|
|
El
Ein El-Sukhna 
|
|
|
The
first location were you can enjoy a one
day trip to the Red Sea is El-Ein
El-Sukhna. Located only an hour and a half
away from Cairo, it is quit popular with
Egyptians looking for a place to spend the
day. Recently, various tourist villages
have been built there with private
beaches, and you may find a hotel or two.
Many Egyptians own summer houses in
El-Sukhna, however, it's not very popular
with tourists. El-Ein El-Sukhna is
translated "The Hot
Spring",referring to the warm water
springs which run down from the highest
mountain on the Red Sea coast,Mt.
|
|
| Ataka.
All buses and cars are bound to pass by
El-Sukhna on the way to Hurghada, it would
be a nice place to just park and have a
swim. We must warn however, that the sea
at El-Sukhna tends to be a bit oily due to
the amount of oil tankers near the beach.
The Red Sea gets a lot better as you go
south. |
|
| Monasteries |
|
80
km south of El-Ein El-Sukhna, you can take
a right into the eastern desert at
Za'farana to visit the two monasteries of
St. Paul and St. Anthony. They are the
oldest monasteries in Egypt, built in the
4th century AD. The Monastery of St.
Anthony was not only the largest monastery
in Egypt, but was also the start of the
Christian tradition of building
|
|
|
monasteries.
They were both built close to the two
caves where the two saints, Anthony and
Paul, had retreated to live a alone. The
most interesting parts of the monasteries
are the churches with lots of wall
paintings and colorful murals. St.
Anthony's church is particularly old, and
is truly worth seeing.
|
|
|
The
monasteries are open for visits between
8am and 6pm, you will be welcomed by the
monks, who can arrange for you to stay the
night if you wish. Two guest houses exist
at St. Paul's Monastery, one inside for
men and the other outside for the women.
Accommodation and food are provided free
|
|
|
of
charge, there's a limit, however, to how
long you can stay. Buses and taxi going
from Cairo to Hurghada can drop you off at
Za'farana, but then there is no traffic to
and from the isolated monasteries. Unless
you have a car, or hire a taxi, it's a
difficult 15 km hike in the desert. The
best way to visit these monasteries is
probably through an organized tour from
Hurghada. Try to include the Cave of St.
Anthony, just north of the monastery, it
is an ancient cave with some Coptic
writings and drawings on the wall.
|
|
|