Damietta Saturday 15th
October, as it has been advised not to go ashore here we are just having a lazy
day watching the loading etc. I think that even if we wanted to go the Captain
would not allow us to do so for our own safety. If you look English or American
one should stay aboard. The captain was saying that some time ago he took his
wife to the Valley Of The Kings, but he would not do so now, and he is a Sikh
so there is no problem with him being mistaken for a European. I was not very
well for the day, we put it down to the fact that there was a lot of flying
dust around the port. So, and itŐs off to bed early for me. Delma went up to
the bridge to watch the convoy and from all accounts it was most interesting. Suez Canal Sunday 16th
October, when we awoke we were at anchor in the Bitter Lake, waiting for the
convoy going in the other direction to pass and we set off at 1:15pm. What
followed was a most interesting afternoon. One would not expect so much
difference from one side of the canal to the other. On the starboard side (the
African side). Every so often there are Sentry Boxes, with armed sentries and
beside each a machine gun with sandbags, the real thing. We donŐt know if they are loaded or not, and of
corse there is if no way we could find out, but they take security seriously in
this area by the looks of things. At one point we passed two soldiers walking
along the road/track on the side of the canal carrying a rifle each and their
tin hats in their hands, nothing for miles either side of them, only sand one
side and of corse the canal (that we presume they were protecting) on the
other, a real interesting job. On the cultivated side we passed several check
points with drop arms and several armed soldiers at each. Once we arrived at the Suez
end of the canal we dropped the pilot, Compleat with his carton of cigarettes.
Nothing gets done in this area it seems, without a kickback, and the local
currency is the carton of cigarettes. I took a photo of the pilot getting off
and crewman on the launch signalled that he wanted a carton, as I was on the
wing bridge if I had had one I would have thrown one to him just to see what
would have happened. I understand that the Captain gave out about US $150.00
(Duty Free Cost) worth of cigarettes between Damietta and Suez, if he hadnŐt we
may still be waiting to get into Damietta. I also understand that when the
pilot boat came alongside they were told that it would cost 3 cartons for the
pilot to come aboard so they make sure you know where you stand right from the
start. Still as the Captain says itŐs the way of the world and there is nothing
we can do to change it and itŐs small money compared to the cost of a hold-up. 17th October, So now itŐs on to the Red Sea (ItŐs really Blue). Then the Indian Ocean and on to Melbourne about in about 14 days. The crew have been washing down the decks again for the second time but I suppose it wont take long for it to get black |