Four Days at sea and transiting the Suez Canal. March 25-28, 2022

 We look forward to a few sea days to catch our breath from all the touring we had done.  The weather begins to improve and by the time we arrive in Jeddah it will be a balmy 93 degrees, from one extreme to the other.  

As we near the canal we notice an unbelievable haze.  The Sahara Dust storm that had passed through this region and made its way all the way to the Alps  would no longer be lingering, so we conclude its pollution from the city of Alexandria or any of the other Egyptian coast line cities.  Maybe even Port Said, which is where all the ship enter and exit, undoubtably the ship traffic itself creates a lot of pollution.  

  While we were asleep we entered the Suez Canal around 11 PM at Port Said.  We wake around 7 to a still very hazy sky, though it clears a little the further south we cruise.  The views of the canal and its surrounding area is not nearly as impressive and beautiful as the Panama Canal.  But then what can you expect from a dessert region.  

The Suez Canal, a ten year construction project, completed in 1860,  passes through the country of Egypt. The canal is at sea-level, has no locks, a single-lane waterway, and only two lakes that allow south and northbound ships to pass each other: the Ballah Bypass and Great Bitter Lake.  Sand dunes and giant mounds of sand appear along its banks.  Occasionally as city appears, so monochrome in color it blends into the  sand. Not very interesting buildings with the exception of Mosques and their minarets (steeples).  Once in a while one is graced with small patches of swaying palms and greenery.  All in all a rather bleak scenery.  

Yesterday I learned of missile attacks of the Aramco oil facility in Jeddah.  OH NO!!  That is scary and we now wonder if we will still go there, we are to be there in two days.  Passengers are talking about it but so far the captain has made no mention of it.  We did express our concern last night at Guest Services.  We shall see.  In the meantime we are enjoying our sea days.  

Entering Great Bitter Lake where there is a north and southbound passage.

One of the more picturesque  sights.  A totally different color blue water, the sand,  a wall that runs the entire length of the canal area and behind it sometimes there is simply more sand and sand dunes or sand piles created from dredging  or agricultural fields and palms.  A town in the far distance.

These strange looking platforms are all along various stretches of the canal.  We don’t know what they are for but we suspect they float them into the water, connect them and make portable bridges.  

People were wading in the water near the banks of the canal.  We think maybe picking clams. Some had fishing rods in their hands.  Some were in tiny little boats, some motorized, others were rowed.  This was at the beginning of Great Bitter Lake.

In Great Bitter Lake, several ships following us to the next section of the canal.

Ismailia City, also know as the “City of Beauty and Enchantment”. 

Close-up of the mosque and its minarets.

View while in the Great Bitter Lake

Typical view as you sail through the canal.  It was very hazy, we suspect smog.  Though the Egyptians have  a habit of burning their wheat fields once they are harvested, and that makes for lots of smoke.