Let My People Go!

Yes, I hiked that famous mountain just a week ago. Was it a religous experience? No. That mountain has more people, hawkers, trail stands, camels, and camel dung than I care for. Was it a cool sunrise? Yes. The walk down was the great part. A series of steps made by a devoted monk was a much better way to see the mountain when compared to the camel road up.

The logistics in summer basically state you arrive around 1:30 a.m.ish to hire a guide. The guide thing is just a way to raise revenue locally. No guide is necessary up the camel road (or the 3750 steps either, just follow the crowd). My guide, Jamal, was an ok dude. He smoked a lot, prayed just before sunrise, lives in the local village, and speaks English well. We made it to the summit in about 2.25 hours. Actually, we stopped just short to take a nap just before sunrise (the taxi ride left me a tad rattled. The taxi driver was a bit of a speed demon on every curve).

Anyway, the trip down offered a few good opportunites for photos. It also had the benefit of only a few people.