Suez Canal

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – 14 August

Some have called the Suez Canal a Big Ditch, but we found it a fascinating passage. The Vela spent 10 hours in a line of ships going from Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea, through Ismailia, to Suez on the Red Sea, with sand and desert on her east and irrigated oases (for the most part) to the west.  

The area on each side of the canal appeared thinly populated, sprinkled with sentry outposts manned by really bored-looking soldiers.  

Rowboats played “chicken” with the cargo ships down below, as fishermen used nets to capture their prey, much as they did in biblical times.

Unlike in other countries, Egyptians value their pigeons, as a food source and for their  droppings, used as fertilizer.  Special cone-shaped houses for them dotted the landscape.

We hid our booze from the authorities before we got to Beirut:

Next stop was Jeddah, the gateway city to Mecca, birthplace and focus of the Muslim religion.  Before arriving there, crew and passengers were instructed to gather “all alcohol, pornographic and other illegal items” for delivery to the captain, to be locked away from inspection and seizure by the Muslim police in the ship’s safe.  And this in spite of the fact that we were not allowed to disembark the ship at all…..

On our way now to Jebel Ali, Dubai’s port.  Not sure at this point when we will arrive and if we will stay long enough for a visit.   Hopefully we’ll get our booze back before we get there…..  

(Here’s a pretty shot of us leaving Beirut….)