After a month of little rest due to the constant honking of car horns, the loud music and the "Lambada" ring tones of cell phones 24 hours a day, we were looking forward to visiting the Monastery of Mar Musa and enjoying the solitude of its location. But that night, when my head was against the pillow, I could hear my heart pounding and for the first time in this trip I was terrified.
The Monastery was founded in the 6th century AD by an Ethiopian (Musa) who favored monastic life to the throne and left everything behind to build Mar Musa. The complex is perched high on the edge of a cliff and the last 1.5k, along a steep sided rocky gorge must be traveled by foot.
We arrived there to find that for us and a small group of tourists that were also escaping the craziness of life, Mar Musa is the ideal place to fall of the face of the earth. A few nuns and monks run the place and they take turns living between Italy and Syria.
It is a peaceful, quiet place where the only set schedule is a 7.00am to 9.00am Bible reading, 9.15am breakfast, 2.15pm lunch, 7.00pm to 8.30pm silent meditation, 8.30pm mass and 9.45pm dinner. Lights go off at 11pm when the men are lead to a separate building up the hill from the Church complex where the women's dorms are. The rest of the time can be used for hiking in the desert mountains, reading, socializing or helping out in the tiny community by washing dishes, helping to prepare the food, or doing other small jobs, etc.
The Church has some amazing frescoes from the 11th century and they have plenty of bibles in all languages so everyone is able to follow mass in their own language. The priest gives mass in both Arabic and English and more than ten countries where represented. One of the many special moments was when he asked us to say out loud what we were praying for. Some were praying for cures to illness to be found, or to stop hunger or wars. I was praying so one day the world outside that church could be like Mar Musa, where there is a huge amount of respect for others, tolerance and understanding, where everyone is welcomed regardless of their nationalities and peace surrounds you.
Our stay at Mar Musa was wonderful except for the fact that minutes after we arrived, and at a time when Steve was away hiking, I was cornered by a desperate Syrian woman in her fifties. She was unstable and I saw in her eyes that she was willing to do whatever it took to get what she wanted. She immediately asked me to lend her U$2000 and requested that we sponsored her and her brother to re-enter the US, where supposedly her children had been left behind. She acted very nervous and anxious and insisted on borrowing the money that she promised she would return. Although I explained the reasons for which I couldn't do such things, she followed me everywhere and stared at me all the time. They didn't socialize with anyone but me, "the American". A couple of the German girls noticed this situation and helped me by not leaving me by myself at any time, but at night, when silence surrounded the building I couldn't help but hear the steps of this mad woman pacing back and forth in a room above mine.
So, unless you are "American"and the crazy Syrian lady is there, I extremely recommend you visit Mar Musa. :)
Gaby
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