Day 90 – April 5 - Suez Canal

 

  We entered the Suez canal from the Gulf of Suez very early in the morning and it was chilly compared to what we have been experiencing.

  Sunrise over the Sinai Peninsula

 

  Traffic on the Canal.

This was picture was taken on the Bitter Lakes one of two places where the canal widens slightly.  The canal is too narrow to accommodate more than one ship at a time.

  Egyptian Military Ship

  Local Ferry

  Monument commemorating the end of the 6-Day War of 1967.

For me going through the Suez Canal was much more interesting that traversing through the Panama Canal since there was much more shore activity to watch:  Fisherman, military guards, towns, ferries, etc.. versus watching the locks move large ships up and down.

  Shore side Egyptian city and children playing soccer.

  Welcome to Egypt sign on the shore.

  The Amsterdam going under this bridge which connects the Sinai Peninsula with Egypt.

 

  Canal with Lake Manzala in the background.

This was a delightful day of just sitting on the deck and watching the world flow by.  So restful considering the part of the world that we are in.  We received many waves and friendly shouts from the Egyptian side, the Sinai side was mostly irrigated lands or undeveloped.

I spent the last portion of this trip having a provocative discussion about human relationships with a dear man who is fast becoming a good friend.  Wes and his wife Carolyn are from Annapolis, MD so we initially had that in common but now we have so much more to discuss.  It’s not an easy task to find kindred spirits on this ship however I have been fortunate in the relationships that I have developed.  Some of them have come into my life just when I needed a kind soul to communicate with.