Bermudian Robyn Skinner is travelling the world. In her latest dispatch for The Royal Gazette, she reports on her journey from Jordan to Egypt, where a 'crazy' monk tested her patience and she discovered the wonders of Mt. Sinai.

From one of the new seven wonders of the world it was time to head to ancient wonders in Egypt. Before subjecting ourselves to the insanity of Cairo we decided to ease ourselves in with some diving in the Sinai Peninsula. The cheapest option to get here was by ferry from Aqaba, Jordan to the Egyptian port of Nuweiba. There was both a fast and slow ferry so we figured we would be safe opting for the fast ferry. Ha ha ha ha!

Nothing moves quickly in either Jordan or Egypt. After an hour-long bus ride from Petra and a taxi ride to the port we were abandoned at what looked like a big factory. Signs are superfluous in this country and after twenty minutes of walking around like lost zombies we finally negotiated through the touts and found the government fast ferry office. For $70 we were on our way to Egypt. Or so we thought. The ferry was scheduled for 11 a.m., but they apparently run on Bermuda time we learned ours wasn't leaving till 12. When that came and went with no sign of any boat leaving we were told it wasn't leaving until 1 p.m. now.

Totally confused, I bought a second cup of Nescafe to try and keep my sanity. Then around 12.30, with some silent signal, everyone got up and started bolting for different doors. Yet again totally confused, (notice a theme?) we ran to the ticket office. All they could say was "down". We picked some stairs and just headed "down" and found a Police officer who pointed us in the right direction.

Shockingly, the ferry was quite habitable and we relaxed in the cafe onboard until it was time to hand over our passports for the Egyptian visa. In exchange we got a scrap piece of paper with our names on it. Not exactly confidence inspiring, but what can you do? Two hours of sailing delivered us to Nuweiba. That was the easy part. For another three hours we sat on the docked ferry and after more card games then I care to count, we were expelled onto the dock for the mad dash to find our passports. Yes, you had to leave the ship sans documents.

Like the ferry this was easier said than done. The port was essentially a large parking lot with random buildings dotting the landscape. Of course there were no signs anywhere and Egyptians who clearly knew where they were going were running around trying to collect their massive bags filled with goodies.

Totally confused, [yes again] hot, and carrying our 20-kilo bags around we eventually found an office that purported to have our passports. Only problem? You have to buy your Egyptian visa from the bank around the corner. Oh, but you can't get money from that bank. That you get from the ATM across the walkway. I left that fun game up to my travel buddy and stayed in the office with our bags. After about an hour we had our visas, passports, and could finally leave the port.

All the mess meant we missed the last public bus to Dahab and were left to the devices of the taxi vultures waiting at the exit. Luckily there was a Japanese couple also going to Dahab, which is an hour away from the Nuweiba port. Safety in numbers is the way to play this game so with our multi-national lobbying group we actually talked down Egyptian taxi drivers [a major feat if anyone has ever encountered the bargaining power of these countrymen] to 120 Egyptian Pounds for the trip [about $60].

The coastal town of Dahab runs along a boardwalk that boasts cheap hostels on one side and restaurants on the other. But more than just a place where foreigners severely outnumber Egyptians it is also has great scuba diving and snorkelling. From the restaurants you can literally walk 100 feet out on a coral ledge before it drops off and offers amazing snorkelling. It's beautiful even for someone from Bermuda and totally accessible for anyone. The backpacker vibe also means women can dress as they would at home and I didn't look crazy catching up on my running! After the ferry and getting to Dahab, though, we were exhausted and it was time to crash into bed after a small wander and some food. The next day was equally lazy, drinking coffee by the water and reading some very necessary downtime.

Of course I got antsy after an hour or two and decided we should ruin our relaxing with a trip to Mt. Sinai. All three monotheistic religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims, believe Gebel Mousa [Mt Sinai] is the peak where Moses received the Ten Commandments. It's now a serious pilgrimage site for not just the religious, but also those looking for the inspiring sunrise.

To see the sunrise you have to leave Dahab at 11 p.m. by private van and start the trek at 1 a.m. so all our vegging went out the window. With about six other crazy people and a Bedouin guide, we set off to conquer the holy site.

Unfortunately the Bedouin culture that exists in this part of Egypt has been left out of the tourist trade, while their homeland is inundated with tourists. To help remedy this, guides are employed to take tourists up Mt. Sinai. And thank goodness for our guide. In the pitch black, I never would have found the camel path we used to go up the mountain.

At first I thought the name of the path was historical. That was until, as I kept my eyes on the ground trying not to trip while chatting with a British guy, I nearly ran into one of the beasts head-on! Only a quick duck and side-step saved me from a camel concussion! I realised then, that there were hundreds of camels lining the path on both sides. So did my travel buddy, who is petrified of these animals. Needless to say he made it up the mountain quite quickly.

By 4 a.m. we reached a tea house where we rested for an hour before getting to the peak for sunrise. While we might have melted down in Dahab, on the Mt. Sinai summit it was freezing.

Waiting in the cold and dark with hymns echoing from the religious, I wasn't quite sure what the he..ck we were on Mt. Sinai I was doing. When the sun finally crested and woke the desert that was lying below, my wondering stopped.

After the near-religious experience, it was a test of patience trying to descend with four hundred people squeezing down narrow stairs slanting one way or another to the camel path. Finally at the bottom, dazed and confused on very little sleep we still needed to visit St. Catherine's Monastery, the oldest Christian monastery in the world. This rock-coloured building houses the infamous burning bush or some relative of it as well a crazy monk who let me in the accompanying museum for free and snuck photos of me with the art work. After staying up all night and trekking I didn't have much patience and headed back to the van after about half-an-hour.

The rest of the day was relegated to napping so the next day it was time for the water sports. While my travel buddy scuba dived, I stayed on the surface with my mask and snorkel. Luckily the dive sites here cater to both interests. We decided to brace ourselves and head for the Blue Hole. Everyone raves about this large underwater, doughnut-shaped reef, which is about six kilometres from Dahab, so we organised a trip through the dive shop with six other people.

Unfortunately everyone visits this natural formation with groups so the setting has become commercialised with tea shops catering to all the tourists. Pushing past the traps entering the water was chilly and I caved and wore a wet suit to explore. The tourists on the shore have managed to leave their presence here too trash bags are caught on the reef and bits have been knocked off from careless fins. This, coupled with being a Bermudian, [sorry you just cannot amaze someone who grew up with turquoise water and reefs] meant the Blue Hole wasn't as stunning for me as I thought it would be.

The trip wasn't a complete waste of time though. It meant we met a British actuary working in Cairo who had a car and driver at his disposal. Never one to think before speaking I immediately asked if he'd give us a lift. Ha, pays to be cheeky!

Next stop: An air-conditioned SUV with video to Cairo!