Diary of Peter and Lorna Prewett

PLACES VISITED

Date Place Port Said

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bargaining between passengers and boatmen for rugs, bags, basketwork, cushions and many other gaudy bits and pieces. Each boat was brightly painted and had its own lamp for illuminating the wares and usually two or three swarthy, villainous looking Egyptians to bargain with. When a satisfactory price to both parties was agreed on, the object to be bought was tied to a rope together with a bag [for deleted]and all hauled up on deck, where the "lucky" customer untied t he rope and sent the right money back in the basket to the boatman. Little bundles of goods were continually ascending and descending whilst I was there and the boatmen must have had good trade during our few hours

PLACES VISITED

Date Place Port Said

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[there deleted] in dock. After watching this noisy scene and listening to the amusing crossfire of conversation and argument for some time I staggered below and tumbled into bed for a few more minutes of sleep before breakfast. Peter and I were not allowed ashore during the stay as we have not got passports but those who did go ashore were not very impressed and soon returned to the ships, partly, I think, to avoid the over anxious pedlars along the waterfront, who refused to take no for an answer. I dont think we missed very much!

When I had finished breakfast and woken up fully, Port Said was just a vague impression on the horizon and Orcades had steamed

PLACES VISITED

Date Sunday 26th Feb Place Suez Canal

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well on her way through the first lap of the Suez Canal. This proved to be more interesting than I had imagined, most reports of the canal make it sound most dull but we thoroughly enjoyed most of it and were rather sorry that we passed through 2/3 of it during the night and on Monday morning were in the Red Sea. However, to start at the beginning; after Port Said the first few miles were between very barren muddy flats with the Nile Delta spread out on the Starboard beam, and on the Port beam, sand dunes and the Meditterannean beyond them. We could see little Arab dhows with their white sails, in

PLACES VISITED

Date Place Suez Canal

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the distance, and nearer to us to Starboard, was a narrow canal - the Sweetwater, and a single track railway line, also two roads, one right on the canal bank for slow traffic and some yards beyond that a fast road. Diesel trains passed occasionally between Port Said and the next town on the Canal - El Kantara, and the roads were also fairly busy, the fast traffic consisting of heavy lorries, buses, and cars, and the slower road had a few pedestrians and cars. Quite a number of cars were English makes such as the Ford Anglia. At length the countryside to starboard began to look more cultivated, oases appeared at regular intervals, each with a

PLACES VISITED

Date Place Suez Canal

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collection of mud huts and vegetable patches. Soon we saw camels and although we didn't see a proper camel train, we did notice one laden camel and a man trudging beside it as it swayed along a lonely road miles from anywhere. Several large hawks circled around the boat, although not once while we were watching them did they appear to catch anything. Occasionally we passed fishermen right at the waters edge, and as our wash was at least 1 foot to 18" high several got wet feet! There were also little rowing boats laden with people rocking madly in our wake, and huge dredgers chugging noisily and belching black