Suez Canal - Monday, April 14th

At this moment we are sailing through the absolutely amazing Suez Canal.  We arrived at the beginning of the canal about 1:00a.m. this morning, but had to anchor and wait nearly 12 hours, until about 1:00p.m. to make our transit.  On our way in late last night (actually very early this morning) I got up and went out on our balcony. We were passing through a very narrow area and every few feet on the sandy shoreline, there were heavily armed guards and military vehicles protecting the waterway and the ships passing through it.  This area has been the site of many conflicts and continues to be a source of conflict between the Israelis and Egyptians.  It is an extremely critical waterway  since it links the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea

The Suez Canal has dominated Egypt's modern history.  The 87.5 mile long canal links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea by way of  several lakes and without any locks.  The excavation took 11 years, using 30,000 forced labor workers/slaves.  The opening of the canal in 1869 had an enormous impact on international shipping as it halved the distance between Europe and the Middle East.  Currently, the canal is transited by about 50 ships every day who pay up to $700,000 for passage.  Small vessels are free.  In its long history it was closed only twice, both times as a result of hostilities--first in 1956, when it was closed for one year, and in 1967, for seven years.  

The landscape through the canal is fascinating.  On our right is simply white sand, with dunes built up every few hundred meters.  There is old, rusted military equipment on the banks, abandoned by the Egyptian and Israelis  troops after the 1967 war.  On the left bank there are the same sand dunes built up, but on this side the dunes are flattened on the top and there are heavily armed guards on top of each one of them.  Just behind the beautiful white sand there are strips of bright green grass with palm trees, fruit trees and brightly colored flowers.  Our destination guide told us that fresh water canals have been built to support an agricultural economy here in the desert.  The stark contrast between the fine, white sand and the green "patches" is quite breathtaking.

We are now in the middle of the canal and there are a few lovely resorts which line the shores.  There are tour boats which take guests on day tours of the canal and small fishing boats which quickly head for the sidelines when they spot us coming!  There are extremely quiet, calm and peaceful beaches where hotel guests can sit under a cabana and soak in the magnificent and unique environment.

We are passing an area onshore which is heavily built up with residential housing.  It looks like fairly new apartments or condos in buildings which are an average of five stories high and appropriately painted in soft natural desert hues.  They are very simple designs, rising in a perfect rectangle with no outward adornments.  The sand dunes with armed guards continue to patrol the shoreline.

We were told that Egypt is 99% Muslim and 10% Christian and in the distance I can see mosques every mile or so.  I haven't been able to hear the call to prayers from here, but that's probably due to the ship's engines and traffic on a busy highway which runs along the canal.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I actually enjoy the sound of the reminder to pray five times a day and have tried to incorporate it into my activities when I hear it throughout this world journey.

We've been sailing through the canal for a few hours now.  It's late afternoon and I'm still seeing armed guards posted along the shore.  It must be such a difficult way of life, having to worry every second of each day about being bombed or shot.  Once again, I am reminded of how blessed we are in the U.S. and how insulated we are from so much suffering that other countries face on a daily basis.  I continue to thank God for providing us with the opportunity to make this world voyage.  My eyes have been opened to so many different people, history and cultures, faiths, landscapes, politics, and current events.  World news now has a much deeper and more personal meaning for me.  My prayer list has increased greatly.

I have been sitting here on our balcony throughout the afternoon observing the sites while being comfortably seated with a cup of fresh coffee.  Bob, on the other hand, has been standing on the open upper deck all afternoon in the hot sun, snapping pictures to share with all of you.  What a guy - he is such a trooper!!!!

Early tomorrow morning we will arrive in Israel.  We are so very fortunate to be in Israel during Holy Week.  I know it will be crowded but it will be so meaningful to be there with many people from all over the world who have traveled to be in Israel during this very holy time.  We will be starting in the north with a visit to Haifa and then traveling south to Jerusalem.  Absolutely can't wait!!!!