The Suez Canal: The Place To Cruise
When the Suez Canal opened in 1869, sea travel around the world changed dramatically. Added to the recent completion of the American transcontinental railroad, the opening of the Suez Canal made circling the globe a much faster process. No longer did ships have to travel around the horn of Africa to cross from Europe to Asia or back. The Mediterranean being connected to the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden leading into the Indian Ocean changed everything.
Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com
Today, there are cheap cruises and expensive cruise holiday tours that sail up and down the waters of the Suez Canal. There are no locks in this waterway, both sides being almost equal in depth and height above sea level. There is a lake in the middle, the Great Bitter Lake, which keeps water flow steady to both sides. There are also ports of call which offer tours inland to Cairo and Luxor in Egypt, day trips that many vacationers find fulfilling.
It is the Sinai Desert which borders the Suez Canal: Israel on one side and Egypt on the other. Both places have something amazing to offer visitors to the region due to the great historical significance of the area. In fact, the idea of connecting the Mediterranean to the Red Sea was first conceived by Pharoah Senusret II in 1897 BC. Construction began, and was later continued by Darius I of Persia. However, this canal was never finished due to the attempt at connecting the two bodies of salt water using a fresh water river, the Nile.
The original attempt at the canal can still be seen today; the remains of a trench were discovered in the 20th Century connecting Lake Timseh to the Ballah Lakes near the Great Bitter Lake. This was the only north-south attempt at a canal before the existing version. However, there were numerous east-west attempts, but only one was successful. Going back to the reign of Darius I, a canal did connect the Nile and the Red Sea, but it was later improved under Ptolemy II who built the first known functioning sea-lock.
When you visit now, you will find that most of the evidence of these ancient canals has disappeared beneath the sand, but the legends are still very much alive. When you take a cruise ship to the Suez Canal, you can see and smell the history all around you. To visit the interior of the land, Port Said and the Port of Safaga both offer day trips, and also offer amazing assortment of nightlife that might take you a few days to fully discover.
About the Author
Sarah Van Rensburg is a travel lover and avid writer, focussing on a range of travel topics particularly cruise holidays.
by: Sarah Van Rensburg
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Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 Time: 5:47 PM -
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