Warner and his camel, Chocolate, cast a shadow on the trail up Mt. Sinai. St. Katherine's Monastery is at the foot of Mt. Sinai, Egypt's highest point at 7,497 feet above sea level. Both are holy places. Jews, Moslems, and Christians believe that God spoke to Moses through the Burning Bush and commanded him to climb Mt. Sinai where he was given the Ten Commandments.

Katherine was a young woman who was tortured and beheaded by the Romans for her faith. Angels took her body and head to Sinai. Three hundred years later Christian monks who were tending the Burning Bush found her reunited body in perfect condition. The monks buried Katherine's corpse and built a monastery on the spot that now consists of the Church of the transfiguration, the Chapel of the Burning Bush, a museum, a library, and 3,750 Steps of Repentance to the top of Mt. Sinai.

I figured it was time for another act of repentance since it had been over ten years since Linda and I took a pilgrimage to the source of the Ganges River high in the Himalayan Mountains. And over 30 years since I trav- eled the length of the Amazon River in search of inner peace. So, along with a team of sinners from our Group of 24, I began the climb up Mt. Sinai at 1 pm. Linda waited in the monastery hoping I would return a more righteous man.

The monks of St. Katherines Monastery built these 750 stone Steps of Repentance. We decided to divide the trip into two sections, 3,000 inclined steps by camel and 750 stone steps by foot. My camel, Chocolate, was a dependable non- stopping steed but turned out to be a bit gassy. The woman behind me in the caravan kept saying, "Oh, my god, your camel is awful. Please, stop him. I'm dying."

She made her driver stop three times so she could dismount and adjust her saddle. She moaned and groaned and wiped her face and waved at me. "Go, go, get far ahead. Your camel is killing me."

There was nothing I could do. Old Chocolate went his own way, step by step, up the mountain for two stomach- churning hours. After 3,000 steps, I dismounted and discovered Chocolate had flung a trail of fecal matter up and down the back of my jacket with his mighty tail. I left the woman sitting by the side of the trail complaining to all who would listen about Chocolate and me.

Deceased monks of St. Katherines Monastery are buried for a number of years then their skulls are dug up and placed in this room in the Church of the Transfiguration. The final section, 750 stone steps, without the pooping camel or the moaning woman, was more difficult on my legs and lungs, but definitely more spiritual. It took another one and a half hours to reach the summit. Remains of a recent snow fall hid on the northern side of boulders. The sky was cloudless, the air thin. Wind whistled through the small chapel on the peak of the mountain. The sun was just beginning to fall behind the western ridge of mountains.

After a brief interlude, we pilgrims headed back down Moses' Mountain satisfied in our absolution. Three and a half hours later, Linda took me in her arms and helped me into the bus. What a wonderful wife she is. Next week:

A Holy Day in Dahab

Linda stands next to the Burning Bush that has thrived for over 5,000 years. This fire extinguisher is next to the Burning Bush…just in case. What a joyous occasion!