Suez Canal

October 30, 2007

This is an amazing day! (how many times do I say that word – amazing – on this blog?). We are traveling slowly on the Suez canal with Egypt to the left and right of us. The day started off with the Sea Olympics where the Dead Sea (that is our team – faculty, staff, Life long learners) get out in our grey colored shirts, pants, etc. and our awesome banner (hanks Paul and team) and chanting “not dead yet1”. The other seas were pretty good – scary good – and this was happening all at 9 am. We ended up placing 1st in this competition which was great and gave us a boost of confidence. Not sure we will actually win the entire thing but as I told the entire team, the goal is to not finish dead last.
It was surreal to have all of us running around, chanting, competing, etc. as we sail through this historic canal and really the country known as the cradle of civilization. At different points of the day, in the midst of meetings and competition, we heard the call to prayer coming from various mosques and loudspeakers. I saw a soldier at one point had his gun turned to us and in the next minute, put his gun down and faced Mecca, began the ritual of washing his face. I ran to the AFT of the ship to see if he was praying and when I got there, he was indeed. We saw old cannons that must have been built for the wars fought around the Suez, little boats driven by young and old men, and women covered from head to toe going about their daily lives. I had to laugh as students, some clad in bathing suits, shorts, tanks,, complain to me that they keep waving at the people but there are so few that wave back. I replied that with what we are all wearing (we had a big hair contest and toilet paper fashion contest ok?), it’s a miracle they haven’t shot at us yet so no, I don’t think we’ll be waved at much. All of us continue to marvel at where we are traveling through as we gaze out at the dessert, see camels walking with their jockeys along side them, watch small towns and cities at different points, and wonder at how lucky we all are to be here. It hurts my heart looking at the magnificent beauty around me and I know that I did not describe this experience well enough. And while the sunset will I am sure be great, I don’t want it to happen just yet because that would mean an end to another very special sea day.