Egypt-- Into the Sinai Desert

We entered Egypt just past the Israeli resort town of Eilat, which sits at the tip of the Red Sea. Across the sea from Eilat is the Jordanian city of Akiba. Not far to the south of Akiba begins Saudi Arabia. We traveled down the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, then into the Central Sinai, stopping above the Valley of the Gazelles (pictured here). We then went deeper into the Sinai desert until we reached the Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine's, at the based of Mount Sinai, where we stayed for two days. We made our trip up the mountain from the monastery (see below). After leaving Egypt, we spent a few days in the Negev desert in southern Israel (see further below), before getting back to Tantur.