To the Suez Canal

November 7 and 8 were spent at sea.  As we started approaching the Suez Canal, the weather improved.  We had had cold, rainy weather with stiff winds and for two days the open decks on the ship were closed.  We poked around the on-board shops, went to enrichment lectures, played bingo, looked at all the boarding photographs, and generally just relaxed.

In the wee hours of the morning of November 8/9, we entered the Suez Canal. Ships go through the Suez Canal in convoys, two southbound convoys each day and one northbound.

Lots of partying, though I missed all that, heading to bed around 10:30 pm.  By the time I was up and around on November 9th, the ship was in Bitter Lake, as our convoy waited for the northbound convoy to go past before we could proceed. 

Some ships waiting with us in Bitter Lake

Then it was our turn to depart Bitter Lake heading south.  We were second in our convoy.

View from our ship, looking back at the boats following us in our convoy

I was surprised, when looking at the banks of the Suez Canal, how very different the West Side was from the East Side.

Egypt West Side of the Suez Canal,  urbanized and green

Another view of west side of Suez Canal

East Side of Suez Canal, Sinai Penninsula

Another view of the Sinai Penninsula side