A Magic Carpet, er Ship ride to Arabia.

[RooFlyer]

You are going to meet some oncoming traffic soon



Are you on Viking Mars? It plots out of the canal, but position hours old.

 

[Pushka]

Backtrack. Valley of the Queens. This isn't on the usual excursion list but we stumped up the money for exclusive access to SETI and Queen Nefertari time. Worth every cent.

The tomb is in a really desolate area. Thankfully hadn't been raided and all the artwork, while originally peeling, was carefully 'stuck back on ' using rice paper. So the painting is all original. It was absolutely stunning. Photos don't do it justice.

 

[Pushka]

You are going to meet some oncoming traffic soon

View attachment 329169

Are you on Viking Mars? It plots out of the canal, but position hours old.

Yep. This is our live webcam. And this is taken right now. Normally entrance to the Canal is done at 4am so most miss it. We are 4.5 hours late. Not an issue.

Webcam Viking Cruises - Mars - PANOMAX 360°

Live picture of Viking Cruises - Mars - Panomax - 360° high resolution interactive panorama web cam

viking.panomax.com

 

[Pushka]

Nefertari contd.

Nefertari was the favoured wife of Ramses II. She died in her forties while Ramses lived to his 90's. I've read that She is the niece of Nertititi who with her husband Akhenaten tried to change the god from Amun to Aten. It didn't end well. There are very few remnants of that pair other than history.








On the way back on the three hour drive we were given a snack pack. We checked the contents and sealed it up again. Not something we'd eat.

 

[Pushka]

Sharm El Sheikh. The next day we were up earlyish as we had booked a beach break. We wanted to do the snorkelling trip - I love snorkeling but it was booked out. My DIL had said not to worry as we could snorkel straight off the beach. Cool.

Sharm El Sheikh is well, strange. Kind of stepford. It was the location of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP27). Why here? Hmmm. Nice beaches.

 

[Pushka]

Back to the Suez. Cruise ships passing through here are rare. As we pass by everyone, including the security forces, are waving at us. Even a crane driver waves with his front end loader.






It's gonna be a while.

 

[rovingrabbit]

Great report, amazing photos and excellent history lesson.

 

[Pushka]

Back to Sharm.

The security in Sharm is tight. We got onto the bus, then at the security checkpoint 500 metres away we all had to get off amd have passports inspected, go through scanners and get patted down. Then back on the bus. At which point we picked up an armed guard whose weapon was so large he had to hold a large brief case to cover it. Again in a black suit.

We were deposited at a resort with a private beach. It was still foggy but it didn't matter. Hired our gear and in we went. Slightly cold but in the end it was wonderful. Snorkelling in the Red Sea. Yeah.

There was a reef about 200 metres out. Sharm was closed recently for shark attacks and we thought the beach was netted. It wasn't. What the hell. In we go anyway. So many fish. They just hung around and photo bombed. I had an underwater camera and took so many photos.

Edit. We are just passing through where Evergreen got stuck. They are widening the canal.

 

[Pushka]

View attachment 329238

 

[happywanderer51]

Great report. Brought back wonderful memories of a very similar trip we did in 2017.

 

[Pushka]

The issue about the resort? It is full of folk who have escaped the turmoil that their President has inflicted on others. . And the associated issues that brings to noise, and general behaviour. DJ noise at 10 am isn't pleasant.

So many super yachts too. More of Sharm.








The Hospital.





We have just entered the Great Bitter lake.

Remember that snorkelling excursion we couldn't get on? It was cancelled after three hours on the bus due to fog! I was the only one who got to snorkel.

 

[Pushka]

So these are floating barges.



The procession behind us.


Top deck.

Sand Dredging. So many of these.

Great Bitter lake.

 

[Pushka]

You are going to meet some oncoming traffic soon
View attachment 329169
Are you on Viking Mars? It plots out of the canal, but position hours old.

They would be these. We are hoping to get the effect of ships sailing on sand but the commentator said it doesn't happen often.

 

[Pushka]

Gosh there are some self entitled jerks on this cruise. They treat the crew like servants and are even rude to other passengers. I held the door open for a guy this morning for quite some time and he just walks through. I call out, Your Welcome, loud enough to hear. There is an insufferable couple, wife has been botoxed but don't know why she bothered, just looks weird, and she gives everyone the once over stare. Then later in the cafe they are rude and abrupt to the crew who work so damn hard.

 

[Pushka]

Just entered the two way area.

 

[Pushka]

And ships sailing across the sand effect.





Closing the gap to speed up transit.

 

[RooFlyer]

Closing the gap to speed up transit.

 

[Pushka]

We came so close to being hit by a tourist ferry who decided to take a close up view of the ship. Captain sounded his horn but the large ferry continued on its path until it realised the ship was larger than they realised and they would hit the stern. There was a furious reverse thrust but we still thought it would hit the rear. They scraped past barely.

And now the tug in Port Said. Captain will need a good lie down.

 

[drron]

Gosh there are some self entitled jerks on this cruise. They treat the crew like servants and are even rude to other passengers. I held the door open for a guy this morning for quite some time and he just walks through. I call out, Your Welcome, loud enough to hear. There is an insufferable couple, wife has been botoxed but don't know why she bothered, just looks weird, and she gives everyone the once over stare. Then later in the cafe they are rude and abrupt to the crew who work so damn hard.

Several of them on Silver Moon as well.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Several of them on Silver Moon as well.

That's what cruises are for aren't they for "these" people?

(Obviously there are "some" exceptions to the rule.)