Today we went through the Suez Canal, a 12 hour trip. The canal is 193 kilometres long, 680 feet wide, and 80 feet deep. It was built by the French and opened in 1869. Forced Egyptian labourers spent 10 years digging, and over 30,000 people were engaged at any one time. It was a huge undertaking.
The Suez Canal is enourmously important for world trade. 250,000 ships go through the canal each year, amounting to about 14% of world shipping. The route greatly reduces the time to ship goods between the Far East and Europe. When it opened it quickly earned the nickname of "Highway to India" as it reduced the shipping time between Britain and India by 60%. Previously, the shipping route had to go entirely around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.
Over the years the canal has had its share of wars and closures. In 1956 the Egyptian President nationalized the canal and then strengthened ties with the Soviet Union. One thing led to another, and eventually Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula and was quickly joined by the United Kingdom and France, who did so to protect the canal and world commerce. A treaty ended the conflict and handed protection of the canal to a United Nations Peacekeeping Force headed up by none other than Lester B. Pearson earning him the Nobel Peace Prize and an airport. The treaty guaranteed the right of passage of all vessels, from any country, without discrimination, whether warships or commercial ships, and whether the country was at war or not. That is still the case today, and the UN still patrols the canal to enforce the treaty. Here is a picture of a patrol ship, and we saw quite a few helicopters on patrol.
In 1967 Egyptian President Nasser demanded the UN leave. Israel took on the Egyptians in the Six Day War, ending up with the canal being blocked with sunken ships. Famously, 14 cargo ships were trapped inside the canal for a full eight years before the canal was cleared and made safe again for travel. Today, all is peaceful on the canal, the UN keeps the peace, and the Egyptians keep the money. Canal fees are the main source of revenue for the country. And it's not cheap. The fee for our cruise ship was in the range of $120,000 to $150,000. The exact figure seems to be a well-guarded secret.
The Suez Canal is not what we expected. It is not like canals we know: the Welland Canal, the Panama Canal, the Trent Canal. There are no locks. The two Seas it joins, the Mediterranean and the Red, are at the same level. It is like a long, skinny, one-way, water highway. The canal is one-way traffic only, excect for two bipass spots where ships can pass. Ships travel in convoys of about 6 ships at a time, and the convoys pass each other at the passing points. There is obviously a lot of logistics to keep it all working smoothly. The convoys travel slowly (8 knots, or about 10 mph) to minimize damage to the sides of the canal. It is quite an experience, gliding along slowly and silently through the desert.
Peggy was so excited about the experience that she got up, and got me up too, at 2:45 am to see the pilot come aboard to start our journey. Then at 5 am we passed the cruise ship shown below who pulled in behind us as part of our little convoy .Only Peggy got up for this one.
We both got up at 6:30 when the butler arrived with our first breakfast.
Back off! Wait your turn big boy.
There is only one permanent bridge over the canal, and it is a beauty.
However, there are lots of ferries, including these two crossing from each side simultaneously between each ship in the convoy.
There are also pontoon bridges stockpiled strategically along the side of the canal in case they need to move the army across quickly.
Finally, 12 hours after entering, we came to the end of the Suez Canal and sailed out into the Mediterranean Sea, going past Port Said.
Now, off to the Holy Land.
The Suez Canal is enourmously important for world trade. 250,000 ships go through the canal each year, amounting to about 14% of world shipping. The route greatly reduces the time to ship goods between the Far East and Europe. When it opened it quickly earned the nickname of "Highway to India" as it reduced the shipping time between Britain and India by 60%. Previously, the shipping route had to go entirely around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.
Over the years the canal has had its share of wars and closures. In 1956 the Egyptian President nationalized the canal and then strengthened ties with the Soviet Union. One thing led to another, and eventually Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula and was quickly joined by the United Kingdom and France, who did so to protect the canal and world commerce. A treaty ended the conflict and handed protection of the canal to a United Nations Peacekeeping Force headed up by none other than Lester B. Pearson earning him the Nobel Peace Prize and an airport. The treaty guaranteed the right of passage of all vessels, from any country, without discrimination, whether warships or commercial ships, and whether the country was at war or not. That is still the case today, and the UN still patrols the canal to enforce the treaty. Here is a picture of a patrol ship, and we saw quite a few helicopters on patrol.
In 1967 Egyptian President Nasser demanded the UN leave. Israel took on the Egyptians in the Six Day War, ending up with the canal being blocked with sunken ships. Famously, 14 cargo ships were trapped inside the canal for a full eight years before the canal was cleared and made safe again for travel. Today, all is peaceful on the canal, the UN keeps the peace, and the Egyptians keep the money. Canal fees are the main source of revenue for the country. And it's not cheap. The fee for our cruise ship was in the range of $120,000 to $150,000. The exact figure seems to be a well-guarded secret.
The Suez Canal is not what we expected. It is not like canals we know: the Welland Canal, the Panama Canal, the Trent Canal. There are no locks. The two Seas it joins, the Mediterranean and the Red, are at the same level. It is like a long, skinny, one-way, water highway. The canal is one-way traffic only, excect for two bipass spots where ships can pass. Ships travel in convoys of about 6 ships at a time, and the convoys pass each other at the passing points. There is obviously a lot of logistics to keep it all working smoothly. The convoys travel slowly (8 knots, or about 10 mph) to minimize damage to the sides of the canal. It is quite an experience, gliding along slowly and silently through the desert.
Peggy was so excited about the experience that she got up, and got me up too, at 2:45 am to see the pilot come aboard to start our journey. Then at 5 am we passed the cruise ship shown below who pulled in behind us as part of our little convoy .Only Peggy got up for this one.
We both got up at 6:30 when the butler arrived with our first breakfast.
Back off! Wait your turn big boy.
There is only one permanent bridge over the canal, and it is a beauty.
However, there are lots of ferries, including these two crossing from each side simultaneously between each ship in the convoy.
There are also pontoon bridges stockpiled strategically along the side of the canal in case they need to move the army across quickly.
Finally, 12 hours after entering, we came to the end of the Suez Canal and sailed out into the Mediterranean Sea, going past Port Said.
Now, off to the Holy Land.
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