Places to sleep

‘Spread a blanket beneath an apple tree and it’ll only gather apples’ wrote Antoine de Saint Exupery in Wind Sand and Stars, the French classic about the desert. ‘Spread a sheet beneath the stars’ – he carried on – ‘and it’ll gather the dust of stars’. Like the Bedouin, he was a man who liked to lie back in the desert, face to face with the universe; to gaze up the glittering heavens – in their immense majesty – and immerse himself in a picture of eternity. For me, sleeping under the stars – out in the open, without a tent – is about as good as it gets. The Bedouin call it the ‘million star hotel’. And I’m with them all the way. When I go back to sleeping inside I don’t sleep easy at first; I feel trapped under a solid roof. Tents can be good sometimes – like in winter – but generally I don’t carry one in the Sinai. Neither do the Bedouin. I’ve never seen a Bedouin use a zip-up tent. They mostly travel light, knowing they’ll find shelter on the way if they need to.

I know a lot of hikers love their tents – but I’d urge folks to give sleeping in what nature makes available a go one day. It feels good to be self sufficient.

Anyway, here are the coolest places – except the million star hotel – to sleep in Sinai.

 

Fire on Gunna, Go tell it on the mountain._result

NATURAL SHELTER – Caves, overhangs and hollows give great natural shelter. Go into them and it feels like you’re entering a hidden, secret world; like you’re becoming part of the landscape itself. Sleeping in a cave will always be so much more appealing to me than sleeping in a hotel. Especially with a fire…

Crucifix on door, Sinai, Go tell it on the mountain_resultMONASTERY HUTS – The Monastery of St Katherine keeps a few huts dotted about the mountains as retreats and waystations. They usually have a crucifix on the door. Many are locked, but some are left open for wayfarers and you can sleep inside.

Bedouin storeroom, Sinai, Go tell it on the mountain_resultBEDOUIN STOREOOMS – You’ll see little doors in cliffs across many parts of the Sinai. These are old Bedouin storerooms for wood, blankets and other odds and ends for wayfarers in remote regions. All give brilliant, atmospheric shelter today.

Hermit cell, Sinai, Go tell it on the mountain_resultHERMIT CELLS – Hermit cells that date back to early Christian times are scattered over the Sinai today. Many were used as retreats in the Byzantine era but some go back to the time of the Roman persecutions. They were places of refuge and, with a candle at night, are some of the most atmospheric spots to sleep in the area.

Autumn, Sinai, Go tell it on the mountain_resultORCHARD GARDENS – Orchards with old walls, wells and huts are common in the high mountains. Most are abandoned but the huts can still make great shelter. A few, mostly near St Katherine, are still working; some owners are even developing them specifically as places to sleep.

Wind shelter, Sinai, Go tell it on the mountain_resultBEDOUIN SHELTERS – The Bedouin often build small rock shelters in remote parts of the mountains; usually ones where they hunt, work or travel regularly. Some are simple wind shelters; others have roofs. Teapots, blankets and other things are usually left inside, making them good spots to sleep.

Bedouin house, Sinai, Go tell it on the mountain_resultOLD RUINS – Ruined huts, waystations and chapels are found in many remote areas; many on ancient routes to the Monastery of St Katherine. People have been sleeping here since early times, and you can follow the Bedouin and continue the tradition today.