by Howard Monroe
Work is underway to create luxury hotels, visitors center, shopping bazaars and more at one the world’s holiest sites.
Mount Sinai is where God talked to Moses in the burning bush and delivered the 10 Commandments on tablets of stone.
The plan, known as the “Great Transfiguration Project,” was initiated by Egypt in 2021. The government is promoting it as “Egypt’s gift to the entire world and all religions,” according to a recent BBC report.
In fact it is the nexis of three religions
The location is sacred to three prominent Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. According to religious tradition, the area is where Moses was given the Ten Commandments by God, and is also home to the 6th-century St. Catherine’s Monastery.
What do you expect in a vacation hotel or motel?
Is it “luxury“ or is it just “comfort”?
If I’m on a vacation to experience a new location, to try something new, I just want a clean comfortable place to lay my head.
Sometimes I enjoy acting above my status. Staying in a luxury hotel with all the amenities.
I absolutely adore going to the Greenbrier. Purely to relax and enjoy the luxurious offerings they have.
But not always.
The Grand Canyon has a couple of big, elegant lodges, but the first time we went we stayed at essentially a small cabin just off the main hotel property.
The second time we were literally in a room no bigger than an outhouse right outside old faithful. We had a comfy bed and a very tiny bathroom and that was all we needed.
In fact some of our traveling party had an actual outhhouse instead of a bathroom in their room
And it was fine.
We we were there to experience the canyon. There was a great dining area just steps away, and we literally could wake up with old faithful.
Along Route 66 and just this past month in the Dakotas we were at essentially old-fashioned motels where the rooms had been brought up with modern comforts—Good air conditioning. Internet connections. But nothing fancy.
Now don’t get me wrong. I enjoy going to a fancy hotel. We were in a couple of semi fancy hotels on our Mississippi trip this year
But a clean room with a comfy bed, usable bathroom. It’s pretty much okey-dokey with me.
I enjoyed being at the Greenbrier for a week as well. Being pampered, being in true luxury is great.
But enjoyment doesn’t really come from a large room with a spa just a clean and comfortable place
I’ve never been to the holy land, but it is certainly on my bucket list.
And when I get there, I hope to have a clean, comfortable place to be “home“ for the time of my visit.
But I won’t be going to the holy land For the Olympic size swimming pool and the ballroom or shopping bazaar.
There are places in the world that do not need to be made upscale, but rather experienced as they were or are.
The tentacles of capitalism should sometimes just stand down.