Sinai Diaries #2
The next day we walked from sunup to sundown, nine hours of meditation in motion, thoughts quietened by physical activity and by the stark surroundings. The changing light constantly repainted the rocks under the unbroken blue sky.
We spent the night in the grounds of the Al Karm eco lodge. The people here were the first we had encountered so far on our journey. Built with local rock, the lodge appears to have grown out of the landscape. Although it is without electricity, it achieves a level of comfort with a rambling interior dining area set around a fireplace and carpet-strewn rooms, with solar panels providing hot water for showers. Walking paths lead up from the lodge into the rose-coloured mountains beyond. It was a mild night and I slept outside without a tent, screened off from the wind by carpets.
The following day, our walk took us through flatter territory, mostly sandy riverbeds and shale-strewn valleys. I scoured the horizon in vain for the hyena, fox, ibexes and wolves that are present in the area. Even the birds seemed afraid to break the solemn brooding of the landscape, although I found a hawk feather. . .. [continue]