Transiting the Suez Canal

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Day 59, Friday, March 16, 2007, In the Suez Canal

Latitude: 30 degrees, 12.46 minutes N
Longitude: 032 degrees 33.74 minutes E

WOW! This transit through the Suez Canal has been incredible! We haven’t left our cabin today as our eyes have been glued on the shoreline! We are leading a convoy of thirty ships through the canal! At around 8:00 pm last night we entered the Gulf of Suez from the Red Sea, through the Straits of Gubal. Throughout the evening we continued North West through the Suez traffic lanes and oil fields. At around 2:00 am we reached the approaches of the canal and waited for the second Northbound Convoy to begin at 6:00 am. The Suez Canal pilots boarded our ship very, very early in the morning to get us into position with our convoy and we began our transit shortly after 6:00 am. By noon we had reached Lake Timsau and the Suez War Memorial which marked the halfway point of our transit. We have seen and heard so much in the last several hours! We have seen the sands of the deserts blowing, the lush areas of land irrigated by the Nile river, bustling villages, towns and cities, we’ve seen the previous summer residence of Anwar Sadat and the mosque adjacent to it, World War II memorials, huge cargo vessels waiting in “holding areas” for their southbound transit, the largest swing span train bridge in the world and the great Suez Canal Bridge both which link Africa and Asia. The sights just keep coming…..We’ve heard the rumble of passing passenger trains, small fishing boats filled with fisherman calling out to us, the wails of prayer calls from the mosques, the yells and whistles to us from the Egyptian soldiers standing at their posts along the canal and now, the howls of the wind. It is around 3:30 pm now and we are in the midst of huge winds and dark skies, but in the distance we can see sunlight cast on the buildings in the city that lie ahead of us along the canal. By 4:00 pm we should be clear of the canal and that will mark the end of one of the most remarkable and memorable days of our trip so far. It has been truly amazing to witness these sights and sounds!

Photos to Come!

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Comments

[Peter,Zack,& William]

What's Up
zack says HI. how is your trip?is it fun,boring,or all of the above? from peter. I've seen all your pictures and they're awsome!! William. What's the best food you've had? So far, what's your favorite place? Have you seen any sharks yet? What has been the highlight of your trip so far? We all miss you--the 4th grade.

[ETHAN]

to drew
How are you doing? Have you played with any stingrays yet? If you have, did you fed any? What was the best dessert and drink? Bye!

[carolyn monz]

hope you are having a great time
i hope u are having a geart time. what is your fav part of the cruis

[Ann Marie]

Stuck in the Suez Canal!
Help! our school is stuck in the Suez Canal! Just wondered how far you had gone. We've been checking for the update are missing you guys and eager for more news! Easter is almost here and we know that you will be home soon. Ann Marie @ ICS