Suez Canal - Egypt - Mar 25 - 26

Suez Canal - Mar 25 - 26 

Just random notes that I will update after we return home and add in the photos. As I type this tomorrow, we had 5 ports in a row and one sea day and then 7 ports in a row. So, no time to even look at photos or organize the posts.

This is our 3rd transit of the Suez Canal, with one world cruise going around Africa instead. Here are the links from previous transits:

2013 https://photos.app.goo.gl/wrjj1jyCwbymQ9D49

2017 https://photos.app.goo.gl/XZaF1fuDocrTmQks9

2017 https://photos.app.goo.gl/5LnXG1XdxiVgC3eU7

The Suez Canal is a 120.11-mile-long artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, which connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea through the Isthmus of Suez dividing Asia and Africa.

There has been progress made in widening and dividing the canal since we first came through in 2013. We arrived at the mouth of the canal before 5:00p and wouldn't know our position for the transit possibly until overnight hours. We were number 1 going through, which meant for those wanting to see the beginning had to be up by 5:00a. 

The entertainment on the 25th was the funniest comedian we have heard in a long time. Carlos Oscar. Just good comedy, not a single "first time cruiser" joke. 

We spent most of the 26th out on the balcony viewing the sites along the Canal. Always interesting to see all the small fishing boats that love to wait until the large ships pass and net fish in the wake. The Captain had to blow the horn several times to warn the boats for being too close. There was a lot of construction going on as well. 

There were lots of large jellyfish in the water around the Sharm el Sheik section. We held them when we snorkeled the Red Sea in 2013. Some of the best snorkeling we have ever done.

We saw Great Bitter Lake which is a large saltwater lake that is part of the canal.

We had lunch at the buffet so we could run about and take photos. We went to the back deck to take photos of us going under the bridge.

jellyfish

old bridges being torn down

Mubarak Peace Bridge (Japan - Egypt Friendship Bridge)

The Suez Canal Bridge, also known as the Egyptian–Japanese Friendship Bridge, Al Salam Bridge, Al Salam Peace Bridge or Mubarak Peace Bridge, is a road bridge crossing the Suez Canal at El-Qantara, whose name means "the bridge" in Egyptian Arabic. The bridge links the continents of Africa and Asia.

my favorite photo - prayer time

We went to the dining room for dinner and got caught up with Roy & Rondi. It was their first time through the canal, and they spent most of the day from 4:30a on watching life along the canal from their balcony. They too noticed the black and white police car escort that followed us along the road paralelling the ship. 

The evening entertainment tonight was another powerhouse of a great show. A vocalist and awesome guitar player that played a lot of great music featuring some of the greatest guitar players from the 60's to the 80's. He also did a few songs while playing the piano. He sang Imagine by John Lenon that brought down the house. 

Well, for some reason on our last sea day Princess had us set our clocks to Egypt time despite not having a stop there. 1 hour ahead. Then, to get back on time with Israel our next port we had to set our clocks back 1 hour. So, early get up time and lost an hour of sleep. UGH!

Anyway, it was early to bed for our tour tomorrow in Israel.

Birds seen today:

Armenian Gull - NEW

Bar-tailed Godwit - NEW

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - NEW

Common Tern

Eurasian Curlew

Glossy Ibis

Great Cormorant

Little Egret

Sandwich Tern

Slender-billed Gull