It was breakfast as usual in the dining room, where we did have the pleasure of being served "Suez Canal Rolls", an off-beat version of the Panama Canal Rolls. To make this pastry a little more interesting, chopped pistachios were inside with a creamy paste. We detected some fruit, such as dried apricots and perhaps apple slices. We really prefer the mandarin orange filling the best, but these were OK. The ones that were way off were the bean curd filled pastries they served a few years ago……..never to be repeated.
We took a quick walk on the lower promenade deck to find that two rowboats had been hauled up and tied off. They are only used if necessary by local canal workers. We are certain they were not needed today.
Once the ship had pulled anchor, and left the holding area, we were off to Bitter Lakes, where numerous ships would line up to make the convoy. We were number three today, with the Thomson ship leading the pack. It looked like the car carrier in front of us may have been the one docked near us in Aqabah loading trucks all day. Hard to say for sure, since they kind of all look alike. Several ships were behind us, although we could not get a count.
Here is a little info on this "Big Ditch" through the sands. It took 10 years to build this canal back in 1869. It saved thousands of miles to take this short cut between Europe and Asia, instead of sailing around the tip of Africa. The transit for us began at Port Suez, past Ismailia, ending in Port Said in the Med. The length of the canal today is over 120 miles long, 673 feet wide, and is 79 feet deep.
There are no locks, as the two seas are the same level, unlike the Panama Canal. Some super tankers over 240,000 deadweight tons need to be partially off-loaded at one end, and re-loaded at the opposite end. We would love to know how much it costs a ship like ours to transit, but we did not hear it mentioned today.
The only thing we did not expect was that 22 miles of this canal are separate channels now. It has been a project for several years now, and has recently opened for two way traffic. Northbound ships like us, had to take the new side, which pretty much blocked our view of the cities and villages we would pass.
We could see the upper parts of container and cargo ships passing by, but it looked as though they were sailing in the sand. We could not see the water until we passed an opening in the sand dunes.
On our side, we could see a whole new city being built. They were all new high rise apartments, the new suburbs of Ismailia, we guess. This whole area is surrounded by sand, although they did build some fresh water ponds and planted many palm trees. Perhaps in time, it will be home to thousands of Egyptians., who work in the city and the canal zone.
There was still the presence of local fishermen pulling in their huge nets into small rowboats. Some fellows were sitting on the shallow banks, apparently clamming. Bird life was minimal. We did see a few cranes at the very beginning of the transit, and eventually there were some gulls and terns. The neatest birds we saw were the pigeons that roost and live in the tee-pee like domes scattered on farmhouses and alongside the road. The birds will enter these domes through holes in the side, where they lay eggs. Their fertilizer is collected for the gardens, and when they have too many adult birds, they are eaten. We know the dish as squab.
The few farm animals we spotted were cattle, and some goats, and maybe lamb. The fields surrounding this side of the canal (Egypt side), were green with crops. We understand that water from the Nile is channeled here for irrigation. Not sure what causes it, but there was a thick haze in the air. In the distance, we could see the fine sand being blown up in dust clouds, common this time of year. We could also smell smoke. At times it was difficult to see the Thomson ship in the lead, as it disappeared in the haze.
At one point where we were in divided traffic, we passed the now obsolete swing span bridge that used to be for the train that crossed from the Nile side to the Sinai Peninsula side. The only other bridge that actually crosses over is 2.4 miles long, and was built with the help of the Japanese. Other crossings in this canal are accomplished by ferries, which transport cars and trucks with their drivers. It was not unusual to see lines of vehicles for one mile on both sides, waiting to take their turn in the small ferries.
The only break we took today was to meet Barb in the dining room for lunch. It was sure nice just to have the three of us where we could have a private conversation. Then we went back outside until we were out into the Mediterranean Sea sometime around 3:30pm. The temperature dropped by the time we reached Port Said, and the shipyards and industrial area of that city. It was at this point that the pilot was picked up by a local boat, and the rowboats dropped back down to the canal.
This was about the only place we saw the most birds. Gulls and terns mostly. There must have been lots of food for them in the waters, since the terns were diving. Once we got out of the canal zone, the breeze got cooler and the waters choppy. Time to go inside, and work on photos all afternoon. But not until we were served fruit skewers by a couple of the deck fellows. They had something going all day, such as juice, cold face towels, ice water and lemonade, and finally the fruit and more face towels. The weather was the nicest we have ever seen it. Not too hot for a change.
We had company for dinner tonight…….the guest speaker Mel Foster and his wife. He has been a lecturer on many cruises we have been on, and we have heard most all of his talks. For the first time this trip, one of us tried the alternate sirloin steak. It was very tasty…..not exactly Pinnacle Grill quality, but better than most of the unusual entrees on the menu.
We had been told that the clocks were going forward tonight. Thinking maybe it was an April Fool's Day joke, we found it was not. There was a card on the bed for clocks ahead one hour. Sure don't remember doing this last year when we headed for Israel after leaving the Canal. Oh yeah, we also got personalized certificates for the Suez Canal Transit we did today.
We have one day at sea, then we will be stopping at Rhodes.
Bill & Mary Ann
The Suez Canal (owned by the Suez Canal Authority of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
Who let the dogs out???
Typical fishing boats with nets
The bow was the best place to view the transit
Netting fish the old-fashioned way
Thomson Celebration and a car carrier in the lead
The north lane is separate….that is a ship passing the opposite direction
Someone's pet on the loose
A tug waits in the cut between the channels
We were truly in a ditch between the dunes
Pontoons can be used to block the channels
Scenery we were missing
22 miles of separation
Ismailia on the west bank
Military presence everywhere
Desert surrounding us
The canal is rich in sea life we were told
Waving to the passengers
Hard work
New buildings on the Sinai Peninsula side
Apartment complexes
Ferries tie the new homes to the city on the west bank
Fresh water ponds
A cargo ship sails in the opposite direction….no kidding
Famous monument we could not see well
Fresh water pond and newly-planted palms
Here comes a pilot boat
We had to go to deck nine to see the opposite side
More improvements on the Sinai side
Looks very nice, just isolated from the main city
Pulling the nets out of the ship lane
Pilot boat
Rowing with oars
Possibly a restaurant in the pond
Thousands of apartments
Ships up to 240,000 deadweight tons can transit
Car carrier ferry crossing behind the ship
Military complex
Here comes the boat with a new pilot
The bow was almost empty
Ferry landing
A slow process
Cars and trucks line up for the long wait
Some ferries are free
Must be a new dedication to this canal separation
Symbolic Egyptian monument
Maximum height of a ship is 223 feet
Honoring the workers who created this canal
Canal is up to 79 feet deep
A very new mosque
Sea water flows through the channels
Rocks need to be imported
These fellows were collecting clams
Filling their bucket
A watch tower
The view from deck nine
The now obsolete swing bridge for a train
A passing ship
A road connects the two channels
Canal guards (well-armed)
A ship passing going south
A bridge to nowhere now
The railroad tracks end in the middle
They use ferries now, but no train access anymore
Cruising through the sands
There is water on the opposite side
Southbound traffic gets the view of the west bank
Guard houses on the top on the dunes
Separation lanes opened recently
Another ferry landing
So much sand…….
We were missing the city on the opposite side
Not much activity here
Obsolete swing bridge
The Thomson Celebration leads the pack
Military compound
Pontoons for emergencies
Green banks on the west side….water comes from the Nile River
Getting towards the end of the separation
A glimpse of the west bank
