Holy Land 2019 ~ The Road to Mt Sinai (DAY 3 ~ EGYPT)

DAY 3 - We left our Cairo hotel early for the 6 hours (450 kilometer) drive to Mt Sinai

As we cross Cairo's dessert, I imagine the hardships the Israelites faced during their plight out of Egypt to Canaan... it must have been extremely difficult.

It was a long drive, with just enough free time to admire the Red Sea and stop at the Moses Spring on the way.

Lunch was at Green Sudr Resort, a charming resort with a awesome vista of the Red Sea ~

Exodus 14:21 reads: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.”

The Moses Spring (also known as Fountain of Moses) ~

In Exodus 15:22-26 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. 

During the exodus, Moses led the Israelites southward in Sinai. For three days they traveled without finding any place to replenish their water. At Marah they found a large spring but the water was undrinkable. Moses is said to have, upon the advice of God, thrown a special tree into the brackish water which made it drinkable.

Our final destination for the Day 3 is the Town of  St Catherine ~

Our accommodation is the Morgenland Village Hotel, which serves as jump off point to climbing Mt Sinai (where Moses received  the Ten Commandment) and visits to the St Catherine Monastery (site of the Burning Bush).

With an elevation of 1600 meters above sea level, temperature here drops easy.  Coming from a tropical country 3 degrees midway to Mt Sinai climb ~ was really numbing!  

TIP: If you plan to climb Mt Sinai, please come prepared to wear warm clothes and bring gloves and beanies.

Follow our Holy Land Adventure:

• For Holy Land helpful Tips >>> Holy Land Tips
• DAY 1 - welcome to Cairo Egypt >>>> Day 1
• DAY 2 - touring the land of ancient monuments, pharaohs and great pyramids  >>>> Day 2

Please check also my separate post on all the hotels we've stayed at during our tour of the Holy Land.  

For questions and inquiries on our Tour Package with CITTI please visit their facebook page at CORPORATE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURS INC

Holy Land 2019 ~ Pharaohs, Sphinx and Pyramids (DAY 2 ~ CAIRO)

DAY 2 - Touring Egypt, The Land of Ancient Monuments, Pharaohs and Pyramids

First stop is the Giza Pyramid Complex, made up of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure and the Sphinx, arranged according to the Orion constellation.

These pyramids were built from 2600-2500BC and is the last remaining wonders of the ancient world. 

This camel knows his good angles :P

Ram wants to take a pyramid home...

Carved from the bedrock of the Giza plateau is the Sphinx. It has the body of a lion with the head of a king or god. It is said to symbolize strength and wisdom. 

Lunch followed at Aklet Setti a local Egyptian restaurant ~serving authentic Egyptian cuisine.  Food is good and delectable. 

With our Tour Group family ~

After lunch we headed to Sultan Adam, Aromatherapy and Healing Oils 

Adam one of the owners and an Nth Generation Bedouin (Bedouins are known essential oil experts), explained the benefits of essential oils as holistic healing treatment using natural plant extracts to promote physical and emotional well-being.

Many (including me) ended up with bottles of essential oil from his shop.

Essential Oils are quite expensive, so make sure you are getting yours  from genuine sources

(Well, I have been using the mint and narwastu oil I bought; You only need a few drops per use the scent lasts 6-8 hours).

My eyes opened wide with interest, as we stepped in The Egyptian Museum.  

Too bad the new Grand Egyptian Museum is still under construction.  It is described as the largest archaeological museum in the world.  For now, our group has to settle with the Egyptian Museum.

I was amazed the minute we walked through the Egyptian Museum doors.. (just pure awe)!

I could spend a day here (just roaming)... 

Notes: 

• I purposely did not include pictures on mummies as others might find it unpleasant
  
• Pay a visit to the Royal Mummy Room and come face to face at the King Ramses Great.  My husband (also named Ram) was curious at seeing his namesake.  

We ended Day 2 with a Nile River Dinner and Cruise on board Nile Crystal.

We were entertained with Egyptian traditional belly dancing and whirling heritage Tannoura dancing.

The Nile River at night ~ 

The Nile is the longest river in the world. It's name came from the Greek word Neilos, which means valley. The annual flooding of the Nile deposits rich silt (fertile soil) on the river's banks, allowing the Egyptians to grow crops.

Please see also my other posts on our Holy Land Tour:

Holy Land 2019 ~ Dream Come True (DAY 1 ~ CAIRO) 

Holy Land Tips

Follow our DAY 3 - as we head off to Mt Sinai

For questions and inquiries on our Tour Package with CITTI please visit their facebook page at CORPORATE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURS INC

Holy Land 2019 ~ Dream Come True (DAY 1 ~ CAIRO)

A trip to the Holy Land is every devoted Christian's ultimate dream.  

I have dreamt of walking and living the bible too, and was truly blessed as I finally got the chance to visit the Holy Land with my husband.  

We would normally do DIYs, but wanted to make sure everything is perfect and worry free and so we decided to book a planned tour through Corporate International Travel and Tours, Inc. (CITTI). CITTI took care of all the planning and all we had to do was to cherish and live each moment!  

It was a blessing that we were only 20 (including our pilgrim chaplain and CITTI's tour leader) in our tour group, as interaction was on interpersonal level, like an extended family.

DAY 1 - We arrived in Cairo, Egypt via Dubai on Emirates Airline 

Our tour guide in Egypt, Amin was already waiting for us when we cleared immigrations. 
Amin is a zealous guide and wasted no time.  We found ourselves onboard a bus towards our first destination.

Our first order of business is lunch ~

Amin brought us to Armando, Heliopolis Branch (located very near the Cairo Airport).  Food is good, but I think was more Italian.  I was looking forward to a more authentic Egyptian cuisine (for a first taste of Egypt).

 


The Church of Mary (also known as the Hanging Church, as it was built on the ruins of two towers of the old Roman fortress of Babylon). This church became the seat of the coptic patriarch for several decades up until the 14th century.

The Church seems to mimic the shape of Noah's ark (check the ceiling, which looks like an upside down ark).

This impressive art piece is a mosaic. 

If you look closely at the top most picture below, you would see that the new church floor (where we are standing) sets on logs and layers of stone constructed above two towers. 

The Church's ceiling mimics an inverted Noah's ark.

  

In the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:13–23), soon after birth of Jesus, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and the infant Jesus since King Herod would seek the child to kill him.

Matthew 2:15 cites Hosea 11:1, as prophetically fulfilled in the return of Joseph, Mary and Jesus from Egypt: "...and out of Egypt, I called My SON".

Mapping out the journey of the Holy Family through Egypt.

The Church of Mary was constructed on Roman towers similar to the ones shown here...

From the Church of Mary, we walked to oldest church inside Coptic Cairo's walls (said to be built in the 11th century with 4th-century pillars) ~ The Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus (Roman soldiers who were martyred in Syria for their Christian faith in AD 296). 

The Church was built over The Cave of the Holy Family, where Joseph, Mary and Jesus are said to have taken shelter after fleeing to Egypt to escape persecution from King Herod.

Steps leading to the Cave of the Holy Family...

Follow our DAY 2 - as we tour the land of ancient monuments, pharaohs and pyramids.  >>> click here: DAY 2


Please check also my separate post on all the hotels we've stayed at during our tour of the Holy Land.  


For Holy Land helpful tips to help you plan, your Holy Land  journey please follow this link >>> HOLY LAND TIPS

For questions and inquiries on our Tour Package with CITTI please visit their facebook page at CORPORATE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURS INC