The Suez Canal
We began our first morning aboard the National Geographic Explorer with an early announcement by Expedition Leader, Tom O’Brien. Tom invited everyone to be out on deck to watch us enter into the historic Suez Canal. For many of us onboard, this was the first opportunity to be in the body of water separating mainland Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula.
The Suez has a very unique look and feel and we traveled in a convoy with many other vessels headed north toward the Mediterranean Sea. The canal itself is a very narrow, but not exceptionally deep, gash in the desert landscape. The sand stretches for miles on each side, segmented by frequent resorts and industrial cities. The water throughout our transit was a beautiful aquamarine color, which contrasted strikingly with the yellow of the sand.
The length of the canal is fragmented by two lakes, the Great Bitter Lake and Lake Timsah (Crocodile Lake) and the full length from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean was completed in 1869. This historic event marked the moment when Africa and Asia became completely separate entities. Mid-morning, one of our onboard Egyptologists, Ahmed, invited everyone out on deck to enjoy some information about the history, both ancient and recent, of this incredible region. It was our first opportunity to really delve into the complexity of this place and the numerous people that attempted to build a canal here.
We gathered in the lounge for a video about the history of the Suez Canal, presented by Historian David Barnes. This was followed after lunch by an informal forum with our local Egyptologists. Many questions arose regarding the present-day political and governmental challenges in Egypt, as well as its intricate health, education, and social systems. We were also able to learn quite a bit about some of the many different ethnic groups in this country and the rich cultures that abound here.
We continued our cruise north, seeing many impressive bridges, huge shipping containers, and other bits of engineering. One of our Historian/Archaeologists, Robyn Woodward, gave us an incredible look at the Mediterranean port of Alexandria, Egypt, our destination tomorrow.
All in all, our first day on ship was relaxed and enjoyable. The rare opportunity to cruise through the Suez Canal was a great highlight for many of us, not soon to be forgotten.
We began our first morning aboard the National Geographic Explorer with an early announcement by Expedition Leader, Tom O’Brien. Tom invited everyone to be out on deck to watch us enter into the historic Suez Canal. For many of us onboard, this was the first opportunity to be in the body of water separating mainland Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula.
The Suez has a very unique look and feel and we traveled in a convoy with many other vessels headed north toward the Mediterranean Sea. The canal itself is a very narrow, but not exceptionally deep, gash in the desert landscape. The sand stretches for miles on each side, segmented by frequent resorts and industrial cities. The water throughout our transit was a beautiful aquamarine color, which contrasted strikingly with the yellow of the sand.
The length of the canal is fragmented by two lakes, the Great Bitter Lake and Lake Timsah (Crocodile Lake) and the full length from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean was completed in 1869. This historic event marked the moment when Africa and Asia became completely separate entities. Mid-morning, one of our onboard Egyptologists, Ahmed, invited everyone out on deck to enjoy some information about the history, both ancient and recent, of this incredible region. It was our first opportunity to really delve into the complexity of this place and the numerous people that attempted to build a canal here.
We gathered in the lounge for a video about the history of the Suez Canal, presented by Historian David Barnes. This was followed after lunch by an informal forum with our local Egyptologists. Many questions arose regarding the present-day political and governmental challenges in Egypt, as well as its intricate health, education, and social systems. We were also able to learn quite a bit about some of the many different ethnic groups in this country and the rich cultures that abound here.
We continued our cruise north, seeing many impressive bridges, huge shipping containers, and other bits of engineering. One of our Historian/Archaeologists, Robyn Woodward, gave us an incredible look at the Mediterranean port of Alexandria, Egypt, our destination tomorrow.
All in all, our first day on ship was relaxed and enjoyable. The rare opportunity to cruise through the Suez Canal was a great highlight for many of us, not soon to be forgotten.
