After a couple of days acclimatising in the North Camp it was now time to head South. Nowadays folk will be flown from Tel Aviv to Sharm el Sheikh but for some unknown reason we went by car in a small convoy with Americans. It turned out to be for the better as we have seen some amazing places and landscapes along our way.
Tel Aviv to Sharm El Sheikh
As we arrived in Tel Aviv and made a detour to the MFO North Camp, we first headed back to Israel. From there it was on to Beersheba, which was very busy at the time. From there we crossed the Negev Desert and headed to Eilat. The Negev Desert was my first impression of a real desert and I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the area. I had never imagined that it could be this beautiful and from there on things only got better.
Entering the Sinai Desert
Along the way we stopped several times and everyone was taking photos. As we passed Eilat we entered the Sinai Desert and it was amazing!! Empty roads, impressive mountains, Bedouins on the side of the road and a feeling of total isolation. This was my kind of landscape and I enjoyed every second of this fantastic journey.
Somewhere along the way, halfway in the Sinai, we stopped at the top of a mountain pass, not sure where exactly but I do remember the name from a sign with bullet holes, “Shahira Pass”. It also had a monument, don’t ask, I forgot all about it!
Arrival in Sharm el Sheikh
Our trip from Tel Aviv to Sharm El Sheikh was coming to an end when we arrived in the South Camp. It was already dark so we had to postpone our first impressions until daylight the next day. As it so happened, we were housed in a building together with American helicopter pilots. After we met them that first morning, Mike, a pilot from South Carolina, asked us if we wanted to join him for a wee sightseeing tour in his helicopter. How cool is that? He flew us around the camp and we also flew over Snake Island, which is how he called it. The name on the map is Tiran Island.
We were blown away, again, by the beauty of the desert and especially the combination with the turquoise sea was fabulous. This was now my home for the next 6 months. I could have done worse, a lot worse 🙂
The mission of the MFO is to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace and employ best efforts to prevent any violation of its terms. 
