Suez Canal

May 21 We arrived at Port Said around 8 PM sunset on the 19th. Apparently we could not enter until the next morning, so we turn N, into the wind and stopped. John and I found one of the officers and were told that the pilot was coming abound at 5:30, so I ordered coffee and rolls for the room at 6 and we were up on my balcony for the transit. Now the Suez canal is a series of natural lakes connected at both ends by a man made canal. There are no locks as there are in the Panama. .Opened in 1869, it is just wide enough for one way traffic which is the reason we had to wait till the next morning. Southbound traffic in the am, Northbound later in the day. When we entered we fell in line, single file spaced about a mile behind the tanker in front. A tug is interspersed between each ship. I am on the Starboard side of the ship and we were close enough to the fertile side of the canal that I could see the faces of the people lined up to watch us. As excited as our crew and passengers were, apparently this is the largest passenger ship to traverse the canal and the excitement was evident on shore. It took 6 1/2 hrs @ 9 Kts to reach the first lake and then after an hour or two we entered the southernmost canal for the remainder of journey to reach the Red Sea. There were military installations along the western(fertile) side with lots of soldiers and activity. The Eastern side was nothing but sand dunes and dredging.

PHOTOS HERE