From Makam Nabi Saleh, we went to a restaurant to eat. We were very hungry because we didn't stop for lunch. While waiting for the food to be prepared, we went to the mosque for prayers. I was glad and proud to see Afzan leading the prayers for the men (including the drivers). We had 2 drivers because it was a long journey to Dahab (about 6 to 8 hours drive) and it's a rule to have more than one driver as a safety precaution.
We enjoyed the food so much (nasi arab and roti with grilled chicken). It was either the food was so good or we were so hungry that we polished off everything...hehehe. I even forgot to take any pictures of the restaurant because I was so famished.
St. Katherine's area was so vast with many attractions. For those who wants to climb the Jabal Musa (Mount Sinai), it would be advisable if they spent a night there. St.Katherine's monastery was at the bottom of the Mount Sinai. It would take about half an hour to get to the monastery, another half an hour to reach check point 1 and it would take about another 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours to reach the top.
Jabal Musa was the place where Nabi Musa went to ask Allah for help. People normally go there to watch the sunrise or the sunset. The view was said to be spectacular. For those who wants to watch the sunrise, you have to start the journey about 2 am. It was definitely not on our list...hehehe
The view from the masjid...
You can either walk or use camel from check point 2 upwards...
By the time we finished eating, it was already dark. Afzan wanted to show us the location of the lembu Samiri. So, we followed him up the small hill. My husband declined because his shoes did not have a good grip. I was wearing sport shoes, so I managed to scrambled my way up. When I reached there, Afzan was just about finished telling them about the story of the Lembu Samiri.
So, when Kak Faridah arrived, the girls started asking me questions. I tried to answer the best could. This was when I made a total fool of myself (I think, I'd keep the story to myself...muahahaha).
The actual story of the Lembu Samiri was like this. Nabi Musa wanted to ask Allah's help for his people and he told his people that he would be gone for 30 days. He left Nabi Harun incharged of them. Instead of 30 days, he was gone for 40 days and his people stopped believing in Allah and they carved the Lembu Samiri out of rock and worship it instead. So, the carving of the Lembu Samiri was still here even now, hundreds of years later.
It was quite clear...
Afzan was telling us the story...
With the help of flash from the camera...
I had to scramble down like a crab from the small hill because it was pitch black and the terrain was uneven. But it was an achievement for someone my size...hehehe and I was glad that I did it. Even though I could not see it clearly but when I used the flash from my camera, the carving of the Lembu Samiri was very clear.
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