Ismailia - Suez – 115 km ^35
Getting away early wasn’t difficult as the room must’ve been one of the filthiest in
Egypt, and we were on our way before nine o’clock. The streets were dead quiet
as, typical of a desert country, the Egyptians slept late. Nearly all business was
done after sunset.
Biking along the canal sounded like a great idea but wasn’t possible due to police
roadblocks. No other option remained but to head to Suez’s seaport town at the
mouth of the Suez Canal along the main road. A few days were spent watching in
awe as the massive ships and tankers moved through the narrow canal.
More impressive than the modern-day channel was a canal dug linking the Red
Sea and the Nile way back in the 7th century AD. This little-known fact blew my
mind.
Suez - Desert Camp – 113 km
Departing Suez was via a tunnel that ran underneath the canal. I subsequently
discovered most foreigners didn’t realise Africa was connected to Europe and the
Middle East. In fact, I considered the tunnel underneath the Suez Canal more of a
subway.
The Sinai coast was uniquely beautiful and even more so when powered by the
wind. Looking back, the unique thing was that one could see huge ships moving
along the canal, but not the channel, resembling ships sailing through the desert—
an extraordinary view.
A great deal of the day was biking through desert terrain dotted by farms
cultivating olives and tamarinds. The area appeared predominantly inhabited by
Sinai Bedouins who lived in settlements throughout the region.
By evening, camping was a couple of kilometres past Ras Sedr.