Travel Sinai Peninsula to Cairo

Ain’t Nothing in Sinai Egypt – Israel to Cairo part 3 0f 3

Five travelers looked out of the windows of the fast moving mini van at a landscape devoid of absolutely anything.

Anything but sand, sun, and open space.

Dry flat lands lead into dry flat lands which only lead into a far off dust opaqued horizon. It is odd that humans have the tendency of finding romance in nothingness.

The speeding minivan full of three Israeli Arabs, two American travelers, and a very adept hustler of an Egyptian taxi driver were all that their were in this wide open world.

The day was falling away to night, and nobody spoke anything except — perhaps — quiet thoughts to themselves. Six little personal worlds of meditation road down that wide open road through the desert.

Sinai is a desert by the most literal of story book definitions. There is nothing in Sinai.

Nothing except for a road.
—————————-
Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
in Egypt- May, 2009
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As I realized that I was one of few living things for miles and miles in any direction, I could not fathom how anyone could every want to fight for this land.

Perhaps it use to look different.

As the travelers rode in the minivan, their brick-wall thoughts were soon broken by a enrobed Bedouin boy squatting on a dirt pile out in the nothingness.

Everybody gazed out the window at the first Something that we passed in 100 kilometers:

The boy sat crouched on a pile of rubble with a camel at his side . . . and a cellular telephone pasted to his ear.

Reality then reasserted itself as the driver then demanded more money to complete the ride to Cairo.

I knew this was coming, as did all the rest of the passengers. Bring it on, Egypt . . .

I ignored the proceedings as best I could from the back seat of the minibus. These negotiations were left up to the Arab Israelis — who could not hide beneath a blanket of linguistic ignorance.

“Khamseen, khamseen,” ordered the driver. He wanted 50 more Egyptian pounds ($10) from each rider — this much Arabic I could understand.

I watched in amazement as the Israelis coughed 50 more pounds each.

Chaya and I looked out the window — this seemed to be an Arab only sort of hustle. We were not yet invited to participate. Thanks be to that.

The Israelis allowed themselves to be cheated. This is not an attribute that I have very often observed in their traveling brethren.

I asked one of them what had happened — perhaps I was playing dumb just to see what he would say.

In English, he replied with a passive shrug, “He wanted more money, what can we do?”

The ripped off Israeli then when back to staring out the window at the nothingness.

This is Egypt.

Short video of traveling through the Sinai.

Read about the full journey from Israel to Cairo
Part 1- This is Egypt – Travel Sinai Desert
Part 2- Minibus Fiascoes and the Dirtiest Toilets in the Egypt
Part 3 – Ain’t Nothing in Sinai Egypt

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Ain’t Nothing in Sinai Egypt – Israel to Cairo part 3 0f 3