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Tristram’s Grackle

A number of Tristram’s grackles live in the area. They have black plumage with orange patches on the outer wing. They fly over the monastery, filling the air with their cries.

Tristram’s grackles (Onychognathus tristramii) are named after Henry Baker Tristram, an English clergyman and ornithologist, who travelled throughout the Sahara, Palestine, and Lebanon. […]

Bedouin Boys

Two bedouin boys had been standing by the road, selling coloured eggs turned from alabaster to the tourists.

They hiked up their gelabiyas to wade into the water.

One of them waded into the swiftly flowing muddy water.

The other changed his mind and stayed where he was.

After about an […]

Flash Flood

In the Sinai desert, even a small rain can cause a flash flood.

Returning from Raithou a few years ago, we saw a sheet of water advancing over the road. There is no predicting how deep or how swift such floods will become. We turned around and drove down the road to higher ground.

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Lightning

On very rare occasions, a rainstorm at Sinai is accompanied by thunder and lightning. These photographs were taken to the west, with the lights of the village showing in the distance.