We entered the Suez Canal on April 8, 2016 at 7:00 am at the City of Suez. Before we could start we had to take on two small mooring boats that would be used if we had to tie up to the shore for some reason. The desert haze was still very prevalent as it had been for the last two weeks. The canal splits the Sinai part of Egypt, with its’ stark desert scenery, from the African side, with it lush green fertile areas that are irrigated by the Nile River. There are many military outposts on both sides of the canal and walls being erected mostly os the Sinai side. This year a new section of the canal was opened which now allows ships to go in both directions. To get across the canal there were several ferry crossings and a couple of tunnels that go under it, as well as the Suez Canal Bridge. At about 4:30 pm we exited the canal at Port Siad and entered the Mediterranean Sea.
