Diary of Peter and Lorna Prewett

PLACES VISITED

Date Place Suez Canal

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passed bouys with red or green lights. The lake must be very shallow with just a deep channel cut through, because we could see sand bars and waves breaking near the ship. In the distance the lights of the mainland were just visible strung round like a necklace. Then we neared the further shore and entered another leg of the canal to the accompainement of whistles and shours of a camp of soldiers on [shore] the bank.

Next morning, instead of banks, on either side were the towering, jaggered red and ochre cliffs at the entrance to the Red Sea.

PLACES VISITED

Date Wed 1st March Place Aden

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During our two day voyage through the Red Sea we passed several barren islands and on the morning of Wednesday larger and more rugged islands apppeared out of the mist on the horison. We were approaching the 14 mile wide straits between French Somaliland and Arabia and as the islands in the straits became clearer we could see signs of habitation and sandy beaches. Gulls swooped behind us and a funny little brown bird attached himself as an escort and followed until the island was almost out of sight astern. He perched on the netting around the sports deck several times and seemed very interested! Also, to my delight

PLACES VISITED

Date Place Aden

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a large school of dolphins passed us going towards Suez. They were the first we saw, and they were a wonderful sight with their graceful leaps and noisy slaps as they hit water. Since then we have passed several schools but none so exciting, although during the night a school appeared right at our side and although it was dark we could see their gleaming bodies clearly.

With the islands astern we soon saw the mountains of the mainland and after lunch we were slowly moving towards Aden itself. At about 4 oclock we anchored in the harbour but it was an hour before all the port formalities

Date Place Aden

were completed and we could go ashore. It was a scorching hot day even at 5.0 and as we landed the heat hit us like an oven door being opened. We made for the shopping area, having decided not to bother with taking a taxi anywhere else - and found that each shop was alike for a distance of 1/4 mile or more. They sold cameras of all shapes and sizes, sunglasses, scarves, toys, clothes, radios, and a motley collection of junk, at each one. When we reached the end of the street the sea front was in sight and we strolled along looking at the harbour until the antics of two suspicious looking natives turned us back. The side

Date Place Aden

streets looked intriguing, and as we had not been able to bargain for the things we wanted in the larger shops of the main street we decided to try our luck in the alleyways. By this time darkenss had fallen, all the little open fronted bazaars had been lit up and the gorgeous coloured scarves and clothes spilling from each one made the scene look for more exotic and eastern than under the hard glare of the afternoon sun. Hundreds of dirty Arabs had appeared and the streets were full of jostling crowds, goats & sheep eating the refuse , and also an occasional cow dreamily chewing