin inhabiting the area
from Nuweiba to Taba.
The total bedwin population on the eastern side of
the Sinai peninsula reaches approximately 3000
individuals.
The desert governs their livelihood as ancient
tradition guides their life. Their culture has
been founded on tradition and tribal laws. They
work closely with the Park management to maintain
their culture, heritage, rights, and homes. Women
continue to tend the livestock (donkeys, sheep,
goats, and camels), and men continue to fish
according to the regulations of the
Parks. Activities that may hinder the ecosystem are now
regulated by the Egyptian Environmental
Affairs Agency (EEAA). In fact bedwin staff have now been
contracted by the EEAA as Park
Rangers thus
bridging the gap between the tribes and the state,
both working together on behalf of the
environment. |
The
bedwins respect nature and punish offenders. Water
is carefully consumed and tribal law prohibits the
cutting of green trees. They have said
that "killing a tree is like killing a soul."
And those who do are penalized up
to three two-year-old camels, or
the equivalent value. They
understand the delicate relationship between coral
reefs and fisheries therefore they tend to limit
damage to the reefs.
The EEAA tries to limit the effect of
development on traditional bedwin life by helping
them invest in their own knowledge. Medical
care
and veterinary assistance combines both bedwin
practice with a limited amount of modern
technology. For example livestock
is treated first
with local medicinal herbs before being pumped
with chemicals, the answer to any problem in
modern societies. The EEAA seeks
to improve bedwin life by including them in
the decision-making
process that affect their lives. Social work
includes health education, hygiene, and a
veterinary program that is based on familiar
bedwin treatment as opposed to modern treatment. |
| Recreational
activities |
|
Diving is
probably the most popular recreational sport in
the Red Sea. If you're not a diver,
and want to explore the
Red Sea, you are strongly encouraged
to learn, on location!
If you are a diver, you better
not forget your certification
card and dive log book! There
are four main ways you can dive the
Red Sea: daily boat diving;
boat diving safari;
camel diving safari; and
independent shore
diving. If you don't dive, or
don't want to dive you can
rent snorkeling equipment from any
dive center and go to any shore
site along the coast that
is accessible by car. Consult the dive
center on the most suitable places to go.
Ok, so you want to see
the fish, but you don't want to get wet in the process. No
problem! Book an excursion on a
glass-bottom and watch the
corals and fish as you comfortably cruise the surface. Your hotel
would be happy to help you out. There's more
you can do! Na'ama Bay offers
several kinds of water sport
activities for everyone.You can test your wings
and fly, getting a bird's eye view of the bay as
you parasail.
If you're not into flying, how about
skiing. You can take lessons
to improve your technique or
just to learn how to stay standing. Both regular skis
and uniskis are available. |
|
How about
getting a bunch of friends together for a speedy
ride on the banana boat. This
yellow, banana like craft is tied to a long
rope that is attached onto
a cruising speed boat. Your goal is to hang
on.
The driver's goal is flip you off as he make sharp
turns over the water. OK, so you want
something a lot slower and laid back. You
can rent a paddle
boat and find some remote cove to... Well that
part is up to you! Wind surfing and sailing is
another popular activity. You can also
take
lessons, or if you're experienced, you can cruise
the water pushed along only by the element of air.
If you're not into diving, or you just want to
take a break, there's a lot you can do with your
time. Horseback riding into the desert
is great fun. A guide wil
l take you out and you have the choice of
any kind of horse, ranging from slow
walker to speedy galloper. Or you may want to
climb atop a camel for a leisurely stroll
through the desert. But if you'd
rather have the comfort
of a cushy seat, you can rent a quad runner, and
speed through the desert on a lot of horsepower.
Or if you're the really adventurous type,
dirt-bikes and motorcycles are available
for that racing spirit.
Any way you go,
make sure you have
something to protect your eyes from all the sand
that's kicked up under hooves and wheels! And
somewhere in the middle of the desert sits
an old bedwin man under the shade of a single tree who
waits with his tea to chat with passersby. Look
out for him and join him for a sweat, refreshing
glass of bedwin tea, brewed on an open flame.
For those of us who are really laid back, and would
like to enjoy a nice ride down the boardwalk on a
bicycle, stands are available from
where you can rent single seat and double
seat. This also makes getting
places a lot quicker and easier in the
afternoon heat of summer. |
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