The Big Ditch...

That is an often used term for the Suez Canal. It was constructed over a period of about 10 years in 1869, and built by the French engineer and diplomat Vicomte de Lesseps. The French and English were not bosom buddies at the time and England did not really like the idea of France having some control over this expedient route to India and Asia. However by some quirks of fate, Britain became masters of the Canal until Nasser 'kicked them out of Egypt' in the 1950's. [Some older folks may remember The Suez Crisis.]

Really, the 'Canal' is in effect a series of three man-made sections of ditches joining the Red Sea in the south to the Mediterranean in the north with two lakes somewhere in between. There are no locks in this system. As an aside, the builder was looked upon as a genius upon completion, however he met his Waterloo when he attempted to build the Panama Canal years later and failed.


The man-made canal sections are not wide enough to take two-way traffic safely. The procedure is a little complicated but I will try to explain it: Ships heading north gather at the top end of the Red Sea in the Gulf of Suez. There they are given a specific spot to anchor. Same southbound, only in a large 'bay' that opens into the Med. In the early morning, both groups start their respective journey, one convoy heading north, the other south. The length of the canal is 102 nautical miles [118 regular miles], miles and will take us about 11 hours. A maximum of 80 ships a day can use the canal, not all paying as much as we do.

The northbound group reach Great Bitter Lake sooner than the southbound group so we should anchor again and wait for the southbound to pass us. It is sort of like a layover situation on a one way road.

At this writing we are now safely anchored, positioned by a small pilot boat, at the top end of the Red Sea. We are virtually surrounded by ships. Here we will spend the night.



It seems that cruise ships are generally near the head of the line. It is a bit of a status thing to be at the very front of the convoy. If there is more than one cruise ship, those not first tend to disregard the ship in front. It is amazing that ships are so much like people and always want to be 'first' or 'special'. [Some day I may write a book on this aspect of human nature.] Today we are number two northbound, behind a very big container ship.

We have our cabin on the right side of the ship and all the good stuff, like the Egyptian army and habitation is on the west side, [left] side. The soldiers are standing-to, waiting to repel their historical enemy, Israel, should the need arise. Usually we have an enjoyable, albeit distant relationship with the completely bored soldiers. I believe that they enjoy cruise ships more than a rusty Russian freighter. The chance of seeing a hot-babe in a swim suit is much better on a cruise ship than on a freighter any day. The only hot-babes on this ship would be an off-duty crew member, entertainers, or wives of officers travelling a leg of the cruise. Any paying passenger squeezing into a swim suit at this stage of the cruise would certainly be greeted by jeers. However, it seems that Egyptian men rather enjoy 'ample' women, witness the belly dancers body shape, [rather heavy in the trunk if I can be descriptive], something other than busts are supposed to shake, right? However Fellette was kind enough to do a 'pose' for me this AM even though there were not too many admirers out there.


We (Holland America Cruise Lines) will have paid the government of Egypt, [the owners of 'The Big Ditch'] about $250,000 for the privilege of using this waterway.

Tomorrow evening around six we should pop out into the Mediterranean, where we enter a new phase of the cruise. Central America, the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand are merely memories as are Indonesia, Asia and India. We have a day in Alexandria, where many will take the 12 hour tour to Cairo to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx, Moe included. We four hope to have a quiet and relaxing day in Alexandria.


For your information the biggest source of income in Egypt is as follows:

1. Tourism. [Right!]

2. Suez income.

3. Agriculture.


By the time you read this, niece Barbara will be in Turkey somewhere, we see her Sunday.

[I hope you are all preparing for the final exams on world affairs and geography and The World According to Dough in the next few weeks.]

By the way, miracle of miracles, Moe's camera is working again! We are not too sure why but we do not question it. [We pretend it was a setting wrong!


ADDED LATER AFTER TRANSITING THE CANAL:

We were number two today behind an immense container ship. There were 36 ships northbound and 23 southbound today. The swing railway bridge is an engineering marvel. It opens to let the ships pass and then is used for train traffic. It is the largest such swing bridge in the world, over 1100 feet when linked together. The road bridge is also a great piece of work.



Throughout the transit there are a great many war memorials and impressive monuments. It is a bit like sailing through history today, there has been so much happen in our life span to say nothing of the 5000 years of history out in the desert.





We burst out of the Suez at 3.25 PM, a very fast transit, for some reason we did not have to stop and anchor in Great Bitter Lake, I do not know how that happened???

We heard from Barbara this afternoon via e-mail, she was changing planes in Munich Germany, heading for Ankara. It was snowing in Munich.

Time to put our short pants away I think, I also turned the heat up in the cabin today.