MOUNT SINAI

Well........  I guess you can tell I'm still up here on Mount Sinai......
A Camel posing for a photo on a mountain top is a give away.......
Lot's of fun for a High Desert Mountain.......
Mt. Sinai.....
 May.... 2009....

I would not have guessed it........
But.........
Camels look good standing on top of a mountain......,
From somewhere on Mount Sinai........
Somewhere near Africa,  and Southern Asia,  and The Middle East.....
May...  2009.....

NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Lately I'm not sure who is riding who.......
With all this running around and struggling......
Just to keep my bike up and running......

What I see....

Too often you get dragged into stuff you want nothing to do with.......
Just to try and get something you need..........
Often by dishonest people......

Sometimes you have to get involved to find what you need......

There is a Motorcycle Repair, Parts and Salvage yard.......
With a easy going honest and helpful owner/manager.....
Not 5 miles from my house

When you forget THESE lessons during your life.....
You will undoubtably get to learn them over again.....

NOW.... back to your regular programming......

If you are......

Does the scenery change....?
Do these photos seem to look the same......
Are you tired of the same color over and over.......
Then hand me that Sprite you got there.......
C'mon in......join the Trek.....
I'll let you carry the pack and I'll go raid your fridge on Commercials.....
But just for a minute or two.....
Real adventures include Dry-Ass Deserts in the Mountains......
And I ain't missing none of it......NO WAY....

WOW.......   I TELL YOU.......
This place makes you feel like your in the middle of some Huge, Barren,  HOT,  Burned Crispy,  Rocky Desert somewhere.......
I think there is more color on the moon......
Of course the air is a little better here......

 BIG DESERT FUN

Still a bit of hiking to do......

IT IS CAMEL TIME......
Jump up and down and run all around.....
IT IS CAMEL TIME......
Basically you got 2 kinds of Camels......
One hump or two......
"Dromedary" is your one hump.....Arabian Camel....
"Bactrian" is the two hump critter.......
Your Dromedary hangs out in South Asia and Africa......
The Bactrian is all about China and Mongolia......
Remember...... Camels do not store water in their humps......
But it is a sorta "Body Fat Tissue Processing Hydrator"......
A Very complicated thing only Mother Nature could of thought up....
DID YOU KNOW........
Camels average 7 ft. tall at the hump.....
Camels live 40-50 years average......
Camel is called Hilib Geel.....when your eating them.....
Camel is often used for Lasagne.......
In Central Africa even the blood is drank for nutrients.....
That's why I have not been to Kenya......
HAVE A CAMEL OF A DAY

I know this looks like Southern Asia.......
But it may well be The Middle East too....
And don't forget Africa.....very close to Africa.....

Lots of Camel around here.....

Hello from way up in the High Desert Mountains in the Sinai......
Southern Asia......   May 2009.....

AWESOME.........
Here's something you don't see every day.....
From Mount Sinai.......
Deep the the High Desert.....
Southern Asia.... May, 2009....
AWESOME......

NO.......   Don't be silly.....
I have no idea what the call Vultures in South Asia......

If it were not for all of us tourists.......
Probably would see Wiley E. Coyote run by....
You only see the POOF of the Roadrunner of course......
Do all these valleys really look so much alike.......
Same brown rocks and same brown path.......
I better stick to the path.....

YES......  once again .....That's me getting a photo......
Been a very long night and morning climbing mountains......
Rocks and Camels...... Just 2 more brown things.......
You know....... around here there is only the one color.......
Same color as the rocks and Camels and everything else.......
Being from North America.........
I keep expecting to see a pile of cattle bones and skull.....
Of course it is High Desert in every direction for 500 miles......
The cattle probably would not likely be wandering around way out here.......
If there were Cattle.......   I haven't seen anything to eat.......

BIG FUN IN THE HOT DRY DESERT SUN

YES......  I realize this does not look like much to you.....
Just another big brown dried up desert valley.......
But....... This looks great to me.......
That's the Monastery up ahead.......
And after that...... THE VILLAGE.....
That ultra-modern oasis with real cold water.....
YES......   This is a very nice looking desert valley....

The Monastery.......
Well...
Part of it......

There it is........
The Monastery at the foot of the Mountain......

Now that we are down to The Monastery........
We only need to survive the valley ahead........
Then we'll make it back to the village.....
O.K. ......so that's enough for now.......
Maybe I'll find a photo of something with a bit of green.......
More photos soon.......
From St. Katherine Monastery......
On Mount Sinai......
May 2009.....

                            MOUNT SINAI

Welcome back to Mount Sinai......
I've already traveled a ways down.....
Only another 2 or 3 hours hiking left.....
C'mon along....lots to see on the mountain....
 You can even carry the backpack.....

Up in the Mountains of the Sinai Desert......
May....2009.....

NO.....  It only looks like China......
It is a long way down the Mountain......
I'm glad it is daylight for this trip......
Raise your hand if your scared of heights.....
Or Deserts , or Asia , or Camels.........
You can be excused.....

YES......  You found me......
I'm on a Mountain Top......
In a Vast, Rocky, Desert......
Somewhere in South Asia......
Your very good at this......
But.... hold on....
Wait until you see my next trick....

HEY.......
Look what I just found on the middle of a mountain......
Now....That is a good looking Camel......
As Majestic on a Mountain as a Camel can get......

Or is it just a Mirage......???

Must just be the hot Desert sun.......
I don't think I chewed on any strange Desert plants.....
Wonder how I would know.....  If I did.....
Anybody seen that guide I hired.....?
Wonder what grows in the Desert Mountains....
What was he smoking this morning.....?
Are Camels supposed to be on top of mountains....??

There he is...... A great smile too.....
I don't think I'll ever see a happier looking Camel.....
You just gotta like this photo.......great shot....
BIG BIG MOUNTAIN TOP CAMEL FUN

One good thing about a mountain is.........
It is not real easy to get lost.........
You are either going up or going down......
From a viewspot on the path....
Somewhere on Mount Sinai.......
Somewhere in the Sinai Desert......
Somewhere in Southern Asia......
Sometime in May 2009.....
Something like that.....

Looking a bit arid around here......
Someone sucked up all the color......
Maybe I'll find a nice Mountain Stream......
Some grass to sit on.....take a breather....
.
 BIG  DEHYDRATED  HUMOR  FUN

Green Mountains must be in Kentucky.......
How many Deserts have I seen now...?
This is still a Awesome scene......
Like I said......
Out in the Mountains......
Out in the Desert.......
Still real early.......
Only about 90 degrees....
Wait till 9 or 10 a.m.....,..
Teach you real quick not to play around ......
Out in the Desert Mountains .....
Or....
 Just wait till  NOON......
WAY BIG DESERT FUNNY

Once you get this far down......
The paths are big and wide.....
You can rent a Camel for awhile.....
Another 2 hours on a Camel......
Or
Another 2 hours walking......
Hmm....
I saw a man who wanted to try it......
Until he was actually up on it.....
And then when it stood up......
He lasted about a minute......
Begged to stop the thing and get off.....
I don't know if he was crying or not......

Coming down the mountain.....

YES....... The paths are a bit easier to see in the daytime......
This is  (of course) a nice wide well marked area.......
Climbing the 2,000 steps in the dark......
That was a fun and (challenging) surprise.......
I suppose things would seem much easier......
If I would just learn Arabic........
لو كنت تعلم اللغة العربية فقط
كيف يمكن أن يكون من الصعب
Remember to read right to left.....
See how easy that is......
You can read that....right??

It is a long hike.......
But the scenery Rocks!......
BIG BIG MOUNTAIN FUN