This day at sea was a real transition in more ways than one. Once the Amsterdam turned north into the Gulf of Suez, the seas turned choppy and the winds were blowing at 51 knots across the decks. Despite the fact that the suggested temperature of the day was 82 degrees, it was only 63 degrees most of the day. With the wind chill factor, maybe less. The scenery on both shorelines was visible as the distance was close at times. We could have seen the jutting peaks of the desert landscape even better, if it wasn’t for the fine powdery sand that was blowing in the wind. It created a fog-like haze, that ended up on all of the outside decks and railings. Ever since we spent two days in Aqaba, we have been occasionally sneezing while outside. Thank goodness, it is not a cold, but that fine dust that is suspended in the air. The high humidity is gone for sure.
Now that we are surrounded by Egypt on both sides, the Sinai Peninsula on the right and the mainland on the left, it seems appropriate to add a few fast facts on this country. Egypt is a country of about 83 million or more people with the capital at Cairo. The history is epic of ancient cultures, pharaohs, and pyramids. Their geography is mythical from the Sahara Desert, the Nile River, and the wealth of marine life in the Red Sea. With a mix of Middle Eastern, African, and Mediterranean cultures, at times they collide. And once again, this country so full of treasures to see is not on the tourist list….too unstable to visit these days. We are so glad we have seen the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, Cairo and the museum. We have experienced an Egyptian boat ride on the Nile. What we have not seen is Mount Sinai, but we did ride camels in the desert to a Bedouin camp…. not the most comfortable ride we have done, but such a thrill. Now there are no stops at all, which is too bad.
Anyway, Egyptians like to eat “fuul”, a salty fava bean paste with falafel, kushari noodles, rice, black lentils, and dried onions served with a fiery tomato sauce. A good drink to go with it is Turkish coffee mint tea, or fresh fruit juices.
A random fact is that you will not need an umbrella because Egypt is the driest country in Africa.
We have friends that took a private tour to Israel, leaving from Muscat, Oman. Besides the major cities to tour, they will make an overnight stop at the Dead Sea. It is officially the lowest point on earth at 1400 feet below sea level. It has the most mineral rich body of water on earth and the density of that water allows swimmers to float easily on the surface. With the recent election in Israel, they may have some exciting stories to tell when they return in Naples.
All day we have been passing an assortment of oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Suez. And since it was too cold to spend any time at the pool, we met Barb for a very light lunch in the dining room. Captain Mercer gave his PM talk and described what we should expect for tomorrow’s itinerary transiting the Suez Canal. Once the ship reaches Port Suez, the Captain has to register at 4pm for his assignment to anchor in the waiting area. We will wait here overnight, then follow the assigned slot that the ships will convoy through the canal. Like ducks-in-a-row, the Captain said. We will have three different pilots along the way, and the transit can take from 10 to 15 hours to transit. The exact details will be in tomorrow’s newsletter.
Around 3:30pm, we were already at anchor when the Captain came on the loud speakers and said a convoy going southbound was exiting the canal. It was led by a French aircraft carrier by the name of Charles de Gaulle. It was escorted by another military ship. One of us made it to the promenade deck to take some close-up photos, and also spotted a small local boat making its way towards our hull. They pulled up right alongside and asked for food or anything people might give them. Hard to believe they would be allowed so close to a cruise ship, or any ship for that matter. It was quite unnerving for the folks watching on deck three, because this happen so suddenly. With all of the extra security, who knows what can happen at any given time, although this time, they went away to another nearby vessel, bugging them.
Now that we were on anchor, the ship seemed to drift with the current. This caused interruptions with the satellite TV reception and possibly the internet connection. Emails and reports were sent numerous times as the connection cut off, and restarted. Watching the news feeds was impossible, and will remain that way until we commence sailing tomorrow morning.
Both guest speakers dealt with Suez Canal history, so today would be a great time to catch up on the talks on TV. Either that or check out the many sales onboard in the Shops, or participate in the several happy hours in the lounges and bars.
Dinner was just the three of us, with the guys in the Pinnacle Grill. Be interesting to hear about the changes they will notice tonight. The menu choices were difficult tonight, getting harder to find simple dinners. Tonight was more of a meat and potatoes evening, but hard to find on the menu. The closest was the cornflake breaded turkey breast with garlic mashed potatoes. Good thing there is always the alternate menu items, because there are no surprises there. We shared a fusilli pasta with smoked sausage, which was tasty, and then ended the meal with one bread pudding with berry compote. Slam added 6 chocolate biscotti cookies for good measure. Hard to escape the extra calories here.
The show this evening was a performance by two multi-instrumentalists Duo Yalba. They promised a captivating show with a wide variety of musical styles with the help of the Mainstage Band.
Looking out our window at 11pm, we saw the Tui ship, Mein Schiff 4, dropping anchor close to us. Bet they will join in tomorrow’s convoy with us. And thinking ahead, we figured that this transit through the Suez Canal may be the last one Captain mercer will do. Next year’s world cruise will go to Africa, and not to the Mediterranean….so no Suez Canal. And since the Amsterdam will travel down the east coast of South America next year, the final transit through the Panama Canal in January was the last for the Captain as well.
Bill & Mary Ann
